McCartney II - Front Cover | McCartney II - Rear Cover |
McCartney II - Inside Gatefold | |
McCartney II - Front of Inner Sleeve |
Label | Parlophone | ||||||
Catalogue No. | PCTC 258 | ||||||
Release date | 16th May 1980 | ||||||
Total time | 38:09 | ||||||
U.K. Album Chart Detail : |
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Detail : | Paul's twelfth solo venture, truly solo, 10 years after the first "McCartney" album. Entering at number 1 is a great achievement, but, hadn't there been better releases before this one, that had NOT reached the upper echelon ? ... Fortunately the single "Coming Up" had been released one month earlier (successfully), and with it's tremendous video, people were obviously keen to buy the album to accompany the smash single. As with the "McCartney" album of 10 years earlier, Paul recorded this release completely solo, except for Linda's backing vocals on the last track. The sessions for the album actually produced over 20 songs and originally this release was going to be a double album. But with prudent editing emerged as a single L.P.
McCartney II - Recording Sessions, July 1979
The cover photography is by Linda, and for the first time in many years we see the black and silver Parlophone label appearing on McCartney vinyl. The inner sleeve has a picture of Paul on one side, with the lyrics on the other. |
Track | Composer | Recording Information | Time |
Coming Up | McCartney | Paul's vocal is distorted using vari-speed on this, the cream of the album. | 3:52 |
Temporary Secretary | McCartney | A song (quite clearly) in the form of a letter to the Alfred Marks employment bureau,
who after hearing it, asked permission to use the song in a radio advert. Oddly, they were turned down. (Why, Paul ?) |
3:13 |
On The Way | McCartney | Paul recorded the backing track for this, then left it for one week. During that week
he was influenced by a BBC programme about Alexis Korner, and transformed the track into a more "bluesy" number. And what a great sound on this simple, but effective track. |
3:36 |
Waterfalls | McCartney | Originally entitled, "I Need Love". Paul's house in Kent is called "Waterfalls", and this song was actually written long in advance of recording. The finished article ? ... An immense ballad. |
4:41 |
Nobody Knows | McCartney | This song was also influenced by the BBC programme about Alexis Korner, but starts like it's a one man band like Don Partridge ! ... a very happy-sounding knockabout. | 2:51 |
Track | Composer | Recording Information | Time |
Front Parlour | McCartney | An odd instrumental, named because it was recorded in the same room in Paul's farmhouse. | 3:30 |
Summer's Day Song | McCartney | Nice words, nice melody, with an almost hymnal feel about it. | 3:24 |
Frozen Jap | McCartney | Is this Aneka ? ... very similar sounding. But seriously, a pretty mundane instrumental. |
3:38 |
Bogey Music | McCartney | As described on the inner sleeve, this track is inspired by the Raymond Briggs book
Fungus The Bogeyman An early 50's heavily reverberated feel, that sounds like a one-take job. |
3:25 |
Darkroom | McCartney | This was ad-libbed as it went along (and sounds it), but allegedly was NOT inspired by Linda's photographic interests. | 2:18 |
One Of These Days | McCartney | A very pleasant ballad .... but ... The ONLY track I can think of by Paul, where the
title appears in better form elsewhere. Checkout Pink Floyd`s "One Of These Days" ! |
3:33 |
September 1987, the next listing is on the Fame label, FA 3191 (+ TCFA 3191).
October 1987, the first C.D. release, it's on Fame catalogue number CDFA 3191
(the International number is CDM 7 52024 2)
The front cover "booklet", only opens out to three cheapo pages containing just the pictures seen on the album.
This has a running time of 55:02 as it adds the bonus tracks of :
Track | Composer | Time |
Check My Machine | McCartney | 5:49 |
Secret Friend | McCartney | 10:29 |
31st January 1988, "McCartney II" is deleted from the E.M.I. catalogue.
June 1993, a "Re-master" re-issue C.D. has catalogue number CDPMCOL 11 (+ TCPMCOL 11),
(international number CDP 7 89137 2),
This release has a 16 page booklet which includes all the lyrics (even including the bonus tracks)
This has a running time of 59:31, as it adds the bonus tracks of :
Track | Composer | Time |
Check My Machine | McCartney | 5:49 |
Secret Friend | McCartney | 10:29 |
Goodnight Tonight | McCartney | 4:19 |
13th June 2011 - McCartney II - The Paul McCartney Archive Collection is released (3 CD/1 DVD + book)
17th November 2017 - Clear Vinyl version (578 3677) - Nothing new, no bonus tracks.
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