All Those Years Ago
"All Those Years Ago" | ||||
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FPSHOT, 19–25 November 1980, early 1981 (new lead vocal and backing vocals) | ||||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 3:42 | |||
Label | Dark Horse | |||
Songwriter(s) | George Harrison | |||
Producer(s) | George Harrison, Ray Cooper | |||
George Harrison singles chronology | ||||
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Somewhere in England track listing | ||||
10 tracks
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"All Those Years Ago" is a song by the English rock musician
"All Those Years Ago" was the first recording on which Harrison, McCartney and Starr all appeared since the Beatles' "I Me Mine" (1970), and their last recording together until "Free as a Bird" (1995). Other musicians performing on the track include Al Kooper and Ray Cooper. The song has appeared on the Harrison compilations Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989 and Let It Roll, and a live version recorded in 1991 with Eric Clapton was included on Harrison's Live in Japan double album. In 2010, AOL Radio listeners voted "All Those Years Ago" in sixth place on a list of the "10 Best George Harrison Songs".[3] The track has been featured in the books 1,001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die,[citation needed] and 10,001 You Must Download[citation needed] by Robert Dimery, and Bruce Pollock's The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944–2000.[citation needed]
Origins
Prior to Lennon's death, Harrison originally wrote the song with different lyrics for Ringo Starr to record. Although he recorded it, Starr felt the vocal was too high for his range[4] and disliked the lyrics.[5] Harrison took the track back and, after Lennon's death, the lyrics were changed to reflect a tribute to him. In the song, Harrison makes reference to the Lennon-penned Beatles song "All You Need Is Love" and the Lennon song "Imagine" ("you were the one who Imagined it all").
Band line-up
The recording of the song featured all three remaining Beatles (Harrison, Starr and Paul McCartney), though this was expressly a Harrison single. It is one of only a few non-Beatles songs to feature three members of the band. Harrison and Starr recorded the song at Harrison's Friar Park studio between 19 November and 25 November 1980. The lineup was rounded out by Al Kooper on keyboards, Herbie Flowers on bass and percussionist Ray Cooper. Harrison co-produced the recording with Cooper.
After Lennon's death the following month, Harrison removed Starr's vocals (but kept Starr's drumming track) and recorded his own vocals with rewritten lyrics honouring Lennon. McCartney, his wife
Critical reception
Record World described the song as a "buoyant reminiscence [that] features George's fluid guitar lines with help from Paul, Ringo and Linda."[7]
Music video
The music video features a slide show-type presentation of stills and short archival video clips. The emphasis is on Lennon and, to a lesser degree, Harrison. The post-Beatles stills of Lennon at older ages are countered with stills of Harrison from the same time frame.
Personnel
- George Harrison – vocals, electric guitars, synthesizer, backing vocals
- Ringo Starr – drums
- Paul McCartney – backing vocals
- Linda McCartney – backing vocals
- Denny Laine – backing vocals
- Al Kooper – electric piano
- Herbie Flowers – bass
- Ray Cooper – tambourine
Chart performance
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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See also
- List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 1981
- "Here Today", Paul McCartney's 1982 tribute song to Lennon
References
- ISBN 0-7119-7520-5.
- ^ The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition, 1996
- ^ Dickinson, Boonsri (29 February 2020). "10 Best George Harrison Songs". AOL.
- ISBN 978-1-4165-9093-4.
- ISBN 0-615-11724-4.
- ISBN 0-7119-7520-5.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 16 May 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ "Top Singles of 1981 (Australia)". Archived from the original on 9 December 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "George Harrison – All Those Years Ago". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
- ^ "George Harrison". tsort.info. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Search by Artist > George Harrison" Archived 2 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine, irishcharts.ie (retrieved 11 April 2014).
- ^ "I singoli più venduti del 1981" [The best-selling singles of 1981]. Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ "George Harrison – All Those Years Ago". charts.nz. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Artist: George Harrison". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Awards: George Harrison". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 200 Singles". Cash Box. 27 June 1981. p. 4.
- ^ "Single – George Harrison, All Those Years Ago". officialcharts.de. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. 4 January 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 11 January 2022 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ "Top Annuali Single 1981". Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1981". Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1981". Tropicalglen.com. 26 December 1981. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
External links
- "All Those Years Ago" at Discogs (list of releases)