Is "Figure of Eight" Paul McCartney's Most Underrated Single?*

McCartney's most-underrated is Jenny Wren which I hadn't heard til it became a single.
Designed somewhat as Blackbird part 2, it actually achieves it and for those that say he lost his gift in the previous decades, I'd have to cite this as heavy argument to the contrary.
A serious piece of art, for me.

 

In the US, it was the A side. I don't know exactly why that was. The only explanation I've ever heard is that most Americans wouldn't know anything about Kintyre (so it would be like, say, expecting the British public to buy a record about the Isles of Shoals or some such), but then that didn't stop "Mull of Kintyre" from becoming a big hit in several other countries. Canada was one of the few other countries where it wasn't a big hit.

 

In my case, it was compounded by the dumb luck of finding a copy of the record at Sam Goody (a big record retailer in that era) that did NOT have a picture sleeve. That really left the whole a-side b-side thing up in the air. The only tune I had ever heard was "Girls School" on the radio so that's what I was looking for. Just one of those weird curiosities given just HOW big a hit Mull was almost everywhere. It wasn't a minor hit... it was huge!

 

Were you looking for this? LOL

Was it in one of those generic sleeves ?



USA - Capitol - 1977

 

I read in Record Collector at the time that the single version of Figure of Eight was a complete re-recording. Their world tour rehearsals and even their tour - I think - were underway by the time they released this song as a single and they simply re-recorded it afresh. Simply labelled as a remix, there are certainly extra vocals, etc, during the live performance. The single version (7" edit and full length 12" version) is vastly superior to the album version. Here, as live, it has much more of a rough energy and punch. Compare the two; the album version sounds really flat in comparison.

 

To answer the OP's question, a big resounding NO...

It's possibly, arguably, the 6th-8th best song on the album ...of the original 12-13 song tracklist. It sounds like they might've had "possible single" in mind while they were doing it. Figure of eight has a lot of the typical trademarks you look for in a single, guitar riff, catchy title, steady beat.... I don't think it's all that good personally. I'd consider offering an ear or a jar of jellybeans if McCartney had done something cool like say his version of "Wings of a nightengale" from EB 84 or even a catchy throwaway like the 93 Bside Long Leather Coat. But Figure of Eight isin't great, it's ok, I guess it touches a nerve in you & those differences of opinion are what makes horse racing. I'd enjoy hearing McCartney try it with a totally different production style, out of curiosity. But at 75 years of age, that's not gonna happen. Mccartney has at least 40-50 singles under his belt, that are better than Figure of eight, in my opinion.

 

Heck, most of the Flowers album is top shelf McCartney.

If I had to pick the one most underrated Macca song it'd be Figure of Eight.

 

That feeble already-sounding-old-man croak is most definitely NOT his Monkberry Moon Delight voice! I remember being severely disappointed in his vocal performance at the time of the album's release and the years haven't really softened my opinion of the song: it's a weak track and not sung well at all.

 

That's patently untrue as both feature the same lead vocal and many elements of the backing track in common. It's remixed, and has a guitar solo added along with a few other instruments to sound fuller. But in no way is it "a complete re-recording".

 

Check out the refrain or tiny middle-eight two thirds through - there are extra vocals from Paul and the guitars chomp - stop/start - which is different from the album.

 

It's edited from a different part of the full take. Remember the 3:25 album version is edited down from the full take which runs over five minutes. For the remix, the edits were made in different sections, making it seem like it was a new recording.

 

Okay, that would make sense - but I can see therefore how Record Collector magazine got confused. So, if they are using differing sections - from the same recorded studio performance - then the single version is different and not just remixed. I've been inspired to dig out my old 12" and forgot how good this version was.

 

I vote for 'Getting Closer' as his most underrated single.

 

Listen To What The Man Said. Terribly underrated.

 

Once Upon A Long Ago is certainly underrated, but Figure of Eight is too...though I prefer the album version.

 

Helen Wheels is his most underrated single
overshadowed by Band on The Run

 

Not for me.

The Back Seat Of My Car
Helen Wheels
Venus And Mars/Rockshow
Girls School
Young Boy
Beautiful Night

Girls School probably gets my final vote due it almost being erased from history for some reason (as mentioned previously)

 

I guess to answer your question yes it is one of his most underrated considering how many other suggestions have been given in this thread lol.

 

Unless those are rated much lower than dog droppings, they aren't overrated.

 

Not really. Fans (like me) were so geeked up to see McCartney live for the first time since 1976 (or, for me and many others, ever), that he could have played "Mumbo" on the banjo and it would have been adored.

 

You could really pick your favorite single of the last thirty years and call it underrated, since his stuff receives little airplay either on the radio or in video form. The impact of Pipes of Peace/MJ/Broad Street, still reverberating all these years later.

 

What impact would that be?

 

I think probably anything after "With A Little Luck," is underrated

 

My pick is Ever Present Past.

 

I always found it too schmaltzy of a song. Not a big fan of it.