Waterspout - Paul McCartney: Opinion

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Arnold Grove, Oct 21, 2016.

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  1. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    I think your post actually supports my point of view. I don't think Pete Townshend thought "in and out and in and out" was appropriate material for a pop song, I assume he played it for friends and the band as something of a joke and that it would have been destined for his sock drawer (like "Girl in a Suitcase" or "Lazy Fat People") if he were not encouraged to press on with it. I'd wager that "Waterspout" might have gone through a similar process. In the end - twice - McCartney pulled the plug on releasing it, perhaps thinking the very thing you just expressed (although I bet he expressed it better :))
     
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  2. Bemagnus

    Bemagnus Music is fun

    I like this song. It s very catchy and very McCartneyesque. A very funny pop-song with a great melody
    :):):)
     
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  3. elgoodo

    elgoodo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Jersey City, NJ
    It's funny how many songs McCartney was this close to releasing before changing his mind at the last minute. "Lindiana" (almost on Figure Of Eight 12")...and there are others....
     
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  4. wildstar

    wildstar Senior Member

    Location:
    ontario, canada
    Well actually 3 times (at least) by my count:

    1981 - Cold Cuts V2
    1987 - Cold Cuts V3
    1987 - All The Best

    There may be other times we don't know about (it could have been shortlisted for CD single B-sides multiple times).

    Plus I can't remember for sure, but I don't think it was to be included on Cold Cuts V1 (aka Hot Hitz/Cold Kutz) and I have no idea if it was a serious contender for London Town or not.

    However, as far as McCartney songs that were rejected multiple times before release - "A Love For You" must win the prize considering how many different mixes exist of it (both released and unreleased).

    As far as the poll - I can't vote. Its too binary - good/bad, love/hate, or yes/no/maybe I guess - since there is a third choice -indifference.

    If there was a choice in between "love it" and "indifferent" then that would be my vote. Melodically its strong throughout (my favorite part being in the middle 8 melody where he sings "...and in a minute You will find yourself swimming in it..."

    So - melodically...love it - but lyrically (I never paid much attention to be honest, but) the chorus lyrics always stuck out like a sore thumb - as in they sound so insipid and cringy to my ears.

    So, overall I can't say I love the song (because of the cringy lyrics) and I can't claim indifference (because of the wonderful melody) so...I can't vote.
     
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  5. Brian Kelly

    Brian Kelly 1964-73 rock's best decade

    This was one of the very first unreleased songs I ever listened to on a computer (didn't even have YouTube yet). I really enjoyed it and listening to it again now, with better sound, I like it even more. Since it was not used on LONDON TOWN, I think it should have been put on MCCARTNEY II. It would have been one of the best songs on that album!
     
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  6. jgkojak

    jgkojak Mull of Kansas

    Location:
    Lawrence, KS
    I love this song and think, with proper overdubs and edits (remember its an unreleased track still) it would have made a great Top 20 if not Top 10 follow-up to With a Little Luck in summer of '78.

    As he released "Girls School" I doubt the sexual nature of these lyrics would have put him off.

    That said - I always thought he had a great bunch of material for London Town that, with Wings breaking again, he probably didn't get a chance to fully realize.

    My ALT London Town
    1. Backwards Traveler (full version, a 4 minute demo exists, just needs some lyrics)
    2. Waterspout
    3. I'm Carrying
    4. Girlfriend
    5. Cafe on the Left Banke
    6. London Town
    -
    1. With a Little Luck
    2. Deliver Your Children
    3. Don't Let It Bring You Down
    4. Sea
    5. Morse Moose and the Grey Goose


    Saving I've Had Enough for BTTE
     
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  7. jgkojak

    jgkojak Mull of Kansas

    Location:
    Lawrence, KS
    Favorite unreleased songs (A Love For You doesn't count anymore!)
    1. Waterspout
    2. Return To Pepperland
    3. Did We Meet Somewhere Before?
    4. Robber's Ball
    5. Best Friend
     
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  8. Paul H

    Paul H The fool on the hill

    Location:
    Nottingham, UK
    Perfectly good post until you said this. Why spoil a good comment by claiming to know other people's justifications, Frank? I don't presume to know yours. I "latched on" to this song because I thoroughly enjoyed it, not because I felt it would give me some kind of kudos among a bunch of people I didn't even know. Whether it's buried somewhere on a crappy bootleg or crowding 1,000 hits compilations, I couldn't care less. A good tune is a good tune, wherever it's found.
     
  9. For the Record

    For the Record Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    This song is on par with Ode to a Koala Bear for me. A bit catchy, but not "A side" material or even ALBUM material. Should have been the B side to With a Little Luck or I've Had Enough in my opinion.

    I think it would stick out like a sore thumb on an album. Like when I'm listening to "All the Best" and We All Stand Together comes on. Great song, just doesn't flow with the rest of the content at all.
     
  10. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    A question about the actual recording of "Waterspout" during the London Town sessions:

    Who plays on this track? Did Joe English and Jimmy McCullough quit by the time this was recorded? Or is it a full Wings line-up? Or is it mostly all Paul?
     
  11. Paul H

    Paul H The fool on the hill

    Location:
    Nottingham, UK
    The "studio" version has an awful lot of elements found in the original demo, so I suspect it was a demo that was transferred to multi-track and overdubbed. Quite how many of those overdubs feature the other band members, I can't say. Perhaps that's why it never appeared on a Wings album: it was a solo recording. It would have been interesting to see the inner gatefold of the All The Best mock up. That would have told us if Macca considered it Wings or solo. That said, using solo recordings on Wings albums never bothered him before...
     
  12. vinylman

    vinylman Senior Member

    Location:
    Leeds, U.K.

    Up until the very last minute, it was going to be the b-side to 'Once Upon A Long Ago',
     
  13. OldShiftyEyes

    OldShiftyEyes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vermont
    First heard this on Cold Cuts back around 1989. I like it, but don't love it. As others have mentioned, it's strong melodically (as one would expect), but those lyrics ...
    Also, Paul needs to stop rhyming "dancer" and "answer" (see also: "Helter Skelter" and "Stranglehold")
     
  14. bward

    bward Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA USA
    Around the same time, Paul also came up with Famous Groupies and Girl's School.
    Sly devil.
     
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  15. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Dude. The "Ace Of Spades” blows Waterspout out of the water... :D
    Don’t get me wrong dudley, I love Macca, but not all of his music is a classic.:shtiphat:
     
  16. Frank

    Frank Senior Member

    No offense to you or @supermd. In my defense, I did say "mostly."
    That was my point. To me being obscure elevates this beyond where it would normally fall on the "good tune" scale.

    If @Arnold Grove and @RayS are right about the meaning of the lyrics, it's a more awkwardly written song than I originally gave it credit for. What I liked (didn't mind) about the lyrics was that they seemed to be normal loosely thrown together Paul McCartney imagery. If he was trying to get something sexual across by referencing the pee hole, it's a pretty awful song.
     
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  17. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I'm going to send in a question to Paul's web site, specifically the "You Gave Me The Answer" feature. I'm going to ask "Can you explain the lyrics to your song Waterspout?". If Paul's tired of answering "What's your favorite color?" and "What's your favorite holiday?", maybe he'll answer my question... ;)
     
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  18. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    Be careful of what you wish for?
     
  19. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Bring it on. I can handle anything!
     
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  20. daveidmarx

    daveidmarx Forem Residunt

    Location:
    Astoria, NY USA
    I don't know about that. To me, "Children, Children" is the sore thumb on that album. It just sounds far too twee. It's the sort of song I could easily imagine Mary Hopkin doing. I feel that "Waterspout" would be a MUCH better fit in that slot than "Children, Children".
     
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  21. WilliamWes

    WilliamWes Likes to sing along but he knows not what it means

    Location:
    New York
    This was posted elsewhere on the forum. So it would have led off side 2, before 'No More Lonely Nights', after 'Listen to What the Man Said' on CD. Seems like a fine running order position for it.
    [​IMG]
     
  22. jgkojak

    jgkojak Mull of Kansas

    Location:
    Lawrence, KS
    Yes replace Cuff Link and Children with Waterspout
     
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  23. Captain Groovy

    Captain Groovy Senior Member

    Location:
    Freedonia, USA
    Which came first? Nick loves McCartney and mentioned that he used the Paul method to create the wonderful little "Nutted By Reality"!

    I LOVE "Waterspout". One of the best unofficially released songs from a famous artist still out there.

    I've collected countless mixes, the track-only from one of the mixes - catchy as hell.

    I went wild for "Waterspout" and "Cage" when I bought the Cold Cuts LP (my first boot!) on vinyl when I was 16.

    Jeff
     
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  24. For the Record

    For the Record Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    I'm guessing Waterspout would have only been released on the UK All The Best, since the U.S. version didn't even get Once Upon a Long Ago.
     
  25. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    "Marie Provost" appear on Nick's Jesus of Cool album in March 1978. Presumably "Waterspout" was recorded in 1977, along with most of the songs on London Town, which also appeared in March 1978. So I doubt either Paul or Nick influenced each other. But maybe they both were inspired by some earlier third song by someone else.
     
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