Paul McCartney/Wings-song by song thread

Let 'Em In

A highlight. It's so simple and great at the same time. A lovely mix of music and lyrics with strong vocals and harmonies. In some way an invitation to enjoy the time with family and friends. Bravo!!!

Lyrics:

[Chorus]
Someone knockin' at the door
Somebody ringin' the bell
Someone's knockin' at the door
Somebody's ringin' the bell
Do me a favor
Open the door, and let 'em in, ooh yeah

[Chorus]
Someone's knockin' at the door
Somebody ringin' the bell
Someone's knockin' at the door
Somebody's ringin' the bell
Do me a favor
Open the door, let 'em in, yeah, let 'em in

[Verse]
Sister Suzy, brother John
Martin Luther, Phil and Don
Brother Michael, Auntie Gin
Open the door, let 'em in, oh yeah

[Verse]
Sister Suzy, brother John
Martin Luther, Phil and Don
Uncle Ernie, Auntie Gin
Open the door, let 'em in, oh yeah

[Chorus]
Someone knockin' at the door
Somebody ringin' the bell
Someone's knockin' at the door
Somebody ringin' the bell
Do me a favor
Open the door, and let 'em in
Ooh yeah, yeah, let 'em in now

[Verse]
Sister Suzy, brother John
Martin Luther, Phil and Don, ooh
Uncle Ernie, Uncle Ian
Open the door, let 'em in, oh yeah, yeah

[Chorus]
Someone's knockin' at the door
Somebody ringin' the bell
Someone knockin' at the door
Somebody ringin' the bell
Do me a favor
Open the door, and let 'em in
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Credits:

Produced by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney
Backing Vocals, Piano, Vocals by Paul McCartney
Backing Vocals by Linda McCartney
Backing Vocals, Military Drum (?) by Denny Laine
Bass by Jimmy McCulloch
Drums by Joe English
Flutes, Horns by Howie Casey
Flutes, Horns by Thaddeus Richard
Flutes, Horns by Steve Howard
Flutes, Horns by Tony Dorsey
Label: MPL
Release Date: March 25, 1976
Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, UK
Length: 5:13 minutes

 

More about Let 'Em In...

A controversial review?:

From McCartney Wrote Some Crappy Music and Trash Talk | Freedom Is Groovy (June 9, 2017):

"My first thought was that this song sucks (check out the clip below and see for yourself). I don’t care who’s knocking at the door. And I certainly wouldn’t open it if I knew Sister Suzie, Uncle Ernie, and Auntie Gin were on the other side."

"My second thought was that this song was only foisted on the public because our musical gatekeepers were blinded by celebrity. In other words, the only reason this song ever made it to the airwaves in 1976 is because it was put out by Paul McCartney and Wings. "

 

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Live version:

 

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The first 12" single with the special disco mix (not really):

From Let 'Em In - Wikipedia

"The song was released worldwide as a 7" single, except in France where it was released as 12" single (the first-ever McCartney 12") with both sides labelled "Special Disco Mix".

 

More about Let 'Em In...

There is a promo with an edit version:

US Promo 7" Single...

Tracklist
A Let 'Em In 3:43
B Let 'Em In 5:08

 

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Demo:

 

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There is a rare 2001 remix 12" promo (12WINDJ001), White label with the following songs:

A. Let Em In (Different Gear mix 1) 9:00
B. Let Em In (Different Gear mix 2) 8:48





Let Em In (Different Gear mix 2)

 

More about Let 'Em In...

There is a digital 2001 remix promo:

 

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And finally a cover:

Barenaked Ladies "Let 'Em In" Wings Cover Live @ Sirius XM // The Pulse

 

What’s perplexing about Speed of Sound is that by now Paul must have realized the power of the band in a live setting, but really didn’t try and capture that in the recordings, the arrangements or, excepting a couple, the type of songs.

 

Wings at the speed of sound is an album I for many years dismissed as a rushed album with a few great songs, some good ones and some filler. My main frustration was that the album contained to much contributions from the other members. My other concensus was that the album somehow lacker identity.
As the years have gome by I have started to enjoy this album more. For the most part it is a very pleasant listening and it is wondwrfully recorded. I can identify four great and vintage McCartney songs, a few good ones and some not so good. Given the amazing amount of music Paul delivered at the time it s not a bad outcome.
I actually like this album much more now than when it fist was delivered

 

Of note is that, judging by the extra content of the Archive edition, nothing of real merit was left on the shelves. Everything they worked on ended up on the album in some form.

 

Next one

The note you never wrote

This is a sublime track with a moody, slightly progressive arrangement. Some very taste electric-guitar as well.Lead vocals from Denny who does a good job here. A sad melody with slightly mystic lyrics. By the time of the deluxe-edition of At the speed of sound Paul seemingly had forgot all about the song and was pleasantry surprised when he heard it. It s an ambitious and very well-crafted song with a nice melody. Would have been more famous if Paul had sung the lead I guess. Anyway it s a very good song and a fine recording

It turned out less of a McCartney production and more of a Wings effort. It wasn’t intended like that. There was one of the songs that I had sung but I just let Joe, our drummer, sing it because he’s got a very nice voice, and he sang it great. Denny is a natural for a couple of tracks because he is, after all, a lead vocalist. So I wrote one track for him, which I called The Note You Never Wrote and he wrote one track himself, Time To Hide, and then Jimmy, who writes a bit with Colin Allen, did one track this time, Wino Junko. It seems he can’t get off the plonk!

Paul McCartney

Later on, the story goes
A bottle floated out to sea
After days, when it had found the perfect spot
It opened up
And I read the note that you never wrote to me
After all, I'm sure you know
The Mayor of Baltimore is here
After days now he can finally appear
Now at last he's here
But he is never gonna get my vote
Cause he never is going to get a quote
From the little note
That you never wrote to me
Further on, along the line
I was arrested on the shore
Holding papers of governments galore
I was taken in

[Bridge]
But I read the note that you never wrote
Yes, I read the note that you never wrote
Ah, I read the note that you never wrote to me

[Outro]
To me
To me
To me

 

I listened to the Tug Of War album yesterday evening and would prefer to talk about that

Anyway ...

The Note You Never Wrote is indeed a great song. The band performance is very tight - on top of the game. Denny is a great singer but he wasn't capable of nailing this track ... the vocal performance is poor and for me it's a depressing listening experience. The song should end after the guitar solo.

3/5

 

The Note You Never Wrote:
First of all, it’s got a great guitar solo. Other than that, the parts of the song (which, isolated, aren’t bad) don’t add up to something greater. It sounds unfinished to me. And why have Denny sing it?
With all regards to his considerable talent as an artist his voice doesn’t seem suited to this kind of material. It would’ve been better with Paul at the mic.

————

Long Haired Lady:
Once you get past Linda’s vocals at the start (which is a big wtf-moment the first time you hear it, but becomes charming and fun in retrospect), it’s a pretty cool and inventive composition that, despite the length, doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. I also like the long coda with the multi-layered vocal arrangement and a cool crossfade to Ram On’s reprise, which really fits well here in the sequencing.

Might as well cover that little snippet...

Ram On (reprise):
This is, like, the debut peeking around the corner a bit with Paul sneaking in a snippet of a song, which is basically the last verse of Ram On and little sneak peek towards what would turn out to be Big Barn Bed. That last bit sounds like an embryonic C Moon kinda thing, very weird.

And again....
Why not the whole song included on the Archives edition??

 

Yeah, it seems that, later on, Paul got better with these kinda rock ballads (No More Lonely Nights, Here Today, Once Upon A Long Ago, etc.).
TNYNW is the first one in that particular line, but it sounds disjointed to me.

 

A lame 'review ' by yet another McCartney basher. What a total tool. It probably took him an hour or more to come with the I-wouldn't-open -the door comment.
'Let ' Em In ' may be a tad on the slight side but here is yet another Macca earworm.

 

Since you seem to be asking, here's my take. It has a pleasant, childish, hypnotic melody, like a mantra, around which a whole arrangement starts to build up slowly. offering the right amount of repetition and variation. A great production IMO.

 

It is, in a way. But that's where the magic lies, in this case.
Like a well ornated nursery rhyme.

 

I actually think Dennys voice suits this song fine.

 

I made this comment before but I don't mind repeating myself...
McCartney should have done all the lead vocals on Wings records.

 

Speed Of Sound is where I got off the Paul bandwagon. Back then you couldn't be caught dead listening to Let Em In or Silly Love Songs. At least in my circle it was decidedly uncool. I still can't stand Let Em In but I've grown to like Silly Love Songs.

 

Interesting that he didn’t resurrect Soily for SoS. Also, he had Getting Closer already written (though maybe not adapted yet). Those two would’ve been very welcome. Maybe throw in an old cover a la Run Devil Run?

like I said, feels like a lost opportunity.

 

Yeah, it would take Wings Over America for me to bring Wings music back into the folds within my group of friends. By the time of London Town, Paul and band had ceased being a serious discussion amongst my group of music friends. Bob Seger, Pink Floyd, Yes, Cars, Dire Straits...I will argue hard that Paul squandered his tour equity by going soft at exactly the moment he shouldn’t have.

No “Some Girls” moment for Wings. But, this argument comes later.

Note You Never Wrote is anonymous as they come, with some decent vibe-y production.

 

I have felt like this a lot of times with McCartney. But now, in retrospect, I have to say that this is precisely what I most admire from him now. The fact that he chased his muse and whims and paid little attention to what critics or fans thought would be cool.

Of course, results are not always great but it is still good artistic ethics IMO.