Long Tailed Winter Bird

“Long Tailed Winter Bird” is the opening track of the 2020 album “McCartney III“. This is also the first track which was worked on for this album.

From the “McCartney III” press release:

Recorded earlier this year in Sussex, McCartney III is mostly built from live takes of Paul on vocals and guitar or piano, overdubbing his bass playing, drumming, etc. atop that foundation. The process first sparked when Paul returned to an unreleased track from the early 90s, ’When Winter Comes’ (co-produced by George Martin). Paul crafted a new passage for the song, giving rise to album opener ’Long Tailed Winter Bird’ — while ’When Winter Comes’, featuring its new 2020 intro ’Winter Bird’, became the new album’s grand finale. 

Long Tailed Winter Bird’ started as a piece of film music which I extended. The title came about because it was extended into a full length song, we just called it ‘Long Tailed Winter Bird’ – there is actually in my bird book I saw a long tailed duck, a long tailed winter duck I think, anyway, 5 facts.

Paul McCartney, from NME, December 23, 2020

Here’s what Steve Orchard, Paul’s engineer, remembers about “Long Tailed Winter Bird“:

Can you remember the first thing that you started out recording?

It was Long Tailed Winter Bird, I think. Which was a follow-on from the title music from When Winter Comes. It kind of spiralled on from that really. We did a couple of versions of the outro music that sort of morphed into this groove that Paul’s playing – the main acoustic riff in that. That was the beginning of the whole record, it kind of took us off on this route.

Steve Orchard – from Music Radar, December 18, 2020

I’m very lucky because I have a studio that’s, like, 20 minutes away from where I live. We were in lockdown on a farm, a sheep farm with my daughter Mary and her four kids and her husband. So I had four of my grandkids, I had Mary, who’s a great cook, so I would just drive myself to the studio. And there were two other guys that could come in and we’d be very careful and distanced and everything: my engineer Steve, and then my equipment guy Keith. So the three of us made the record, and I just started off. I had to do a little bit of film music – I had to do an instrumental for a film thing – so I did that. And I just kept going, and that turned into the opening track on the album. I would just come in, say, “Oh, yeah, what are we gonna do?” [Then] have some sort of idea, and start doing it. Normally, I’d start with the instrument I wrote it on, either piano or guitar, and then probably add some drums and then a bit of bass till it started to sound like a record, and then just gradually layer it all up. It was fun.

Paul McCartney

The first album trailer for “McCartney III” was released on YouTube, on October 21, 2020 ; and contained a snippet of “Long Tailed Winter Bird“.

In 2021, for the “McCartney III Imagined” project, Damon Albarn reimagined “Long Tail Winter Bird“. Idris Elba also had a go at it; his remix was released as an exclusive track on the physical versions of “McCartney III Imagined“.

One day, i get a call offering me an opportunity to interview Sir Paul Mccartney! “ WHAT??” i say “YES” i say. During the course of this inspiring day Macca ( cus we tight now right? 🥴) tells me about a remix album he is making with a few incredible and worthy artists and without missing a beat…i hear my self saying “ can i have a go?” Macca (being polite) says “sure, why not Idris” At that very moment, he and i both knew that i was Waaaaaaaaaaay in over my head, i mean i make music all the time but this is the GOAT and to be honest, i’m certain he had no clue what i would be making. CUT TO: me pressing send (a couple weeks later) I was nervous, i had done a remix of Long tailed winter bird (from his latest album) and it was ambitious ( even for me !!) because i had written a chorus that i could hear PM singing!! “ wait what!!??” i said to myself “ Paul Mccartney is not gonna sing your song bro.. relax!” .. But i sent it , he loved it and sung the hook, he called it INDUBITABLY GROOVY, i didn’t even know what that word meant but i was practically in tears when he sent me his vocals back. If you don’t ask, you don’t get !!! ❤️ Out now 👊🏾 @paulmccartney .Shout out to Rory, Louis, Jeymes, Awren and Pj for helping me make this.

Idris Elba – From Instagram, July 30, 2021

He didn’t approach me, I sort of approached him. Paul said, “It isn’t an obvious one to remix because it’s the one with the least vocals on it. It’s a jam that I just loved. Have a go and do what you want with it.” […] He sent me this beautiful text saying, “It’s indubitably a hit.” I was like, “Oh… fuck… what?” A couple of days later he sent me his vocal singing the hook that I wrote for the remix… which was so weird. Then he sent a text saying, “We absolutely love it.” […] I just can’t believe it. This is The Beatles; this is one of the pillars of music. There’s not a producer/songwriter that hasn’t been influenced somehow or in some way by the music that man has made!

Idris Elba – From MOJO 331, June 2021

Lyrics

Variations

• A Album version
• B McCartney III Imagined version (Anderson .Paak Remix)
• C "McCartney III Imagined" version (Idris Elba Remix)

Officially appears on

Related films

Videos

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.