Written by: McCartney
Recorded: August-November 1973
Producer: Paul McCartney
Released: 30 November 1973 (UK), 3 December 1973 (US)
Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums
Linda McCartney: backing vocals, keyboards
Denny Laine: backing vocals, guitar
Available on:
Band On The Run
The song which closed the first side of Wings' 1973 album Band On The Run, Let Me Roll It was interpreted by many as an echo of the stripped-down production of the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album and Lennon's single Cold Turkey.
I still don't think it sounds like him [John Lennon], but that's your opinion. I can dig it if it sounds that way to you.
Paul McCartney In His Own Words, Paul Gambaccini
The titular phrase was, like the central refrain of the song Band On The Run, inspired by a quotation by George Harrison. "Let me roll it to you" was a line in I'd Have You Anytime, the opening track on his 1970 album All Things Must Pass.
Let Me Roll It was written by McCartney at High Park Farm in Scotland. Although the song's similarities to Lennon's debut solo album were said to be coincidental, the use of echo, heavy bass and stinging lead guitar made such comparisons inevitable.
Let Me Roll It was not really a Lennon pastiche, although my use of tape echo did sound more like John than me. But tape echo was not John's exclusive territory! And you have to remember that, despite the myth, there was a lot of commonality between us in the way that we thought and the way that we worked.
Club Sandwich
Perhaps unwittingly, Lennon's 1974 song Beef Jerky, on the Walls And Bridges album, contained a guitar riff which bore a resemblence to Let Me Roll It.
A song like Let Me Roll It came about by playing around with a little riff; if I'm lucky the rest of the song just comes to me.
Wingspan
Let Me Roll It was the b-side of the Jet single in early 1974. The release was a huge success on both sides of the Atlantic.
The song was regularly performed live by Wings in their 1975-76 concerts, and returned to McCartney's setlist from his 1993 world tour onwards. It has frequently appeared in concert recordings.
It’s hard to believe that this isn’t a parody of – or tribute to – Lennon’s Plastic Ono sound. It’s a great track, and a testament to Paul’s musical versatility and ability to nail almost any style. BTW “I’d Have You Anytime” was George Harrison setting Dylan’s words to music, so the phrase in question is Bobby’s.
Funny, I always thought of this song as an answer to Lennon’s How Do You Sleep. I just looked this up and was surprised to see that is not the common interpretation, or even a very logical one. Looking at the lyrics today, there’s nothing in them to justify thinking it’s about John, or even about reconciliation or transcending bitterness in general. But to me, at least when I first heard them, these songs encapsulated their personalities: John unafraid to confront harsh realities head on, Paul advocating a softer, more forgiving and accommodating approach. In retrospect, I guess I was just reflecting on the two songs in my own musings and decided one was an answer to the other, which maybe they are in some abstract sense, i.e. forgiveness vs anger, and internalized my private musings so much I came to think of this pairing literally rather than metaphorically. I still like to think of Paul reaching out to John, trying to remind him of all the good things they had shared, and that while there were hard feelings they could rise above them. I do believe they both felt that way in the long run.
Aside from John Lennon’s stinging guitar style, how about that trademark Lennon-esque voice wail at the very end of the song? Also, the keyboard part sounds reminiscent of “Mr. Moonlight” from The Beatles ’65 album, in which John sang lead. C’mon, Paulie, don’t tell us this wasn’t a conscious tribute to John Lennon.
I’m at work, crunching numbers while streaming music. I hear John in the background and look up to see what song it is. Wings. Hm. Did John sing on Paul’s album? So I read all the comments, including those of Paul’s. Sure, he doesn’t think it sounds like John. OK then.
Clearly it’s a take on John. There is another song that’s a take on George. The guitar riff,keyboard and echo drench vocals,very John. Even the line “you gave me loving in the palm of my hand” was acknowledging that older John introduced him to masterbation. I believe during the recording they were not talking to each other. The Band on the Run album is a take on Sargent Pepper. Even the crescendo at the end.
Forget the style, I’m still floored by how identical John, Paul and George, yes George too, can sound. I mean we’ve all heard I Dig Love right? It’s eerie and impressive how they channel each other even on separate records. And don’t even get me started on their harmonies on Beatle tracks. You can barely discern one voice from the other.
Angelica, I feel exactly the same…eloquently said, Thanks, I’m playing a 12 string acoustic version at an open mic deal tonight ??
To me, John´s, George´s and Paul´s voices are very easily distiguished from each other, even when they sing harmonies with each other.
To me, John´s, Paul´s and George´s voices are very easy to distinguish from each other, even when they sing harmonies with each other.
Let me roll it is not a bad song but not particularly good either. The melody is quite repetitive and the guitarr riff is over exploited. Also, if two minutes shorter, the song would have been better and not so tedious.
I adore juuuuuust about everything Paul McCartney has ever done, but on its length I have to agree with you. It’s a really good song that could have been great if he had just cut it a bit shorter. I was listening to this in the car with my 9-year-old son, who likes most of my music (a LOT of which is Beatles or Paul). After about four patient and quiet minutes, he comes out with, “HOW LONG IS THIS SONG?!”
But I love the grit and the power. Whether he intended to do a ‘John song’ or not is up in the air, though it is a nice counterpart to the very Georgesque “No Words” from the same album – particularly if we consider that “Band on the Run” is a song at least in part about the Beatles.
are you sure Linda’s not playing a Hammond organ on this track?