Ringo Starr a Liverpool equipment manufacturer. While working at the facility Starkey befriended Roy Trafford, and the two bonded over their shared interest in music. Trafford introduced Starkey to skiffle, and he quickly became a fervent admirer. Starr is the only Beatle who did not have any Irish heritage. Soon after Trafford piqued Starkey's interest in skiffle, the two began rehearsing songs in the manufacturing plant's cellar during their lunch breaks. Trafford recalled: "I played a guitar, and [Ritchie] just made a noise on a box ... Sometimes, he just slapped a biscuit tin with some keys, or banged on the backs
Sentimental Journey (Ringo Starr album) and other members of his family to choose the tracks. Starr engaged the services of Beatles producer George Martin to helm his solo debut, shortly after the Beatles' "Abbey Road" (1969) came out. Starr had one song each arranged by different musicians, ranging from fellow-Beatle Paul McCartney, and Martin himself to Richard Perry, Quincy Jones, The Bee Gees' Maurice Gibb, Klaus Voormann, and Elmer Bernstein among others, as Starr thought the album would have a flavour to it. Author Bill Harry states that on 1 October 1969, Starr asked Count Basie to write an arrangement score for "Night and Day";