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UK Release date : Monday, March 29, 1982

Ebony And Ivory / Rainclouds

By Paul McCartney7" Single • Part of the collection “Paul McCartney • Singles

Last updated on April 12, 2020

Track list

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Side 1

  1. Ebony And Ivory

    Written by Paul McCartney

    3:43 • Studio versionA

    Paul McCartney : Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Synthesizers, Vocals, Vocoder Stevie Wonder : Backing vocals, Drums, Electric piano, Percussion, Synthesizers, Vocals George Martin : Arrangement, Producer Geoff Emerick : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Jon Jacobs : Assistant mixing engineer, Assistant recording engineer Mike Stavrou : Assistant recording engineer

    Session Recording: Feb 28, 1981 • Studio AIR Studios, Montserrat

    Session Overdubs: Mar 30, 1981 • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK

    Session Overdubs: October 1981 • Studio Strawberry Studios South, Dorkins, Surrey

    Session Mixing: Jan 19, 1982 • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK

Side 2

  1. Rainclouds

    Written by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine

    3:12 • Studio versionA

    Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass drum, Spanish guitar, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals Denny Laine : Backing vocals Eric Stewart : Backing vocals George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Jon Jacobs : Mixing assistant engineer, Recording assistant engineer Paddy Moloney : Uilleann pipes

    Session Recording: December 8th-9th, 1980 • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK

    Session Overdubs: March 1981 - March 1982 • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK

    Session Mixing: March 1981 - March 1982 • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK

    Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon


From Wikipedia:

“Ebony and Ivory” spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the fourth-biggest hit of 1982. For McCartney, the song’s run atop the chart was the longest of any of his post-Beatles works, and second longest career-wise (behind “Hey Jude” with The Beatles); for Wonder, it was his longest-running chart-topper. It marked the first time that any single released by any member of the Beatles hit the Billboard R&B chart. It was McCartney’s record 28th song to hit number one on the Billboard 100.

In 2008, the song was ranked at #59 on Billboard’s Greatest Songs of all time. In 2013, it was ranked #69 on the Billboard list of the Hot 100 songs of all-time.

From puremccartney.com – PAUL ON THE SET OF THE ‘EBONY AND IVORY’ SINGLE COVER SHOOT, SHEPPERTON STUDIOS, 1982
Paul McCartney writing

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