Released in 1971
Written by Paul McCartney • Linda McCartney
Last updated on April 24, 2022
Album This song officially appears on the Wild Life LP.
Timeline This song was officially released in 1971
Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1971, when Paul McCartney was 29 years old)
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
Circa 1970
Aug 06, 1971
Oct 05, 1971
Recording & mixing "Dear Friend"
Oct 16, 1971
Officially appears on Ram
Best Friend (aka "Why Did You Treat Me So Bad?")
Officially appears on Red Rose Speedway - Archive Collection
If we exclude the 53 seconds of “Mumbo Link“, “Dear Friend” is the closing track of Wings’ first album “Wild Life” released in 1971. If “Wild Life” has often been considered as a low-point in Paul McCartney’s career, “Dear Friend” is usually recognized as one of the best tracks of the album (the other one being “Tomorrow“).
The song has been written about John Lennon, as Paul explained in a Club Sandwich interview, 1994:
“Dear Friend” was written about John, yes. I don’t like grief and arguments, they always bug me. Life is too precious, although we often find ourselves guilty of doing it. So after John had slagged me off in public I had to think of a response, and it was either going to be to slag him off in public — and some instinct stopped me, which I’m really glad about — or do something else. So I worked on my attitude and wrote “Dear Friend”, saying, in effect, let’s lay the guns down, let’s hang up our boxing gloves.
From paulmccartney.com, October 29, 2018:
And then with ‘Dear Friend’, that’s sort of me talking to John after we’d had all the sort of disputes about The Beatles break up. I find it very emotional when I listen to it now. I have to sort of choke it back. I’m not going to cry in front of all you lot though! [Paul gestures to the five of us in the room sitting on the edge of our seats, captivated by the story!] But, for me, it is a bit like that. I remember when I heard the song recently, listening to the roughs [remastering works-in-progress] in the car. And I thought, ‘Oh God’. That lyric: ‘Really truly, young and newly wed’. Listening to that was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s true!’ I’m trying to say to John, ‘Look, you know, it’s all cool. Have a glass of wine. Let’s be cool.’ And luckily we did get it back together, which was like a great source of joy because it would have been terrible if he’d been killed as things were at that point and I’d never got to straighten it out with him. This was me reaching out. So, I think it’s very powerful in some very simple way. But it was certainly heartfelt.
Paul McCartney
Often I would think of John, and what a pity it was that we’d argued so publicly and so viciously at times. At the time of writing this song, in early 1971, he’d called the McCartney album “rubbish” in Rolling Stone magazine. It was a really difficult time. I just felt sad about the breakdown in our friendship, and this song kind of came flowing out. “Dear friend, what’s the time?/ Is this really the borderline? Are we splitting up? Is this ‘you go your way; I’ll go mine’?”
Paul McCartney – From Paul McCartney reveals the stories behind his greatest hits | The Sunday Times Magazine | The Sunday Times (thetimes.co.uk), 2021
It’s just about a dear friend, whatever it means to you. It’s really ‘Dear friend, quit messing around. Let’s just throw the wine, have a good time and stop messing.’ Like George says, ‘Isn’t it a pity that we break each other’s hearts.’ Well, that’s me saying, ‘Let’s not…’
Paul McCartney – From “The Beatles: Off The Record 2 – The Dream is Over: Dream Is Over Vol 2” by Keith Badman
Are there any songs which reply to John?
I don’t write anything consciously. Sometimes when I’m pissed off with John over the Apple business a line might creep in. I suppose when I wrote ‘Too many people preaching practices/Don’t let them tell you what you want to be’ was at him. If there’s anything on this album ‘Dear Friend’ is the nearest thing to that.
Paul McCartney – Interview with Disc And Music Echo, November 1971
The album was completed before John’s album [Imagine] came out
Paul McCartney – Interview with Disc And Music Echo, November 1971
Some have seen this song as an answer to John Lennon’s “How Do You Sleep“, featured on the “Imagine” album. It seems however unlikely as “Imagine” was published in September 1971, while “Dear Friend” has been recorded in July 1971.
Dear friend, what's the time
Is this really the borderline
Does it really mean so much to you
Are you afraid, or is it true
Dear friend, throw the wine
I'm in love with a friend of mine
Really truly, young and newly wed
Are you a fool, or is it true
Are you afraid, or is it true?
LP • Released in 1971
5:59 • Studio version • A • Stereo
Paul McCartney : Bass, Piano, Vibraphone (?), Vocals Denny Seiwell : Drums, Trumpet (?) Richard Hewson : Orchestration Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Alan Parsons : Mixing engineer assistant Chris Blair : Recording engineer assistant Unknown musician(s) : Four cellos, Four flutes, Harp, Oboe, Tenor saxophone, Two french horns, Two trombones
Session Recording: Jul 24, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Oct 05, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Orchestra overdubs: Oct 16, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Oct 16, 1971 • 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
5:59 • Studio version • A1993 • Stereo • 1993 remaster
Paul McCartney : Bass, Piano, Vibraphone (?), Vocals Denny Seiwell : Drums, Trumpet (?) Richard Hewson : Orchestration Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Alan Parsons : Mixing engineer assistant Peter Mew : Remastering Chris Blair : Recording engineer assistant Unknown musician(s) : Four cellos, Four flutes, Harp, Oboe, Tenor saxophone, Two french horns, Two trombones
Session Recording: Jul 24, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Oct 05, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Orchestra overdubs: Oct 16, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Oct 16, 1971 • 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
Download • Released in 2018
5:59 • Studio version • E • Stereo • Orchestra Up
Paul McCartney : Bass, Piano, Vibraphone (?), Vocals Denny Seiwell : Drums, Trumpet (?) Richard Hewson : Orchestration Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Alan Parsons : Mixing engineer assistant Chris Blair : Recording engineer assistant Unknown musician(s) : Four cellos, Four flutes, Harp, Oboe, Tenor saxophone, Two french horns, Two trombones
Session Recording: Jul 24, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Oct 05, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Orchestra overdubs: Oct 16, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Oct 16, 1971 • 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
Wild Life - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2018
5:49 • Studio version • A2018 • Stereo • 2018 Remaster
Paul McCartney : Bass, Piano, Vibraphone (?), Vocals Denny Seiwell : Drums, Trumpet (?) Richard Hewson : Orchestration Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Alan Parsons : Mixing engineer assistant Alex Wharton : Remastering Chris Blair : Recording engineer assistant Steve Orchard : Remastering Unknown musician(s) : Four cellos, Four flutes, Harp, Oboe, Tenor saxophone, Two french horns, Two trombones
Session Recording: Jul 24, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Oct 05, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Orchestra overdubs: Oct 16, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Oct 16, 1971 • 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
Wild Life - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2018
5:53 • Rough mix • B
Paul McCartney : Bass, Piano, Vibraphone (?), Vocals Denny Seiwell : Drums, Trumpet (?) Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Alan Parsons : Mixing engineer assistant Alex Wharton : Mastering Chris Blair : Recording engineer assistant
Session Recording: Jul 24, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Aug 06, 1971 • 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
Wild Life - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2018
4:49 • Demo • C • Home Recording I
Performed by : Paul McCartney Paul McCartney : Producer Alex Wharton : Mastering
Session Recording: Circa 1970 ? • Studio Campbeltown, Scotland
Wild Life - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2018
2:02 • Demo • D • Home Recording II
Performed by : Paul McCartney Paul McCartney : Producer Alex Wharton : Mastering
Session Recording: Circa 1970 ? • Studio Campbeltown, Scotland
LP • Released in 2022
5:59 • Studio version • A2022 • Stereo • 2022 half-speed mastering
Paul McCartney : Bass, Piano, Vibraphone (?), Vocals Denny Seiwell : Drums, Trumpet (?) Richard Hewson : Orchestration Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Alan Parsons : Mixing engineer assistant Chris Blair : Recording engineer assistant Miles Showell : Mastering Unknown musician(s) : Four cellos, Four flutes, Harp, Oboe, Tenor saxophone, Two french horns, Two trombones
Session Recording: Jul 24, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Oct 05, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Orchestra overdubs: Oct 16, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Oct 16, 1971 • 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
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present
"Dear Friend" is one of the songs featured in the book "The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present," published in 2021. The book explores Paul McCartney's early Liverpool days, his time with the Beatles, Wings, and his solo career. It pairs the lyrics of 154 of his songs with his first-person commentary on the circumstances of their creation, the inspirations behind them, and his current thoughts on them.
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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[…] “I don’t like grief and arguments; they always bug me,” McCartney told Club Sandwich in 1994. “Life is too precious, although we often find ourselves guilty of doing it. So, […]
[…] SOURCE / SOURCE […]
Rickie • 2 years ago
Wild Life album a low point? Like most of McCartney's work, it's pure genius. (With the exception of the albums made much later whilst he was married to a very unpleasant female) Unique sounding (but not quite as unique as the astounding Red Rose Speedway)