The Long and Winding Road
Song by The Beatles • McCartney
Let It Be (1969–70) — Rooftop chill, gold-on-black valedictions.
Background
The Long and Winding Road is a song by The Beatles, written by McCartney and led on vocal by Paul McCartney. Phil Spector overdubbed harp, choir and orchestra without Paul's consent — central reason for Paul's later lawsuit. Within the catalogue, its piano-ballad thread connects it to Golden Slumbers.
What's distinctive
At 3:38 it sits in the top fifth by length. One of 65 UK songs led primarily by Paul. Recorded approximately 7 of 8 into the Let It Be (1969–70) sessions. Carries the unique tag 'spector-overdub' — no other UK song shares it.Opening line — "The long and winding road that leads to your door…" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Recording
The session work falls within the band's Let It Be (1969–70) period, recorded 31 Jan 1969 at Twickenham Film Stages (Jan 1969. George Martin (sessions); Phil Spector (post-production overdubs March/April 1970) produced; Glyn Johns, Phil McDonald (sessions); Peter Bown, Phil Spector engineers (post) engineered. The track was committed to Studer J37 8-track at Apple via the Custom Apple/Helios console (heavily problematic), later EMI TG12345, with the era's standard signal chain — Apple's hand-built outboard (faulty), then EMI standard kit; Spector added strings/choir at EMI March 1970. Likely instrumental setup followed the era's working kit: Fender Rosewood Telecaster (Harrison), Gibson Les Paul 'Lucy' (Harrison), Hofner 500/1 (McCartney returned), Epiphone Casino (Lennon), Höfner Hofner Beatle bass + Fender VI bass (Lennon on rooftop), amplified through Fender Twin Reverb, Fender Bassman, Vox UL730, Hammond C3 / Fender Rhodes (Billy Preston). For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.156 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below).
| Studio | Twickenham Film Stages (Jan 1969 — 'Get Back' rehearsals); Apple Studio basement, 3 Savile Row (Jan 1969 sessions, rooftop concert 30 Jan); EMI Studios (early 1970 fixes) |
|---|---|
| Tape machine | Studer J37 8-track at Apple |
| Console | Custom Apple/Helios console (heavily problematic), later EMI TG12345 |
| Microphones | U47, U67, AKG C12, AKG D19, AKG D20 |
| Outboard / effects | Apple's hand-built outboard (faulty), then EMI standard kit; Spector added strings/choir at EMI March 1970 |
| Guitars | Fender Rosewood Telecaster (Harrison), Gibson Les Paul 'Lucy' (Harrison), Hofner 500/1 (McCartney returned), Epiphone Casino (Lennon), Höfner Hofner Beatle bass + Fender VI bass (Lennon on rooftop) |
| Amplifiers | Fender Twin Reverb, Fender Bassman, Vox UL730, Hammond C3 / Fender Rhodes (Billy Preston) |
| Producer | George Martin (sessions); Phil Spector (post-production overdubs March/April 1970) |
| Engineer / 2nd | Glyn Johns, Phil McDonald (sessions); Peter Bown, Phil Spector engineers (post) • Alan Parsons (2nd, sessions) |
Pattern analysis
Legacy & release history
In the UK canonical discography it appears on the LP Let It Be. Documented alternate versions include Anthology 3 (1996), Let It Be… Naked (2003), 2009 Stereo Remasters, Let It Be 50th Anniversary (2021). Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below.
Mono & stereo
- Stereo only on UK release — the band's last three LPs were mixed for stereo; no UK mono LPs were issued.
Documented alternate versions
- Anthology 3 (1996) — alternate take or demo
- Let It Be… Naked (2003) — Spector overdubs removed
- 2009 Stereo Remasters — Allan Rouse / Guy Massey remaster
- Let It Be 50th Anniversary (2021) — Giles Martin stereo remix
Released on
- Let It Be — LP, 8 May 1970
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (spector-overdub, paul-lawsuit, piano-ballad, classic)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
spector-overdubpaul-lawsuitpiano-balladclassic