Junior's Farm

"Junior's Farm" is a song written by Paul McCartney (credited to Paul and Linda McCartney) and performed by Paul McCartney and Wings. It was issued as a non-album single in October 1974. The song peaked at number 3 in the United States[1] and number 16 in the United Kingdom.

"Junior's Farm"
Single by Paul McCartney and Wings
B-side"Sally G"
Released25 October 1974
RecordedJuly 1974
StudioSound Shop Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Length4:20
3:03 (DJ edit)
LabelApple Records
Songwriter(s)Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney
Producer(s)Paul McCartney
Wings singles chronology
"Band on the Run"
(1974)		 "Junior's Farm"
(1974)		 "Listen to What the Man Said"
(1975)
Alternative covers
Italian single cover

Recording

The track was engineered by Ernie Winfrey at Soundshop Studios in Nashville, Tennessee in 1974.[2][3] While recording in Nashville, the band stayed at the Lebanon, Tennessee farm of Curly Putman Jr., which accounts for the song's title.[4] Jimmy McCulloch played the guitar solo as his Wings debut.

McCartney said he based the song's lyrical theme on Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm" and that "the idea was to just get a fantasy song about this person Junior." McCartney said that, in contrast to the degree of thought Dylan applied to his songwriting, "['Junior's Farm'] has silly words and basically all it means is, 'Let's get out of the city' ... As for reading deep meanings into the words, people shouldn't bother, there aren't any."[5]

Release

The single continued McCartney and Wings' worldwide success after the Band on the Run album. It made number 3 in the US, number 16 on the United Kingdom charts,[6] and was a hit elsewhere.

The photo for one of the single's picture sleeves featured Wings dressed in costumes corresponding to the song's lyrics (for example, Geoff Britton as a poker dealer and Denny Laine as the "Eskimo"). A sea lion, also mentioned in the lyrics, appears in the photo, between "farmer" McCartney and Britton. This photo appeared on the picture sleeve of the single in Spain and in advertisements elsewhere. In the UK and the US, the single was released in a generic Apple Records sleeve.

The music video of "Junior's Farm" shows Paul McCartney playing a Kay electric bass guitar. The single was McCartney's last release on Apple Records before signing a solo recording contract with Capitol Records in May 1975, following the dissolution of the Beatles' partnership.

Subsequent releases

"Junior's Farm" was later released on the McCartney/Wings compilation Wings Greatest in 1978 and the US version of All the Best! in 1987, although it was not on the UK edition of the latter album. The 3-minute radio edit of the song was included on the Wingspan: Hits and History compilation. Along with its B-side, "Sally G", "Junior's Farm" was remastered for inclusion on the Hear-Music version of Venus and Mars released in November 2014.

Cover versions

In 1994, "Junior's Farm" was covered by Lee Harvey Oswald Band on their album A Taste of Prison.[7]

In 1996, "Junior's Farm" was covered by Galactic Cowboys on their Feel the Rage E.P.[8]

In 2014, "Junior's Farm" was covered by Steve Miller on The Art of McCartney covers album.

Personnel

Chart performance

References
  1. "Paul McCartney singles". allmusic. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  2. "Ernie Winfrey - Welcome to 1979 Analog Recording Studios - Nashville, TN". welcometo1979.com.
  3. "Junior's Farm (song)". The Paul McCartney project.
  4. Inman, Davis. ""Junior's Farm," Paul McCartney". American Songwriter.
  5. Spizer, Bruce (2005). The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. New Orleans, LA: 498 Productions. p. 190. ISBN 0-9662649-5-9.
  6. "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  7. "Junior's Farm by The Lee Harvey Oswald Band". findsongtempo.com. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  8. "Galactic Cowboys 'Feel the Rage'". metalblade.com. 3 June 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  9. "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  10. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  11. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2002
  12. "Top 100 1975-01-04". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  13. "RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  14. "Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Retrieved 25 August 2016.
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