"Girlfriend" is a song written by Paul McCartney. McCartney thought of the song as one that Michael Jackson might like to record, and mentioned this to Jackson at a party in Hollywood. However, McCartney ended up recording it himself with his band Wings, and it was issued in 1978 on the album London Town. Subsequently, it was suggested by Quincy Jones as a possible track for Jackson to record for his 1979 album Off the Wall. Jones was unaware that the song had been written for Jackson in the first place. Jackson's recording omitted the middle eight1980, in the UK only, as the fifth and final single from the Off the Wall album. It performed rather poorly, just managing to enter the top 50 at #41 and falling out of the top 100 completely after five weeks. heard in McCartney's version. It was issued as a single in
McCartney and Jackson subsequently worked together on "The Girl Is Mine" from Thriller and two tracks from McCartney's Pipes of Peace album, "Say Say Say" and "The Man". The musical partnership (not to mention their personal association) would end in the 1980s after Jackson purchased the ATV Music catalog, which held the rights to numerous Beatles tracks, which McCartney contested.

Track listing

UK single

  1. "Girlfriend" – 3:04
  2. "Bless His Soul" (with The Jacksons)

Credits

  • Written and composed by Paul McCartney
  • Produced by Quincy Jones
  • Lead and background vocals: Michael Jackson
  • Bass: Louis Johnson
  • Drums: John Robinson
  • Electric piano: Greg Phillinganes
  • Synthesizer: David Foster
  • Synthesizer programming: George Duke
  • Guitar: Wah Wah Watson and Marlo Henderson
  • Horns arranged by Jerry Hey and performed by The Seawind Horns:
    • Trumpet and flugelhorn: Jerry Hey
    • Tenor, alto saxophones and flute: Larry Williams
    • Baritone, tenor saxophones and flute: Kim Hutchcroft
    • Trombone: William Reichenbach
    • Trumpet: Gary Grant
  • Rhythm arrangement by Quincy Jones, Tom Bahler and Greg Phillinganes
  • Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones


Lyrics

[1st Verse]
Girlfriend
I'm Gonna Tell Your Boyfriend (Yeah)
Tell Him (Woo Hoo)
Exactly What We're Doin' (Yeah)
Tell Him What You Do To Me
Late At Night When The Wind Is Free

[2nd Verse]
Girlfriend
I'm Gonna Show Your Boyfriend (Yeah)
Show Him (Woo Hoo)
The Letters I've Been Savin' (Yeah)
Show Him How You Feel Inside
An' How Love Could Not Be Denied (Oh No)

[Chorus]
We're Gonna Have To Tell Him
You'll Only Be A Girlfriend Of Mine
Do-Doot-Do, [Etc.]

We're Gonna Have To Tell Him
You'll Only Be A Girlfriend Of Mine

[3rd Verse]
Girlfriend You Better Tell Your Boyfriend (Yeah)
Tell Him (Woo Hoo)
Exactly What We're Doin' (Yeah)
Tell Him What He Needs To Know
Or He May Never Let You Go

[Chorus]
We're Gonna Have To Tell Him
You'll Only Be A Girlfriend Of Mine
Do-Doot-Do, [Etc.]

[Chorus]
We're Gonna Have To Tell Him
You'll Only Be A Girlfriend Of Mine
Do-Doot-Do, [Etc.]
[Ad-Lib To Fade]

Listen to the song via youtube at this link :


Paul McCartney & Wings (london town album) earlier version of Girlfriend :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmHTIhYdTH8