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Credit: Scott Robert Ritchie

Credit: Scott Robert Ritchie

Ringo Starr is the subject of a lengthy new People interview in which the former Beatles drummer touches on the upcoming 50th anniversary reissue of Abbey Road, his plans for a new solo record, the current 30th anniversary tour of his All Starr Band and more.

The expanded Abbey Road reissue, which will be released on September 27, includes an unused take of “Octopus’ Garden,” one of the few songs Starr had a hand in writing for The Beatles.

Ringo tells the magazine that “people are interested in all of that,” referring to the alternate versions of songs that have appeared on recent Fab Four reissues.

He also says he’s happy about the remastered audio because the drums are more pronounced in the mix.

“People are telling me, ‘Oh, you can play!'” Starr notes. “Because they can hear the drums [better] now.”

Abbey Road includes the only drum solo Ringo ever played on a Beatles track, during the album’s finale, “The End.”

“They forced me to do that one,” Starr maintains. “I’m just not a drum solo drummer. I want to be in the band…I hold them all together and they can go mad. I’m crazy about very few drum solos I’ve heard.”

Meanwhile, Ringo’s been recording a new solo album with various guest musicians, including current members of his All Starr Band; his brother-in-law Joe Walsh; Dave Stewart of Eurythmics; and renowned session bassist Nathan East.

“I like to hang out with writers and musicians, so I’ve been co-writing all the songs,” Starr says.

Ringo’s on the road now with his All Starr Band, marking the 30th anniversary of his first trek with the star-studded collective. The tour runs through a September 1 concert in Los Angeles.

Here are the remaining dates:

8/20 — Champaign, IL, State Farm Center
8/22 — Prior Lake, MN, Mystic Lake Casino
8/23 — Council Bluffs, IA, Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino
8/25 — Santa Fe, NM, Santa Fe Opera House
8/26 — Phoenix, AZ, Celebrity Theatre
8/29 — Oakland, CA, Paramount Theatre
8/30 — Lincoln, CA, Thunder Valley Casino Resort
8/31 — Paso Robles, CA, Vina Robles Amphitheatre
9/1 — Los Angeles, CA, The Greek Theatre

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