Paul McCartney/Wings-song by song thread

For the rest of side two of LT, I give high marks to Deliver Your Children and Name and Address. Great tunes and could’ve been more featured had this album not been so overstuffed.

Example: Don’t Let It Bring You Down has its moments and the guitars and vocals are lovely, but it’s just so late in the sequencing that I get fidgety.

This album coulda been so much better at 38-40 minutes.

 

Agreed!

Suggested Wingsy topics:

• Song(s) that most encapsulates the essence of Wings.
  
• Favorite Wings 45 picture sleeve.
• Just how essential was Linda to Paul's development as a musician and the course of Wings? Alternatively, what if Linda said "no" when Paul asked if she would join the group with him?

 

Deliver Your Children - A decent DL song. Nothing spectacular but nothing I skip. If you take all of his Wings songs and make a single album out of them it would be a fine listen. But, even within that context, we'd be referring to this one as a pleasant little album track. Nothing more, nothing less.

Here's a suggestion for a conversation topic during the next two weeks - the DL album made up of Wings tracks.

 

Name and Address

A nice rock and roll song. A tribute to the old days, Elvis Presley and music. Great vocals, harmonies, lyrics and guitar rifts.

Lyrics:

Our love affair was over on the second day
You packed a bag and like a birdie flew away
Meanwhile I'm sitting here, I'm getting in a mess
If you want my love, leave your name and address.

I used to love you baby, when I was your man
But maybe loving you is something no one man can do.
Meanwhile I'm sitting here, I'm getting in a mess
If you want my love, leave your name and address.

Love to feel the tingle of your heavenly caresses
Love to intermingle, a lonely single without addresses
If you want my love, leave your name and address.

But if it's all over baby, you know I'll understand
Maybe I'll hate to think of you with another man
Meanwhile I'm sitting here, I'm getting in a mess
If you want my love, leave your name and address.

Credits:

Produced by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Bass (?), Electric Guitar, Percussion, Vocals by Paul McCartney
Backing Vocals, Organ by Linda McCartney
Backing Vocals, Bass (?), Electric Guitar (?) by Denny Laine
Electric Guitar (?) by Jimmy McCulloch
Drums by Joe English
Label: MPL
Release Date: March 31, 1978
Recorded at EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Length: 3:09 minutes

Paul's own words:

BBC Interview 1978

 

Name And Address - this is really a top notch McCartney "novelty" tune. Its an Elvis pastiche and, I suppose, that leads me to take it less seriously. But I'm Down was a Little Richard pastiche and that was fantastic, so I'm going to give this track the benefit of the doubt and call if a melodic, energetic 50's style rocker, with a great hook during the chorus.

Unfortunately, there's something somewhat restrained about it. I think its partially the recording but its also the performance. Linda sounds like she is cutting loose but Paul never does. Which is a shame as it makes his Elvis impersonation sound like just what it is - an impersonation - just Paul f**king around. Elvis should have been the starting point for a rocking song. I have to say also that I hate the ending of this song. It just falls apart which furthers the notion that it wasn't really committed to. The biggest missed opportunity on London Town.

Think about how this track might have sounded if it were recorded during the Back To The Egg sessions and done in a more aggressive style. It coulda' been a contender.

 

What is DL-Denny Laine?
Back in '77 ( ?) Laine released an album of Buddy Holly songs called ' Holly Days '. It was alright but nothing to rave on about. Paul played and sang on a few of the tracks.
I would guess a collection of Laine Wings tracks would amount to the same. Alright to listen to but nothing to get excited over.

 

Alright , then....let's talk about Linda.

 

Don't Let It Bring You Down is probably the best song on London Town. I didn't like it much when I first bought the album but it has grown on me. It's got a great, sinister vibe to it. Very different from what we typically expect from Paul, even on albums as diverse as his last three had been. We rarely hear Paul sing about death. The very few times that he has have been some of his most interesting compositions. What a very different acoustic driven waltz this is from Mull of Kintyre.

Good relentless pacing. Very interesting vocal arrangement. Fantastic example of unreleased tension. This one is a winner.

 

I periodically write up these little odes to the Lovely Linda so here's one for this thread. . .

I think the short end of it is this: whatever Linda lacked in musical talent, she made up for in image, style, guts, independence and attitude. Essentially all the intangibles that go into making a band.

Paul had all the ability to write amazing music but Linda was really his muse and inspiration. He could have shut down and been directionless after The Beatles, continuing to record but rarely making a splash. Linda provided an inner drive that sparked a fire in Paul. It drove him to do more.

Now what that “more” was is where it really gets exciting because Linda is a cool cat. She is fiercely independent and basically didn’t care (on the outside at least) about what people thought. At the same time she was also idyllic, motherly and homespun.

Wings really took on all of those personas in Linda. Paul took a stand and put out some polarizing things. Even today albums like Wild Life draw some flack but time has also shown Wings’ first album to be extremely gutsy and therefore on some level alive and rewarding. Paul would repeatedly turn left when everyone expected him to go right. Ex-Beatle going out on tour with your garage band? Check. Release a children’s nursery rhyme as a single? Check. Live on a sheep farm and grunge out? Check. Get wacky with things like Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey and Monkberry on RAM? Check. Teach your wife how to play in a band on the fly? Check. Jet off to the hinterlands to record your next album? Check.

Paul may have always had in the back of his mind his dreams to ascend to the top of the world once more but the path to that was indelibly marked with Linda’s influence. Musically alone as just a couple examples, those themes of home life would get into several of Paul’s songs. The gutsiness to try things in music that might be seen as critical suicide is already apparent above in this little essay. Even successful and positive things happened (like the reggae interlude in Live and Let Die or the muse behind My Love). Linda was also influential in other areas like art, design and fashion. Album cover artwork, so much more important in the vinyl era, would probably have been mostly farmed out to other artists. Even when it was farmed out, Linda along with Paul were heavy influences .

So while we rarely saw Linda in the front office so to speak, she was everywhere in Wings and her spirit wound its way into every single aspect of the band and Paul. Maybe Paul would have still hit it big again on some level without her but it’s 100% for sure that it would not have been anything like it was and I’m fairly certain it wouldn’t have been as fun or exciting of a ride. We love you, Linda!

 

Don’t Let It Bring You Down

A gem. This is a beautiful song, very melodic with a terrific Irish Tin Whistle and guitar riffs sound. The vocal arrangement is great with an amazing performance by Paul.

Lyrics:

Though some things in life are hard to bear
Don't let it bring you down

Should the sand of time run out on you
Don't let it bring you down

Don't go down - don't go underground
Things seem strange, but they change
How they change

Up and down your carousel will go
Don't let it bring you down

Don't go down - don't get out of town
Get to know how it goes, how it goes

When the price you have to pay is high
Don't let it bring you down

Credits:

Produced by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine
Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals, Bass, Electric Guitar, Irish Tin Whistle, Vocals by Paul McCartney
Backing Vocals by Linda McCartney
Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals, Irish Tin Whistle by Denny Laine
Acoustic Guitar (?) by Jimmy McCulloch
Brushes, Drums by Joe English
Label: MPL
Release Date: March 31, 1978
Recorded at Record Plant Mobile Studio, Fair Carol Yacht, US Virgin Islands / EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Length: 4:35 minutes

Paul's own words:

BBC Interview 1978

 

More about Don’t Let It Bring You Down...

Rough mix:

 

Morse Moose and the Grey Goose

A great rocker and experimental song. Terrific performance with a screaming vocals and harmonies. Pure genius McCartney. This is an incredible mix of sounds and techniques with a brilliant sequence of notes, to emulate the communication between a submarine and a warplane. Simple a crazy masterpiece. Bravo!!!

Lyrics:

Right on down at the bottom of the sea
Tell me are you receiving me?
My name is Morse Moose and I'm calling you

The Grey Goose was a steady boat
People said she'd never float
One night when the moon was high
The grey goose flew away

As we were sailing ‘round the rocks
The mate took out his compass box
And said the wind is like a fox
But the grey goose flew away

When out upon the open sea
The Admiral, the Mate and me
Prepared to face eternity
But the grey goose flew away

She flew into the stormy sea
Davy Jones was calling me
But heading for tranquility
The grey goose flew away

Credits:

Produced by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine
Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Electric Piano, Mellotron, Vocals by Paul McCartney
Backing Vocals, Keyboards by Linda McCartney
Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals, Piano by Denny Laine
Electric Guitar by Jimmy McCulloch
Drums by Joe English
Violin by Gavin Wright
Label: MPL
Release Date: March 31, 1978
Recorded at Record Plant Mobile Studio, Fair Carol Yacht, US Virgin Islands / EMI Studios, Abbey Road / AIR Studios, London, UK
Length: 6:34 minutes

Paul's own words:

BBC Interview 1978

 

Morse Moose - I never took to this song. I didn't like it in 1978 and time hasn't altered my opinion. It's one thing when a song you don't care for is two minutes long. You can tolerate it and may not feel the need to skip it. But at six and a half minutes, there is never a time when I listen to this one. My album ends with Don't Let It Bring You Down.

 

Here's my take on a re-edited version of London Town.

If you removed Children Children, Girlfriend, Famous Groupies & Morse Moose you'd have a 34 minute album that was much stronger.

If you also removed Café on the Left Bank, Cuff LInk & Deliver Your Children but added Mull of Kintyre & Girls School you'd also have a 34 minute album but it would be very strong - one of the better Wings albums. (see tracklist below)

Or you could keep Café & Children , add the single and have a 41 & a half minute album with more highs and lows but still stronger than the released version.

And, we'd NEED to remix the whole thing and give it more punch.

I can dream.

34 minute London Town (sequence to your taste):
1) London town
2) I'm carrying
3) Backwards traveler
4) I've had enough
5) With a little luck
6) Name and address
7) Don't let it bring you down
8) Girls school
9) Mull of Kintyre

 

More about Morse Moose and the Grey Goose...

Instrumental, Rough mix:

 

That feels a tad generous to me.

 

Deliver Your Children is catchy, but there's a macho swagger to it that I have always found a bit off-putting. Not Denny's finest moment in my opinion.

 

You've removed 2 of my favorite songs -- 3 if you include Cafe on the Left Bank. And to replace them with the drudgery of Girls School? Uh, no. Just no.

 

Great post.
Hey , I can't knock her. What a wild ( life) situation to be in.
I'm not a fan of ' Ram' and when it came out I was suspicious of her actual involvement. There was a lot of talk that she was only credited to free up some legally frozen cash at the time and maybe there's a bit of truth in that.
But she was a trooper and hung in there.McCartney could have easily gotten a professional singer/keyboardist when he formed Wings but he went simple and it all worked out in the end.
Clearly , she was never in the same league as other Wings personnel but that's OK too. None of them were in the same league as our main man anyhow!

 

Excellent. I’d put Cafe back in, though.

Let the remix commence!

 

Macca does a respectable Elvis imitation, but doesn't really channel Elvis the way he could channel Little Richard.

 

FAMOUS GROUPIES - Not for me
DELIVER YOUR CHILDREN - Not my cup of tea
NAME AND ADDRESS - It's ok
MORSE MOOSE - I like the bass

 

I believe he played most instruments on all of them.

 

Deliver Your Children- probably my favorite Denny song. Lyrics are a bit weird but nothing egregious like putting a pound of love in a stew though. Nice guitar.

Name And Address- fun little song that really rocks! Hopefully will sound even better with the eventual remaster... I like the rhyme of caresses/addresses. The way it falls apart at the end adds to the fun off the cuff feel, for me.

Don’t Let It Bring You Down- my personal fave on the album and one of my favorite Wings songs, it’s become a very soothing song for me. I’ve wondered if this was written in response to the death of his father in 76. Love that moment in the beginning when he jumps from lower to higher register. There’s a version on YouTube with no overdubs that I really enjoy as well.

 

You could be right. I don' t remember the album too well and have no idea whee it disappeared to.