January 1981……To complete the song “All Those Years Ago”, Paul, Linda and George Martin visit Friar Park to record backing vocals.
George Harrison initially composed the song (with different lyrics) for Ringo Starr to sing, but Starr felt the vocal range was too high for him, and he didn’t like the lyrics. George and Ringo recorded the song at Friar Park Studios (FPSHOT) between November 19 and November 25, 1980. After John’s death a few days later, Harrison removed Ringo’s vocals (but left the drum track) and recorded his own voice with rewritten lyrics in tribute to Lennon. McCartney, his wife Linda and Denny Laine, visited Friar Park to record backing vocals.
The lineup was rounded out by Al Kooper on keyboards, Herbie Flowers on bass and percussionist Ray Cooper. The album liner notes also thank former Beatles producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick . Harrison co-produced the recording with percussionist Ray Cooper . It is one of the few songs in which the three members of the group intervened, without having a direct relationship with the band. They would not record together again until thirteen years later, in ‘The Beatles Anthology’.
