On his previous three albums, Ringo Starr had depended on superstar friends, a few oldies, and a lighthearted attitude to get him through. The commercial disappointment of Ringo's Rotogravure seemed to dictate a change of approach, and Ringo the 4th attempted to be a slick '70s soul-pop effort with hints of disco. Starr was accompanied by New York studio pros, and he wrote most of the songs with Vini Poncia. The result marked the difference between disappointment and disaster, as the record flopped commercially and Atlantic bounced him.