Paul McCartney
Band members Related acts
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line up 1: (1967-) - Paul McCartney -- vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards
supporting musicians (1989) - Guy Barker -- trumpet - Dave Bishop -- sax - Jah Bunny -- backing vocals - Elvis Costello -- vocals, keyboards - Chris Davis -- sax - David Foster -- keyboards - Mitchell Froom -- keyboards - David Gilmour -- guitar - Tony Goddard -- cornet - Stuart Hamish -- guitar, bass, vocals, backing vocals - Greg Hawkes -- keyboards - Ian Harper -- tenor horn - Nicky Hopkins -- keyboards - Trevor Horn -- keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals - Chris Hughes -- synthesizers - Judd Lander -- harmonica - Steve Lipson -- bass, synthesizers, guitar - Dave Mattacks -- drums, percussion - Linda McCartney keyboards, backing vocals - Robbie McIntosh -- guitar - Ian Peters -- euphonium - David Rhodes -- eBow guitar - Hamish Stuart -- guitar, backing vocals - John Taylor -- Cornet - Chris Whitten -- drums, percussion, backing vocals - Chris White -- sax
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- The Beatles - The Country Hams - Jam Factory (Joe English) - The Firemen - The Justice Collective - The Moody Blues - The Quarrymen - The Smokin' Mojo Filters - Suzy and the Red Stripes - Thrillington - Twin Freaks - Whippets - Wings |
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Genre: pop Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Cold Cuts Company: Club Sandwich Catalog: SP-11 Country/State: Liverpool, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: bootleg Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD 257 Price: SOLD $50.00
Best time to play: when you need to shut up your Beatles know-it-all friend ...
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True story - I found this one in a pile of throwaway religious albums and bought it thinking it was some sort of McCartney cover band. It ended up in my "also ran" pile where it sat for a couple of years before I realized it was a Paul McCartney album.
As it turns out, the collection's tortured history is almost as interesting as some of the songs. In the wake of Wings' ongoing successes, in 1978 McCartney planned to release a double album hits and odds and ends collection entitled "Hot Hitz and Kold Kutz" (I've also seen it listed as "Hot Hits and Cold Cuts"). Capitol Records executives weren't thrilled with the double album concept and the project was shelved in favor of the abbreviated "Wings Greatest". The following year McCartney took another shot at pulling together previously unreleased material, but again ran out of steam. In early 1981 he resurrected the idea, going as far as selecting songs from his catalog and undertaking some post-production work. John Lennon's death saw the projected shelved. Six years later, following the release of "Back To the Egg", McCartney gave it another shot, but after bootlegs of the sessions hit the market, he walked away from the project.
"Cold Cuts" seems to be drawn from that last go-around. Chronologically the set pulled together eleven tracks spanning the 1971 "Ram" through 1978 "Back To the Egg" sessions. Musically the set was all over the map including raw, unfinished demos and some top notch finished takes that were actually better than some of the stuff actually released. Given McCartney's deep catalog of unreleased material (he could easily release a double album set of shelved material), I'll tell you this track line-up was somewhat disappointing. Out of the eleven tracks, five were great including the lost pop classic 'Waterspout'; four songs were okay, and three were simply dreadful. It's far from a perfect collection, but McCartney fans will be intrigued. (Not particularly easy to find a copy.)
"Cold Cuts" track listing: 1.) A Love for You (Paul McCartney) - 5:30 rating: ** stars Originally recorded during the 1971 "Ram" sessions, it was pretty easy to see why 'A Love for You' was left off the album. The bubbly song clearly had potential, but this rough demo didn't show much of that promise with McCartney turning in an extremely uncomfortable and barely in tune vocal over some of the worst drumming and keyboards (Linda), you've ever heard. Yeah, this one was for hardcore fanatics. Yech !!! McCartney trotted out a more polished version for inclusion in the 2003 soundtrack "The In-Laws". 2.) My Carnival (Paul McCartney) - 3:42 rating: **** stars 'My Carnival' was recorded for 1975's "Venus and Mars" LP, but didn't make the final cut. Shame it was cut since the track found McCartney sounding relaxed, soaking in the local New Orleans atmosphere including support from The Meters and some killer horn tracks. An updated (and inferior) version of the song actually saw a release in 1985 when it was dumped on the 'B' side of the 'Spies Like Us' single. This is the superior take. 3.) Waterspout (Paul McCartney) - 4:50 rating: ***** stars Recorded during the "London Town" sessions, I suspect McCartney tossed out the delightful 'Waterspout' in a couple of minutes. One of those insidiously catchy melodies that he seemed to effortlessly toss around, the song had a dream melody kicked along by some tropical percussion and one of McCartney's brightest vocals. No doubt it would have made a fantastic single - far better than anything on "London Town", let alone many of his late-'70s singles. McCartney apparently resurrected the song in 1987 with the intention of including it on the "All the Best!" compilation, but it was dropped from that set as well. You just have to wonder why. 4.) Momma's Little Girl (Paul McCartney) - 3:42 rating: **** stars One of the prettiest songs McCartney ever wrote, 'Momma's Little Girl' was an acoustic ballad full of strumming acoustic guitars, sweet harmonies from Wings, and an interesting orchestrated middle section (clarinets ?). With it's raw, unsophisticated mix, the song actually bore a slight resemblance to 'Mother Nature's Son' which might explain why it was dropped from the final "Red Rose Speedway" track listing.. The song finally saw daylight as a 'B' side on 1990's 'Put It There'. 5.) Night Out (Paul McCartney) - 2:31 rating: *** stars Opening up with some blazing lead guitar, 'Night Out' may be the toughest rocker Wings ever recorded. To be honest, it sounds like an unfinished demo, but it sure has a razor sharp edge. Shame it wasn't complete. The song was apparently another "Red Rose Speedway" outtake. 6.) Robber's Ball (Paul McCartney) - 3:58 rating: *** stars The strangest song on the album ... 'Robber's Ball' sounded like a mash-up of 'Waterfall', Alvin and the Chipmunks, and something stolen from a much of drunken Bolsheviks. I can't say I found it particularly enjoyable.
(side 2) 1.) Cage (Paul McCartney) - 3:09 rating: **** stars 'Cage' was intended for inclusion on the "Back To the Egg" album, but inexplicably dropped from the final track listing (replaced by the inferior 'Baby's Request'). The title was seemingly inspired by the song's chord progression and stood as a classic McCartney pop song displaying his penchant for stitching together seeming song fragments and sudden shifts in tempo and direction. Backed by one of his best early-'80s melodies, it was actually far better than most of the material that made it on the album. 2.) Did We Meet Somewhere Before? (Paul McCartney) - 5:02 rating: ** stars McCartney supposedly wrote 'Did We Meet Somewhere Before?' for the Buck Henry directed film "Heaven Can Wait", but it was ultimately rejected. Kind of a bland, forgettable, adult contemporary ballad, I can't blame director Henry for turning it down. Pleasant, but nothing more than that. 3.) Hey Diddle (Paul McCartney) - 3:47 rating: *** stars The country-tinged 'Hey Diddle' had its roots in the "Ram" sessions and lay fallow until McCartney's Nashville sessions (the same sessions that saw 'Sally G' and 'Junior's Farm'). The song was originally intended as a Paul and Linda duet and to her credit, Linda didn't sound half bad on the song. The song's just a touch too country for my tastes. There are actually a couple of versions of the song, including an early acoustic version that you can see courtesy of YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1lZGCVJz2c 4.) Tragedy (Gerald Nelson - Fred Burch) - 3:20 rating: **** stars Thomas Wayne had a hit with 'Tragedy' in 1959 and The Fleetwoods had a hit with it in 1961. The Wings version is actually quite touching with some killer harmony vocals and some prominent sitar in the mix. The song was supposedly recorded during the "Red Rose Speedway" sessions which McCartney planned on releasing as a double set. When the album was paired back to one album, the ballad ended up on the shelf. Shame, since the song is that good. 5.) Best Friend (Paul McCartney) - 3:10 rating: *** stars Recorded off a soundboard during a 1972 date in Antwerp, the blues 'Best Friend' may not have been McCartney's most exciting composition, but it did a nice job showing that the ''72 era Wings (guitarists Henry McCullough, Denny Laine, drummer Denny Siewell) were a pretty tight live outfit. Another "Red Rose Speedway" castoff, the song was shelved when the album was released as a single set, rather than double album. 5.) Same Time Next Year (Paul McCartney) - 3:10 ** stars Another McCartney song written and rejected for a film, 'Same Time Next Year' was intended for the Robert Mulligen comedy (starring Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn). The film wasn't particular good and McCartney's vapid ballad was equally lame, which probably explains why it was rejected. It pains me to say this one was simply horrible.
© Scott R. Blackerby May, 2025
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Genre: pop Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Flowers In the Dirt Company: Capitol Catalog: C1-91653 Country/State: Liverpool, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: still in shrink wrap (opened), includes lyric insert Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $50.00
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One of the first albums I ever bought was 1973's "Band On the Run." I loved it, playing it relentlessly for weeks and to this day think it's a classic album. And after that I kept buying Paul McCartney albums, hoping the next one would be as good. There were certainly some enjoyable sets ("Venus and Mars"), but the general progression was McCartney albums became worse and worse. I can clearly remember buying 1984's"Give My Regards To Broad Street" and thinking it was awful. But wait, it was really a soundtrack, so maybe that explained it? One listen to 1986's "Pressed To Play" and I was out of excused and my long term love affair was over.
Twenty years later I stumbled across a mint copy of 1989's "Flowers In the Dirt." Butt ugly Brian Clarke cover and I only remembered hearing one of the twelve songs - 'My Brave Face' (I think I even bought a copy of the 45 - I remember the picture sleeve). Still, it was like meeting an old girlfriend ... How's she doing these days? How have the years treated her?
Looking
at some of the reviews, the general consensus seems to have been this was
the best album McCartney released in the '80s. Well, when you compared
it to"Tug of War", "Pipes of Peace",
the dreadful "Pressed To Play" ... even if it was
the best of the '80s work, the baseline for comparison purposes was pretty
low. When I actually listened to the full album, I had to admit the
My takeaways are the album wasn't a masterpiece. There were simply too many players giving the set a touch of artistic desperation. You got the feeling McCartney was trying too hard. So let me touch on the songs I enjoyed. Co-written with Costello, the first single 'My Brave Face' was more Beatle-esque than most of McCartney's solo catalog. Great ear-candy melody and the only tune I can actually remember hearing on the radio. Another Costello collaboration, 'You Want Her Too' wasn't melodically anything special, but was interesting for the arrangement which featured Costello's taking biting jabs at McCartney's "nice guy" character. Prototype McCartney sentimentality, but anyone who misses their father will find the stark, country-tinged 'Put It There' endearing. And finally, yet another Costello collaboration, 'That Day Is Done.' It was sentimental as 'Put It There' but inspired by the death of Costello's grandmother, I found the tune warm and somehow comforting. At the other end of the spectrum 'Distractions' found McCartney in weird jazz territory. 'How Many People' offered up a bad slice of reggae. 'Don't Be Careless Love' featured one of McCartney's most haphazard compositions and a train-wreck vocal. That left the remaining five songs in the middle - not great, not horrible. Was it a McCartney classic? Nope. Listenable, but not great.
"Flowers
In the Dirt" track listing: 1.) My Brave Face (Paul McCartney - Declan MacManus - Linda McCartney - Mitchell Froom - Neil Dorfsman) - 3:18 rating: **** stars McCartney's first collaboration with Elvis Costello, 'My Brave Face' always surprised me for it's Fab Four vibe; even more Beatle-esque than much of McCartney's solo catalog. Catchy, melodic and punchy. What's not to like about it though it's puzzling it didn't do better on the US charts.
- 1989's 'My Brave Face' b/w 'Flying To My Home' (Capitol catalog number B 44267) # 25 US Billboard charts Two versions of a promotional video were released along with the 45: Paul McCartney - My Brave Face - YouTube and a straight performance clip Paul McCartney - My Brave Face (Official Alternate Video) 2.) Rough Ride (Paul McCartney - Trevor Horn - Linda McCartney - Steve Lipson) - 4:43 rating: *** stars 'Rough Ride' marked McCartney's first collaboration with producers Lipson and Horn. The initial song was a 12 bar blues melody, but Horn and Lipson added in reggae and Go-Go music flavors. Always liked the song's slinky, raw feel. Drummer Chris Whitten was particularly good. The tune was filmed as part of an hour long television documentary covering the rehearsal and recording of the "Flowers In the Dirt" album. The documentary was broadcast by the BBC in June 1989 and later in the year by Showtime. Paul McCartney - Rough Ride (Video Version) 3.) You Want Her Too (Paul McCartney - Declan MacManus - Linda McCartney - Neil Dorfsman - Mitchell Froom - Elvis Costello) - 3:11 rating: **** stars 'You Want Her Too found 'McCartney and Costello sharing lead vocals and competing for the affections of a girl plotline. Built on a "good cop and bad cap" narrative, the structure gave the two an opportunity to showcase their images - in the case McCartney was the sincere guy, while Costello got to deploy his "mean boy" image to good effect. The original version of the song had McCartney singing the whole thing, but they quickly realized it sounded better with Costello participating. Extra star for Costello's sneering lyrics. 4.) Distractions (Paul McCartney - Linda McCartney) - 4:38 rating: ** stars The heavily orchestrated opening sounded like something he was planning for a forthcoming classical oriented project (think "Liverpool Oratorio"). After the opening, the track flopped into Sergio Mendes/Astrud Giberto jazzy territory. It was certainly laconic and I know lots of folks love the song, but I wasn't one of them. I'll will admit to enjoying Hamish Stuart's acoustic guitar solo. Curiously a music video was released in support of the album: Paul McCartney - Distractions (Official Music Video, Remastered) 5.) We Got Married (Paul McCartney - Linda McCartney - David Foster) - 4:57 rating: *** stars David Gilmour on guitar and his instantly recognizable sound provides the song's highlight !!! Shame the rest of the song wasn't anything special. Extra star for Gilmour's contributions. Capitol considered releasing the song as a single and commissioned one of the dullest promotional videos ever filmed, before deciding against it. and no, Gilmour didn't appear in the video. In a 2017 interview with People magazine McCartney talked about the song: "It’s a pretty little song, heartfelt. It’s not totally autobiographical but it captures being first married, first in love like Linda and I were. We didn’t get a flat together, little details like that are me as a songwriter just throwing in stuff that feels good. But basically it’s our life story, me and Linda." Paul McCartney - "We Got Married" 6.) Put It There (Paul McCartney - Linda McCartney) - 2:07 rating: **** stars As much as I want to dislike this simple, country-flavored ballad, there's something charming and thought provoking about 'Put It There.' Abandoning the full band format, the track found McCartney accompanied by Hamish Stuart on bass and Chris Whitten on drums. Inspired by a phrase his late father had used, it showcased McCartney 's unmatched ability to pull at your heartstrings. Every time I hear it I think of my own late father and have to fight the urge to shed a tear. It wasn't a song I would have released as a single, but Capitol did (though not in the States). There was also a promotional video: Paul McCartney - Put It There This was another track featured on the 'Put It There' clip starts and the 41:24 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oIWD67Dtok
7" inch variant - 1990's 'Put It There' b/w 'Mama's Little Girl' (Parlophone catalog number R 6242) 12" variant - 1990's 'Put It There' b/w 'Mama's Little Girl' and 'Same Time Next Year' (Parlophone catalog number 12RS 6242)
(side 2) 1.) Figure of Eight (Paul McCartney - Trevor Horn - Linda McCartney- Steve Lipson) - 3:25 *** stars (album version) and **** stars (45 version) There was certainly a good song buried somewhere in the rocker 'Figure of Eight'. The thing I've never figured out is why McCartney felt the need to trot out his "gargle with lye" voice on this one. The end results sounded raw; almost atonal and just painful. You could hear his natural delivery on the chorus and it was way better than the ragged lead vocals. Interestingly McCartney re-recorded the song for release as a single. The vocals were just as ragged but the redo was recorded at a November show in Rotterdam and featured his enthusiastic touring band (shown on the picture sleeve of the original UK 45). The track also appeared on the resulting live album "Tripping the Love Fantastic." The single version was also considerably longer than the original album version. At least to my ears the live version was superior to the album version - the backing band making the difference. Jumping on the marketing floodgates, the song was released in an overwhelming number of formats - CD, vinyl, 7", 12"; 12" etched vinyl, etc.
7" variant - 1998's 'Figure of Eight' b/w 'Où est le Soleil' (Parlophone R 6235) 12" variant - 1989's 'Figure Of Eight ' b/w 'Ou Est Le Soleil?' and 'Ou Est Le Soleil? (Tub Dub Mix)' (Parlophone 12RX 6235) There was also a promotional video for the tune: Paul McCartney - Figure Of Eight (Official Music Video) Remastered & DTS 5.1 Audio 2.) This One (Paul McCartney - Linda McCartney) - 4:10 rating: *** stars 'This One' represents a McCartney song that I find myself liking in spite of myself. The tune is pretty pedestrian, but McCartney pulled out that "voice" (except for a brief section where he pushes it) that we all love. The melody, breezy lyrics and catchy refrain wormed their way into you head when your not expecting it. Damn you McCartney. It was released as the album's second single (in a wide array of formats).
7" variant - 1989's 'This One' b/w 'The First Stone' (Parlophone catalog number R 6223) 12" variant - 1989's 'This One' and 'The First Stone' b/w 'I Wanna Cry' and 'I'm In Love Again' (Parlophone catalog number 12 R 6223) The single was accompanied by an odd promotional video. Always wondered if the Indian theme was a nod to George Harrison: Paul McCartney "This One" (Music Video 1989) 3.) Don't Be Careless Love (Paul McCartney - Declan MacManus - Linda McCartney - Elvis Costello - Mitchell Froom) - 3:18 rating: * star Geez, McCartney's vocals sounded squeaky and shrill. The song itself seemed like it had been stitched together from the fragments of throwaway tunes and a Gospel choir had mistakenly wandered into the recording session. Hard to say this, but it was just one horrible song and it seemed to go on forever.. 4.) That Day Is Done (Paul McCartney - Declan MacManus - Linda McCartney - Neil Dorfsman - Mitchell Froom - Elvis Costello) 4:19 rating: **** stars IN a interview with Mojo, Costello explained 'That Day Is Done had been written about his grandmother’s funeral (his Nana). Perhaps nothing more than wishful thinking, but I've always felt that of the four McCartney-Costello collaborations on the album, this was the one where his influence was the most apparent. I'll also admit that McCartney's bittersweet performance, underscored by a Gospel-ish feel perfectly captured the heartbreaking experience. Not one of the album's easiest tunes, but certain one of the most memorable. 5.) How Many People (Paul McCartney - Trevor Horn - Linda McCartney - Steve Lipson) - 4:14 rating: * star I'm a big reggae fan. I'm not a big fan of Paul McCartney doing reggae. The tune was supposedly inspired by murdered Brazilian trade union leader and environmentalist Chico Mendes. If so, McCartney's inspiration was in the right place, but man was the song band and forgettable. I'd almost rather hear 'Seaside Woman'. 6.) Motor of Love (Paul McCartney - Chris Hughes - Linda McCartney - Ross Cullum) - 6:18 rating: *** stars Admittedly the first couple of spins didn't impress me. I thought the title 'Motor of Love' was odd; the lyrics sappy and the melody was almost saccharine. And then the song started to worm its way into my head. It was sappy, but the melody was kind of sweet and McCartney's vocals were enthusiastic. Interestingly, McCartney was going to drop the song from the album, but asked producer Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum (hot off their successes with Tears for Fears) to take a shot at the tune. They responded with the resulting thick, '80s production sound and convinced McCartney to add a new middle section, which he wrote and recorded in two takes at the studio. As for people thinking the song had a religious orientation, that wasn't McCartney's intention; the reference to "Heavenly Father" apparently a nod to his late father. Not there's anything with someone interpreting the song as having a religious message ...
Scott R. Blackerby May, 2025
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it surprised me in a number of ways. Other than wife Linda, McCartney
had largely been a one man creative
show. Sure there'd been a couple of collaborations with Denny Laine
along the way, but those earlier solo albums were pretty much
McCartney. Yes, Linda was credited as a co-writer on all twelve of
these songs, but there were four collaborations with Elvis Costello
!!! There were three songs with Trevor Horn. There was one
(admittedly surprisingly decent) collaboration with David Foster.
Similarly, McCartney had
largely produced himself on those earlier releases. Here, in addition
to working with Costello, the credits found McCartney working with three
production teams: Mitchell Froom and Neil Dorfsman; Steve Lipson and Trevor
Horn, and Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum. What the world was going
on? Give McCartney credit for recognizing he needed outside
support. Give him credit for enthusiastically jumping into the
collaborations and reaching into new directions - Foster, Tears for Fears
producers Hughes and Cullum. Given him credit for trying some new
things, though not all of it worked. 
