Paul McCartney/Wings-song by song thread

Ah yes, some of Paul's remakes have been, uh, unfortunate.

 

Next one

Summer day song

This song ain t rock or pop. It s using electronic music but I wouldn t really call it electronica either. It s a piece of music grounded in the melodicism and structure of classical music. This melody could-more likely- have been composed by Bach or Mozart than Chuck Berry.

It s a simple melody but imo a piece of music that has an almost otherworldly quality. I didn t like the album from the beginning but this song has always been a favorite of mine. I love both the melody and the fragile performance. This is definively the work of a musical maverick and genius

A huge favorite of mine


The Beatles bible

The hymnal Summer’s Day Song was inspired by a piece of classical music Paul McCartney had heard during the recording sessions for the McCartney II album.

Originally conceived as an instrumental tune, Summer’s Day Song only received vocals after a rough mix had been made and it was selected for inclusion on the original double album version of McCartney II.

I had heard a piece of music that I liked, which was a very classical sounding piece. So, that day, when I went into the studio, I thought it would be a nice change if I tried something, sort of, classical. I built it up, wrote a couple of words, and put a few vocals over the top, so it does sound like something classical-cum-something else.

Paul McCartney

The instrumentation relies heavily on the Mellotron’s flute setting, which had been used by The Beatles in 1967 for the introduction to Strawberry Fields Forever. The rest of the song, however, owed little to 1960s psychedelic excesses, and was instead an exercise in restrained musical arrangement.

[Chorus]
Someone's sleeping
Through a bad dream
Tomorrow it will be over
For the world will soon be waking
To a summer's day

Someone's sleeping
Through a bad dream
Tomorrow it will be over
For the world will soon be waking
To a summer's day

 

SSD is a really nice, relaxing tune. Without the vocals it wouldn’t sound out of place on an Aphex Twin ambient record.

 

Well -it was an instrumental from the start. That version is included in the deluxe edition.
It sure has an ambient feel but also a melody of breath-taking beaty.

 

McCartney has-as we all know-a variety of musical styles and is a master of genre-hoping. Imo his greatest and most enduring gift is his sense of melody and almost unreal way of finding new melodies out of thin air.
That extraordinary melodicism shines through Summer day song. There is a hymn-like and timeless quality that for me represents McCartney at his very best

 

As I wrote in my book, I think the source of Paul’s inspiration to this song was “Spider and I” by Brian Eno.

 

Cool, I hear it!

And damnit ... I still have to read that book, it was on my list but got two others for christmas.

 

There are many similarities when it comes to soundscape and a few chord changes .Brian Eno made ambient music before it existed. What differs is the melody in Summer day song. I have searched through the year for Paul’s inspiration. He mention classical music. I have yet found this melody even though there are similar patterns. So perhaps is a true original Macca tune.

 

Summer's Day Song 4/5 ~ Really like that one. The instrumental sounds like a hymn to winter ... not summer. Very short lyrics ~ simple and positive!

 

This is certainly an original melody, I’m not saying he lifted anything... Paul’s words were “a classical sounding piece” which, at least to my knowledge of English, does not necessarily mean classical music but more something classical inspired or that reminds you of classical music.

 

I have your exellent book and never thought you implied Paul lifted the melody. I agree fully that Brian Eno seems to be one source of inspiration. The reason I have looked for this melody in different genres aming them classical music is that it always reminded me of something.

 

Summer's Day Song

A beautiful classical composition with a positive message: good times are coming.

Lyrics:

Someone's sleeping
Through a bad dream
Tomorrow it will be over
For the world will soon be waking
To a summer's day

Credits:

Produced by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Engineer, Keyboards, Mellotron, Mixing, Synthesizers, Vocals by Paul McCartney
Eddie Klein: Mixing assistant
Label: Parlophone
Release Date: May 16, 1980
Recorded at Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK / Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland / Replica Studio, Soho Square, London
Length: 3:26 minutes

 

Sounds like he cares the most.

 

Summer’s Day Song:
The placement of this beautifully arranged piece inbetween two experimental instrumentals strikes me as incredibly poignant, as if you’re listening to a three-piece suite. The spare vocal lines in two sections certainly contribute to that. It also strikes me that, as an album that’s being recorded in summer and released the following spring, it just sounds like an album designed for the winter whereas an album like Tug Of War sounds like a summery album.

 

Thinking about a song (or rather, a sequence) like this I get the suspicion that many people were turned off by the ‘chipmunk’ vocals of Coming Up and Temporary Secretary and had the rest of the album colored by that, never giving any in-depth listening session a chance.
Yes, there are tunes like Bogey Music that are hard to defend, but it’s all part and parcel of the ‘experience’ as much as McCartney (I) is an experience. It’s not a songs album. I feel it as a musical journey and I think that’s the key to this.

Think of it this way; he got criticized for releasing pillowy MOR mush, but his critics never felt comfortable when he would throw the balls to the wall either. One can only cherish an artist who just does whatever he/she feels like doing. It’s what makes him as relevant today as back then. Take a look at Bowie, for instance.

 

"Bogey Music" is terrific. As is everything on McCartney II.

 

I enjoy Bogey Music

 

I even enjoy the Bogey Wobble

 

Me to

 

I wasn’t criticizing it.
It’s, just like Bip Bop or Mary..., an easy song people find fault with. Very dividing.

 

I think most of McCartney II is pretty dividing. Songs like Temporary Secretary people seems to either hate or love.
Im happy members in the believers. Imo it s a remarkable and very personal album. Others seems to feel the opposite. Not much indifferente here

 

I like Summer's Day Song. It's not a major McCartney masterwork, but it's lovely in a quiet, slightly mysterious way.

 

This is indeed a " gift ". And very few have it. You can learn to play an instrument and become proficient at it but creating melodies cannot be learned or taught.
McCartney seems to come up with them effortlessly.

 

One has to wonder what Columbia Records execs were thinking after dropping a boatload on Paul and then getting Back To Egg and then M2.

Many know the story of David Geffen and how he spent a load on Neil Young only to find him turn his back on his late 70s successes with the likes of Trans and Everybody’s Rocking (and more...). There are some parallels here though it would seem Geffen pushed back on Neil. Did Columbia push back on Paul?

In a weird twist, I wonder if John’s untimely death (a Geffen artist) maybe kept Columbia from putting the screws to Paul in that dark aftermath. I’d guess they cut a wide berth around Paul during that time given 1) his Japan bust, 2) John’s death.

If neither of these horrible events took place (I am not trying normalize the two) would the Columbia suits have had a sit down with Paul and said, “hey, let’s talk about how we might be able to find a common, commercial ground?”