Sentimental Journey is the first solo album release by former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr in 1970, as the band was splintering apart. Although Starr was the third member of the group to issue solo work (after John Lennon and George Harrison), Sentimental Journey is notable for being the first proper studio album by a member of the band, in light of the experimental, soundtrack or live releases his aforementioned bandmates had already released. Paul McCartney's debut, McCartney would follow three weeks after Sentimental Journey's release.
Beginning in October 1969, Starr engaged the services of Beatles producer George Martin to helm his solo debut. The idea, thematic in approach, was to create an album of standards that would reflect his parents' favourite songs, even asking them and other members of his family to choose the tracks. In addition, he would have one song each arranged by different musicians, ranging from Martin himself, Paul McCartney, Maurice Gibb, Quincy Jones and old friend of The Beatles from Hamburg (and bassist with Manfred Mann) Klaus Voormann, among others. Although begun during the sessions, Starr's own composition, "It Don't Come Easy", would appear as a single in 1971. Recording of the album was completed in March 1970, with Sentimental Journey being rushed out merely two weeks later in order to avoid clashing in the shops with The Beatles' impending final album Let It Be in May and McCartney, whose 17 April release date its maker flatly refused to delay after being asked to by the other members of the band.
Sentimental Journey received fair reviews upon its release, although many critics found the idea of Starr covering standards a bit odd considering his musical background. His fame in The Beatles was all that was required, however, to get it all the way to #7 in the UK - with no single release to promote it - and #22 in the United States. Although the style of the album took many by surprise, Starr's swift follow-up, Beaucoups of Blues, would be just as radical a stylistic shift.
Sentimental Journey was remastered and reissued on CD in 1995.
