- Album This song officially appears on the London Town Official album.
- Timeline This song has been officially released in 1978
- Sessions This song has been recorded during the following sessions
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Girlfriend” is a song written by Paul McCartney. McCartney thought of the song as one that Michael Jackson might like to record, and mentioned this to Jackson at a party in Hollywood. Jackson had stated in interviews with the music press in the 1970s that he was a fan of The Beatles and the chance to record a McCartney original helped to inspire his next project. However, McCartney ended up recording it himself with his band Wings, and it was issued in 1978 on the album London Town. Subsequently, it was suggested by Quincy Jones as a possible track for Jackson to record for his 1979 album Off the Wall. Jones was unaware that the song had been written for Jackson in the first place. Jackson’s recording omitted the middle eight heard in McCartney’s version. It was issued as a single in 1980, in the UK only, as the fifth and final single from the Off the Wall album. This proved to be another huge hit single for Jackson and one of his first recordings of a Paul McCartney song.
McCartney and Jackson subsequently worked together on “The Girl Is Mine” from Thriller and two tracks from McCartney’s Pipes of Peace album, “Say Say Say” and “The Man”. In 1985, Jackson acquired the ATV Music Publishing catalog (which held the rights to nearly every Beatles song) uncontested by McCartney. According to McCartney, they “drifted apart” after he talked to Jackson about getting a “raise” and Jackson didn’t act on it.
Last updated on February 22, 2014
Lyrics
Girlfriend I'm gonna tell your boyfriend
Tell him exactly what you're doing
Tell him what you do to me
Late at night when the wind is free
Girlfriend
Girlfriend I'm gonna show your boyfriend
Show him the letters I've been saving
Show him how you feel inside
Then our love couldn't be denied
And we're gonna have to tell him
You'll only be a girlfriend of mine
Till the river stops a-flowin'
Till the wind doesn't wanna blow
Till the flowers stop a-growin'
Till my love doesn't want to know
Girlfriend we'd better tell your boyfriend
Tell him exactly what we're doing
Tell him what he needs to know
Or he may never let you go
Yes, we're gonna have to tell him
You'll only be a girlfriend of mine
Till the rivers stops a-flowin'
Till the wind doesn't wanna blow
Till the flowers stop a-growin'
Till the ocean's a sea of snow
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1978
4:42 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney:
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Electric piano, Piano (?), Producer, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney:
- Backing vocals, Keyboards
- Denny Laine:
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Electric guitar, Piano (?)
- Geoff Emerick:
- Engineer
- Mark Vigars:
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Henderson:
- Assistant engineer
- Steve Churchyard:
- Assistant engineer
- Session Recording:
- October 25 - December 1, 1977
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
4:42 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney:
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Electric piano, Piano (?), Producer, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney:
- Backing vocals, Keyboards
- Denny Laine:
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Electric guitar, Piano (?)
- Geoff Emerick:
- Engineer
- Mark Vigars:
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Henderson:
- Assistant engineer
- Steve Churchyard:
- Assistant engineer
- Session Recording:
- October 25 - December 1, 1977
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Bootlegs
Unofficial album • Released in 1999
4:50 • Rough mix • From Stereo 1978 Test Pressing Acetate - With Rough Different Mix
London Town - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
4:39 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney:
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Electric piano, Piano (?), Producer, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney:
- Backing vocals, Keyboards
- Denny Laine:
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Electric guitar, Piano (?)
- Geoff Emerick:
- Engineer
- Mark Vigars:
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Henderson:
- Assistant engineer
- Steve Churchyard:
- Assistant engineer
- Session Recording:
- October 25 - December 1, 1977
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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