Recording "Suicide", "London Town"

A few days before this session, on March 4, 1977, Paul and Linda McCartney, along with George and Olivia Harrison, saw Frank Sinatra performing at the Royal Albert Hall.

Back in 1956, when Paul was just fourteen, he wrote one of his earliest songs, “Suicide,” in a cabaret style. As an aspiring songwriter, he imagined he was composing it for Frank Sinatra. Witnessing Sinatra live in 1977 reignited Paul’s interest in the song, which until then existed only as a single-verse sketch. Inspired by the performance, Paul completed the song, recorded a formal demo on this day, and arranged for it to be sent to Sinatra — who, at some earlier point, had expressed interest in receiving a composition from him.

…

However, Sinatra did not take the gesture well. Interpreting “Suicide” as a joke rather than a serious offering, he was reportedly offended and declined to record it.

I wrote it in bed at that moment when you’re just dropping off and all these things are coming to you, but you ought to go to sleep. I used to keep pencil and paper by my bed, and I’ve got the ability to write in the dark, though some of the lines cross each other. I wrote this song called ‘Suicide’ which was very cabaret, ‘If when she tries to run away and he calls her back she comes … it’s okay, because she’s under both his thumbs …’ all that kind of shit. Very Sinatra, I thought. ‘She’ll limp along to his side … I call it suicide!’ It was murder! Horrible song! But you had to go through all those styles to discover your own. I only had one verse, so I cobbled together another.

And the funny thing was, years and years later, he rang me at Abbey Road studio, and it was a great moment when one of the engineers said, “Paul, Sinatra’s on the phone.’ And I was able to go, “Oh. I’ll be there in a minute,’ touch a fader and then go off. And everyone would go, ‘Oooooo! Sinatra’s on the phone!’ How many people have that? He was asking for a song, so I found the song, made a demo and sent it to him. Apparently he thought it was an almighty piss-take. ‘No way!’ he’s supposed to have said to one of his people. ‘Is this guy having me on?’ So my career with Sinatra ended in terrible ignominy. I think he couldn’t grasp it was tongue in cheek. It was only supposed to be a play on the word ‘suicide’, not actual physical suicide. If a girl lets a guy trample all over her, she’s committing some sort of suicide. I think he sent the demo back. Looking back on it ’m quite relieved he did, actually, it wasn’t a good song, it was just a teenage thought.

Paul McCartney – From “Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now” by Barry Miles, 1997

Session activities

1. Suicide

   Written by Paul McCartney

   Recording

2. London Town

   Written by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine

   Recording

Going further

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