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Listen to What the Man Said

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"Listen to What the Man Said"
Single by Wings
from the album Venus and Mars
B-side"Love in Song"
Released16 May 1975 (1975-05-16)
Recorded31 January and 20 February 1975
Genre
Length3:57
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Paul McCartney
Wings singles chronology
"Junior's Farm"
(1974) 		"Listen to What the Man Said"
(1975) 		"Letting Go"
(1975)
Licensed audio
"Listen to What the Man Said" on YouTube

"Listen to What the Man Said" is a hit single from Wings' 1975 album Venus and Mars. The song featured new member Joe English on drums, with guest musicians Dave Mason on guitar and Tom Scott on soprano saxophone.[2] It was a number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US the week of July 19, 1975[3][4] and reached number 1 in Canada on the RPM National Top Singles Chart.[5] It also reached number 6 in the UK, and reached the top ten in Ireland, Norway and New Zealand and the top twenty in the Netherlands.[6][7] The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies.[8][9]

Recording

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"Listen to What the Man Said" was recorded in early 1975 by Wings during their New Orleans sessions for Venus and Mars.[2][10][11] It was a song for which Paul McCartney had high hopes, but early recordings did not live up to the song's potential.[10][11] McCartney said in 1975 of his initial opinion of the song, "It was one of the songs we’d gone in with high hopes for. Whenever I would play it on the piano, people would say ‘Oh, I like that one.’ But when we did the backing track, we thought we didn't really get it together at all."[12]

It was guest guiarist Dave Mason who suggested the high-doubling on the guitar parts. McCartney initially told him to play the same notes as he, but decided Mason's idea was better. After Mason added guitar overdubs, the band was still dissatisfied.[10][11] However, once Scott recorded the sax solo, judgements were changed.[10][11] Although several takes of the solo were recorded, the very first take was the one that was used.[10][11] McCartney said of Tom Scott's impact on the track, "Someone said [famous jazz musician] ‘Tom Scott lives near here.’ We said, yeah, give him a ring, see if he turns up, and he turned up within half an hour! There he was, with his sax, and he sat down in the studio playing through. The engineer was recording it. We kept all the notes he was playing casually. He came in and I said ‘I think that’s it.’ He said ‘Did you record that?’ I said yes, and we listened to it back. No one could believe it, so he went out and tried a few more, but they weren't as good. He'd had all the feel on this early take, the first take."[12] The effect of a kiss smack heard on the track was recorded by engineer Alan O'Duffy, who taped Linda doing it.[13]

Reverse side to the single "Listen to What the Man Said"

The end of the song also features a small link used to transition into the next song on Venus and Mars, "Treat Her Gently/Lonely Old People".

You either have to leave it and stop 'Listen to What the Man Said' dead or you spill over into the next little link piece. I just like that link myself, and thought no one's going to mind that little extra on the record.

— Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney: In His Own Words[14]

Lyrics

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The song is an optimistic love song.[15] Even though love may be blind or may cause separated lovers to suffer, the singer believes that love will prevail.[15] This is in accordance with what “the man” said.[15] "The man" is not explicitly identified, but might be God.[15] Author Vincent Benitez believes that "McCartney is advising everyone to stick with the basics of life, which for him means focusing on love."[15] The song is in the key of G major.

The seemingly random words which are spoken before the music begins, according to Chip Madinger and Mark Easter's 2000 book "Eight Arms To Hold You", are said by McCartney.

"Paul's impression of Leo Nocentelli, the guitarist for The Meters (not Wolfman Jack, as has been incorrectly stated), which was placed at the beginning of the song, was taped when he recorded his vocal track," the book says.

The speaker says: "All right, OK... very good to see you down in New Orleans, man, yeah, yeah. Reet, yeah, yeah..." The word "reet" is jazz slang meaning, "good, proper, excellent."[16]

Reception

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Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called "Listen to What the Man Said" "a typically sweet and lovely melody".[17] Billboard described it as a "perfect mix of quality and commerciality."[18] Cash Box said "clarinets spice the song and give it a distinct flavor while McCartney's supple vocal style will make this an automatic addition to almost anyone’s play list."[19] Paul Nelson of Rolling Stone called it "deliciously catchy" and "as fine an example of slick, professional entertainment and carefully crafted 'product' as has ever hit the airwaves".[20] Author John Blaney described the song as "a slice of radio-friendly pop" and "a joyous celebration of love and life, buoyed by Linda's equally exuberant backing vocals...".[11] Benitez described the song as "another great example of McCartney-style pop, a buoyant and optimistic song about love where words and music are wedded together".[15] Authors Roy Carr and Tony Tyler note about the song that "artful and sensitive production elevate what was originally a piece of inconsequential whimsy into what can only be described as High Pop", also describing the song as "likeable" and "hummable".[21] Author Chris Ingham described the song as "superior pop".[22]

The song was also included on the numerous greatest hits compilations, including 1987's All the Best!, 2001's Wingspan: Hits and History and 2016's Pure McCartney.[23][24] However, it was not included on the 1978 Wings compilation, Wings Greatest.[25]

The song title inspired "Listen To What The Fans Said", a letters column in the Wings Fan Club magazine, Club Sandwich.

Chart performance

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[43] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Owl City version

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"Listen to What the Man Said"
Song by Owl City
from the album The Art of McCartney
Released17 November 2014 (2014-11-17)
Length3:36
LabelArctic Poppy via Kobalt
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Ralph Sall

American electronica project Owl City covered the song and released it on 17 November 2014.[44] It was released from the compilation album, The Art of McCartney, as a tribute to the English artist.[45]

Background

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When asked about covering the track, Adam Young of Owl City stated, "I think they said 'We'd like to have somebody cover one of these three songs on the list.' I'm not sure why they reached out to me. I feel so humbled."[46]

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Weekly chart performance for "Listen to What the Man Said"
Chart (2014–15) Peak
position
UK Cross Rhythms Weekly Chart[47] 1

Year-end charts

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Year-end chart performance for "Listen to What the Man Said"
Chart (2015) Peak
position
UK Cross Rhythms Annual Chart[47] 62

Covers

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  • The song was covered (as "L.T.W.T.M.S.") by indie pop band The Trouble with Sweeney on their 2004 EP Fishtown Briefcase.[48]
  • Ex-Wings member Laurence Juber covered the song on his 2005 album One Wing, despite not being a member of the band at the time of the song's recording and release.[49][50]
  • Former Wings member Denny Laine covered "Listen to What the Man Said" in 1996 on his album Wings at the Sound of Denny Laine.[51]
  • In 2008, Freedy Johnston covered this song on his album My Favourite Waste of Time.[52]
  • The chorus elements from the single were used in the 2003 Dance single "Just The Way You Are" by the Italian dance group Milky.[53] Because of this, Paul and Linda McCartney were given credit on the single.

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ Rolling Stone Staff (November 30, 2020). "Paul McCartney's 40 Greatest Solo Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 14, 2023. ...but "Listen to What the Man Said"...proved that McCartney would have no trouble fitting into the dawning disco age.
  2. ^ a b Mason, S. "Listen to What the Man Said". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  3. ^ Paul McCartney, Billboard Hot 100 – Billboard.com. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  4. ^ Billboard Hot 100, Week of July 19, 1975 – Billboard.com. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  5. ^ "RPM Top Singles". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  6. ^ "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  7. ^ "Dutch charts: Listen to What the Man Said". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  8. ^ "RIAA Gold and Platinum". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  9. ^ riaa.com
  10. ^ a b c d e Madiger, C. & Easter, M. (2000). Eight Arms to Hold You. 44.1 Productions. p. 205. ISBN 0-615-11724-4.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Blaney, J. (2007). Lennon and McCartney: Together Alone: A Critical Discography of Their Solo Work. Jawbone Press. pp. 107–108. ISBN 978-1-906002-02-2.
  12. ^ a b DeRiso, Nick (27 May 2015). "40 Years Ago: Paul McCartney and Wings Release Uneven but Ultimately Charming 'Venus and Mars'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  13. ^ Luca Perasi, Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013), 2013, L.I.L.Y. Publishing, p.133, ISBN 978-88-909122-1-4.
  14. ^ Gambaccini, Paul (1976). Paul McCartney: In His Own Words. Flash. ISBN 9780825639104.
  15. ^ a b c d e f Benitez, V.P. (2010). The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years. Praeger. pp. 68–69. ISBN 978-0-313-34969-0.
  16. ^ "Dictionary.com Definition "Reet"". Archived from the original on 2018-07-08. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  17. ^ Erlewine, S.T. "Venus and Mars". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
  18. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. May 31, 1975. p. 78. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  19. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 31, 1975. p. 24. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  20. ^ Nelson, P. (May 3, 2001). "Venus and Mars Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
  21. ^ Carr, R. & Tyler, T. (1978). The Beatles: An illustrated record. Harmony Books. pp. 109–110. ISBN 0-517-53367-7.
  22. ^ Ingham, C. (2009). The Rough Guide to the Beatles (3rd ed.). Penguin. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-4053-8445-2.
  23. ^ Erlewine, S.T. "All the Best". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  24. ^ Erlewine, S.T. "Wingspan: Hits and History". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  25. ^ "Wings Greatest". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  26. ^ a b "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  27. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  28. ^ "Canadian Chart". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2014-11-09. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
  29. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1975-08-09. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  30. ^ "Charts singles Top 50 en France: 3 Aout 1975". 2017.
  31. ^ "charts.de". GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  32. ^ "Japanese Chart". nifty.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
  33. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl Paul McCartney discography". Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  34. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1975-08-11. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  35. ^ "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  36. ^ "Paul McCartney Charts and Awards". allmusic. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  37. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 157.
  38. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996. Sheridan Books, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-209-0.
  39. ^ "Top 200 Singles of 1975". RPM. 1975-12-27. Archived from the original on 2012-10-20. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  40. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1975 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1975-12-31. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  41. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1975". Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
  42. ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1975". Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  43. ^ "American single certifications – Paul Mc Cartney & Wings – Listen To What The Man Said". Recording Industry Association of America.
  44. ^ "Listen to What the Man Said". Apple Music. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  45. ^ Grow, Kory (9 September 2014). "Paul McCartney Tribute Comp: Bob Dylan, Kiss and More Cover the Beatle". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 10 September 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  46. ^ Jon Bream (13 October 2015). "Six years after 'Fireflies,' Owl City is still glowing as an accidental careerist". Star Tribune. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  47. ^ a b "Cross Rhythms – Year-End 2015". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  48. ^ Deusner, S. (June 16, 2004). "Trouble with Sweeney Fishtown Briefcase EP". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  49. ^ "One Wing". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  50. ^ "Paul McCartney covers". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  51. ^ "Performs the Hits of Wings". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  52. ^ "My Favourite Waste of Time". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  53. ^ "Just the Way You Are". whosampled.com. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  54. ^ Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of The Beatles' Solo Careers ISBN 978-1-589-79955-4 p.139
  55. ^ Come Together: Lennon and McCartney in the Seventies ISBN 978-1-785-58218-9
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