No redux tonight! I finally finished my morning post and responding to comments early enough to have the energy left to properly research a song!
Tonight’s selection is strange, in that it is a Beatles recording, yet while it reached the #1 spot in the U.S., it did not chart in the Beatles home country, the UK! For me, at least, this is one of those that can get stuck in my head for days at a time, for I mostly love the tune, never knew the full lyrics until tonight!
From their 1970 album Let It Be, this was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The road McCartney is talking about is the B842 which runs down the east coast of Kintyre and on into Campbeltown near his Scottish farmhouse. Says McCartney …
“I just sat down at my piano in Scotland, started playing and came up with that song, imagining it was going to be done by someone like Ray Charles. I have always found inspiration in the calm beauty of Scotland and again it proved the place where I found inspiration.”
Paul McCartney offered this song to Tom Jones in 1968 on the condition it be his next single. He had Without Love (There is Nothing) set for release so he turned down the offer, something he would later regret. Speaking with Media Wales in 2012, Jones explained:
“I saw him (McCartney) in a club called Scotts Of St. James on Jermyn Street in London. I said to him When are you going to write me a song then Paul? He said, aye I will then. Then not long after he sent a song around to my house, which was ‘The Long And Winding Road,’ but the condition was that I could do it but it had to be my next single.
Paul wanted it out straight away. At that time I had a song called ‘Without Love’ that I was going to be releasing. The record company was gearing up towards the release of it. The timing was terrible, but I asked if we could stop everything and I could do ‘The Long And Winding Road.’ They said it would take a lot of time and it was impractical, so I ended up not doing it. I was kicking myself. I knew it was a strong song.”
The Beatles recorded this in January 1969 as a fairly simple ballad. By 1970, The Beatles were breaking up and and Phil Spector was brought in to go through the tapes and produce the album. Spector was known for his “Wall Of Sound” recording technique, where he added many instruments and layered the tracks to create a very full sound. On this track, he took out most of The Beatles instruments and added a string section and choir (The Mike Sammes Singers). The result was very different from what the group originally had in mind.
Even though he wrote this song, Paul McCartney didn’t go to the sessions where Spector produced it. When McCartney heard the results, he made it clear that he hated what Spector did to his song, and tried to get the original version, which was mixed by engineer Glyn Johns, on the album. The band was already falling apart, and this caused further turmoil within the group, as Harrison and Lennon both supported Spector. Paul has not changed his stance over the years, and still believes Spector butchered it. Lennon and Harrison felt otherwise, and each had Spector produce their next solo efforts. Lennon said of Spector’s work on Let It Be:
“Phil was given the s–ttiest load of badly recorded s–t with a lousy feeling to it, and he made something of it.”
Some of the many artists who covered this song: Tony Bennett, George Benson, Cilla Black, Ray Charles, Cher, Judy Collins, Peter Frampton, Aretha Franklin, Richie Havens, Cissy Houston, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Liberace, The London Symphony Orchestra, Barry Manilow, Mantovani, Johnny Mathis, Bill Medley, George Michael, Olivia Newton-John, Billy Ocean, Stu Phillips, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Kevin Rowland, Sarah Vaughan, Andy Williams and Nancy Wilson. Whew … that’s quite a list!
In an interview shortly before he became British Prime Minister, after five years as Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron told Q magazine that this is his favorite Paul McCartney song. He explained:
“It has a wonderful melody and emotion and pretty much sums up the life of the Leader of the Opposition.”
The Long and Winding Road
The Beatles
The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I’ve seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to you door
The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here?
Let me know the way
Many times I’ve been alone
And many times I’ve cried
Anyway, you’ll never know
The many ways I’ve tried
And still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long, long time ago
Don’t leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door
But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long, long time ago
Don’t keep me waiting here
Lead me to your door
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney
The Long and Winding Road lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Always love the Beatles!
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This isn’t one of their best, but still … not bad! Glad you liked it! What, by the way, is your all-time favourite of theirs?
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I love the backstory on this great Beatles song.
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So did I … who knew? And, can you picture Tom Jones doing this one? I can’t for the life of me.
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No, I can’t picture it at all.
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Great song, Jill! Love the story behind, too. Have a beautiful Sunday! Michael
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I’m glad you liked it! You have a great Sunday as well, my friend!
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Thank you very much for your everlasting kindness. Jilll.
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Oh drear.
Cwtch
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Heh heh … I was 98% certain that you would not like this one. Ah well … come back later today and we’ll see if I can do better. 😉
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Another of my favorites and I love knowing the history behind it.
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Learning the history of the songs I’ve long loved is most of the fun of doing these music posts! I’m glad you liked this one!
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Huge crush on Paul when I was young.
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So did I!!! I think it was that grin that did it for me!
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It is always the accent for me. As I became an adult, my heart was won by John Lennon for he spoke to the hope in my soul. Every day I learn more about the depth of his wisdom. His 60’s ‘Working Class Hero’ is more relative now than ever.
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You’re right about Lennon … I love listening to his “Imagine” … a world without hate … sigh.
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My soul song….
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I love this song, and it is one of my favourite Beatles’ tunes. Thanks!! And happy Saturday…
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I’m glad!!! I think you’re the first person who said it was among their favourites. Happy Saturday … Happy Weekend … to you, my friend!
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Dear Jill and eschudel,
“♫ The Long And Winding Road♫” is my most favourite of Paul McCartney’s songs.
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Wow! That’s saying a lot! I’m so glad you liked it!
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I like the orchestral version of “♫ The Long And Winding Road♫” even more.
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I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one!
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That sumptuous orchestral version of “♫ The Long And Winding Road♫” was produced for the Beatles by Harvey Phillip Spector.
There is also a very fine adaptation or transcription of the song into a piano concerto in the style of Rachmaninov. Released in 1989, the whole CD album is called “The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra* – The Beatles Concerto”, the content of which can be seen at https://www.discogs.com/The-Royal-Liverpool-Philharmonic-Orchestra-The-Beatles-Concerto/release/10582900 as follows:
Tracklist
1 She Loves You
2 Eleanor Rigby
3 Yesterday
4 All My Loving/She Loves You – Eleanor Rigby
5 Hey Jude – She Loves You
6 Here, There And Everywhere
7 Something
8 Here, There And Everywhere
9 Something
10 Can’t Buy Me Love
11 The Long And Winding Road
12 Can’t Buy Me Love
13 The Long And Winding Road
14 Fool On The Hill
15 Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
16 Michelle
17 Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
18 Here Comes The Sun
19 A Hard Day’s Night
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Beautiful music! Thank you!
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In addition, there is John Rutter’s Beatles Concerto for two pianos and orchestra (1977), which ends with “♫ The Long And Winding Road♫”:
I. Maestoso – Allegro moderato (She Loves You/Eleanor Rigby/Yesterday/All my loving/Hey Jude)
II. Andante espressivo (Here, there and everywhere/Something)
III. Presto (Can’t buy me love/The Long and Winding Road)
Performed by Peter Rostal and Paul Schaefer (piano duo) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Rutter.
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Jill, I did not know the backstory. It is not on my short list of Beatles’ favorites, but remains a good song. I can’t see Tom Jones doing this. Keith
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It’s not my favourite either, but there’s something compelling about the tune. I think it would have ended up being a very different song if Tom Jones had done it!
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Of course, the world is full of “what-ifs.” It often intrigues me when it is revealed who turned down the part of some iconic film or TV role. So, Jones may have rued his turning down of the song. Plus, turning down McCartney also meant turning down a future song.
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Yes, it is interesting to read who turned down songs or roles. Tom Jones, though, did just fine in spite of turning this one down 😉
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I agree with Lennon. Good song though.
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I’ll never get why he had to add the “yeah yeah yeahs” at the end. It ain’t a rock and roll tune, it’s a ballad! Still, it’s a nice tune.
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