"I Wrote a Simple Song" is a song by American

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

musician Billy Preston that was first released as the title track to his album of the same name in November 1971. It was written by Preston and his regular collaborator,

Joe Greene Charles Edward Greene (born September 24, 1946), better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 to 1 ...

. The song was also Preston's first single on

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

, following the end of his tenure on

the Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

record label. In the United States, it peaked at number 77 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Radio programmers there soon favored the B-side, the instrumental " Outa-Space", which had been Preston's choice for the lead side. "Outa-Space" became a breakthrough US hit for Preston and his first RIAA-certified gold single. The single was released in Britain on January 21, 1972. The recording features a guest appearance from Preston's Apple producer, George Harrison, on dobro, and an orchestral arrangement by

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

. The song serves as an example of Preston's continuing association with Harrison after the Beatles' break-up, despite his departure for A&M. Its release followed Preston's well-received performance of " That's the Way God Planned It" at Harrison's

Concert for Bangladesh The Concert for Bangladesh (or Bangla Desh, as the country's name was originally spelt)Harry, p. 135. was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows were he ...

shows on August 1, 1971, which had raised Preston's public profile.

References

{{authority control 1971 songs 1971 singles Billy Preston songs A&M Records singles Songs written by Billy Preston