"From a Lover to a Friend" is a song by Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...

, featured on his 2001 album Driving Rain

Driving Rain

Driving Rain is the twelfth studio album by Paul McCartney, recorded and released in 2001 it has now sold 2 million copies globally. It is his first studio album since publicly announcing his relationship with former model and anti-land mines activist Heather Mills, whom McCartney would marry in 2002...

. It was released as a single and spent two weeks on the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

, peaking at #45. It also reached #6 on the Canadian Singles Chart. In the U.S. it became the b-side to his single "Freedom

Freedom (Paul McCartney song)

"Freedom" is a song written and recorded by Paul McCartney in response to the September 11 attacks in 2001. McCartney was in New York City at the time of the attacks, and actually witnessed the destruction while sitting in a plane, which was parked on the tarmac at New York's John F...

" and peaked at #24 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Critics saw the song as a ballad in which McCartney tries to come to terms with the death of his wife Linda

Linda McCartney

Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....

, singing "let me love again"; McCartney, however, was less certain whom the song was about in an interview on Howard Stern

Howard Stern

Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...

's radio show. A piece in The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...

newspaper called it a "masterpiece... so delicate and honest that it sounds pretty much perfect."

"From a Lover to a Friend" was recorded on 27 February 2001 with Paul playing bass and piano, Abe Laboriel, Jr. playing drums, Rusty Anderson

Rusty Anderson

Rusty Anderson is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer. He is best known as lead guitarist with Paul McCartney, though he has worked with an extensive list of artists in addition to his own solo career.-Early life:Rusty Anderson grew up in La Habra, California...

 on 12-string electric guitar, and Gabe Dixon on piano.

Track listings

7" single

1. "From a Lover to a Friend" – 3:48
2. "Riding Into Jaipur" – 4:08

CD single

1. "From a Lover to a Friend"–  3:49
2. "From a Lover to a Friend" (David Kahne Remix 1) – 3:44
3. "From a Lover to a Friend" (David Kahne Remix 2) – 5:27

Cassette single

1. "From a Lover to a Friend" – 3:48
2. "Riding Into Jaipur" – 4:08
3. "From a Lover to a Friend" (David Kahne Remix 2) – 5:27

External links

• From a Lover to a Friend on Amazon.com
  Amazon.com
  Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
  
  
• Release information