"That Would Be Something" is a song written by Paul McCartney which was first released on his McCartney album on 17 April 1970.[2]
Recording
McCartney sings and plays acoustic guitar, bass, electric guitar, tom tom and a cymbal.[3] This song and "Valentine Day" were mixed at Abbey Road Studios on 22 February 1970.[2] McCartney would also record "Every Night" and "Maybe I'm Amazed" the same day.[2] In the song McCartney also performs vocal percussion to simulate a drum kit.
In a review for the McCartney album, Langdon Winner of Rolling Stone described "That Would Be Something", along with "The Lovely Linda", as having "virtually no verbal or melodic content whatsoever."[5]
"That Would Be Something" was also released on the 1991 album Unplugged (The Official Bootleg). The song was first performed live by McCartney, in Barcelona, on 8 May 1991.[6]
The Grateful Dead played this song in concert 16 times between 1991 and 1995.[7] The first time they played the song live is available on Dick's Picks Volume 17.
In 2010, Jack White interpolated a bridge of "That Would Be Something" into his performance of "Mother Nature's Son", another one of McCartney's compositions, during a concert held at the White House during which McCartney was awarded the Gershwin Prize.[8]
