Goodnight Tonight (Paul McCartney)

Recording: January 4th-23rd, 1978 and January-February, 1979 (overdubs)

Location: Rude Studio, Campbeltown and MPL Replica Studio

(overdubs), London

Release: March 1979, single

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Among McCartney’s greatest hits, “Goodnight Tonight” holds a special place: apart from being one of his most famous songs, its release caused a big dispute between McCartney and his label.

In this case, McCartney got the idea for the song after an evening at the disco. Struck by the rhythms and the sound of disco-music – raging at the time from singers like Gloria Gaynor and Diana Ross – Paul immediately ran into the studio.

McCartney began the piece by building the tempo and, with the help of his drum-machine, he laid down a first, simple track of “Goodnight Tonight”. When the London Town sessions resumed, Paul decided to work properly on the song, recording a seven-minute take and playing everything.

Then, on February 1979 the track was enhanced with backing vocals, Laurence Juber’s flamenco style guitar overdubbing and other minor embellishments. Those sessions gave birth to one of the most original tracks McCartney’s imagination has ever produced.

Through a clever arrangement, McCartney managed to go beyond a simple disco re-interpretation of his style. Rather, he blended several influences into “Goodnight Tonight”, with an explosive mixture of sounds and styles, the reason behind the song’s success.

To the Latin-flavored acoustic opening, McCartney added a powerful and punchy bass line: with its octave jumps and its deep penetrating beat, it’s a great example of how inventiveness is more important than virtuosity.

In itself, “Goodnight Tonight” relies on an catchy pop melody and has McCartney DNA all over the place. Paul’s exuberant ideas enrich the song: the instrumentation blends contemporary sounds – drum-machine and vocoder – with typical pop/rock flavors (e.g. the attractive sequence of electric guitar call and response licks).

Laurence Juber recalls how the group worked on McCartney’s basic track: “Paul’s recording was unfinished, so we did some work on it in January 1979 at Replica Studio in the basement of the MPL Soho office in London. Denny and I did some electric parts echoing Paul’s existing lead guitar. I don’t remember who suggested the acoustic lead break, but the Spanish flavor was an obvious choice. I didn’t have an acoustic guitar with me so I used Denny’s Ovation Adamas guitar – it was very quick, a one-take flamenco flourish!”[1]

Steve Holley offered an ingenious contribution: “I had just spent some time in Morocco and brought some clay hand drums back with me. I added those to Paul’s drum track and drum-machine percussion. I believe we all sang the chorus as well.”[2]

When the record was released, some reviewers held their noses, on the grounds that McCartney had succumbed to the charm of the current fashion; but the single was a success everywhere, reaching #5 both in England and America, where “Goodnight Tonight” was certified gold by the R.I.A.A. for one million copies sold.

At the same time, the song was a source of controversy between McCartney and his record company. The same disagreement that had occurred two years before with “Mull Of Kintyre” (see sheet 113). Paul said he did not feel the track fitted with the style of Back to the Egg – the album that Wings will be recording in the subsequent months – and he refused to include it in the LP. He put his intellectual rigor before his sense of business, preferring not give his audience a re-hashed product.

Bob Mercer recalled the argument: “He sent a test pressing to me because apparently there’s been considerable discussion among his own associates about whether or not the song would be a hit (…) I’d learned by this time there was no point in being dishonest with him, because he was just going to do what he wanted anyway. So I listened to it and told him I didn’t think it was very good (…) I have seen Paul frequently refer to the fact that the guy at the record company had told him that the song wouldn’t be a hit and this was Paul’s way of demonstrating that you shouldn’t listen to record company advice. But I haven’t seen him refer anywhere to ‘Mull of Kintyre’.”[3]

“Goodnight Tonight” was issued on a 12’’ single in its full version (7:14) and would be shortened for the release on the 7’’ single, which clocks at 4:23.

The 7’’ single version appears on All the Best! and Wingspan. “Goodnight Tonight“ was played live in the 1979 Wings’ British Tour. On September 8th, 2012 McCartney performed the song in London’s Granary Square, joining on stage the group Africa Express.

Musicians:

Paul McCartney vocals, backing vocals, bass, tambourine, vocoder, acoustic and electric guitar, synthesizer, drums, percussion • Linda McCartney backing vocals • Denny Laine backing vocals, electric guitar • Laurence Juber backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitar • Steve Holley backing vocals, percussion, clay-hand drums

 

 

 

[1] Interview courtesy of Laurence Juber, 18/09/2011.

 

[2] Interview courtesy of Steve Holly, 19/09/2012.

 

[3] B. Woffinden, cit., pp.184-185.