My Love (Paul McCartney & Wings song)

"My Love"
Single by Paul McCartney & Wings
from the album Red Rose Speedway
B-side	“The Mess (Live at the Hague)”
Released	23 March 1973
Format	7" single
Recorded	1972
Genre	Rock
Length	4:07
Label	Apple Records
Writer(s)	Paul McCartney Linda McCartney
Producer	Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney & Wings singles chronology
“Hi, Hi, Hi” (1972) “My Love” (1973) “Live and Let Die” (1973)

“My Love” is a love song by Paul McCartney & Wings, the most successful track from their 1973 album Red Rose Speedway. McCartney wrote it about his feelings for his wife Linda, also in the band.

The song was recorded live with an orchestra at Olympic Studios. It contains a guitar solo by the Irish guitarist Henry McCullough, then part of the Wings line-up. McCartney said in 2010 about the solo:^[1]

“

I’d sort of written the solo, as I often did write our solos. And he walked up to me right before the take and said, ‘Hey, would it be alright if I try something else?’ And I said, ‘Er… yeah.’ It was like, ‘Do I believe in this guy?’ And he played the solo on My Love, which came right out of the blue. And I just thought, Fucking great. And so there were plenty of moments like that where somebody’s skill or feeling would overtake my wishes.

”

“My Love” was also released as a single in March 1973, reaching #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the UK Singles Chart.^{[2] [3]} It also went to #1 on the Easy Listening chart for three weeks.^[4] The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies.^[5]

The song also appeared on the Wings compilation album Wings Greatest (1978) and the Paul McCartney compilation album All the Best! (1987) Live versions appear on Back in the World (2002) and Good Evening New York City (2009).

Cover versions

“My Love” has been covered by several vocal artists, including Cher, Brenda Lee, Cass Elliott, Margie Joseph, Salena Jones, Mina, Shinehead, and Dottie West. There have also been three jazz instrumental cover versions, by Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones, Pieces of a Dream (from 1996 album The Best Of Pieces Of A Dream),^[6] and Michael Lington (from 2004 album Stay With Me).^[7][8]

In 2011, Corinne Bailey Rae released a cover of the song on The Love E.P.

See also

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1973 (U.S.)
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1973 (U.S.)

References

1. ^ Doyle, Tom, ed (October 2010). "Starting over,” (Paul McCartney: How I Survived … the Beatles.)". Mojo (magazine) (Bauer Media Group) (203): 76. 
2. ^ "Paul McCartney singles". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4865. Retrieved 12 August 2010. 
3. ^ Rice, Tim; Paul Gambaccini, Jo Rice (1995). British Hit Singles. London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0851126332. 
4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 163. 
5. ^ riaa.com
6. ^ "The Best of Pieces of a Dream". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1850842. 
7. ^ "Stay with Me overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r690440. 
8. ^ "Stay with Me overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/review_print.php?id=14394.