THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

The Long and Winding Road was one of the last great Beatles ballads released as a single.

By 1969 The Beatles had basically stopped functioning as a group. John Lennon was experimenting in the avant garde with Yoko Ono and George Harrison was feeling stifled creatively.

Paul McCartney was the only member who was interested in continuing the band. Despite the friction, McCartney was reaching his musical apotheosis producing blockbuster ballads such as, 'Let it Be' and' The Long and Winding Road.'


The Beatles still owed a film on their contract with United Artists. A decision was made to film the group in the studio producing an album. The result was ‘Let it Be’ a movie that showed the disintegration of the Beatles.


Paul McCartney was frantically attempting to keep the group together and acting as the leader. As a result his compositions received the most attention during this period.

The Background to 'The Long And Winding Road'
The song was inspired by the scenery and isolation of Paul’s farm in Scotland. The image of the long and winding road came from a road that led to the farm, whilst the ‘wild and windy night’ referred to the unpredictable weather of the countryside surrounding it. Paul was spending more time in the remote area to escape the pressures of the disintegrating Beatles empire.

Recording Of The Long And Winding Road.
The 'Long and Winding Road' was originally intended as a wistful and subdued ballad based upon a piano solo with muted accompaniment by the other Beatles. Paul designed it to be released much as it was shown in the' Let it Be' movie.

However, because the recording sessions were so acrimonious the resulting tapes were ignored for some time afterwards. Finally the tapes were given to American Phil Spector to produce an album...

Phil Spector and The Long and Winding Road
Spector added a large number of musicians to The Long and Winding Road. He added surging violins and a female chorus to augment the simple piano solo. When Spector had finished, the delicate song had become a booming ballad.

Paul McCartney hated the changes and thought that Spector had destroyed the soul of the song. This interference in his musical creativity finally convinced Paul to leave the Beatles and begin a solo career.

Reception Of The Long And Winding Road
The Long and Winding Road was released as a single in the UK and the United States in May 1970. It quickly reached the number one spot on the American charts. It was a classic McCartney ballad and showed the composer at his best. It was also the harbinger of the death of The Beatles.