All Those Years Ago

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox song "All Those Years Ago" is a song by the English rock musician George Harrison, released in May 1981 as a single from his ninth studio album Somewhere in England. Having previously recorded the music for the song, Harrison tailored the lyrics to serve as a personal tribute to his former Beatles bandmate John Lennon, following the latter's murder in 1980. Ringo Starr played drums, and Paul McCartney (along with his Wings bandmates Linda McCartney and Denny Laine) overdubbed backing vocals onto the basic track. The single spent three weeks at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, behind "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes, and it peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. It also topped Canada's RPM singles chart and spent one week at number 1 on BillboardTemplate:'s Adult Contemporary listings.<ref>The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition, 1996</ref>

"All Those Years Ago" was the first recording on which Harrison, McCartney and Starr all appeared since the Beatles' "I Me Mine" (1970), and their last recording together until "Free as a Bird" (1995). Other musicians performing on the track include Al Kooper and Ray Cooper. The song has appeared on the Harrison compilations Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989 and Let It Roll, and a live version recorded in 1991 with Eric Clapton was included on Harrison's Live in Japan double album.

OriginsEdit

Prior to Lennon's death, Harrison originally wrote the song with different lyrics for Ringo Starr to record. Although he recorded it, Starr felt the vocal was too high for his range<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and disliked the lyrics.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Harrison took the track back and, after Lennon's death, the lyrics were changed to reflect a tribute to him. In the song, Harrison makes reference to the Lennon-penned Beatles song "All You Need Is Love" and the Lennon song "Imagine" ("you were the one who Imagined it all").

Band line-upEdit

The recording of the song featured all three remaining Beatles (Harrison, Starr and Paul McCartney), though this was expressly a Harrison single. It is one of only a few non-Beatles songs to feature three members of the band. Harrison and Starr recorded the song at Harrison's Friar Park studio between 19 November and 25 November 1980. The lineup was rounded out by Al Kooper on keyboards, Herbie Flowers on bass and percussionist Ray Cooper. Harrison co-produced the recording with Cooper.

After Lennon's death the following month, Harrison removed Starr's vocals (but kept Starr's drumming track) and recorded his own vocals with rewritten lyrics honouring Lennon. McCartney, his wife Linda and their Wings bandmate Denny Laine visited Friar Park and recorded backing vocals as an overdub to the original track.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The album's liner notes also thank the Beatles' former producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick, who were present at the session where the backing vocals were recorded. Martin, Emerick and the members of Wings were working on McCartney's Tug of War album at the time, and had traveled to Harrison's studio to record a Harrison guitar overdub for that album. The session instead turned into a vocal session for "All Those Years Ago", and Harrison's guitar piece for McCartney's album was never recorded.

Critical receptionEdit

Record World described the song as a "buoyant reminiscence [that] features George's fluid guitar lines with help from Paul, Ringo and Linda."<ref name=rw>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Music videoEdit

The music video features a slide show-type presentation of stills and short archival video clips. The emphasis is on Lennon and, to a lesser degree, Harrison. The post-Beatles stills of Lennon at older ages are countered with stills of Harrison from the same time frame.

PersonnelEdit

George Harrison – lead vocals, electric guitars, synthesizer, backing vocals
Al Kooper – electric piano
Herbie Flowers – bass
Ringo Starr – drums
Ray Cooper – tambourine
Paul McCartney – backing vocals
Linda McCartney – backing vocals
Denny Laine – backing vocals

Chart performanceEdit

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Weekly chartsEdit

Chart (1981)	Peak position
Australian Kent Music Report<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	9
Austrian Singles Chart<ref name="Norwegian"/>	14
Belgian Ultratop Singles Chart<ref name="Norwegian"/>	38
Canadian RPM Top Singles<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Dutch MegaChart Singles<ref name="Norwegian"/>	43
Irish Singles Chart<ref name="Ireland">"Search by Artist > George Harrison" Template:Webarchive, irishcharts.ie (retrieved 11 April 2014).</ref>	4
Italy (FIMI)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	20
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	14
Norwegian VG-lista Singles<ref name="Norwegian">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2
Swiss Singles Chart<ref name="Norwegian"/>	8
Swedish Singles Chart<ref name="Norwegian"/>	11
UK Singles Chart<ref name="UKchart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	13
US Billboard Adult Contemporary<ref name="USchart" />	1
US Billboard Hot 100<ref name="USchart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2
US Cash Box Top 100<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	3
West German Media Control Singles<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	44

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Year-end chartsEdit

Chart (1981)	Rank
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	73
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	30
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	67
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	74
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	38