Writer: George Harrison
Producers: George Harrison and Ray Cooper
Recorded: January 1981 in England
Released: May 1981
| Players: | George Harrison — vocals, guitar Willie Weeks — bass Neil Larson — keyboards Ray Cooper — keyboards, percussion Jim Keltner — drums Ringo Starr — backing vocals, drums Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, and Denny Laine — backing vocals |
| Album: | Somewhere In England (Dark Horse, 1981) |
Former Beatle George Harrison's tribute to his slain former bandmate John Lennon actually started out in the spring of 1980 as a track for Ringo Starr's aborted Can't Fight Lightning album. When Starr opted not to use the song, Harrison held on to it.
After a fan murdered Lennon in New York City in December 1980, Harrison pulled the song out and used it as the foundation for his paean to Lennon.
When Harrison recruited the other former Beatles to sing on the track, “All Those Years Ago” became the first song to unite him with Starr and Paul McCartney, although the three were not in the studio at the same time.
“All Those Years Ago” hit Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100, Harrison's biggest hit in the U.S. in eight years. The song reached Number Nine on the U.K. chart.
Somewhere In England was a troubled album. Produced by Harrison and Elton John's percussionist Ray Cooper, the album was first set for release in October 1980 but was rejected by executives at Warner Bros., which distributed Harrison's Dark Horse label. They asked him to remix the album and to replace four of the songs. “All Those Years Ago” was one of the four new songs added to the album in early 1981.
Somewhere In England reached Number 11 on the Billboard 200, but it has yet to earn a gold certification. It hit Number 13 in the U.K.