Junior's Farm

"Junior's Farm"
Single by Paul McCartney and Wings
B-side"Sally G"
Released25 October 1974 (UK)
Recorded13 July 1974
StudioSound Shop (Nashville, Tennessee)
GenreGlam rock[1]
Length4:20
3:03 (DJ edit)
LabelApple
SongwritersPaul McCartney, Linda McCartney
ProducerPaul McCartney
Wings singles chronology
"Walking in the Park with Eloise"
(1974)		 "Junior's Farm"
(1974)		 "Listen to What the Man Said"
(1975)
Alternative covers
Italian single cover
Official video
"Junior's Farm" on YouTube

"Junior's Farm" is a song by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings. Written by Paul and Linda McCartney, it was issued as a non-album single by Apple Records on 25 October 1974 in the UK and 4 November in the US; it peaked at No. 3 in the United States[2] and No. 16 in the United Kingdom.

Writing

McCartney had his first ideas about writing a song about quiet farm lifestyle during his long family stay at his cottage in Campbeltown, Scotland, between April and August 1970,[3] amidst the turbulent break-up of the Beatles,[4] but he shelved his recording project for four years. McCartney in 1966 bought the 183-acre Scottish estate called High Park Farm, a place where he composed and recorded several songs.[5] In his 2021 memoir book titled The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, he said:[6]

It was such a relief to get out of those business meetings with people in suits, who were so serious all the time, and go off to Scotland and be able just to sit around in a T-shirt and corduroys. I was very much in that mindset when I wrote this song. The basic message is, let’s get out of here. You might say it's my post-Beatles getting-out-of-town song.

McCartney explained that he based the song's lyrical theme on Bob Dylan's 1965 "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."[7]

Recording

Wings recorded "Junior's Farm" on 13 July 1974 at the Sound Shop Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.[8] Mixing occurred in October. Four different mixes were made by Ernie Winfrey in Nashville, Geoff Emerick in London, Alan O'Duffy at Olympic Studios and George Martin at AIR Studios. McCartney chose O'Duffy's for release.[9]

The song was engineered by Ernie Winfrey at Soundshop Studios in Nashville, owned by Buddy Killen.[10] While recording in Nashville, the band stayed at the Lebanon, Tennessee farm of Curly Putman Jr., which accounts for the song's title.[11] Jimmy McCulloch played the guitar solo as his Wings debut. He is mentioned in a line in the song ("Take me down Jimmy").

Despite its relative success outside America, neither of these two songs were included on their subsequent studio album Venus and Mars of 1975, which was scheduled to start its recording sessions between 5 and 13 November 1974 in London.

"Junior's Farm" was performed live during the Wings Over the World tour in 1975, later appearing during McCartney's solo 2011 concerts.[12] McCartney has excluded the verse mentioning a "president" during later live performances.[6]

Release

"Junior's Farm" / "Sally G" was released through Apple Records on 25 October 1974 in the UK and on 4 November in the US,[12][13] a few days before the band started recording Venus and Mars in England. The single continued McCartney and Wings' worldwide success after the album Band on the Run. It made No. 3 in the US, No. 16 in the UK,[14] and was a hit elsewhere. A shorter "DJ edit", with a length of 3:03, was cut for radio stations and excludes the verse that mentions a "president".[12]

Cash Box called it "a very strong disk", saying that "it has that unique McCartney flair that makes all his musical forays such inspired hit records."[15] Record World said that "Vassar Clements fiddle adds a subtle country touch to a straight-out 'Get Back'-type rocker."[16]

The photo for one of the single's picture sleeves, taken by Clive Arrowsmith, featured Wings dressed in costumes corresponding to the song's lyrics (for example, drummer Geoff Britton as a poker dealer and guitarist Denny Laine as an Eskimo). A sea lion, also mentioned in the lyrics, appears in the photo, between Britton and McCartney, a farmer. This photo appeared on the single's picture sleeve in parts of Europe and South America and in advertisements elsewhere. Alternative advertisements depicted a comic strip of the band on the farm, and another a black-and-white photo of Wings on Curly Putman's front porch.[17]

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, the US version of All the Best! in 1987 and the deluxe editions of Pure McCartney in 2016 and Wings in 2025.[12][18] The three-minute radio edit of the song was included on the 2001 compilation Wingspan: Hits and History.[12] Along with its B-side (the country-flavoured "Sally G"), "Junior's Farm" was remastered for inclusion on the Hear-Music version of Venus and Mars released in November 2014.

It was also included on The 7" Singles Box in 2022.[19]

Personnel

According to the author Luca Perasi:[12]

Musicians

Technical

  • Paul McCartney – producer
  • Ernie Winfrey – engineer

Chart performance

Cover versions

References

  1. ↑ ""Junior's Farm"". December 2020.
  2. ↑ "Paul McCartney singles". allmusic. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  3. ↑ Rowley, Tom (11 October 2013). "Paul McCartney and the Mull of Kintyre: 'Maybe the memories make it too painful for him to return'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  4. ↑ The songs Paul McCartney wrote while escaping The Beatles
  5. ↑ Paul McCartney purchases High Park Farm in Kintyre, Scotland
  6. 1 2 McCartney, Paul (2021). Muldoon, Paul (ed.). The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present. New York City: Liveright. pp. 383–384. ISBN 978-1631492563.
  7. ↑ Spizer, Bruce (2005). The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. New Orleans, LA: 498 Productions. p. 190. ISBN 0-9662649-5-9.
  8. ↑ Kozinn, Allan; Sinclair, Adrian (2024). The McCartney Legacy Volume 2: 1974–80. New York City: Deyst. pp. 102–104. ISBN 978-0-06-300075-9.
  9. ↑ Kozinn, Allan; Sinclair, Adrian (2024). The McCartney Legacy Volume 2: 1974–80. New York City: Deyst. pp. 135–136. ISBN 978-0-06-300075-9.
  10. ↑ "Ernie Winfrey – Welcome to 1979 Analog Recording Studios – Nashville, TN". welcometo1979.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  11. ↑ Inman, Davis (21 February 2011). ""Junior's Farm," Paul McCartney". American Songwriter.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Perasi, Luca (2023). Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970–1989. Milan: L.I.L.Y. Publishing. pp. 188–192. ISBN 978-88-909122-9-0.
  13. ↑ Kozinn, Allan; Sinclair, Adrian (2024). The McCartney Legacy Volume 2: 1974–80. New York City: Deyst. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-06-300075-9.
  14. 1 2 "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  15. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 9 November 1974. p. 20. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  16. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 9 November 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  17. ↑ Kozinn, Allan; Sinclair, Adrian (2024). The McCartney Legacy Volume 2: 1974–80. New York City: Deyst. pp. 134–135. ISBN 978-0-06-300075-9.
  18. ↑ Skinner, Tom (9 September 2025). "Wings announce self-titled anthology collection". NME. Archived from the original on 9 September 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  19. ↑ "'The 7" Singles Box' – Out 2 December 2022". PaulMcCartney.com. 10 November 2022. Archived from the original on 25 May 2026. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  20. 1 2 "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  21. ↑ "flavour of new zealand – search listener". Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  22. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  23. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-188-8.
  24. ↑ "Top 100 1975-01-04". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  25. ↑ "RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  26. ↑ "Top 100 Songs of 1975". Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  27. ↑ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1975". Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  28. ↑ "Junior's Farm by The Lee Harvey Oswald Band". findsongtempo.com. 15 May 2016. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  29. ↑ "Galactic Cowboys 'Feel the Rage'". metalblade.com. 3 June 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
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