Junior's Farm

"Junior's Farm" is a song written by Paul McCartney (though credited to Paul and Linda McCartney) and performed by Paul McCartney and Wings. It was issued as a non-album single by Apple Records in October 1974; it peaked at No. 3 in the United States and No. 16 in the United Kingdom.

Writing
McCartney had his first ideas about writing a song about quiet farm lifestyle during his long family stay at his cottage in Campbeltown, Scotland between April and August 1970, amidst the turbulent break-up of the Beatles, but he shelved his recording project for four years. McCartney bought the 183-acre Scottish estate called High Park Farm in 1966, a place where he composed and recorded several songs. In his 2021 memoir book titled The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, he said: It was such a relief to get out of those business meetings with people in suits, who were so serious all the time, and go off to Scotland and be able just to sit around in a T-shirt and corduroys. I was very much in that mindset when I wrote this song. The basic message is, let’s get out of here. You might say it's my post-Beatles getting-out-of-town song.

McCartney explained that he based the song's lyrical theme on Bob Dylan's 1965 "Maggie's Farm" and that "the idea was to just get a fantasy song about this person Junior." McCartney said that, in contrast to the degree of thought Dylan applied to his song-writing, Junior's Farm "has silly words and basically all it means is, 'Let's get out of the city.' ... As for reading deep meanings into the words, people shouldn't bother, there aren't any."

Recording
McCartney and his band recorded "Junior's Farm" along with its B-side "Sally G" between July 16 and 18, 1974 during a short stay in Tennessee, in a period particularly relaxed for him and no concert tours scheduled in that year.

The song was engineered by Ernie Winfrey at Soundshop Studios in Nashville. While recording in Nashville, the band stayed at the Lebanon, Tennessee farm of Curly Putman Jr., which accounts for the song's title. Jimmy McCulloch played the guitar solo as his Wings debut. He is mentioned in a line in the song ("Take me down Jimmy").

Despite its relative success outside America, neither of these two songs were included on their subsequent studio album Venus and Mars of 1975, which was scheduled to start its recording sessions between November 5 and 13, 1974 in London. The track only appears in some of the band's greatest hits compilations.

"Junior's Farm" was included in the average setlist of the Wings Over the World tour in 1975, but it was not a song performed live on subsequent tours.

Release
"Junior's Farm" / "Sally G" was released on October 25, 1974 in the UK and on November 4, 1974 in the US through Apple Records, a few days before the band started recording Venus and Mars in England. The single continued McCartney and Wings' worldwide success after the album Band on the Run. It made No. 3 in the US, No. 16 in the UK, and was a hit elsewhere.

Cash Box called it "a very strong disk," saying that "it has that unique McCartney flair that makes all his musical forays such inspired hit records." Record World said that "Vassar Clements fiddle adds a subtle country touch to a straight-out 'Get Back'-type rocker."

The photo for one of the single's picture sleeves featured Wings dressed in costumes corresponding to the song's lyrics (for example, drummer Geoff Britton as a poker dealer and guitarist Denny Laine as an Eskimo). A sea lion, also mentioned in the lyrics, appears in the photo, between Britton and McCartney, a farmer. This photo appeared on the picture sleeve of the single in Spain and in advertisements elsewhere. In the UK and the US, the single was released in a generic Apple Records sleeve.

The music video of "Junior's Farm" shows Paul McCartney playing a Kay electric bass guitar. The single was McCartney's last release on Apple Records before signing a solo recording contract with Capitol Records in May 1975, following the dissolution of the Beatles' partnership.

Subsequent releases
"Junior's Farm" was later released on the McCartney/Wings compilation Wings Greatest in 1978, the US version of All the Best! in 1987 and the deluxe edition of Pure McCartney in 2016. The three-minute radio edit of the song was included on the 2001 compilation Wingspan: Hits and History. Along with its B-side (the country-flavoured "Sally G"), "Junior's Farm" was remastered for inclusion on the Hear-Music version of Venus and Mars released in November 2014.

Personnel

 * Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar
 * Linda McCartney – keyboards, backing vocal
 * Denny Laine – rhythm guitar, backing vocal
 * Jimmy McCulloch – lead guitar
 * Geoff Britton – drums

Cover versions

 * In 1994, "Junior's Farm" was covered by the Lee Harvey Oswald Band on their album A Taste of Prison.
 * In 1996, "Junior's Farm" was covered by Galactic Cowboys on their EP Feel the Rage.
 * In 2014, "Junior's Farm" was covered by Steve Miller for inclusion on the covers album The Art of McCartney.