UK single pairing "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo" as part of the company's Golden 45s series. Starr has frequently performed "It Don't Come Easy" in concert with his All-Starr Band. He included it in the set list for his July–September 1989 American tour, and a performance of the song opens the 1990 album Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band and the 2001 live compilation The Anthology... So Far. It was also included on a bonus 5-inch CD single issued with the US limited edition deluxe CD version of Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band. Recorded at The Bottom Line in New York in May 1998, his live version for VH1 Storytellers appeared on the album and video releases from the programme. In 1991, "It Don't Come Easy" was added as a bonus track on the CD version of Ringo, along with "Early 1970" and "Down and Out". Starr's song "Don't Go Where the Road Don't Go", from his 1992 album Time Takes Time, includes an homage to the song during the bridge with the line, "Well I said it don't come easy, well I sure know how it feels". Similarly, his song "Eye to Eye", from his 2003 album Ringo Rama, starts with the lines, "Remember when I said it don't come easy / That seems so long ago". Covers and appearances The song was the opening theme of the 1973-1975 ABC late night talk show Good Night, America hosted by Geraldo Rivera. In 1987, a cover version of "It Don't Come Easy" was used in a commercial for 7-Eleven using the slogan "Where the good things come easy". In 1991, along with a guest appearance by Starr, the song was featured in The Simpsons episode "Brush with Greatness". The song is used as inspirational background music for a montage of Marge Simpson painting a portrait of Mr. Burns. On her 2010 release Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, Bettye LaVette included a slowed down bluesy version of the song. The song was covered by the American band the Smithereens on their album of rarities, Attack of the Smithereens. A cover is featured in the 2014 film The Identical. Morse/Portnoy/George released this as their second single from their 2020 covers album Cov3r to Cov3r on 19 June 2020. In 2020, Peter Frampton covered it to celebrate Starr's 80th birthday. Personnel According to Bruce Spizer, the following musicians played