Paul McCartney/Wings-song by song thread

I love Temporary Secretary. I know that many people hate it but I absolutely love the song. I did not see him playing this live. I really wish what the people's reactions were to this song.

 

I was overjoyed. Most people in attendance weren't familiar with the song but politely enjoyed the beat.

But then there a few wackos like me screaming and thrashing about like we were at a Rammstein concert or something. The song is infectious. That acoustic guitar power riff kills. You could tell some people were really having fun with it. Some girls were even dancing to it.

 

People only repeat what they have seen written on some pages and accept it as fact without verifying if that information is true.

Some people know about forthcoming projects because have contacts or are working in the music industry and have access to confidential or promotional information.

Why do I say the single was considered and canceled? Because in those years it was normal practice to promote a song with radio time and promotional material such as CDs.

If the single was planned for released then a flyer was sent by EMI for sales promotion with all the info like release date, formats and songs.

What do we know?

The songs were registered (ASCAP) and Perfect Lover was reworked as Ever Present Past.

And that's reality...

 

I saw Paul do it live and must say the response was pretty good. I love Temporary Secretary to just as I do with much of the stuff from McCartneyII.

 

I love it too. It's a highlight of Macca 2, which I also love.

Temporary Secretary is one of a number of Paul songs that I've always loved but which I never knew were widely unloved until I joined this forum.
Maxwell's Silver Hammer is probably the prime example.

 

I've fallen behind so today is ketchup day for me.

Electric Arguments

I still can’t believe Paul did such a seismic sonic shift from the McCartney norm. With the help of Youth, Paul embraces new technology to serve a healthy portion of styles that mostly hang together well because of the electronics. From the opening seconds, you can tell this is neither your typical Paul pop/rock album nor a Fireman electronic album. It’s more than just a mixture of both worlds, it’s one that advances Paul sound more than on almost any album he did prior. There was real growth and challenge on this and he deserves total kudos for attempting this. I think he should have been bold and put this is under his own name and the critics would have loved it anyway. For the fans, there’s plenty here to grab onto for keeps as it’s never too anti-commercial. Still, Paul felt this was different enough to put it under The Fireman so I can see that.


Nothing Too Much Out Of Sight (9/10)

A vicious attack on someone that we’ll just call “Heather” since we don’t really know who he’s talking about. Paul’s most angry vocal tied with the nonsensical “Monkberry Moon Delight”. Since that one tries to hide behind a kids’ milkshake, this becomes by default, the angriest vocal ever. “Helter Skelter” was just a ride according to Paul though it may have signified something else, it’s not like this.

The music is dirty blues rock with some great guitar playing by Paul and his drumming is capable as well. But how can I bother with that when his vocal is so awesome. I have waited a long time for Paul to let loose and finally he does in grand fashion. A bull flies right out of the gate and attacks us. Even the dissonant guitar and Paul’s ad-libbing “the last thing to do is try to betray me” Mac says with his devil horns on. Wow he was furious. This is anger, this is venom, this is Paul growing as a human and finally forgetting about critics and upsetting fans.

Two Magpies (7.5/10)

A lovely tune with a casual quality that comes across well, “Two Magpies” shows further growth. I can’t quite think of anything in his catalog that sounds like this. A jazzy acoustic song that keeps a little groove going with just brushed drums and a behind-the-scenes bass. He uses numbers within the lyrics better here than he did on “Driving Rain” and there’s a real maturity to the performance. Paul’s voice is in really rough shape and it doesn’t quite adhere to the light vocal that’s needed.

Sing The Changes (9/10)

The rare brisk anthemic song from McCartney, this reminds me a bit of U2 in some ways – I just finished being on a U2 thread. It’s got a motivational message and a confidence that seems to run through the first few songs. Paul sounds in control and loving life, appreciating all the great aspects of life and trying to bring that feeling to us. It’s use of short lines helps push the motion as it rolls along. For most, this is the strongest song on the album – it probably is along with the opener. While its more conventional than the first 2 tracks, it still shows that McCartney has identified areas of music he’s never been to before and we’re all the better for it.

Travelling Light (8.5/10)

This doesn’t even sound like Paul is singing his voice keeps getting deeper and deeper – it started on Chaos And Creation. He tries to do his higher octave trick that he is great at where he goes up a register for 2nd and 3rd verses but his voice can’t do it. Along with “Two Magpies”, there’s some Donovan influence in the lyrics – this one gets into Donovan’s mystical side and the sense of mysticism and mystery light this song’s way. The ‘broken sea’ line is good and so far, his lyrics are improved from Memory Almost Full though that’s a decent album lyrically too. The combination of woodwinds, piano and effects are stiking and you can get lost in this song’s vibe it’s so enveloping.

 

Just posting as I'm writing them, next batch...

Highway (7/10)

A more conventional song, the rocker “Highway” is a nice slice of grit. The harmonica and great bass groove lift this song over some of the more generic rockers Paul’s done. This must be the first time Paul’s playing harmonica. The ‘do ya do ya’ lines are unnecessary and weigh the song down some making it too cluttered, especially when his voice is multi-tracked later in the performance. If only the hooks were better. The lyric is odd with some bitter lines mixed with some relationship lines. I can’t quite tell what Paul’s getting at here.

Light From Your Lighthouse (6.5/10)

Again, Paul sounds unrecognizable, this time using his gruff New Orleans voice from “Listen To What The Man Said” and double tracking it with a lighter voice. It sounds like an old couple singing a gospel song with some of the local gospel singers. It’s a nice change for Paul who’s now covered yet another subgenre. It’s not much of a song using a recycled melody but there’s a nice sentiment in the title and a warm feeling throughout. I’m not as personally infatuated with it like other songs here.

Sun Is Shining (8.5/10)

Another joyous anthemic song like “Sing The Changes”, McCartney is on a high and it transfers to me when I hear this. Setting up the song in the intro with the acoustic guitars and questioning bassline, when it finally finds its footing, we have another late great Macca song. The motivating chorus is so appealing that it doesn’t matter how much of a hook there is. He hasn’t sung ‘na na na’ since “Hey Jude”, so that’s a neat touch. The lyric feels nature like “Travelling Light” did. This album half holds up so well it’s ridiculous – what a challenge, what a listening experience these songs are so late in his career.

Dance ‘Til We’re High (9/10)

“Light up the sky with your message fly” is one of the few times an awkward Paul lyric works well as we get the meaning but it’s reworded so it’s not obvious. He could have just sung “light up the sky with your message”. Another that has a fantastic, engaging and motivated chorus, Paul’s just on a high himself through this album so far using modern production to create something just as good or better than most of the songs on radio at this time. I love the bells coming in when Paul announces them and then the song continues its brisk forward motion without blinking an eye. There are so many excellent ideas bouncing around. For the zillionth time Paul comes up with a melody that gets under my skin. I can’t believe he keeps hitting so many high peaks.

 

NEXT ONE

All You Horseriders/Blue Sway

The last song we ll. Deal with from the wondruous deluxe version of McCartneyII. Guess there are more than a few who hate this one. Me-No fuhing way I love it. Horseriders might be one of the craziest things Paul never recorded but It s a hoot and Blue Sway is just a gorgeous piece of music that has such a great flow. The later orchestrated version is more polished but this one is just as good. McCartney might have gone a bit to far here but it s so funny and so musically rewarding.

Crazy stuff but works wonders for me


All You Horse Riders

Alright
Now
All you horse riders
Come on now
Get your horses out
Alright

All you horse riders
Get your horses out
We're gonna go for a ride
Come on

Up!

Now... now get up in your saddle
(Yeah, now)

Take your reins in your hand now
Alright
Let's go for a ride now
All you horse riders
Come on now, let's ride!

Ride ride...right
Now
Keep them up now
Right, right, yes, alright

 

Suicide (Outtake / Remastered 2011)

A nice unfinished outtake.

Lyrics:

Girls it's been my pleasure
To know quite a lot of you
And in the main
You're pretty sane, it's true
But there are a few who do to
Doo ti doo too beautiful a job
It isn't quite what they planned
When the man gets the upper hand
He's takin' her for a ride
I'd call it suicide

If when she tries to run away
And he calls her back, she comes
If there's a next time, he's okay
Cause she's under both his thumbs
She limps along to his side
Singing a song of ruin. I'd
Bet he says nothin' doin'
I-I-I-I I'd call it suicide

She loves to ride in big parades
But he wouldn't so she won't
She needs at least a dozen maids
But if he says no she don't
He wishes she knew his side
Soon there'll be trouble brewin' I'd
Bet he says nothin' doin'
I-I-I-I I'd call it suicide

Suicide, she's commitin' it
Suicide, he's not gettin' it
Suicide, it's a quittin' a day

She limps along to his side
Singing a song of ruin. I'd
Bet he says nothin' doin'
I-I-I-I I'd call it suicide


Credits:

Album: McCartney (Archive Collection)
Produced: Paul McCartney
Reissue Producer: Scott Rodger
Written by Paul McCartney
Vocals, Piano by Paul McCartney
Remastered by Guy Massey, Steve Rooke
MPL Audio Archive Technician: Eddie Klein
Label: Hear Music
Release Date: June 13, 2011
Recorded at home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Remastered at Abbey Road Studios
Length: 2:48 minutes

Paul's own words:

"Paul McCartney in "Conversations With McCartney", by Paul Du Noyer:

"My feelings were that if you were ever going to be a songwriter, the height of it all was Sinatra. A bit before rock and roll, you were thinking of standards and things. So around that time I wrote ‘When I’m 64’ and this other thing, which I thought would be a bit Rat Pack, smoochy, with words like, ‘When she tries to, uh-huh…’ Boom! And stabs from the band, y’know?

I remember being in bed, and getting ideas for lyrics. That’s probably why they’re so bad! I kept a paper and pencil by my bed, I’d lean out and try and not wake up, try and write it down. The rhymes are painful but I used to do it as a joke: [in cabaret crooner voice] ‘When she tries to… Good evening ladies’n’gentlemen! Bop-bee-bop yeah! Welcome to Las Vegas!’ That kind of thing.

Like I’d do ‘Michelle’: ‘Ello [comic French accent], welcome to mah French clurb…’ You had a few party pieces and ‘Suicide’ was the Rat Pack one. I never did anything with it. But then I actually got a request from Sinatra for a song.

I spoke to him on the phone and told him about it: ‘Great, Paul, send it along.’ Thank you, Frank! So I got that out of it. I did a demo, sent it to him and he thought I was taking the piss. He really did. ‘Is this guy kidding?’ You know, sending Sinatra a song called ‘Suicide’? He did not get it.

I did think, Oh god, maybe I should have changed it a bit.

But around the time of McCartney, I was goofing around on piano and there was a bit of tape left, so I used that fragment at the end of ‘Glasses’. It’s actually quite a funky version, though I say it myself. Over the years people have said to me, ‘You know that little fragment that gets faded out? What was that?’ "

Source: Suicide (song)

 

NEXT ONE

My Valentine

Now it s time for the covers album Kisses on the Bottom. I love that album not least the complete Kisses. Pauls nails all the songs from the great American songbook with na small combo led by Diana Krall. I think Kisses is one of the better albums from rock-artists covering this kind of music-Paul obviolsy loves it and his singing here is brilliant. As usual I won t deal with the covers just Maccas originals so here we go with My Valentine

I think this song is one of the best ever from Paul and in a better world it would be a standard covered by multitudes of artists. The melody is understated but gorgeous, the words simple and heartfelt and the arrangement heavenly. Add to that Eric Claptons acoustic guitar and we have a true classic. Something tells me this song will live on forever

Great song

Song facts

From DailyMail:

They wed in a lavish ceremony in October last year. And Paul McCartney, 70, has now lifted the lid on how a rainy day inspired him to write a song about wife Nancy Shevell. The singer famously wrote a love letter to his American heiress wife on Valentine’s Day while on holiday in Morocco. […]

The former Beatles star wrote the tune on a rainy day while on holiday in Morocco as the couple about their hotel to keep dry. Paul revealed: ‘We were on holiday together, Nancy and I, and it was raining, it’s kind of led me towards a kind of minor-y type thing and the sentiment of you know, oh it’s raining.’

‘I wrote the song on Valentine’s Day in Morocco where we were on holiday and it had been raining, and I’d said “oh pity about the rain” and all of that, and she’d said to me “it doesn’t matter, we’ll have a good time” – and I really liked that because I know there’s nothing you can do about weather.’

‘So I was in the foyer of the hotel, knocking around on this old Joanna that the Irish pianist played in the evenings and because it was raining, because it was not sort of sunny and bright and everyone milling around, this minor-y melody came out and the words were pretty much what I was thinking really, they just spilled out.

’ My Valentine featured a guest appearance from Eric Clapton on guitar. Clapton also performed on the Kisses On The Bottom song Get Yourself Another Fool.

When I played it to Tommy [LiPuma], he said ‘Yeah, I love it, great.’ So we did that one and eventually I had the pleasure of working with Eric [Clapton], who put a lovely acoustic guitar part on. And by the way, I forgot the important ingredient, the day I wrote it was Valentine’s Day, a fairly important fact! It was our first dance, very romantic.


he basic track for My Valentine was recorded at Avatar Studios in New York, with Clapton’s guitar and the orchestra overdubbed at Abbey Road Studios in London. The rhythm arrangement was by Diana Krall.

Clapton’s guitar part was recorded in the same studio where he had played on The Beatles’ ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ in 1968.

When we were recording this track we were in Abbey Road, and I said, ‘Say Eric, the last time we were working here together, was when you were sitting over there playing guitar on George’s song While My Guitar Gently Weeps.’ So there was an, I don’t know what, 40 year gap, and only 10 yards physically.



What if it rained
We didn't care
She said that someday soon the sun was gonna shine
And she was right, this love of mine
My valentine

As days and night
Would pass me by
I’d tell myself that I was waiting for a sign
Then she appeared, a love so fine
My valentine

And I will love her for life
And I will never let a day go by
Without remembering the reasons why
She makes me certain that I can fly

And so I do
Without a care
I know that someday soon the sun is gonna shine
And she'll be there, this love of mine
My valentine

Solo

What if it rained
We didn't care
She said that someday soon the sun was gonna shine
And she was right, this love of mine
My valentine

 

More about Suicide...

From January 1969:

 

My Valentine from the great Complete Kisses

 

Ho great this song is

 

As if we needed proof of how great My Valentine is. Pour up a whiskey, sit down and chill to this fantastic jazz-version of that song. The boys really shows what an astonishing song this late career masterpiece is

 

Is This Love? (7.5/10)

Now we begin to hear Youth’s voice being heard. Paul’s songwriting had taken over despite all the sonics that Youth implied so now there’s a lot of space provided for him to explore. Paul’s still singing unlike the other two Fireman albums (I keep wanting to write ‘firemen’), but this is Youth’s track. His vocal is pretty rough, pushed to the background as we hear more percussion, synths and other Youth detail. Again, Nancy can’t help but to be thought about when hearing this as he asks us if he is now in love again. The man can love for sure like he did with Linda but there’s doubt because he fell in love with Heather. I don’t quite get the lines “help me find my sister, brother”, “help me find my father, mother” – I don’t know how they relate to the rest of the song or to his personal life. He ends singing “help me help me” a bit like John at the end of “Help!” so Paul may still have residual pain. The repetition of ‘is this love love love’ can be a bit annoying like the ‘do it’ lines repeated on “Highway”.

Lovers In A Dream (6/10)

Another that has Paul pushed way back in the mix to allow Youth’s groove space but it’s not as inspired as other tracks. It’s more entertaining than his 1990’s Fireman work, but the less Mac I get, the less I feel connected to this album. It went from an album that was awake in the daytime and turned into a hazy night dream where elements fade into each other. A changeup somewhere is needed but instead, it’s just one groove for over 5 minutes.

Universal Here, Everlasting Now (5/10)

Okay, you’re not fooling me this time Paul. I know that this will end up being weird even though the piano intro sounds like we’re getting a pop song. After half a minute, Youth’s energy transforms the song into an avant garde affair that dips into psychedelia land. By the time it’s over 5 minutes later, it’s a fast electronic piece but I don’t like this one. Nice title and lovely piano. Paul’s vocal is faded into the background again but too far back.

Don’t Stop Running (6/10)

When I saw the 10 minute running time I figured it was Youth again doing his thing and he is but Paul’s been in session as well. It’s hard to tell who did what on the more electronic songs. Paul does have a decent vocal melody going on and I love the that instrument that sounds like a mix of guitar and harpsichord. I also love the woodwind sound early on. The song does meander so as it continues for so long, (really only 6 minutes), it loses momentum. There are lots of little nooks and crannies however along the journey so it’s not unsuccessful with concentrated listening. The remainder of the track is silence and a final call for Youth’s sound effects. Overall, it’s not one I enjoy listening to but can admire somewhat.
----
So a fantastic album that loses steam at the end once Youth is allowed to reign. It’s hard to gauge because of the final tracks but the peaks are so high and the production, arrangements and passion found here may ultimately have created Paul’s best 2000’s album. It’s a little hard to compare this with something like Memory Almost Full or the others, but this has got to be top 5 for Paul mainly because his creativity is at a high with sonics. What a lovely Fireman surprise this was – when I first heard it I’ll be honest, I was floored. I was so excited to hear this man who never needed to challenge himself again do it once more and with such unreal success. I don’t know why they haven’t really done a full collaboration since but my goodness, this was fun while it lasted. With the last 3 tracks removed, making it more of a Paul album, it could possibly slip into the top 3 or 4 albums of his career. Bravo!

 

I'm not entirely sure why but I can't seem to get myself to listen to 'Kisses On The Bottom ' but I will enjoy reading the posts about it.

 

Every time I rank these I get less confident in it - I don't know where these should go anymore so don't take my rankings too seriously. A lot of times I just have trouble comparing them and then how much I like them - like I'm not a huge fan of 'Chaos' but I can't deny it's a good album when I think more objectively and it holds together better than everything except 'Band On The Run' but I don't have nostalgia attached to it and I personally like more diverse albums but that's not Paul's fault. And then 'Electric Arguments' is up there but I don't know how far. So take this with a grain of salt.

Band On The Run
Ram
Flaming Pie
Tug Of War
Memory Almost Full
Electric Arguments
Venus And Mars
Back To The Egg
London Town
Driving Rain
Chaos And Creation In The Backyard
Wings At The Speed Of Sound
Red Rose Speedway
McCartney
Pipes Of Peace
Press To Play
Flowers In The Dirt
McCartney II
Wild Life

-

Run Devil Run
Give My Regards To Broad Street
Choba B CCCP

 

More about Suicide...

A cover by Apple Jam:

 

More about Suicide...

Finally,

A cover by Twiggy:

 

Don’t Cry Baby (Outtake / Remastered 2011)

An instrumental version of Oo You

Credits:

Album: McCartney (Archive Collection)
Executive Producer: Paul McCartney
Reissue Producer: Scott Rodger
Written by Paul McCartney
Bass, Drums, Electric Guitar by Paul McCartney
Remastered by Guy Massey, Steve Rooke
MPL Audio Archive Technician: Eddie Klein
Label: Hear Music
Release Date: June 13, 2011
Recorded at home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Remastered at Abbey Road Studios
Length: 3:07 minutes

Liner notes :

"This song contains an intro of Paul singing a lullaby to his daughter, it was mixed into the beginning of ‘Oo You’ (instrumental)"

 

I wonder where You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) comes on the list of most hated but loved songs.

 

Yes, there are plenty of other places on the body besides someone's bottom to plant kisses on that are more enjoyable to listen to.

 

This is exactly what the song does NOT need.

 

This is exactly what the song DOES need.

 

I always thought Paul's version was a little stayed and stiff. This really opens things up and let's you chill to the piano melody.

Pour a whiskey indeed!