‘Goodnight Princess’ is a mostly-instrumental interlude on Paul McCartney’s soundtrack album Give My Regards To Broad Street.
It appears towards the end of the film, when McCartney’s character visits Jim, played by Ralph Richardson. The scene was likely intended to refer to McCartney’s own father Jim, who died in 1976.
In the 1920s Jim McCartney had led the Jim Mac’s Jazz Band in Liverpool. His first composition, ‘Eloise’, was later recorded by his son as ‘Walking In The Park With Eloise’. Jim’s jazz influence appeared in a number of Paul’s recordings, including ‘Goodnight Princess’.
‘Goodnight Princess’ was recorded at AIR Studios in London on 11 December 1983. Paul McCartney recited the spoken introduction: “Well that’s it. Thank you for joining us. We hope you’ve had as much pleasure listening as we have had making it for you” – as well as the jovial interjection: “Bloody great, lads. Come on, lay it on ’em.”
The session musicians included Tony Gilbert, who in 1965 had performed on The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’.
The vinyl edition of Give My Regards To Broad Street omitted ‘Goodnight Princess’.
The 1984 US Columbia CD version listed the track as ‘Goodnight Lonely Princess’, and the UK Parlophone edition called it ‘Good Night Princess’. The 1993 reissue titled it ‘Goodnight Princess’.
