Ebony And Ivory

Sometimes, songs come along that become anthems and they seep into our consciousness. One such hit is Ebony and Ivory, the duet by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. The lyrics symbolize the simple idea of black and white people living together harmoniously as the keys on the piano keyboard do. Written and produced by McCartney, the single was a number one hit across the world, including on Billboard in America and in the UK and Japan.

The collaboration involved both McCartney and Wonder supplying vocals, piano, percussion and synthesizers and of course, the bass lines were performed by McCartney. It was released in 1982 with Rainclouds as the B-side. Ebony and Ivory was a track taken from McCartney's album, Tug of War, the first solo album after the break up of Wings and his thirteenth solo album of all.

Former Beatles producer, George Martin produced Tug of War over a period of a year and a half. Linda McCartney supplied some photographs for the album's artwork. The album was also an international number one record and was nominated for the 1983 Grammy Awards in the Album of the Year category. Ebony and Ivory also appears on Stevie Wonder's Greatest Hits.

There were other collaborations on the album as in the duet, Get It with rock and roller Carl Perkins. Stevie Wonder also co-wrote and sung on another track, titled What's That You're Doing? And Ringo Starr played drums on Take It Away. A CD of the album with re-mastered tracks was released in 1993. The album is also noted for its track, Here Today, which is a moving tribute to John Lennon, murdered a short time before in December 1980.

Every single has to have its promotional video and McCartney and Wonder were featured in the Ebony and Ivory video, which was shot in black and white. They appeared in different combinations of black and white suits, shirts and waistcoats and sat on giant piano keyboards.

The song has received criticism from some quarters, being attacked for being sentimental but it carries a simple message of hope and a plea for racism to stop. The electric piano sounds great and the two singers harmonize really well. McCartney would repeat his success with duets on the next album, Pipes of Peace, on which he performs with Michael Jackson. Ebony and Ivory however receives the most airplay and remains the most successful duet of McCartney's career.

Summary: Ebony and Ivory is a song written and produced by Paul McCartney and performed with Stevie Wonder. Even though the song was released in 1982, it is still very popular and loved today for it's unique lyrics and simple plea. It remains one of the most successful duets of Paul McCartney's career.

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