Junior's Farm
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Just read a good new story about the story and inspiration of Paul writing "Junior's Farm". It appears in the magazine - The Nashville Tennessean by Dave Paulson.
Paul wrote the words and song during a 6 month stay in Wilson County Tennessee in 1974. He rented the 133 acre farm just outside of Lebanon from songwriting great Buddy "Curly" Putman Jr. One of Curly's great songs that he wrote was Green Green Grass of Home. Ironically, that song was playing during my recent Dentist visit. I told the Dentist (when I could talk) that I always loved the song but the version I love is by Tom Jones. I don't know who the singer was on the playlist I heard but it wasn't Tom Jones for sure.
Paul, as most of us know, had his whole Wings lineup at the farm as they were rehearing in Mr. Paulson's garage for an upcoming tour. Paul's surroundings inspired Junior's Farm. Since Mr. Putnam had a Junior attached to his name, Paul called the song Junior's Farm. When his publisher suggested to Curly that Paul and his Band could stay at his Farm, Curly jumped on it since the income actually help him pay for the rest of the mortgage on the farm. Curly and his wife and son also went to Hawaii for a vacation while Paul and Wings stayed at their farm and Paul's rental helped pay for the trip. Curly's son had a great road bike they could use. Apparently, Paul found it and was riding all over Wilson County and Lebanon. Afterward, Curly said people in the town saw him but had no idea that it was Paul McCartney. After Curly got back and Wings had left the farm, the Band released Junior's Farm. In the interview back in 2013, Curly told the writer that he was the "junior" in the song's title. Wings and Paul actually recorded the song locally at the Sound Shop studio in Tennessee that Curly owns.
The best part of the story is that when Curly got home and as they were walking up the driveway from the main gate of their farm, Paul saw them and they started playing "Green Green Grass of Home" for Buddy. I would love to hear that version so I would think Paul would do it "Tom Jones" style with some soul.
The website for this "Story Behind the Song" Series is www.tennessean.com/music.
Unfortunately Buddy passed away in 2016. The article from the Tennessean "Story Behind the Song" has a picture of Paul and Linda on the Bike that Buddy's son owned. A cool lookng Bike.
This article was on my Google feed. If anyone see's it and can put it on Maccaboard it would be greatly appreciated. Great little story.
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Here's a link to the story. I couldn't read it because they blocked me since I use an ad blocker.
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I assume these are some of the pics in the article.
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Thanks Oobu. I was able to read the full article with no problem.
I just saw the one picture of Paul and Linda on the bike so these are additional pictures that you postedl. I just loved the article. I really liked the end when Mr. Putman retold that when he and his family were walking up the driveway after their trip to Hawaii, one of Paul's people spotted them and Paul and the Band started playing Green Green Grass of Home in his garage where the Band had been rehearsing. I couldn't imagine how proud Mr. Putman would have been to have Paul McCartney and Wings singing the song he wrote in his own garage.
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^ B J, Green, Green Grass Of Home was also recorded by Porter Wagoner & Johnny Cash. Could the recording you heard been one of them? Recorded by tons of others:
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Nancy R wrote:
^ B J, Green, Green Grass Of Home was also recorded by Porter Wagoner & Johnny Cash. Could the recording you heard been one of them? Recorded by tons of others:
Hey Nancy...thanks for the info on Green Green Grass of Home. I knew some others had recorded the song but I actually remember the Tom Jones version being played on the radio on my local AM Philadelphia station. It was a pretty big crossover hit and not just hitting the Country Charts. As you know, Tom Jones had his own unique style and I loved his version.
Btw...So much thanks to Oobu for sending the original article and additional pictures. I have to say that as a guy... Linda looks so "hot" on the bike.
Can you imagine people around Labanon seeing a stranger riding Curly's Bike and not knowing it was Paul McCartney? Anyway Lebanon Tennessee can't be too far from where you live. Have you ever been there to see the farm? Come to think of it, my wife and I visit Chatanooga once a year to visit her Sister. I'll have to look at the map and see how far Lebanon is from Chatanooga. It's probably closer to Nashville.
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B J Conlee wrote:
Just read a good new story about the story and inspiration of Paul writing "Junior's Farm". It appears in the magazine - The Nashville Tennessean by Dave Paulson.
Paul wrote the words and song during a 6 month stay in Wilson County Tennessee in 1974. He rented the 133 acre farm just outside of Lebanon from songwriting great Buddy "Curly" Putman Jr. One of Curly's great songs that he wrote was Green Green Grass of Home. Ironically, that song was playing during my recent Dentist visit. I told the Dentist (when I could talk) that I always loved the song but the version I love is by Tom Jones. I don't know who the singer was on the playlist I heard but it wasn't Tom Jones for sure.
Paul, as most of us know, had his whole Wings lineup at the farm as they were rehearing in Mr. Paulson's garage for an upcoming tour. Paul's surroundings inspired Junior's Farm. Since Mr. Putnam had a Junior attached to his name, Paul called the song Junior's Farm. When his publisher suggested to Curly that Paul and his Band could stay at his Farm, Curly jumped on it since the income actually help him pay for the rest of the mortgage on the farm. Curly and his wife and son also went to Hawaii for a vacation while Paul and Wings stayed at their farm and Paul's rental helped pay for the trip. Curly's son had a great road bike they could use. Apparently, Paul found it and was riding all over Wilson County and Lebanon. Afterward, Curly said people in the town saw him but had no idea that it was Paul McCartney. After Curly got back and Wings had left the farm, the Band released Junior's Farm. In the interview back in 2013, Curly told the writer that he was the "junior" in the song's title. Wings and Paul actually recorded the song locally at the Sound Shop studio in Tennessee that Curly owns.
The best part of the story is that when Curly got home and as they were walking up the driveway from the main gate of their farm, Paul saw them and they started playing "Green Green Grass of Home" for Buddy. I would love to hear that version so I would think Paul would do it "Tom Jones" style with some soul.
The website for this "Story Behind the Song" Series is www.tennessean.com/music.
Unfortunately Buddy passed away in 2016. The article from the Tennessean "Story Behind the Song" has a picture of Paul and Linda on the Bike that Buddy's son owned. A cool lookng Bike.
This article was on my Google feed. If anyone see's it and can put it on Maccaboard it would be greatly appreciated. Great little story.
Please excuse me for being a bit "snarky" but this type of cool story is the type of thing I would have loved to heard about in a McCartney documentary !! Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest -lol !!
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Thanks Yankeefan and I totally agree with you if they do a Sequel to McCartney 3,2,1.
PS We've done a change with our 2022 trips. I'll send you a PM sometime today.
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B J Conlee wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
^ B J, Green, Green Grass Of Home was also recorded by Porter Wagoner & Johnny Cash. Could the recording you heard been one of them? Recorded by tons of others:
Hey Nancy...thanks for the info on Green Green Grass of Home. I knew some others had recorded the song but I actually remember the Tom Jones version being played on the radio on my local AM Philadelphia station. It was a pretty big crossover hit and not just hitting the Country Charts. As you know, Tom Jones had his own unique style and I loved his version.
Btw...So much thanks to Oobu for sending the original article and additional pictures. I have to say that as a guy... Linda looks so "hot" on the bike.
Can you imagine people around Labanon seeing a stranger riding Curly's Bike and not knowing it was Paul McCartney? Anyway Lebanon Tennessee can't be too far from where you live. Have you ever been there to see the farm? Come to think of it, my wife and I visit Chatanooga once a year to visit her Sister. I'll have to look at the map and see how far Lebanon is from Chatanooga. It's probably closer to Nashville.
As a huge Tom Jones fan back in the day, the Tom Jones version was the only one I knew! (and loved it too!)
Here's another article my friend Jennifer (who lives in Nashville) sent me:
https://wilsonlivingmagazine.com/green-green-grass-of-curley-putnams-home/
Btw, oobu lives about 460 miles from Lebanon, TN and center of Nashville is 31.4 miles away.
P.S. As a woman...I have to say Paul looks hot on that bike!
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Nancy R wrote:
B J Conlee wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
^ B J, Green, Green Grass Of Home was also recorded by Porter Wagoner & Johnny Cash. Could the recording you heard been one of them? Recorded by tons of others:
Hey Nancy...thanks for the info on Green Green Grass of Home. I knew some others had recorded the song but I actually remember the Tom Jones version being played on the radio on my local AM Philadelphia station. It was a pretty big crossover hit and not just hitting the Country Charts. As you know, Tom Jones had his own unique style and I loved his version.
Btw...So much thanks to Oobu for sending the original article and additional pictures. I have to say that as a guy... Linda looks so "hot" on the bike.
Can you imagine people around Labanon seeing a stranger riding Curly's Bike and not knowing it was Paul McCartney? Anyway Lebanon Tennessee can't be too far from where you live. Have you ever been there to see the farm? Come to think of it, my wife and I visit Chatanooga once a year to visit her Sister. I'll have to look at the map and see how far Lebanon is from Chatanooga. It's probably closer to Nashville.
As a huge Tom Jones fan back in the day, the Tom Jones version was the only one I knew! (and loved it too!)
Here's another article my friend Jennifer (who lives in Nashville) sent me:
https://wilsonlivingmagazine.com/green-green-grass-of-curley-putnams-home/
Btw, oobu lives about 460 miles from Lebanon, TN and center of Nashville is 31.4 miles away.
P.S. As a woman...I have to say Paul looks hot on that bike!
Have you seen this clip below, Tom Jones stilll sounds excellent !!! For us guys, Helene Fischer is pretty good also -lol.
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According to the Wings Official Fun Club booklet No. 3 1974 (published December 1974), 'Junior's Farm the new Wings single was composed by Paul and Linda on their farm in Scotland.' Other sources have Wings rehearsing the song in Scotland too before flying to Nashville. I guess its possible that it had another 'name' title and Paul changed it to Junior while in Nashville? Equally likely though it could just be a coincidence and was just wishful thinking on Curly's part? Remind me,how many people now are claiming to be that guy on the pavement on the 'Abbey Road' cover?
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Yankeefan2 wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
B J Conlee wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
^ B J, Green, Green Grass Of Home was also recorded by Porter Wagoner & Johnny Cash. Could the recording you heard been one of them? Recorded by tons of others:
Hey Nancy...thanks for the info on Green Green Grass of Home. I knew some others had recorded the song but I actually remember the Tom Jones version being played on the radio on my local AM Philadelphia station. It was a pretty big crossover hit and not just hitting the Country Charts. As you know, Tom Jones had his own unique style and I loved his version.
Btw...So much thanks to Oobu for sending the original article and additional pictures. I have to say that as a guy... Linda looks so "hot" on the bike.
Can you imagine people around Labanon seeing a stranger riding Curly's Bike and not knowing it was Paul McCartney? Anyway Lebanon Tennessee can't be too far from where you live. Have you ever been there to see the farm? Come to think of it, my wife and I visit Chatanooga once a year to visit her Sister. I'll have to look at the map and see how far Lebanon is from Chatanooga. It's probably closer to Nashville.
As a huge Tom Jones fan back in the day, the Tom Jones version was the only one I knew! (and loved it too!)
Here's another article my friend Jennifer (who lives in Nashville) sent me:
https://wilsonlivingmagazine.com/green-green-grass-of-curley-putnams-home/
Btw, oobu lives about 460 miles from Lebanon, TN and center of Nashville is 31.4 miles away.
P.S. As a woman...I have to say Paul looks hot on that bike!
Have you seen this clip below, Tom Jones stilll sounds excellent !!! For us guys, Helene Fischer is pretty good also -lol.
No, but thank you! This is GGGOH from 2009. His voice today is almost as good as it always was!
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Kestrel wrote:
According to the Wings Official Fun Club booklet No. 3 1974 (published December 1974), 'Junior's Farm the new Wings single was composed by Paul and Linda on their farm in Scotland.' Other sources have Wings rehearsing the song in Scotland too before flying to Nashville. I guess its possible that it had another 'name' title and Paul changed it to Junior while in Nashville? Equally likely though it could just be a coincidence and was just wishful thinking on Curly's part? Remind me,how many people now are claiming to be that guy on the pavement on the 'Abbey Road' cover?
Never heard the Scotland story. But this is the only man said to be on the cover of Abbey Road in the background:
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Nancy R wrote:
Never heard the Scotland story. But this is the only man said to be on the cover of Abbey Road in the background:
Thanks for the link. I have read that the Paul Cole story has been discredited, as there are no museums in that part of London (at least not then) and that when the photo was enlarged, the figure didn't look like Paul Cole either. At least two other guys have made the same claim that it was them in the photo but of course they can't all be right.
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Nancy R wrote:
Yankeefan2 wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
B J Conlee wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
^ B J, Green, Green Grass Of Home was also recorded by Porter Wagoner & Johnny Cash. Could the recording you heard been one of them? Recorded by tons of others:
Hey Nancy...thanks for the info on Green Green Grass of Home. I knew some others had recorded the song but I actually remember the Tom Jones version being played on the radio on my local AM Philadelphia station. It was a pretty big crossover hit and not just hitting the Country Charts. As you know, Tom Jones had his own unique style and I loved his version.
Btw...So much thanks to Oobu for sending the original article and additional pictures. I have to say that as a guy... Linda looks so "hot" on the bike.
Can you imagine people around Labanon seeing a stranger riding Curly's Bike and not knowing it was Paul McCartney? Anyway Lebanon Tennessee can't be too far from where you live. Have you ever been there to see the farm? Come to think of it, my wife and I visit Chatanooga once a year to visit her Sister. I'll have to look at the map and see how far Lebanon is from Chatanooga. It's probably closer to Nashville.
As a huge Tom Jones fan back in the day, the Tom Jones version was the only one I knew! (and loved it too!)
Here's another article my friend Jennifer (who lives in Nashville) sent me:
https://wilsonlivingmagazine.com/green-green-grass-of-curley-putnams-home/
Btw, oobu lives about 460 miles from Lebanon, TN and center of Nashville is 31.4 miles away.
P.S. As a woman...I have to say Paul looks hot on that bike!
Have you seen this clip below, Tom Jones stilll sounds excellent !!! For us guys, Helene Fischer is pretty good also -lol.
No, but thank you! This is GGGOH from 2009. His voice today is almost as good as it always was!
Thanks Nancy for sending the clip from 2009 of Tom Jones singing Green Green Grass of Home. Now that's the version I remember way back in the 60's. The version at the Dentist Office was very country.
Tom Jones's version really put Curly Putnam on the map and according to Mr. Putnam made more money for him than any of his other songs combined. Tom Jones, as you may remember was very hot for a few years in Pop Music and his "Green Green Grass of Home was a monster Crossover Hit in the US, Canada and other countries. Up to that point, most of Curley's songs would end up strctly somewhere on the Country Charts. I'm not putting Curly down but once you get on the Pop Charts with a "big hit", it's as they say huge.
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Kestrel wrote:
According to the Wings Official Fun Club booklet No. 3 1974 (published December 1974), 'Junior's Farm the new Wings single was composed by Paul and Linda on their farm in Scotland.' Other sources have Wings rehearsing the song in Scotland too before flying to Nashville. I guess it"s possible that it had another 'name' title and Paul changed it to Junior while in Nashville? Equally likely though it could just be a coincidence and was just wishful thinking on Curly's part? Remind me,how many people now are claiming to be that guy on the pavement on the 'Abbey Road' cover?
Thanks for your imput Kestrel. Who knows when Paul actually wrote and finished the complete song. As the article says, when Curly Putman Jr. was over in London in the 2000's, he went into a Record Store and found a 45 of Junior's Farm which he bought and showed it to the Interviewer at the Tennessean Magazine. On the 45 itself, it said "recorded on a farm in Lebanen TN". Curly's farm is in Lebanen TN. The interviewer then asked Curly if Paul and Wings recorded Junior's Farm in his garage or one of his houses on the farm. Curly emphatically said No and that Paul and his Band recorded it at the "Sound Shop" one of his Publisher's (Tree Music Publishing) studios. Don't know exactly where it is but it was somewhere locally in Tennessee. Just guessing, I would think it was probably a "rough" mix of Junior's Farm they recorded that Paul took back to him when he returned to London. I'm sure it would help him remember the song better. I have no idea what months Paul was in Nashville or when he had gone back home to London or Scotland. The point is that the "rough mix" that Paul had still needed more work on it with the rest of his Band. No where did Curly say that Paul wrote "Junior's Farm" completely (and also played it) on his farm. He's just saying that he knows it was written about him (his last name is Putman Jr) and that Paul and Wings stayed on his Farm to rehearse for approximately6 months. Sounds very believable to me that the song originated in Tennessee and was written with Curly Putman Jr. and his Farm in mind.
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Some historical context of the song: McCartney arrived in Nashville on June 6, 1974 amid the US in crisis as President Nixon was going through impeachment hearings. On June 15, 1974, Woodward and Bernstein's book All the President's Men was published. The line in Junior's Farm, "Everybody's talking about the President. We All Chipped in for a Bag of Cement" refers to what was going on in the US at the time with Nixon. When he finally played the song in concert much later (during the Obama years I believe) he removed this line from the song which I always took as unfortunate.
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thrillington wrote:
Some historical context of the song: McCartney arrived in Nashville on June 6, 1974 amid the US in crisis as President Nixon was going through impeachment hearings. On June 15, 1974, Woodward and Bernstein's book All the President's Men was published. The line in Junior's Farm, "Everybody's talking about the President. We All Chipped in for a Bag of Cement" refers to what was going on in the US at the time with Nixon. When he finally played the song in concert much later (during the Obama years I believe) he removed this line from the song which I always took as unfortunate.
Me too! It would have been apropos from 2016 through 2020 though!
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* Probably a contract thing and agreement ...
I would want to stay and watch everything from rehearsals to every day happenings with Paul and the band .... And not leave the farm.
Thanks for posting the story. I enjoyed reading it. If I saw this story years ago - then I tucked it far away in my thoughts. This felt fresh like a new story to me now.This could be some interesting stuff for a continued part of the documentary of Paul.
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The_Fool wrote:
* Probably a contract thing and agreement ...
I would want to stay and watch everything from rehearsals to every day happenings with Paul and the band .... And not leave the farm.
Thanks for posting the story. I enjoyed reading it. If I saw this story years ago - then I tucked it far away in my thoughts. This felt fresh like a new story to me now.This could be some interesting stuff for a continued part of the documentary of Paul.
Thanks "Fool".
