The Lovely Linda

"The Lovely Linda"
"The Lovely Linda"
Song by Paul McCartney
from the album McCartney
Published	Northern Songs (UK)/Maclen Music (US)
Released	17 April 1970
Recorded	December 1969
Studio	McCartney's home, London
Genre	Folk rock
Length	0:42
Label	Apple
Songwriter(s)	Paul McCartney
Producer(s)	Paul McCartney
McCartney track listing
	13 tracks Side one "The Lovely Linda"; "That Would Be Something"; "Valentine Day"; "Every Night"; "Hot as Sun/Glasses"; "Junk"; "Man We Was Lonely"; Side two ; "Oo You"; "Momma Miss America"; "Teddy Boy"; "Singalong Junk"; "Maybe I'm Amazed"; "Kreen-Akrore";

"The Lovely Linda" is a song by English musician Paul McCartney, released as the opening track of his debut solo album, McCartney, in April 1970. McCartney wrote the song to his first wife, Linda McCartney.^[1]

History

Paul McCartney wrote "The Lovely Linda" in Scotland during 1969,^[2] when he and wife Linda McCartney were living at their farm, High Park, in Campbeltown.^[3] The song is dedicated to McCartney's first wife^[2] and was a reply-of-sorts to Beatles bandmate John Lennon's public declarations of love for his wife, Yoko Ono.^[4] "The Lovely Linda" was released as the opening track on McCartney's eponymous debut solo album, and was the first song taped for the album.^[5] McCartney recorded the composition shortly before Christmas in December 1969, in order to test his then-new 4-track recorder, which he had installed in his home studio in London.^[6]

At 42 seconds,^[7] it is the shortest song in McCartney's solo catalogue. The recording features him on all instruments, including what authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter term "percussive handslaps on a book",^[8] and ends with the sound of laughter.^[2] On release in April 1970, McCartney stated that "The Lovely Linda" was a "trailer to the full song which will be recorded in the future",^[8] but he has yet to release a more complete version.^[2] The song appeared on the 2001 compilation Wingspan: Hits and History.

Reception

In a review for the McCartney album, Langdon Winner of Rolling Stone described "The Lovely Linda", along with "That Would Be Something", as having "virtually no verbal or melodic content whatsoever."^[9]

George Harrison disregarded the song during an interview in 1970, stating: "'That Would Be Something' and 'Maybe I'm Amazed' I think are great and everything else I think is fair, you know. It's quite good, but a little disappointing, but maybe I shouldn't be disappointed, it's best not to expect anything, then everything's a bonus. I think those two tracks are very good and the others just don't do anything for me."^[10]

Personnel

Paul McCartney – lead vocals, guitar, bass, hand percussion

Personnel per The Beatles Bible.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b "The Lovely Linda". The Beatles Bible. 7 November 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Spizer, p. 117.
^ Sounes, pp 262–64.
^ Blake, p. 89.
^ Spizer, pp 115, 117.
^ Madinger & Easter, pp 154, 155.
^ Castleman & Podrazik, p. 88.
^ ^a ^b Madinger & Easter, p. 155.
^ "McCartney". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ "That Would Be Something". The Beatles Bible. 7 November 2010.

Sources

Blake, John (1981). All You Needed Was Love: The Beatles After the Beatles. Middlesex: Hamlyn Paperbacks. ISBN 0-600-20466-9.
Castleman, Harry; Podrazik, Walter J. (1976). All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975. New York, NY: Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-25680-8.
Madinger, Chip; Easter, Mark (2000). Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium. Chesterfield, MO: 44.1 Productions. ISBN 0-615-11724-4.
Sounes, Howard (2010). Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-723705-0.
Spizer, Bruce (2005). The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. New Orleans, LA: 498 Productions. ISBN 0-9662649-5-9.

This article about a song by one or more members of the Beatles is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[:0-1] "The Lovely Linda". The Beatles Bible. 7 November 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[Spizer_p_117-2] Spizer, p. 117.

[3] Sounes, pp 262–64.

[4] Blake, p. 89.

[5] Spizer, pp 115, 117.

[6] Madinger & Easter, pp 154, 155.

[7] Castleman & Podrazik, p. 88.

[Madinger_&_Easter_p_155-8] Madinger & Easter, p. 155.

[9] "McCartney". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[10] "That Would Be Something". The Beatles Bible. 7 November 2010.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]