Much controversy surrounded Richard Hewson’s involvement with the Beatles story. When Phil Spector arrived on the scene to remedy the displeasure the band had with the original Get Back/Let It Be session tapes, he had Richard Hewson, Brian Rogers, and John Barham handle the new string, orchestral , and choral backings on several of the songs. Many Beatles fans to this day say that that was not what the Beatles had wanted in their original concept of the LP which was slated to be a return to their rock ‘n’ roll basics. (The raw Beatles without overdubs) Obviously there was a big conflict here as Paul in particular objected to the production values on The Long and Winding Road which irritated and angered him as it was done without his permission. He thought the string and the vocal background choir were unwarranted and went against his vision of the song. Ringo has claimed in interviews that all four of the Beatles did sign off on the album’s release, however. In the ultimate irony, years later Paul when performing the Long and Winding Road live it had a very lush arrangement of the song somewhat similar to the Beatles album version. My supposition was that it probably was a “control” based issue in the power politics of the group!
Beatles Arranger Wasn’t Paid Much for ‘The Long and Winding Road’
From WIKIPEDIA this is noted:
The Long and Winding Road – Wikipedia
“On 2 April, Spector sent each of the Beatles an acetate of the completed album with a note saying: “If there is anything you’d like done to the album, let me know and I’ll be glad to help … If you wish, please call me about anything regarding the album tonight”,[33] along with a lengthy letter justifying his changes.[34] All four Beatles, including McCartney, sent Spector a telegram giving their approval.[18][35]”
This is why we must be careful in judging some of the history shared with us as FACT concerning certain events that we take as being the gospel truth. Everyone emphasizes their own predispositions as to what actually happened especially when there are conflicting views as to the events that may have occurred. In my opinion, if the Beatles really did not want the album to come out as it did, it WOULD NOT have been released. They wiped their hands, tired of all of the business hassles, and it ultimately came out despite their personal disappointments at the time.
Today, on this blog post we want to present Richard Hewson’s involvement with the Beatles and eventually with Paul McCartney.
Initially, here is Richard Hewson’s string arrangement of The Long and Winding Road that appeared on the Let It Be album.
The Beatles – The Long And Winding Road (Isolated Orchestra)
This is the official video of the song on YouTube
The Beatles – The Long And Winding Road (Official Video)
The public at large however made The Long and Winding Road extremely successful in sales, and it did attain #1 status. Richard Hewson felt the pain of angering Paul McCartney about his string arrangement for the song. Its commercial success tempered the hurt that Hewson felt when McCartney criticized Hewson and did not work with him until McCartney approached Hewson and asked him to do the string arrangements on his Thrillington album. Obviously, McCartney realized that Mr. Hewson had talent or he never would have approached Hewson to do Thrillington after his intense displeasure he had with the Let it Be album. I have heard some comments that McCartney was not displeased with the strings but with the chorale background singers!
The Long and Winding Road – Wikipedia
Richard Hewson bio on Wikipedia:
Richard Anthony Hewson – Wikipedia
Hewson’s production of a Bee Gees song:
The Bee Gees / The Richard Hewson Orchestra – First of May “Melody(1971)” OST
McCartney’s Ram album given the Hewson treatment:
“Goodbye” session • March 01-02, 1969 • The Paul McCartney Project
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
“The collaboration between Richard Hewson and Mary Hopkin on the song “Those Were the Days” was a significant moment in music history. Hewson’s arrangement brought a unique and nostalgic sound to the song, which had already been a hit in the UK and Canada. Mary Hopkin’s debut single, produced by Paul McCartney, became a number one hit in the US, showcasing the song’s widespread appeal. The song’s success was a testament to the power of music and the talent of those involved in its creation.“
Those Were the Days (song) – Wikipedia
Those Were The Days (Remastered)
BACK IN THE FOLD-RICHARD HEWSON RETURNS TO WORK ON THRILLINGTON
Background information about Thrillington:
The cover of the Thrillington album:
The back cover of Thrillington. at the bottom of the LP you can see the credit afforded to Richard Hewson:
Though Richard Hewson’s primary interest in music rests with jazz, he has made his contributions to the Beatles legacy and songbook. He is truly a talented man.
Richard’s musical career continues at his website: Blog 1 — The RAH Band
He is one of those personalities who I have never been able to track his autograph down for my collection. Does anyone have a Richard Hewson autograph that they would be willing to part with or sell?
If so, contact me in the contents section!
Hope you enjoyed this post about another individual in the Beatles history who contributed to their issued work!
Be healthy and be happy!
Buzz
P.S.
What are your opinions about Richard Hewson’s string arrangement of The Long and winding Road? Would love to hear your feelings and sentiments about it. I may be in the minority, but I love the strings as I believe the song has a majestic tone and therefore deserves the majestic treatment that it received. I realize that conflicts with the notion that the creator of the work should be able to decide on what the finished product should be. I remember when a few local radio stations played an early acetate made by Glyn Johns on the air and that version of the song did not impress me as much as the official album release. Well, that is the beauty of music, we now have both versions to choose from! Do I like the original bare bones treatment of the song as well? Yes, there are elements of that version that I enjoy but I do feel more emotionally moved by the version of the song with strings! The 45 of The Long and Winding Road reached #1 in the USA, so obviously there were significant amounts of people that enjoyed the released version with strings. Whatever floats your boat!
Be happy and be healthy!
Buzz
McCartney didn’t wait “several years” to work with Hewson after Long & Winding Road. The Thrillington album was recorded in June 1971, so the commissioned arrangements for that happened roughly one year after Long & Winding Road.
That said, it’s the choir that sinks the Spector version.
That does not explain why it took so long for Thrillington to be issued after being recorded!