Listen to What the Man Said
Encyclopedia
"Listen to What the Man Said" is a hit single from Wings
' 1975 album Venus and Mars
. The song featured new member Joe English on drums, with guest musicians Dave Mason
on guitar and Tom Scott
on soprano saxophone
. It was a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in the US; as well, it reached #1 in Canada on the RPM
National Top Singles Chart. It also reached #6 in the UK, and reached the top ten in Norway and New Zealand and the top twenty in the Netherlands. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
for sales of over one million copies.
"Listen to What the Man Said" was recorded in early 1975 by Wings during their New Orleans
sessions for Venus and Mars
. It was a song which McCartney had high hopes for, but early recordings didn't seem to live up to the song's potential. After Mason added guitar overdubs, the band was still dissatisfied. However, once Scott recorded the sax solo, the band was satisfied. Although several takes of the solo were recorded, the very first take was the one that was used.
The song is an optimistic love song. Even though love may be blind or may cause separated lovers to suffer, the singer believes that love will prevail. This is in accordance with what “the man” said. “The man” is not explicitly identified, but might be God
. Author Vincent Benitez believes that "McCartney is advising everyone to stick with the basics of life, which for him means focusing on love." The song is in the key of G major
, although the key is not established until the chorus
.
Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine
called "Listen to What the Man Said" "a typically sweet and lovely melody." Paul Nelson of Rolling Stone Magazine called it "deliciously catchy" and "as fine an example of slick, professional entertainment and carefully crafted 'product' as has ever hit the airwaves." Author John Blaney described the song as "a slice of radio-friendly pop" and "a joyous celebration of love and life, bouyed by Linda's
equally exuberant backing vocals..." Benitez described the song as "another great example of McCartney-style pop, a bouyant and optimistic song about love where words and music are wedded together. Authors Roy Carr and Tony Tyler not about the song that "artful and sensitive production elevate what was originally a piece of inconsequential whimsy into what can only be described as High Pop," also describing the song as "likeable" and "hummable." Author Chris Ingham described the song as "superior pop."
The song was also included on the greatest hits compilations All the Best!
and Wingspan: Hits and History
. However, it was not included on the first Wings compilation, Wings Greatest
.
The song was covered (as "L.T.W.T.M.S.") by indie pop band The Trouble with Sweeney on their 2004 EP
Fishtown Briefcase. Laurence Juber
covered the song on his 2005 album One Wing. Wings band member Denny Laine
covered "Listen to What the Man Said" in 2007 on his album Performs the Hits of Wings. In 2008, Freedy Johnston
covered this song on his album My Favourite Waste of Time
. The chorus elements from the single were used in the 2003 Dance single "Just The Way You Are
" by the Italian Dance Group Milky
. Because of this, Paul and Linda McCartney were given credit on the single.
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
' 1975 album Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars is the fourth album by Wings. Released as the follow-up to the enormously successful Band on the Run, Venus and Mars continued Wings' string of success and would prove a springboard for a year-long worldwide tour...
. The song featured new member Joe English on drums, with guest musicians Dave Mason
Dave Mason
David Thomas "Dave" Mason is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic...
on guitar and Tom Scott
Tom Scott (musician)
Tom Scott is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, conductor and bandleader of the west coast jazz/jazz fusion ensemble The L.A. Express.-Biography:Scott was born in Los Angeles, California...
on soprano saxophone
Soprano saxophone
The soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
. It was a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in the US; as well, it reached #1 in Canada on the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
National Top Singles Chart. It also reached #6 in the UK, and reached the top ten in Norway and New Zealand and the top twenty in the Netherlands. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for sales of over one million copies.
"Listen to What the Man Said" was recorded in early 1975 by Wings during their New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
sessions for Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars is the fourth album by Wings. Released as the follow-up to the enormously successful Band on the Run, Venus and Mars continued Wings' string of success and would prove a springboard for a year-long worldwide tour...
. It was a song which McCartney had high hopes for, but early recordings didn't seem to live up to the song's potential. After Mason added guitar overdubs, the band was still dissatisfied. However, once Scott recorded the sax solo, the band was satisfied. Although several takes of the solo were recorded, the very first take was the one that was used.
The song is an optimistic love song. Even though love may be blind or may cause separated lovers to suffer, the singer believes that love will prevail. This is in accordance with what “the man” said. “The man” is not explicitly identified, but might be God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. Author Vincent Benitez believes that "McCartney is advising everyone to stick with the basics of life, which for him means focusing on love." The song is in the key of G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
, although the key is not established until the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
.
Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
called "Listen to What the Man Said" "a typically sweet and lovely melody." Paul Nelson of Rolling Stone Magazine called it "deliciously catchy" and "as fine an example of slick, professional entertainment and carefully crafted 'product' as has ever hit the airwaves." Author John Blaney described the song as "a slice of radio-friendly pop" and "a joyous celebration of love and life, bouyed by Linda's
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....
equally exuberant backing vocals..." Benitez described the song as "another great example of McCartney-style pop, a bouyant and optimistic song about love where words and music are wedded together. Authors Roy Carr and Tony Tyler not about the song that "artful and sensitive production elevate what was originally a piece of inconsequential whimsy into what can only be described as High Pop," also describing the song as "likeable" and "hummable." Author Chris Ingham described the song as "superior pop."
The song was also included on the greatest hits compilations All the Best!
All the Best!
All the Best! is the second official compilation album of Paul McCartney music, after 1978's Wings Greatest and was released in 1987. The album contains tracks from the beginning of his solo career in 1970 up to the newly recorded "Once Upon a Long Ago." The track inclusion and running order...
and Wingspan: Hits and History
Wingspan: Hits and History
-Disc 2: History:-Chart positions:-Year-end charts:-Certifications:- References :...
. However, it was not included on the first Wings compilation, Wings Greatest
Wings Greatest
Wings Greatest is a compilation album by the band Wings and is their eighth album as well as Paul McCartney's 10th since leaving The Beatles. It is notable as being the first official retrospective release from Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career...
.
The song was covered (as "L.T.W.T.M.S.") by indie pop band The Trouble with Sweeney on their 2004 EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Fishtown Briefcase. Laurence Juber
Laurence Juber
Laurence Juber is an English-born guitarist who currently lives in California. Born 12 November 1952 in Stepney, East London, he was raised and went to school in North London...
covered the song on his 2005 album One Wing. Wings band member Denny Laine
Denny Laine
Denny Laine is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, and lead singer of The Moody Blues' 1965 debut album "The Magnificent Moodies"; and, later, best known for his role as co-founder of Wings...
covered "Listen to What the Man Said" in 2007 on his album Performs the Hits of Wings. In 2008, Freedy Johnston
Freedy Johnston
Freedy Johnston is a New York City-based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas.Having scored several minor hits since the early 1990s, Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation and disappointment...
covered this song on his album My Favourite Waste of Time
My Favourite Waste of Time
"My Favourite Waste Of Time" is a single recorded by Scottish singer Owen Paul and released in 1986. It remains his biggest hit single, reaching number 3 in the UK charts in July 1986....
. The chorus elements from the single were used in the 2003 Dance single "Just The Way You Are
Just The Way You Are (Milky song)
"Just the Way You Are" is a 2002 dance pop song that was recorded by the Italian group Milky. The single was also the first song to make its official debut at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart in its October 17, 2003, issue, even though it reached number one in the September 28...
" by the Italian Dance Group Milky
Milky
Milky is a dance production group based in Italy. The act consists of producers Giordano Trivellato and Giuliano Sacchetto, with Italian singer Giuditta serving as their lead singer on their album, Star. Although Giuditta was the singer on the recordings, a model, the Egyptian born and German...
. Because of this, Paul and Linda McCartney were given credit on the single.