Jerry Reed’s guest guitar on Ringo Starr’s countrified ‘$15 Draw’

Clasping a cigarette between his index and middle fingers, 29-year-old Ringo Starr nabbed this resplendently red selfie during the “Beaucoups of Blues” era. Distributed in the wake of the Beatles’ break-up by their Apple Records on September 25, 1970, a scant six months after Starr’s head-scratching debut long player of pre-rock standards entitled “Sentimental Journey,” “Beaucoups” charted at No. 65 POP, No. 35 C&W. It surprisingly did not register at all in the left-handed fill drummer’s native homeland. Penned by Buzz Rabin, the title track was the only single released, barely climbing into the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 87. It was a glaring mistake not to push the vastly underrated “$15 Draw” instead. Photography by Ringo Starr / appears in “Photograph” via Genesis Publications

“I just always figured that if I hung on, I’d make it big some day.” That’s Jerry Reed counting off “$15 Draw,” Ringo Starr’s mid-tempo ballad of a wandering musician missing mama and his hometown, and clawin’ up a super catchy riff on acoustic guitar. Although Reed had a half dozen Top 20 country singles already under his belt when he did the June 26, 1970, Nashville session…