I came across this song while futzing around on YouTube, and realized that I hadn’t heard it in a coon’s age. Looking it up, I discovered that “Goodbye” was actually written by Paul McCartney, though it was never released by either McCartney or the Beatles, and recorded by Paul only as a demo (see below). It was a big hit for Mary Hopkin (b. 1950) in the spring of 1969—my prime rock and roll years—and was written as a followup to Hopkin’s immensely popular song, “Those were the days,” released the year before. (That song, too, had a complex history, including its melody being used in a commercial for gefilte fish. Hopkins’s version was produced by McCartney.)
One of many songs written by the Beatles and given away to others, “Goodbye” made it to #2 on the UK charts, but only #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It’s a lovely song, quite catchy.
Hopskin’s version is the first below, but you’ll need to compare it to McCartney’s demo recording for her, which I think is better in several ways. First, though, listen to her own release, and read these notes from YouTube:
For the recording, Hopkin sang and performed acoustic guitar, while McCartney played bass guitar, an acoustic guitar introduction and solo, along with lap-slapping percussion and drums. Backing vocals, horns and strings, in Hewson’s arrangement, were overdubbed. The session was filmed by Apple’s Tony Bramwell for a promotional clip. In the footage, Hopkin can be seen miming to the song inside the studio, combined with shots of her and McCartney, smoking a cigarette and finger-popping, in the control room listening to a playback.
And here’s Bramwell’s promotional clip, way cool:
Now McCartney’s demo, with these notes:
To assist Hopkin in learning the song, McCartney recorded a solo demo at his home, 7 Cavendish Road, London, in February 1969 The song [Hopkins’s version] was arranged by Richard Hewson, who had also orchestrated “Those Were the Days,”and produced, along with its flip side, “Sparrow”, by Paul McCartney on 1 March 1969 at Morgan Studios in Willesden. To better match Hopkin’s voice, the key was raised from C major to E major. The recording was Apple’s first official double-A-side, and the first Apple record to feature a full-fledged picture sleeve.
If you knew that this song was written by one of the Beatles, and you also knew the Beatles, you’d immediately realize that it was McCartney’s song because of its lightness and lack of dark undertones. The tuba reminds me of the Sergeant Pepper album (1967, the album that catalyzed my atheism), while the vocal noodling around resembles McCartney’s at the end of “Rocky Raccoon” (1968). This demo is superb, and you’ll notice a few of the words were changed in the Hopkin version:
I have this song on a “45”! I’d have to look at the record, but I think this song was the B side to one of her hits (maybe “Those Were The Days”). Thanks for the memories!!
I don’t think it’s the B side of the big hit given the different times of release. Check Wikipdia on both songs.
Definitely not a B side! Thanks for posting, love that tune! And McCartney’s demo is definitely better than Hopkin’s version (which is good, of course)! 🙂
The tune strikes me as a bit of a throw back to Maca’s compositions during the lads’ transitional mid-60s Rubber Soul – Revolver era.
Yes and this is appropriate since Dec 3rd was the 50th anniversary of the release of RUBBER SOUL!! And Paul wrote hello goodbye, which may be a reason the BEATLES did not release goodbye? Although there is blackbird (BEATLES) and bluebird (WINGS)!
Then it would be very appropriate if it turned out that McCartney had also written the newest big hit, Adele’s Hello. 🙂
I have to ask – although I might hate the answer, since it conjures up an unsavory visual – how does one canoodle on you tube?
Whoops; I didn’t know the only definition was salacious. I better change it!
lol
Is that a tuba in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
I thought canoodling on YouTube was charming.
Futzing does fit better 🙂
(I had to look up canoodle. When I read the definition, I could see canoodle being used liberally here to conjure an image of enjoying the songs on YouTube and the sense of messing around. I didn’t read it as salacious but as interesting and creative, even if it was entirely unintended. Plus, with the phrase vocal noodling around in the last paragraph, the post felt bookended with a bit of poetry.)
If Joaquin Phoenix could date his operating system in Her, no reason the good professor shouldn’t canoodle his youtube.
Maybe just a bit off-topic, but that picture on the second video (btw, where’s George?) reminds me of the amazing impressions of all four Beatles (and George Martin) that Stevie Riks does in this video.
Possibly even more amazing is Riks’ impression of McCartney and the Kinks’ Ray Davies performing together here. I stumbled across this video and it took me several beats to realize that it wasn’t in fact the originals.
What a hoot!
I think that might be George in the far background.
Thank you for reminding me of this song. Like so many other great tunes of those days it had disappeared into the fog of war and life…
I’m of similar vintage as yourself, Prof Coyne, and even from this perspective, I believe our teen years saw the greatest blossoming of musical (and other) artistry and creativity in the modern era.
McCartney’s voice sounds so sweet in this and many of his other songs. I think his songwriting partnership with Lennon was brilliant.
I still treasure my original copy of Sergeant Pepper.
I also liked the bit where McCartney took a drag on a ciggy.
Best performance by a Beatle while smoking, though, has to be Ringo in Help letting that butt clamped in his mouth burn down while playing on “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl.”
Watching that as a kid made me want to take up the drums … made me want to take up smoking, too.
I was going to ask who you were canoodling with on YouTube😁
Although “Goodbye” isn’t an example, McCartney could certainly show his “dark undertones” (maybe melancholy is the better word) with songs like “For No One” and “She’s Leaving Home”.
Doesn’t get any more dark undertone-y than “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?”
There was also Paul’s stab at political consciousness in the early Seventies with Wings, “Give Ireland Back to the Irish”.
Just to give a bit of history…
McCartney first heard about Mary when talking with the model Twiggy over dinner about television talent discovery shows. Twiggy mentioned Mary (17 yrs old at the time), who was singing on “Opportunity Knocks.” Paul watched the show the following week, and rang her up after that.
McCartney: “This beautiful little Welsh voice came on the phone and I said: ‘This is Apple Records here; would you be interested in coming down here to record for us?’ She said: ‘Well, er, would you like to speak to my mother?’ and then her mother came on the line and we had a chat and two further telephone conversations and later that week Mary and her mum came to London. We had a nice lunch and went to Dick James’ studios in Oxford Street and I thought she was great. She sang a lot of songs on tape and I knew she was great…she seemed to mean what she sang. Most impressive. But at the same time I thought she was very Joan Baez – a lot of Joan’s influence showed. We chatted and I said ‘Look it would be nice, we should maybe sign if you like us and you like the look of the whole thing.’ Well, it didn’t look too crazy then, obviously we looked all right because she did sign.”
‘Those Were the Days’ was the song that he had her record first. It had a Russian melody, and McCartney had tried to convince others previously to record it (Moody Blues), but nothing had come of it. It reached number one in the UK, pushing ‘Hey Jude’ from that position. After that, they made another album with fourteen tracks which contained some of McCartney’s favorite pop standards and show tunes.
‘Goodbye’ was the last song they did together. McCartney said: “I didn’t have in mind any more Russian folk songs so I just wrote one for her. I thought it fit the bill. It wasn’t as successful as the first one but it did all right. My main memory of it is from years later, going on a boat trip from the north of Scotland to the Orkney Islands. The skipper of the boat was called George, and he told me it was his favourite song. And if you think of it from a sailor’s point of view, it’s very much a leaving-the-port song. He had the strangest Scottish accent, almost sort of Norwegian, as the Orkneyans do. He was quite proud of the fact that that was his favourite song.”
‘Goodbye’ made it number five in the UK charts. McCartney and Mary didn’t work together after that, as Mary wanted to do a more folky album, and he wasn’t interested in producing it.
Source: Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now
Author: Barry Miles
Also off topic but very curious! In my email you wrote canoodling on YouTube, which I thought a strange use of canoodling since it means: 1. caress, fondle, or pet amorously – Dictionary.com. Then I clicked on the email and came to your site and you have futzing around on YouTube . . . which as you know, but obviously the folks/computer at Outlook don’t, means: Verb phrases
3. futz (around) with, to handle or deal with, especially idly, reluctantly, or as a time-consuming task:
I spent all day futzing with those file folders
-Dictionary.com
I’m about to chastise Outlook, but I am also absolutely amazed! I did not know my Outlook email was being censored!!
Ok – read further (always a good idea) and I guess you originally used canoodle and then changed it? Outlook is safe for another day . . .
Yes, I changed it because when I looked up the word the definition was of the salacious kind. How curious that they used the word I chose as a replacement, “futz,” as a synonym!
Isn’t “futz” a minced oath for the f-bomb? Or maybe a portmanteau of the f-bomb and “putz”?
I did some research a few years ago into “The Songs the Beatles Gave Away” and compiled them onto a CD (including both versions of “Goodbye”). Some interesting history and a lot of great Lennon & McCartney music that most people have never heard. Thanks for sharing, Professor!
Thanks for this song! I’m listening to the demo for the 6th time! The lightness and that I can find a harmony to sing along to makes it very enjoyable. I’ve found Mary’s version on Spotify. Sadly, I can’t seem to find Paul’s. But I can still listen to the YouTube demo version on a walk. Given that it is raining in Seattle, the lightness is a nice contrast!
Thanks for that one!
It gave me chills down the spine.
Those were the days, my friend.
Great find Jerry – I sometimes confuse Mary Hopkins and Marianne Faithful from this era, and am more likely to remember the name of the latter when looking for old music. It is a true gem and I appreciate the history.
By the way, I was digitizing a Buddy Holly album last week. We know that the Beatles were strongly influence by Holly, but while recording a minor song by him, “Listen to Me”, I could really hear this influence on their early compositions.