Solo Beatles single by single thread

Ringo Starr - "Tonight" (1978)

B-side: Heart on My Sleeve
Released: 21 July 1978 (UK)
Charts: DNC

In the UK, the lone single was "Tonight", backed with "Heart on My Sleeve", on 21 July[10] and that failed to chart.[nb 6] On the same day, production began on another special to promote the album,[11] directed by Christian Topps,[10] but the special was never completed.[11]

 

Tonight is not a bad song, but not really suited for Ringo's voice. Plus, it sounds like he's totally disinterested in the entire thing. Which may be why not many fans were interested in Bad Boy.

 

What?

The Bye Bye part of Helen Wheels is my favorite part of the song! So quirky and cool, it makes the song unique.

I remember when Helen Wheels was on the charts, and it just rocked along and stood out from everything else on the radio. I think it's one of Wings great rock tracks.

I've Had Enough, to my ears, is too tame. It sounds like Paul is purposely restraining his band. More edge, more power and this could have been a Wings showstopper.

Same with Girls School. Something is keeping these songs in second gear. Im guessing I've Had Enough and Girl's School were produced in that way to tap into the laid back vibe of the late 70's.

These songs need to rock more, IMO. I've felt that way since I first heard them on release.

 

I hate to admit this.

I own these Ringo songs on both 45 and lp and I can't remember them.

This was a painful patch for my favorite drummer.

 

I've Had Enough and Girlschool rock absolutely hard enough! They don't need anything else, except for McCartney to perform them live!

I crank them up all the time!

In fact Girlschool, may be the hardest rocking song Wings ever did! It rocks harder than Beware My Love and almost everyone thinks that's a very good rocker!

Isn't it amazing how people can listen to the very same song, and get something totally different from it?

Both those songs absolutely rock!

 

Incidentally this ended up being his final single until "Wrack My Brain".

 

Now there's a song I remember!

 

Wings - "London Town" (1978)


B-side: I'm Carrying
Released: 26 August 1978
Charts: #60 (UK), #39 (US)

The song was written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine in Perth, Australia during the Wings Over the World tour and features a lead vocal by Paul McCartney and backing vocals by Linda McCartney and Laine. A top 40 hit in the United States (number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100), the single topped out at number 43 in Canada and number 60 in the UK.[1][2][3] Author Chris Ingham praised the song as one of the best on the album, stating it was "full of the most sensitive pop synthesizer touches."[4] McCartney biographer Peter A. Carlin called the song " a pleasantly spaced-out perspective on city life."[5] Tom Waseleski of the Beaver County Timesregarded "London Town" as having "more substance" than other of McCartney's soft rock tracks.[6] Author Tim Riley calls it "willfully sulky."[7]Beatles' biographers Roy Carr and Tony Tyler regard "London Town" as an "anachronism," with several Beatle-esque touches, including opening chords that sound like "Blackbird" and a chord progression similar to that in "The Fool on the Hill."[8]

 

I like that Paul invited Victor Spinetti to appear in the "London Town" video (as the "actor" at the minute-and-a-half mark).

 

I really like the song London Town. It's like a more mature version of Penny Lane seen through the eyes of a tired, former hippie now turned pessimist. The dreams of the 60's died in a world filled with strife and pollution - the flower children had failed to accomplish turning the world into a paradise.

The verse about the actor is Paul at his best, lyrically.

That video is really weird, looks like it cost about $200 to make.

I'm Carrying sounds like an outtake from Rubber Soul. Beautiful track.

 

I like the song but it does plod on a bit IMO. The director of the video seemed to be in on this as the video is a bit boring as well in my opinion. Denny Laine's bored look says it at all really.

 

He must have been 'out of work again'

What did the other $150 go on?

 

The video sucks, even for the time but man this is a great song. It's so melancholic. I don't think this could've ever been a hit but he should be playing it live, it deserves a much better fate. The tag is phenomenal as well. Paul was so full of ideas that he could insert a totally new musical idea into the last section. One of his best songs in the 70s imho

 

Upon his flute. Toot toot toot toot. Good God. He was setting up his saccharine fall from grace years before it would become a reality. Critics in the public and media would probably have been more accepting of Ebony and Ivory's ham-fisted treacle if things like Flute/Toot weren't fresh in their memories.

Gets mildly better after that. Construction of the song kind of reminds me of Chaos era in that it's generally tuneless, morose and uninspiring but overall pleasant and complex enough that you don't outright dismiss it.

Conversely, I'm Carrying foreshadows the best of what would come in the Chaos era, which is kind of a marrying of Beatles acoustic track simplicity with experience and years of studio skill building.

 

Wow, Now this is fun! Donny, Marie, Sonny, and Cher sing McCartney!

 

McCartney writes the kind of songs that people just love to sing!

He writes all kinds of songs, it's certain people who bash him, his lyrics, whatever because he doesn't fit into their preconceived notions of what a rock star is supposed to be and do!

The man can and does do it all, he's written no worse lyrics than are in many classic rock songs!

I give McCartney major props for being his own man, I'm sure he's heard the insane criticism of his lyrics, and I'm sure he doesn't care!

I wouldn't either if I was the Greatest songwriter in the entire history of Popular music!

I would say his lyrics have worked out pretty good!

 

I love both songs, especially London Town. I love that actor verse, as mentioned above.

 

Pretty sure Denny wrote the actor and other verses.

I love London Town and the flute toot rhyme

 

The director was none other than Michael Lindsay-Hogg!!

 

Director of such action packed blockbusters as Let it Be.

 

Besides Paul and The Beatles liking Lindsay-Hogg, the Rolling Stones also continually chose him as their fav video director:

• The Beatles - "Paperback Writer" (1966)

• The Beatles - "Rain" (1966)

• The Rolling Stones - "She's a Rainbow" (1967)

• The Rolling Stones - "2000 Light Years from Home" (1967)

• The Rolling Stones - "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1968)

• The Rolling Stones - "Child of the Moon" (1968)

• The Beatles - "Hey Jude" (1968)

• The Beatles - "Revolution" (1968)

• The Rolling Stones - Rock and Roll Circus (Filmed Dec. 1968)

• The Beatles - Let It Be film (1970)

• The Rolling Stones - "Angie" (1973)

• The Rolling Stones - "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" (1973)

• The Rolling Stones - "Silver Train" (1973)

• The Rolling Stones - "Dancing with Mr. D" (1973)

• Wings - "Helen Wheels" (1973)

• The Rolling Stones - "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" (1974)

• The Rolling Stones - "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1974)

• The Rolling Stones - "Till the Next Goodbye" (1974)

• The Rolling Stones - "Fool to Cry" (1976)

• The Rolling Stones - "Crazy Mama" (1976)

• The Rolling Stones - "Hey Negrita" (1976)

• The Rolling Stones - "Hot Stuff" (1976)

• Wings - "Mull of Kintyre" (1977)

• Wings - "With a Little Luck" (1978)

• The Rolling Stones - "Miss You" (1978)

• The Rolling Stones - "Far Away Eyes" (1978)

• Wings - "London Town" (1978)

• The Rolling Stones - "Respectable" (1978)

• The Rolling Stones - "Start Me Up" (1981)

• The Rolling Stones - "Worried About You" (1981)

• The Rolling Stones - "Neighbours" (1981)

• The Rolling Stones - "Waiting on a Friend" (1981)

• The Rolling Stones - "Hang Fire" (1982)

 

I consider London Town to be one of Paul's best post-Beatles songs.

I love the melodic hook on silver rain was falling down up-ON the dirty ground... I've just checked what chord progression is under it, and it seems a very simple step one tone down, B to A major, but the melody hits the seventh note, which is crucial here. Very simple, very clever, very Paul

I have to admit that I'm not too keen on Paul/Linda/Denny harmonies (that's why I tend to stay away from Wings-related topics ), but on this song I feel they work very well. I adore the very last few seconds, this lah-ah vocal glide. Is it Linda singing? This moment is so Beatlesque!

 

I'm not a fan of either song, although I prefer "I'm Carrying" slightly, for the following reason:

IMO one of the most cringeworthy passages in McCartney's entire oeuvre, and if it wasn't for Jimmy McCulloch's guitar solos "London Town" would be an instant skippable song for me. And, truth be told, nine times out of ten I skip it anyway, go right to "Cafe On The Left Bank" on the rare occasions when I feel inclined to play London Town at all (it's not one of my favourite McCartney albums to begin with). But, no, that g-ddamn "toot toot toot toot"...I've said it before and I'll say it again: smoke another one, Macca!

 

Loved I'm Carrying. Can never understand why there isn't more love for it. Too twee? Perhaps, but for me the song continues in that great McCartney balladeer tradition which includes Till There Was You, And I Love Her, I'll Follow the Sun and I Will. I've often played it to some of my 'former Beatles fan' friends who have the opinion that Paul 'lost it' along the way. They've always been pleasantly surprised and murmured things like: "Wow, how come I haven't heard this one before but I've heard Spies Like Us and Ebony and Ivory?" I also have two of those fantasy "Lets Put The Beatles back together" books and this one doesn't get a look in. Personally, I don't get it...

 

Hmm. I have always really liked this, but I don't usually like Paul's saccharin stuff. I remember buying this single when it came out (I was about 13) from the cheap bins because I couldn't get it out of my head, and I still can't. Right at the end of the punk period, Paul was in a different world.
As someone said above this is a very very clever composition. Virtually every line is an amazing hook that others would die to have written.
I love the Leslie cabinet style keyboard effect at the beginning and the bass slide. Melodic but inventive.

It's a melancholic hybrid of nostalgic Mary Poppins and (as it was then) modern dirty London. Rozzers, theatreland actors and barkers. Where's the chimney sweep?

"Ordinary people it's impossible to meet holding conversations that are always incomplete well I don't know" shows he's still got a bit of Eleanor Rigby/ Sgt Pepper in him.

"Oh where are there places to go? Someone somewhere has to know" Sung not in a touristy excited way, but a melancholic surreal way.

Crawling down the pavement on a Sunday afternoon - we've all done it!

It sort of goes downhill for me when the backing vocals come in at 3 mins, although the guitar is great, it doesn't really fit with the first 3 mins.

Just a fantastic piece of genius. Totally underrated.