Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
May-August 1970
Nov 10, 1970
"Ram" sessions (A&R Studios, New York City)
January-February, 1971
"Ram" sessions (Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles)
March-April, 1971
Jun 15, 1971
Jun 16, 1971
Jun 17, 1971
Jun 18, 1971
Other message songs to John Lennon
Officially appears on Wild Life
Best Friend (aka "Why Did You Treat Me So Bad?")
Officially appears on Red Rose Speedway - Archive Collection
Related interviews
Paul McCartney: Inside the Songs
Oct 25, 2021 • From BBC Radio 4
Jan 01, 2005
December 1984 • From Playboy
McCartney: I know I'm good. If I'm in the right mood I can write a solid gold hit
Nov 20, 1971 • From Disc And Music Echo
Related articles
Paul and Linda McCartney go and live in Scotland for a few months
April 10 to August 1970
Spread the love! If you like what you are seeing, share it on social networks and let others know about The Paul McCartney Project.
Song facts
“Too Many People” is the opening song of Paul and Linda McCartney’s 1971 album “Ram“. The lyrics were interpreted as targeting John Lennon and Yoko Ono, which Paul acknowledged years later.
I was looking at my second solo album, Ram, the other day and I remember there was one tiny little reference to John in the whole thing. He’d been doing a lot of preaching, and it got up my nose a little bit. In one song, I wrote, “Too many people preaching practices,” I think is the line. I mean, that was a little dig at John and Yoko. There wasn’t anything else on it that was about them. Oh, there was “Yoko took your lucky break and broke it in two.
Paul McCartney – From Playboy interview, 1984
At the time it was surely an understatement to say that there was “one tiny little reference” to John Lennon in this song. “Too Many People” opens with the words “Piss off,” which McCartney eventually admitted was a direct attack on Lennon.
Piss off, cake. Like, a piece of cake becomes piss off cake, And it’s nothing, it’s so harmless really, just little digs. But the first line is about “too many people preaching practices.” I felt John and Yoko were telling everyone what to do. And I felt we didn’t need to be told what to do. The whole tenor of the Beatles thing had been, like, each to his own. Freedom. Suddenly it was “You should do this.” It was just a bit the wagging finger, and I was pissed off with it. So that one got to be a thing about them.
Paul McCartney – From interview with Mojo, 2001
“Too Many People” was really a message to John across the airwaves. I did feel like he was, you know, preaching a little bit about what everyone should do, how they should live their lives, and I felt – at the time – that some of it was a bit hypocritical. So in the song “Too Many People”, I started off “Too many people preaching practices”. And it was directly aimed at John, but it was about our relationship at that time, and me feeling that I didn’t need to be preached at.
Paul McCartney – From “RAM Archive Collection“, 2012
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.
Paul McCartney – Interview with Disc And Music Echo, November 1971
I think the only [song] really where I kind of criticised [John]- and it was in my usual kind of quite veiled manner – was in ‘Too Many People’
Paul McCartney – From “RAM Archive Collection“, 2012
Following the release of Ram, John Lennon pointed out several songs that he claimed were attacks on him, among them being “Too Many People“:
There were all the bits at the beginning of Ram like ‘Too many people going underground’. Well that was us, Yoko Ono and me. And ‘You took your lucky break’, that was considering we had a lucky break to be with him.
John Lennon
From Wikipedia:
In response, Lennon wrote “How Do You Sleep?” for his album Imagine, an attack at McCartney featuring musical contributions from George Harrison. McCartney later wrote “Dear Friend”, a truce offering to Lennon, and released it on the album Wild Life with his band, Wings.
McCartney sang falsetto during parts of the bridge. The guitar solo between the second bridge and third stanza is played by Hugh McCracken. The second solo after the final bridge is accompanied by a drum stick on the side of a floor tom.
“Too Many People”, I think, is one of his best songs. That was a drum part where I couldn’t just play a straight beat – you had to think of some ways to make it a little bit more Beatle-esque, shall I say.
Denny Seiwell – From “RAM Archive Collection“, 2012
Paul didn’t play the song live during the 1972 Wings tours, but decided to play it during his 2005 US tour.
Last updated on April 24, 2022
The book "The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present", published in 2021, covers Paul McCartney's early Liverpool days, the Beatles, Wings, and solo careers, by pairing the lyrics of 154 of his songs with first-person commentaries of the circumstances in which they were written, the people and places that inspired them, and what he thinks of them now.
"Too Many People" is one of the 154 songs covered.
Lyrics
Too many people going underground,
Too many reaching for a piece of cake,
Too many people pulled and pushed around,
Too many waiting for that lucky break.
That was your first mistake,
You took your lucky break and broke it in two,
Now what can be done for you?
You broke it in two.
Too many people sharing party lines,
Too many people ever sleeping late,
Too many people paying parking fines,
Too many hungry people losing weight.
That was your first mistake,
You took your lucky break and broke it in two,
Now what can be done for you?
You broke it in two.
Too many people preaching practices,
Don't let ‘em tell you what you wanna be,
Too many people holding back,
This is crazy, baby, it's not like me.
That was your last mistake,
I find my love awake and waiting to be,
Now what can be done for you?
She's waiting for me.
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1971
4:15 • Studio version • B • Mono
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Producer
- Denny Seiwell :
- Cow bell, Drums, Percussion, Shaker
- Hugh McCracken :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Eirik Wangberg :
- Mixing engineer
- Phil Ramone :
- Recording engineer
- Jim Guercio :
- Recording engineer
- Tim Geelan :
- Recording engineer
- Ted Brosnan :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Dixon Van Winkle :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Armin Steiner :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Nov 10, 1970
- Studio :
- CBS Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- January 1971
- Studio :
- A&R Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
LP • Released in 1971
4:15 • Studio version • A • Stereo
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Producer
- Denny Seiwell :
- Cow bell, Drums, Percussion, Shaker
- Hugh McCracken :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Eirik Wangberg :
- Mixing engineer
- Phil Ramone :
- Recording engineer
- Jim Guercio :
- Recording engineer
- Tim Geelan :
- Recording engineer
- Ted Brosnan :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Dixon Van Winkle :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Armin Steiner :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Nov 10, 1970
- Studio :
- CBS Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- January 1971
- Studio :
- A&R Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey / Too Many People
7" Single • Released in 1971
4:15 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Producer
- Denny Seiwell :
- Cow bell, Drums, Percussion, Shaker
- Hugh McCracken :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Eirik Wangberg :
- Mixing engineer
- Phil Ramone :
- Recording engineer
- Jim Guercio :
- Recording engineer
- Tim Geelan :
- Recording engineer
- Ted Brosnan :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Dixon Van Winkle :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Armin Steiner :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Nov 10, 1970
- Studio :
- CBS Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- January 1971
- Studio :
- A&R Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
LP • Released in 1977
4:32 • Studio version • C • Stereo • Instrumental version
- Percy "Thrills" Thrillington :
- Producer
- Richard Hewson :
- Arrangements, Orchestration
- Tony Clark :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Vic Flick :
- Guitar
- Clem Cattini :
- Drums
- Herbie Flowers :
- Bass
- Steve Gray :
- Piano
- Jim Lawless :
- Percussion
- Alan Parsons :
- Second engineer
- The Swingle Singers :
- Vocals
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Alto saxophone, Trumpet
- The Mike Sammes Singers :
- Vocals (?)
- Session Recording:
- Jun 15, 1971
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- Jun 16, 1971
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- Jun 17, 1971
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Jun 18, 1971
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1993
4:15 • Studio version • A1993.1 • 1993 remaster by Steve Hoffman
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Producer
- Denny Seiwell :
- Cow bell, Drums, Percussion, Shaker
- Hugh McCracken :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Eirik Wangberg :
- Mixing engineer
- Phil Ramone :
- Recording engineer
- Jim Guercio :
- Recording engineer
- Tim Geelan :
- Recording engineer
- Ted Brosnan :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Dixon Van Winkle :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Armin Steiner :
- Recording engineer
- Steve Hoffman :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Nov 10, 1970
- Studio :
- CBS Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- January 1971
- Studio :
- A&R Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
4:15 • Studio version • A1993 • Stereo • 1993 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Producer
- Denny Seiwell :
- Cow bell, Drums, Percussion, Shaker
- Hugh McCracken :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Eirik Wangberg :
- Mixing engineer
- Phil Ramone :
- Recording engineer
- Jim Guercio :
- Recording engineer
- Tim Geelan :
- Recording engineer
- Ted Brosnan :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Dixon Van Winkle :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Armin Steiner :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Nov 10, 1970
- Studio :
- CBS Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- January 1971
- Studio :
- A&R Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
CD • Released in 1995
4:32 • Studio version • C1995 • Stereo • Instrumental version. 1995 remaster
- Percy "Thrills" Thrillington :
- Producer
- Richard Hewson :
- Arrangements, Orchestration
- Tony Clark :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Vic Flick :
- Guitar
- Clem Cattini :
- Drums
- Herbie Flowers :
- Bass
- Steve Gray :
- Piano
- Jim Lawless :
- Percussion
- Alan Parsons :
- Second engineer
- The Swingle Singers :
- Vocals
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Alto saxophone, Trumpet
- The Mike Sammes Singers :
- Vocals (?)
- Session Recording:
- Jun 15, 1971
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- Jun 16, 1971
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- Jun 17, 1971
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Jun 18, 1971
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Wingspan Hits And History (US version)
Official album • Released in 2001
4:13 • Studio version • A2001 • 2001 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Remastering
- Denny Seiwell :
- Cow bell, Drums, Percussion, Shaker
- Hugh McCracken :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Eirik Wangberg :
- Mixing engineer
- Phil Ramone :
- Recording engineer
- Jim Guercio :
- Recording engineer
- Tim Geelan :
- Recording engineer
- Ted Brosnan :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Dixon Van Winkle :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Armin Steiner :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Nov 10, 1970
- Studio :
- CBS Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- January 1971
- Studio :
- A&R Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Wingspan Hits And History (Japanese version)
Official album • Released in 2001
4:13 • Studio version • A2001 • 2001 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Remastering
- Denny Seiwell :
- Cow bell, Drums, Percussion, Shaker
- Hugh McCracken :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Eirik Wangberg :
- Mixing engineer
- Phil Ramone :
- Recording engineer
- Jim Guercio :
- Recording engineer
- Tim Geelan :
- Recording engineer
- Ted Brosnan :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Dixon Van Winkle :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Armin Steiner :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Nov 10, 1970
- Studio :
- CBS Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- January 1971
- Studio :
- A&R Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2001
4:13 • Studio version • A2001 • 2001 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Remastering
- Denny Seiwell :
- Cow bell, Drums, Percussion, Shaker
- Hugh McCracken :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Eirik Wangberg :
- Mixing engineer
- Phil Ramone :
- Recording engineer
- Jim Guercio :
- Recording engineer
- Tim Geelan :
- Recording engineer
- Ted Brosnan :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Dixon Van Winkle :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Armin Steiner :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Nov 10, 1970
- Studio :
- CBS Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- January 1971
- Studio :
- A&R Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Bootlegs
Unofficial live
3:31 • Live
Concert From the concert in Des Moines, USA on Oct 27, 2005
Unofficial album • Released in 2004
4:14 • Studio version • B • Mono • Original mono promo LP, especially made for the American AM stations. All the songs have different mixes.
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Producer
- Denny Seiwell :
- Cow bell, Drums, Percussion, Shaker
- Hugh McCracken :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Eirik Wangberg :
- Mixing engineer
- Phil Ramone :
- Recording engineer
- Jim Guercio :
- Recording engineer
- Tim Geelan :
- Recording engineer
- Ted Brosnan :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Dixon Van Winkle :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Armin Steiner :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Nov 10, 1970
- Studio :
- CBS Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- January 1971
- Studio :
- A&R Studios, New York City
- Session Overdubs:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
- Session Mixing:
- March-April 1971
- Studio :
- Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Unofficial live • Released in 2005
3:30 • Live
Concert From the concert in Toronto, Canada on Oct 10, 2005
Unofficial live • Released in 2006
3:28 • Live
Concert From the concert in Miami, USA on Sep 16, 2005
Live performances
“Too Many People” has been played in 30 concerts.
Latest concerts where Too Many People has been played
Jul 20, 2008 • Canada • Quebec City • Plains Of Abraham
Los Angeles • Staples Center • USA
Nov 30, 2005 • Part of The US Tour
Los Angeles • Staples Center • USA
Nov 29, 2005 • Part of The US Tour
Las Vegas • MGM Grand Garden Arena • USA
Nov 26, 2005 • Part of The US Tour
Las Vegas • MGM Grand Garden Arena • USA
Nov 25, 2005 • Part of The US Tour
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Pretty sure Paul played the solos on Too Many People. There was an interview with McCracken himself, unfortunately I can't find the website anymore as I read it quite some time ago, where he talks about Paul doing it in one take.
Thanks Mona. You're right! Reading Luca Perasi on "Paul McCartney - Recording Sessions (1969-2013)":
"McCracken recalled that McCartney had recorded the blistering central solo in a single take. A funny cacophonic of many overdubbed acoustic guitars ends the track"