"Mandolin Wind" was written by Rod Stewart and was first released in 1971. It is sung from the point of view of an aging farmer husband. The song is a tribute to his loyal wife who stays by his side during a horrendous winter on the farm. On the original recording the identity of the mandolin player on "Mandolin Wind" is unclear. The liner notes state that "the mandolin was played by the mandolin player in Lindisfarne" but that Rod Stewart had forgotten his name. In 2003, Ray Jackson claimed to be the mandolin player on the album, at least for the song "Maggie May." Jackson is the mandolin player from English folk-rock band Lindisfarne. Mason attributes the mandolin playing to Martin Quittenton The liner notes to Every Picture Tells a Story list Quittenton only as the acoustic guitar player. In his 2015 book, "Elton John, From Tin Pan Alley to the Yellow Brick Road," author Keith Hayward indicates the mandolin player might have been Davey Johnstone in one of his earlier session appearances prior to joining Elton John's band as his guitarist.