The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles
“The Long and Winding Road” by the Beatles, a cover by Rubber Souls and the Denver Pops Orchestra.
Lyrics
(John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
The long and winding road
that leads to your door
will never disappear
I’ve seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to you door
The wild and windy night
that the rain washed away
has left a pool of tears
crying for the day
Why leave me standing here?
Let me know the way
Many times I’ve been alone
and many times I’ve cried
Anyway, you’ll never know
the many ways I’ve tried
And still they lead me back
to the long winding road
You left me standing here
a long, long time ago
Don’t leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door
(Instrumental)
But still they lead me back
to the long winding road
You left me standing here
a long, long time ago
Don’t keep me waiting here
Lead me to your door
Recorded live at the Central Presbyterian Church in Denver on April 21, 2018.
Liner Notes
This is quite possibly my favorite thing I’ve ever done. I worked so hard on this song before the show, because I adore it and wanted to get it right. The results are pretty much exactly how I hear it in my head, which is always the ultimate test of how happy I am with the end result. This is the vocal I wanted to give this song, and I’m just happy the stars aligned, my voice was on board, everyone played great, and we captured it.
I would like to dedicate this to Ron Revier, my high school choir teacher (now retired, but taught me at Fairview High School in Boulder, CO). Ron taught a “Performance Class” that I fully enjoyed and benefited from as a senior. I remember doing a solo vocal/piano performance of this song in that class, and I’ve played it basically the same way ever since. I think Ron appreciated the fact that I had an appetite for the classics. That was the last time I had performed this song publicly, until this amazing show with the Denver Pops. I’m sorry Ron couldn’t be there, but I still think about him often when performing, especially about how much it would bug him when I sing with my eyes closed (which is all the time). 😉 Thanks for the music and guidance, Ron. Love you, sir.
About the concert: What a special concert this was. My Beatles cover band, Rubber Souls, teamed up with the Denver Pops Orchestra to present a concert of all Beatles music with authentic recreations of the original orchestrations. The scores were created by Rubber Souls members Mike Johnson and Jon Stubbs. It was a memorable show that we still get comments about. I hope to post more from this show, and I look forward to doing many more shows like this with the Denver Pops, and teaming up with orchestras from across the world–including yours!
Thanks to Ron Argotsinger, the conductor of the Denver Pops, and to all of the Denver Pops Orchestra members. It was lovely working with you.
Thanks to the recorder soloists, David Mejia and David Leslie.
Thanks to Jim Mimna for filming.
Thanks to Mighty Fine Productions for recording the audio.
Thanks to Shawn Herbert for creating the “Rubber Souls” intro animation.
Thanks to Jon Stubbs (of Rubber Souls) for the beautiful orchestral arrangement
Thanks to Mike Johnson for doing almost all of the audio mixing work on this!
Rubber Souls are:
Mike Johnson – lead guitar, backing vocals
Mike Massé – lead vocals, piano, guitar
Ron Perron – bass, backing vocals
Scott Roush – drums, backing vocals
Jon Stubbs – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
And a big thanks to you for listening/watching, and for helping spread the music.
-Mike