The Long and Winding Road
Paul McCartney sat at a piano inside High Park Farm, his property near Campbeltown in Scotland. The year was 1968 when he began writing the melody that would become The Long and Winding Road. He looked out toward the hills and lochs surrounding the remote Highlands location. A road stretching up into those distant mountains inspired the song's title. McCartney later recalled imagining Ray Charles performing the track while composing it there. The calm beauty of the Scottish landscape provided the backdrop for this creative process. Growing tension among the band members fueled the lyrics written during this period. Author Howard Sounes noted the lyrics expressed McCartney's personal anguish regarding his life direction. John Lennon described the composition as a final creative spurt before their split. Yoko Ono's presence influenced the intensity of McCartney's output during these months.
The Beatles premiered the song on the 7th of January 1969 during rehearsals at Twickenham Film Studios. They recorded multiple takes at their Apple Studio in central London on the 26th of January and again on the 31st of January. Paul McCartney played lead vocals and piano throughout these sessions. John Lennon handled six-string bass guitar duties despite rarely playing that instrument. George Harrison added electric guitar using a Leslie speaker effect to alter the tone. Ringo Starr performed drums while guest keyboardist Billy Preston played electric piano. Lennon made several mistakes on the recording according to technical engineer Brian Gibson. The line-up featured four core members plus one additional musician. Harrison supported adding brass accompaniment to sustain chords and hold notes. McCartney envisioned a sound similar to Ray Charles' band with strings and horns. Glyn Johns selected the 26th of January take for an album compilation later called Get Back. The 31st of January version appeared in the film subsequently titled Let It Be.
Phil Spector added orchestral overdubs to the recording on the 1st of April 1970 at EMI Studios. This session marked the last ever Beatles recording session before their dissolution. Only Ringo Starr remained present among the band members to play drums alongside session musicians. Spector employed eight violins, four violas, four cellos, three trumpets, and three trombones. A choir of fourteen women joined the arrangement conducted by Richard Hewson. Balance engineer Peter Bown described Spector's peculiar mood during the process. He demanded tape echo on everything and took different pills every half hour. His bodyguard stayed constantly nearby as he threatened to throw a wobbly if demands were not met. Musicians refused to play further due to his behavior forcing Bown to leave home temporarily. Spector removed one of McCartney's vocal tracks to accommodate his arrangements. Harrison's guitar parts and Preston's piano disappeared from the final mix according to writers Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin. McCartney sent Allen Klein a letter on the 14th of April demanding removal of harps and reduction of instrumentation. Klein allowed production to continue despite McCartney's objections regarding the song.
The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the 13th of June 1970. It held the top position for a second week after its release in the United States. This achievement marked the Beatles' twentieth and final number-one hit on that specific chart. The record topped Canada's singles chart as well with double-sided listing alongside For You Blue. Apple issued the single in several European countries but excluded the United Kingdom market. Contemporary US sales figures remained insufficient for gold accreditation by the Recording Industry Association of America initially. February 1999 saw certification of platinum status representing one million copies sold. The band set an all-time record for number of chart-topping singles on the Billboard Hot 100. They achieved this feat within less than six and a half years starting from I Want to Hold Your Hand. Their success rate averaged one out of every six weeks during their active period. Cash Box and Record World charts also placed the song at number one positions.
John Mendelsohn condemned Spector's work as oppressive mush rendering the track virtually unlistenable. Rolling Stones reviewer criticized hideously cloying strings and a ridiculous choir accentuating listlessness. Richard Williams wrote that Paul's songs seemed looser while orchestration added Bacharach atmosphere. Wilfrid Mellers noted music had tremendous expectancy despite plush scoring choices. Ian MacDonald called it one of the most beautiful things McCartney ever wrote. Brian Wilson described it as his all time favorite Beatles track featuring heart-and-soul melody. Mojo magazine ranked the song at number 27 on a similar list compiled in 2006. Adam Sweeting of The Guardian said the song was indubitably improved by removing Spector's wall of schmaltz. He still found it teeth-clenchingly mawkish without those additions. John Harris implored McCartney to reconsider releasing string-less versions after experiencing Proustian rushes from orchestra crashes. Rolling Stone placed the song at number 90 on its list of The 100 Greatest Beatles Songs in 2011.
McCartney performed fragments of the song during One Hand Clapping before including it in Wings' 1975, 76 world tour set lists. A live version appeared on the 1976 album Wings over America. He re-recorded the track for his 1984 film Give My Regards to Broad Street with George Martin producing. Saxophone accompaniment and Las Vegas-style musical arrangement characterized this new studio recording. Another studio version made in 1989 served as a B-side for Flowers in the Dirt singles starting with Postcard Pack vinyl format. Kenneth Womack viewed the 1989, 90 tour backing as clearly attempting to replicate strings added by Spector. Anthology 3 included the original the 26th of January 1969 take without overdubs released in 1996. Let It Be... Naked featured a the 31st of January 1969 take closer to original intentions without strings or other instrumentation. McCartney persuaded Starr and Yoko Ono to release this stripped-down version in 2003. Ray Charles recorded a cover version in 1971 released on Volcanic Action of My Soul. Aretha Franklin's 1972 Young, Gifted and Black album contained what Rob Sheffield called the greatest of all Beatle covers.
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Common questions
When and where did Paul McCartney write The Long and Winding Road?
Paul McCartney wrote the melody for The Long and Winding Road in 1968 while sitting at a piano inside High Park Farm near Campbeltown in Scotland. He composed the song looking out toward the hills and lochs surrounding that remote Highlands location.
Who played which instruments on the original Beatles recording of The Long and Winding Road from January 1969?
Paul McCartney performed lead vocals and piano throughout the sessions held on the 26th of January and the 31st of January 1969. John Lennon played bass guitar, George Harrison added electric guitar with a Leslie speaker effect, Ringo Starr performed drums, and Billy Preston played electric piano.
What changes did Phil Spector make to The Long and Winding Road before its release in April 1970?
Phil Spector added orchestral overdubs including eight violins, four violas, four cellos, three trumpets, and three trombones during a session on the 1st of April 1970 at EMI Studios. He also removed one of McCartney's vocal tracks and deleted Harrison's guitar parts and Preston's piano from the final mix.
When did The Long and Winding Road reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart?
The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the 13th of June 1970 after being released in the United States. It held the top position for a second week following its initial release date.
Which critics praised or condemned the production style of The Long and Winding Road?
John Mendelsohn condemned the work as oppressive mush while Rolling Stones reviewers criticized hideously cloying strings and a ridiculous choir. Ian MacDonald called it one of the most beautiful things McCartney ever wrote and Brian Wilson described it as his all time favorite Beatles track.
What other versions of The Long and Winding Road exist besides the original studio recording?
Paul McCartney performed fragments of the song during One Hand Clapping before including it in Wings' 1975, 76 world tour set lists. A live version appeared on the 1976 album Wings over America and he re-recorded the track for his 1984 film Give My Regards to Broad Street with George Martin producing.