It Don't Come Easy

"It Don't Come Easy" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as a non album single in April 1971. It was produced by Starr's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison, who also helped write the song, although only Starr is credited. Recording for the track took place in March 1970 at Trident Studios in London, with overdubs added in October. Starr and Harrison performed the song together in August 1971 at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh shows in New York City, a recording from which was released on the live album of the same name. Starr has continued to perform it in subsequent decades with his All Starr Band. Apart from in North America, where "Beaucoups of Blues" had been a single in October 1970, "It Don't Come Easy" was Starr's first single release since the break up of the Beatles. Heavily promoted by Apple Records, the song was a commercial success, peaking at number 1 in Canada and number 4 on singles charts in the UK and the US. It was critically well received on release and remains one of his most popular hits as a solo artist.

Ringo Starr began writing "It Don't Come Easy" in late 1968, having recently completed his first composition, "Don't Pass Me By". When referring to his early songwriting efforts in a 2003 interview, he described himself as "great at writing two verses and a chorus" but often unable to develop the ideas further. Although Starr received sole writing credit for "It Don't Come Easy", Beatles historian Bruce Spizer writes that he had "substantial, but uncredited, assistance" from his bandmate George Harrison. In author Robert Rodriguez's description, the official songwriting credit was long thought to be "bogus" and, notwithstanding Starr's involvement, a sign of Harrison's "great generosity" in wanting to help the drummer establish himself independently of the Beatles. He discussed the song's creation during his appearance on VH1 Storytellers in 1998. Starr said: "I wrote this song with the one and only George Harrison." He went on to say that Harrison suggested the last verse be about God. When Starr protested, Harrison suggested Hare Krishna. Starr protested again, and Harrison suggested "peace" as a topic, and they settled on that.

Starr first recorded the new composition during the sessions for Sentimental Journey. The latter project was an album of pre rock 'n' roll standards that he undertook to keep active following Lennon's decision, and to please his mother. Recording for the song began during an all night session on 18 February 1970 at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios), with George Martin producing. The studio log listed the track as "You Gotta Pay Your Dues". Harrison played acoustic guitar and directed the other musicians – namely Starr (on drums), Klaus Voormann (bass) and Stephen Stills (piano). They taped 20 takes of the basic track. Starr added a vocal to the take selected as best and Harrison two electric guitar parts, and by 4.40am the recording had been mixed. On 19 February, after final overdubs were carried out on "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" during an afternoon session at EMI, recording resumed on "You Gotta Pay Your Dues", with Starr adding another lead vocal. Harrison was not present that evening, although Eric Clapton may have been involved. During the session, Starr decided to remake the song; ten further takes were required to achieve a new basic track. Take 30 was labelled "best" and onto this take were added two bass parts. This version was also discarded, however, since Starr again decided to remake the song.

Recording for the third version of "It Don't Come Easy" began at Trident Studios on 8 March 1970, two days after Starr had completed work on Sentimental Journey. Harrison produced the sessions and played guitar. According to author Bill Harry, Voormann and Stills again contributed on bass and piano, while the other participants included Mal Evans (on tambourine) and Ron Cattermole (saxophone, trumpet). Overdubs were added to the new basic track on 11 March, again at Trident. When news of the sessions reached the press that month, Apple insisted that there were "absolutely no plans for the record to be released as a single at the present time". Following the Beatles' break up in April, Starr played drums on Harrison's All Things Must Pass album, a project that led to Starr recording a country album, Beaucoups of Blues, in Nashville. Despite these and other musical activities, Starr admitted to feeling "absolutely lost" with regard to his future outside the Beatles. According to Mike Gibbins of the Apple band Badfinger, Harrison offered "It Don't Come Easy" to Badfinger, but they did not take up the offer. Other overdubs included backing vocals by Badfinger's Pete Ham and Tom Evans, and a new piano part, played by Gary Wright. Also added in October was a horn section, which, further to Harrison's use of horns on the Beatles' 1968 track "Savoy Truffle", was a staple of his 1970s productions. Another familiar Harrison device was the Leslie speaker effect on his lead guitar part, particularly in the song's intro. In a 2002 interview, Jim Keltner said he added maracas to the finished recording, at Trident, having arrived in London in February 1971 to escape the Los Angeles earthquake. Referring to the arrangement on the completed track, author Alan Clayson highlights the combination of an opening "fizz of cymbal", Harrison's "clanging guitar arpeggios", the "fat gusto" horns, Evans' tambourine supporting the "moderato punch" of the Starr–Voormann rhythm section, and "gospel esque" backing vocals. An early mix from the sessions has appeared on bootlegs, featuring Harrison on lead vocal. While the instrumentation is almost identical to the released version, during the guitar break Ham and Tom Evans shout the line "Hare Krishna!" This was retained in the official release, but buried in the mix. Following the guitar solo, there is a repeat of the song's opening guitar phrase, although this section was subsequently edited out.

Apple Records issued "It Don't Come Easy", backed with "Early 1970", as a single on 9 April 1971 in the United Kingdom, with the catalogue number Apple R5898. It was released on 16 April in the United States as Apple 1831. After Starr's forays into standards and country music with his two 1970 albums, it was his first rock record as a solo artist. Although "Beaucoups of Blues" had been issued as a single in the US and some other markets, "It Don't Come Easy" was Starr's debut single in the UK and most other countries. The NMEs Alan Smith described the song as "undoubtedly one of the best, thumpin'est things the Starr man has ever done", with a "very strong hook" and, thanks to Harrison, a "fat, pumping backing full of guts and stuff". Smith was critical of Starr's vocal, but concluded: "on the credit side we have an inventive mind and a dry wit coming more and more into play with better songs. One day he may even write a masterpiece." Billboards reviewer admired the single as Starr's "most commercial solo effort" yet and said that "Potent Top 40 rock material and vocal workout has it to take him all the way." Cash Box described the song as "stunning and delightful". Record World said that Starr "has found his groove with this one." Peter Jones of Record Mirror praised the guitars and drums, and predicted an "easy" top five hit. He wrote that "At first hearing, it didn't mean much – but it has a built in grow on you appeal." The single was heavily promoted by Apple. It peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 5 on Melody Makers national chart. In the US, the song reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts compiled by Cash Box (for one week) and Record World. It was also number 1 on the RPM 100 in Canada

Writing in The Village Voice soon after attending the event, critic Robert Christgau conceded his favouritism towards Starr when ruing how Harrison, at the front of the stage, blocked his view of the drummer dressed in "grand ole black on black" as he sang "It Don't Come Easy". Christgau described Starr's demeanour during the performance as "brimming with quiet happiness, as if after eight years he still couldn't quite believe his own good fortune"; he cited this deferential quality as the reason why "unlike the others he remains immune to the vagaries of our affection. Ringo is our representative on the Beatles. "refn|group="nb"|Christgau also said the pairing of "It Don't Come Easy" and "Early 1970" was "the best single any ex Beatle has released". Starr's re recording of "Back Off Boogaloo" for his 1981 album Stop and Smell the Roses references the song, along with several Beatles tracks, by reprising Harrison's opening guitar riff. On 12 March 1984, EMI released a UK single pairing "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo" as part of the company's Golden 45s series. Starr has frequently performed "It Don't Come Easy" in concert with his All Starr Band. He included it in the set list for his July–September 1989 American tour, and a performance of the song opens the 1990 album Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band and the 2001 live compilation The Anthology So Far. It was also included on a bonus 5 inch CD single issued with the US limited edition deluxe CD version of Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band. Recorded at The Bottom Line in New York in May 1998, his live version for VH1 Storytellers appeared on the album and video releases from the programme. In 1991, "It Don't Come Easy" was added as a bonus track on the CD version of Ringo, along with "Early 1970" and "Down and Out". Starr's song "Don't Go Where the Road Don't Go", from his 1992 album Time Takes Time, includes an homage to the song during the bridge with the line, "Well I said it don't come easy, well I sure know how it feels". Similarly, his song "Eye to Eye", from his 2003 album Ringo Rama, starts with the lines, "Remember when I said it don't come easy / That seems so long ago".

The song was the opening theme of the 1973 1975 ABC late night talk show Good Night, America hosted by Geraldo Rivera. In 1987, a cover version of "It Don't Come Easy" was used in a commercial for 7 Eleven using the slogan "Where the good things come easy". In 1991, along with a guest appearance by Starr, the song was featured in The Simpsons episode "Brush with Greatness". The song is used as inspirational background music for a montage of Marge Simpson painting a portrait of Mr. Burns. On her 2010 release Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, Bettye LaVette included a slowed down bluesy version of the song. The song was covered by the American band the Smithereens on their album of rarities, Attack of the Smithereens. A cover is featured in the 2014 film The Identical. Morse/Portnoy/George released this as their second single from their 2020 covers album Cov3r to Cov3r on 19 June 2020. In 2020, Peter Frampton covered it to celebrate Starr's 80th birthday.