Snookeroo

<h2 id="writing-and-release">Writing and release</h2>
The song, which concerns a happy-go-lucky lout from northern England, was written about Starr himself.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1">1</a> Bernie Taupin backs this up by calling it "a simple biographical thing".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2">2</a> Elton John recalled, "Bernie wrote really simple lyrics, very Ringo type lyrics and I tried to write a simple sort of melody to it".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a> Elton John also plays piano on the track and provides the count-off.
The title refers to the <a href="/facts/Billiards/wsHrGGXM">billiards</a> game <a href="/facts/Snooker/PX3vtzqU">snooker</a>. Charting as a tag-along with "<a href="/facts/No_No_Song/LnLg3PST">No No Song</a>" in the US, it reached number three on the <a href="/facts/Billboard_Hot_100/gwKl8VL9">Billboard Hot 100</a>. On the <a href="/facts/Cashbox_(magazine)/8L7IspkS">Cash Box</a> chart, which listed single sides separately, it "bubbled under" at number 105.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a>
The UK version of the single was released on 21 February 1975 with "Oo-Wee" on the B-side,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a>;<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> both tracks were taken from the album Goodnight Vienna. 

<h2 id="personnel">Personnel</h2>
Personnel are taken from the Goodnight Vienna CD liner notes<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a>

<ul><li><a href="/facts/Ringo_Starr/qNWrpcTc">Ringo Starr</a> – drums, vocals</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Klaus_Voormann/ADpvXHr3">Klaus Voormann</a> – bass</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Jim_Keltner/3Rpqnxp0">Jim Keltner</a> – drums</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Elton_John/DCPCRafW">Elton John</a> – piano</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Robbie_Robertson/7IhHp5zV">Robbie Robertson</a> – guitar</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Bobby_Keys/Mvftb5R0">Bobby Keys</a>, <a href="/facts/Chuck_Findley/8bcrPfhu">Chuck Findley</a>, Steve Madaio and <a href="/facts/Trevor_Lawrence_(musician)/c93gqssU">Trevor Lawrence</a> – horns</li>
<li><a href="/facts/James_Newton_Howard/UwsQAoBd">James Newton Howard</a> – synthesizer</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Clydie_King/CHHfuJJa">Clydie King</a>, <a href="/facts/Joe_Greene_(American_songwriter)/w1kKmRFd">Joe Greene</a> and <a href="/facts/Lynda_Laurence/yAjHmTc9">Linda Laurence</a> – backing vocals</li></ul>
<h2 id="reception">Reception</h2>
<a href="/facts/Billboard_(magazine)/CVruQGq5">Billboard</a> described "Snookeroo" as "a perfect Ringo type cut" that is "an uptempo, happy song" with good use of horns and <a href="/facts/String_instrument/srW2H8dV">string instruments</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> <a href="/facts/Cash_Box/8L7IspkS">Cash Box</a> said that "it shares [John's and Taupin's] usual hit qualities"<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a> Ultimate Classic Rock critic Dave Swanson rated it Starr's 8th greatest solo song.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> The record failed to chart in the UK.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a>

Footnotes

Citations

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Bernardin, Claude; Stanton, Tom. Rocket Man: Elton John A to Z. p. 95. <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Fong-Torres, Ben (21 November 1974). "The Four Eyed Bitch is Back". Rolling Stone. p. 61. <a href="/wiki/Rolling_Stone" target="_blank">/wiki/Rolling_Stone</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Fong-Torres, Ben (21 November 1974). "The Four Eyed Bitch is Back". Rolling Stone. p. 61. <a href="/wiki/Rolling_Stone" target="_blank">/wiki/Rolling_Stone</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Whitburn, Joel (2015). The Comparison Book. Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 481. ISBN 978-0-89820-213-7. <a href="978-0-89820-213-7" target="_blank">978-0-89820-213-7</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">UK Apple R 6004[4] <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 182. ISBN 9780753508435. <a href="9780753508435" target="_blank">9780753508435</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Ringo Starr - Goodnight Vienna, 15 November 1974, retrieved 13 November 2023 <a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/1091336-Ringo-Starr-Goodnight-Vienna" target="_blank">https://www.discogs.com/release/1091336-Ringo-Starr-Goodnight-Vienna</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 1 February 1975. p. 78. Retrieved 17 July 2020. <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1975/Billboard%201975-02-01.pdf" target="_blank">https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1975/Billboard%201975-02-01.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 1 February 1975. p. 22. Retrieved 11 December 2021. <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-02-01.pdf" target="_blank">https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-02-01.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Swenson, Dave (23 November 2013). "Top 10 Ringo Starr Solo Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 July 2019. <a href="https://ultimateclassicrock.com/ringo-starr-solo-songs/" target="_blank">https://ultimateclassicrock.com/ringo-starr-solo-songs/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Swenson, Dave (23 November 2013). "Top 10 Ringo Starr Solo Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 July 2019. <a href="https://ultimateclassicrock.com/ringo-starr-solo-songs/" target="_blank">https://ultimateclassicrock.com/ringo-starr-solo-songs/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Snookeroo open-in-new

Snookeroo