Number 4 - All Those Years Ago

Beatles involved: 

Paul, George, Ringo

Listenability: 4 out of 5

According to Keith Badman author of ‘The Beatle Diaries’, Ringo and George recorded the basic drum and guitar parts for the song at Friar Park in November 1980 for Ringo’s upcoming album. After John Lennon’s murder Harrison took the song back with Ringo’s agreement. He kept Ringo’s drum track and rewrote the lyrics as a tribute to John. 

Later Paul and Linda McCartney, Denny Laine and George Martin visited Friar park. According to Paul this visit was so George Harrison could add guitar to Paul's song 'Wanderlust'. Paul, Linda and Denny added backing vocals to Harrison's track. It is unclear what role George Martin played on the night. The single was released in America on 11 May 1980. It reached number 13 in the UK and number 2 in America. George Harrison never did play guitar for Paul's song 'Wanderlust'.

What they said about it:

George:

Question: Did you start writing "All Those Years Ago" before John was killed? Yeah, I did.
Question: The lyric—where you jump from Lennon being "weird" to God and the reason we exist—always puzzled me. It is a strange choice of words. The way I saw it was, I’m talking all about God and he’s the only reason we exist–now that’s something I believe to be true.
Question: Were you saying you were weirder than John? No, no, no. What I was saying is there’s all these weird people who don’t actually believe in God and who go around murdering everybody, and yet, in the broad sweep, it’s like they were the ones pointing fingers at Lennon, saying he’s a weirdo. Sometimes my lyrics get a bit abstract in place—I get so many thoughts coming from different angles, I’m not sure if they come across right. But I think that’s what I was trying to say.
Taken from a two part interview in CREEM - December 1987 and January 1988 

It’s about a friend of all of us… John Lennon. 

Live in concert in Hiroshima 6 Dec 1991 

Paul:

Question: You played with George recently, didn't you?

Not really, no. I just sang some stuff on All Those Years Ago. 

Music Express, Canada. Issue #56, April/May 1982 edition

  

Question: Is it true that you contributed to George Harrison's tribute song to John Lennon, 'All Those Years Ago'? There was a lot about this in the press at the time but I can't actually hear you on the recording.

Yes - me, Linda and Denny Laine are in the backing harmonies. We were making the album Tug Of War at the time and we wanted George Harrison to add a guitar overdub onto 'Wanderlust', so George Martin, me, Linda and Denny arranged to go up to George's house. When we got there, though, he said "First I've got this track that I'd like you to sing harmonies on" so we agreed to do that and then do the guitar overdub afterwards. We did our bit, but then, what with one thing and another, he never got around to doing the guitar overdub. 

The Paul McCartney Interview by Mark Lewisohn Club Sandwich #72 Winter 1994. This particular question was submitted to Club Sandwich by Cecilia Franks, Lincoln, England 

Ringo Starr:

The story is that the track originally was written for me and so we did the backing track. And then we did four tracks and we only used two. And George kept that one and changed the words to put his vocals on. Then Paul came to visit and did some backing vocals I believe. I haven’t heard the record myself. And that’s how it is, but we didn’t go out, do a tribute record. And I haven’t heard it so, I don’t really consider it a tribute record. It’s a record that the three of us are all on.

Taken from: Good Morning America May 7, 1981

Denny Laine:

The last time I was at George's, Paul and Linda were also there. Paul has a way of coming in and taking over and making everything a bit edgy. Everyone was uptight. When he and Linda left, the atmosphere suddenly changed and became more relaxed. Everybody seemed to physically go 'phew' and start enjoying themselves. Paul thinks he's easygoing but there is a mistrust about him. He doesn't trust people and it shows.  

Taken from: Geoffrey Giuliano “Blackbird. The Life and Times of Paul McCartney"

It was at George’s house, Friar Park. I knew George really well. I really knew George better than all of them, because he was my neighbor. When he was with Pattie Boyd, I used to go to his house a lot. But when he got this other house, he had a studio upstairs. When everybody went, I was hanging out with him upstairs listening to all the music and having a laugh. So, I mean, I knew George well. I knew Ringo really well. I never thought of it as working with the three Beatles, funny enough. It never crossed my mind. But it was just easy. I mean, I was never in awe of anybody. I was in a band and they were in a band. That was the way I looked at it. I did really respect how good they were as a band. I mean The Beatles were a great rock band. Before they even got famous they were great. They just had a great little groove, because they worked Hamburg five gigs a night and they were a good little rock band. You know, I just knew them so well as people.  

The Gibson Interview: Denny Laine (Part 3) Michael Wright 07.22.2010