Paul McCartney is offering a free download of his 1986 recording of “Beautiful Night” on his official website (PaulMcCartney.com). The song was recorded in August 1986 in New York City — using Billy Joel's then-producer Phil Ramone and Billy's band — and finally saw the light of day in an edited form on the CD-single of the tune's 1997 version, and featured on the new digital download. The 2020 release marks the first time the full uncut version of the song has been made available.
In addition to McCartney on piano and vocals, the 1986 recording features McCartney on piano, Liberty DeVitto on drums, David Brown on guitar, David Lebolt on synthesizer, and Neil Jason on bass.
Shortly before his 2013 death, Phil Ramone shed light on how Paul McCartney and Billy Joel's band ended up teaming up in a Manhattan recording studio: “'Beautiful Night' was incredible. Y'know, we were out in the Hamptons. I went out to his house with the family and the kids. And he started playing something for me. And, I don't know how we got into it, but an hour-and-a-half, or two hours later, I said, 'This is the kind of thing, where we should be in New York tonight or tomorrow, and do it. It's a great piano piece. I'll put together a rhythm section.' Y'know, within hours they made up their minds, I called the Power Station, I got hold of Liberty, I got hold of the band and I said, 'It's your dream come true and doesn't ask me (laughs) how or what we're getting. Y'know, we're just going to go in.'”