Ringo Starr just released the first single from his upcoming album, Long Long Road. The album follows Starr’s Look Up, a project that marked a major moment in his decades-long career.
The new single, “It’s Been Too Long,” arrives ahead of the full 10-track album and features harmonies from Molly Tuttle and Sarah Jarosz. The song offers a warm, roots-forward sound that reflects the album’s country and Americana foundation while still feeling distinctly Starr.
Long Long Road was co-written and produced by T Bone Burnett, whose creative partnership with Starr began on Look Up. Their collaboration continues to lean into organic instrumentation and storytelling, blending classic country influences with modern Nashville musicianship.
Starr has described working with Burnett as a natural evolution. After the success of their first project together, the second album “just sort of happened,” he said, noting that choosing to work with Burnett was one of the “right moves” in this chapter of his career. The album’s title, Long Long Road, nods both to his personal journey and to the musical path he continues to explore.
Rooted in country but expansive in scope, the record also pays homage to one of Starr’s longtime inspirations, Carl Perkins. The album includes a previously lesser-known Perkins song, “I Don’t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore,” a fitting tribute considering Starr recorded two Perkins tracks during his time with The Beatles.
Recorded between Nashville and Los Angeles, Long Long Road reunites many of the musicians who helped shape Look Up. The core group (affectionately nicknamed “The Texans” by Burnett) includes celebrated players such as Paul Franklin, David Mansfield, Dennis Crouch, Daniel Tashian, Rory Hoffman, Patrick Warren and Colin Linden. The project also features collaborations with Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow and St. Vincent, adding even more depth to the album’s sonic palette.
Burnett, a longtime admirer of Starr’s musicianship, has spoken about hearing a distinctly Texas influence in Starr’s playing and wanting to build an album that reflected that spirit. By pairing Starr with some of Nashville’s most dynamic players, Burnett aimed to create a record that bridges legacy and fresh energy.
Their previous album, Look Up, proved the formula works. Released in January 2025, it became Starr’s first country album in 50 years and earned him a Top 10 debut on Billboard’s all-genre Top Album Sales chart. In the U.K., the project marked another milestone, giving Starr his first solo No. 1 on the Official Country Chart. He later made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry after an invitation from Emmylou Harris during a two-night run at Ryman Auditorium.
Long Long Road continues that momentum with a 10-song tracklist split across two sides:
Side One
- Returning Without Tears
- Baby Don’t Go
- I Don’t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore
- It’s Been Too Long
- Why
Side Two
- You and I (Wave of Love)
- My Baby Don’t Want Nothing
- Choose Love
- She’s Gone
- Long Long Road
Produced by Burnett and co-produced by Daniel Tashian and Bruce Sugar, the album will be released via UMe. With Long Long Road, Starr once again proves that even after a lifetime in music, he’s still finding new paths worth traveling.
