Woman (Paul McCartney song)

"Woman" is a 1966 single by Peter and Gordon, written by Paul McCartney under a pseudonym.

Authorship

Under the Lennon–McCartney moniker, McCartney had written three previous Peter and Gordon singles (viz. “A World Without Love”, “Nobody I Know”, and “I Don't Want to See You Again”). On this occasion, McCartney used the pseudonym Bernard Webb (though some Capitol pressings carry the name A. Smith instead) to see if the song would be a success without the Lennon–McCartney credit. McCartney commented at a press conference in August 1966, "People come up to them and say, 'Ah, we see you're just getting in on the Lennon–McCartney bandwagon'. That's why they did that one with our names not on it... because everyone sort of thinks that's the reason they get hits."^[1] However, the publishing credit was Lennon and McCartney's company Northern Songs, and according to Gordon Waller it took only two weeks' time for the song's real author to be revealed, as the first review of the record said, "This Bernard Webb has an amazing talent. Could even be Paul McCartney!"^[1] It was then introduced as written by McCartney when Peter and Gordon performed it on the US TV show Hullabaloo.

Reception

The single reached #28^[2] on the UK Singles Chart and #14 in the USA.

Notes

• McCartney gave a casual performance of the song on piano during the Beatles Get Back sessions in January 1969. It can be heard on bootleg recordings.
• The 1981 single “Woman” by John Lennon, is an unrelated song, and the only example of each member of the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership receiving songwriting credit for two different songs with the same title.

References

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