- Album This song officially appears on the McCartney II Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
June - July 1979
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Song facts
“Darkroom” is a song written and performed by Paul McCartney, released on his second solo album, “McCartney II“, released in 1980.
It wasn’t anything to do With Linda, and the darkroom where she develops her pictures. Actually, somehow I just heard the word ‘darkroom’ and thought it had lots of connotations. It could be a dark room, a photographic darkroom, or just a room, which is dark. You know, a fellow saying to a girl, ‘Come to my dark room,’ is a bit like a ‘Come, let me take you to the Casbah,’ kind of thing. So I thought of this double meaning and it’s just a chant that says, ‘Comma, come along to my darkroom. ‘ And then I added a sort of atmosphere thing in the background and that’s it. It’s supposed to sound like a sort of freaky darkroom or something. Originally ‘Darkroom’ wasn’t going to be on this album because we had to knock off about eight or nine tracks at the beginning. We had planned a double-album, but then it came down to a single album. I was going to lose ‘Darkroom’ because the original version is a very long track and goes on through all sorts of little crazy noises. But I edited it down because I liked it, and now it’s on the album.
While the version of “McCartney II” lasts 2:18, a different mix lasting 3:45 was available on bootlegs before its official release on “McCartney II – Archive Collection” in 2011.
In 2005, a mix of “Darkroom” appeared on “Twin Freaks“, the collaborative effort by Paul McCartney and DJ Freelance Hellraiser.
Last updated on November 15, 2016
Lyrics
Got a place we can go
Lights are low
Let me show you to my darkroom
Come a come along with me to my darkroom
Come a come along with me to my darkroom
Come a come along with me to my darkroom
Come a come along with me to my darkroom
Come a come a come a come a come a
Come a come a come a come a come a
Got a place we can go
Lighting low
Let me show you to my darkroom
Got a place
Got a place we can go
We can go
Come a come along with me to my darkroom
Lighting low
Let me show you to my darkroom
Come a come along with me to my darkroom
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1980
2:20 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
2:20 • Studio version • A1993 • 1993 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2005
McCartney II - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2011
2:22 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
McCartney II - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2011
3:48 • Studio version • A1 • Full Length Version - Original mix of the song on the main album
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 04, 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
McCartney II (Limited Clear LP)
LP • Released in 2017
2:22 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
McCartney I II III Limited Edition Colour 3LP Box Set
LP • Released in 2022
2:22 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2022
2:22 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Bootlegs
Unofficial album
3:48 • Studio version • A1 • Full length version
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 04, 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Unofficial album • Released in 2000
3:43 • Rough mix • A1 • Full length version
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 04, 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Twin Freaks - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
McCartney II - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
2:22 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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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