- Album This song officially appears on the Venus and Mars Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Home recordings (aka "The Piano Tape")
Circa 1974
Recording "You Gave Me The Answer"
Jan 24, 1975
Recording "You Gave Me The Answer"
Feb 04, 1975
Mixing "You Gave Me The Answer"
Mar 21, 1975
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“You Gave Me the Answer” is a song written by Paul McCartney for the Wings album Venus and Mars.
McCartney has occasionally paid tribute to his father, James, who led his own big band in his youth, by writing “Music Hall numbers.” Other such songs from McCartney’s catalogue include “When I’m Sixty-Four” and “Honey Pie“. To enhance the realism of this period pastiche, McCartney recorded his lead vocals through a filter that removed much of the lower-end frequencies to help emulate the sound of singing through a megaphone, the signature sound of Rudy Vallee, which was a common recording technique during the 1920s, where singers like Vallee and Al Jolson had to compensate for the poor reception of primitive recording equipment at that time.
In concert, McCartney often dedicated this song to Fred Astaire.
The song was recorded on a piano tuned to A427
Last updated on February 22, 2014
Lyrics
You gave me the answer
to love eternally……
I love you and—you
you seem to like me
Wherever we wander
The local folk agree
I love you and—you
you seem to like me.
Heading back to old familiar places
Places where the cobwebs blow away
I can forget the airs and graces
Shall we dance?
This is fun
We should do this more often
You'll never be crowned
By the aristocracy.
To their delight, you'd merely invite
them in for a cup of tea……….
and I love you and—you
you seem to like
you seem to like
you seem to like me
Officially appears on
Letting Go / You Gave Me The Answer
7" Single • Released in 1975
2:19 • Studio version • A1
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Producer, Strings arrangement, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Backing vocals, Drums
- Tony Dorsey :
- Strings arrangement
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Michael J Pierce :
- Clarinet
- Vito Platomone :
- Clarinet
- Carlos Klejman :
- Violin
- Russell Joseph Bobrowski :
- Violin
- Ronald B. Benko :
- Trumpet
- John K. Branch :
- Viola
- Harold Joseph Ballam :
- Bassoon
- Bernard S. Richterman :
- Cello
- Session Recording:
- Jan 24, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 04, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 06, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 21, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Official album • Released in 1975
2:19 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Producer, Strings arrangement, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Backing vocals, Drums
- Tony Dorsey :
- Strings arrangement
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Michael J Pierce :
- Clarinet
- Vito Platomone :
- Clarinet
- Carlos Klejman :
- Violin
- Russell Joseph Bobrowski :
- Violin
- Ronald B. Benko :
- Trumpet
- John K. Branch :
- Viola
- Harold Joseph Ballam :
- Bassoon
- Bernard S. Richterman :
- Cello
- Session Recording:
- Jan 24, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 04, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 06, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 21, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Official live • Released in 1976
2:06 • Live • L1
- Paul McCartney :
- Piano, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Keyboard, Vocals
- Denny Laine :
- Bass, Vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar, Vocals
- Howie Casey :
- Saxophone
- Joe English :
- Drums, Vocals
- Thaddeus Richard :
- Clarinet
- Mark Vigars :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer, Overdubs recording
- Steve Howard :
- Trumpet
- Tony Dorsey :
- Trombone
- Jack Maxson :
- Recording engineer
- Tom Walsh :
- Assistant recording engineer
Concert From the concert in Los Angeles, USA on Jun 23, 1976
Official album • Released in 1993
2:19 • Studio version • A1993 • 1993 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Producer, Strings arrangement, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Backing vocals, Drums
- Tony Dorsey :
- Strings arrangement
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Michael J Pierce :
- Clarinet
- Vito Platomone :
- Clarinet
- Carlos Klejman :
- Violin
- Russell Joseph Bobrowski :
- Violin
- Ronald B. Benko :
- Trumpet
- John K. Branch :
- Viola
- Harold Joseph Ballam :
- Bassoon
- Bernard S. Richterman :
- Cello
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Jan 24, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 04, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 06, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 21, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Wings Over America - Archive Collection
Official live • Released in 2013
2:06 • Live • L1.2013 • 2013 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Piano, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Keyboard, Vocals
- Denny Laine :
- Bass, Vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar, Vocals
- Howie Casey :
- Saxophone
- Joe English :
- Drums, Vocals
- Thaddeus Richard :
- Clarinet
- Mark Vigars :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer, Overdubs recording
- Steve Howard :
- Trumpet
- Tony Dorsey :
- Trombone
- Jack Maxson :
- Recording engineer
- Tom Walsh :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Steve Rooke :
- Remastering
- Simon Gibson :
- Remastering
Concert From the concert in Los Angeles, USA on Jun 23, 1976
Venus And Mars - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2014
2:19 • Studio version • A2014
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Producer, Strings arrangement, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Backing vocals, Drums
- Tony Dorsey :
- Strings arrangement
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Michael J Pierce :
- Clarinet
- Vito Platomone :
- Clarinet
- Carlos Klejman :
- Violin
- Russell Joseph Bobrowski :
- Violin
- Ronald B. Benko :
- Trumpet
- John K. Branch :
- Viola
- Harold Joseph Ballam :
- Bassoon
- Bernard S. Richterman :
- Cello
- Session Recording:
- Jan 24, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 04, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 06, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 21, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Venus And Mars (Limited Red & Yellow LP)
Official album • Released in 2017
2:19 • Studio version • A2014
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Producer, Strings arrangement, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Backing vocals, Drums
- Tony Dorsey :
- Strings arrangement
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Michael J Pierce :
- Clarinet
- Vito Platomone :
- Clarinet
- Carlos Klejman :
- Violin
- Russell Joseph Bobrowski :
- Violin
- Ronald B. Benko :
- Trumpet
- John K. Branch :
- Viola
- Harold Joseph Ballam :
- Bassoon
- Bernard S. Richterman :
- Cello
- Session Recording:
- Jan 24, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 04, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 06, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 21, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
7" Single • Released in 2022
2:19 • Studio version • A2014
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Producer, Strings arrangement, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Backing vocals, Drums
- Tony Dorsey :
- Strings arrangement
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Michael J Pierce :
- Clarinet
- Vito Platomone :
- Clarinet
- Carlos Klejman :
- Violin
- Russell Joseph Bobrowski :
- Violin
- Ronald B. Benko :
- Trumpet
- John K. Branch :
- Viola
- Harold Joseph Ballam :
- Bassoon
- Bernard S. Richterman :
- Cello
- Session Recording:
- Jan 24, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 04, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 06, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 21, 1975
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Live performances
“You Gave Me The Answer” has been played in 60 concerts.
Latest concerts where You Gave Me The Answer has been played
London • Empire Pool • United Kingdom
Oct 21, 1976 • Part of Wings Over the World tour
London • Empire Pool • United Kingdom
Oct 20, 1976 • Part of Wings Over the World tour
London • Empire Pool • United Kingdom
Oct 19, 1976 • Part of Wings Over the World tour
Munich • Olympiahalle • Germany
Sep 27, 1976 • Part of Wings Over the World tour
Venice • Piazza San Marco • Italy
Sep 25, 1976 • Part of Wings Over the World tour
Going further
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989
With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.
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