| Detail : |
Paul's thirteenth "solo" album release, and almost two years after "McCartney II".
With "Ebony and Ivory" doing so well in the singles chart, the timely release meant that the album entered the L.P. chart
straight into the highest position. After two weeks it had sold 20,000 copies in the U.K. and had passed the 100,000 sales
mark before August. It remained in the chart for over 6 months.
The production of "Tug Of War" spanned a year and a half, starting in October 1980, and not being completed until March 1982.
During this period, on 27th April 1981, it was officially announced that Denny had left the group, and that Wings had
disbanded. "Tug Of War" had an initial official release date of 15th February 1982, then 12th March, but did not appear in
the shops until the end of April.
Tug Of War - Recording Sessions
28th June 1980 - Finston Manor, Tenterton, Kent. - Rehearsals which included "Ballroom Dancing" and the unreleased song,
"Call Of Nature"
16th July 1980 - Super Bear studios, Paris, France - During Ringo's sessions for "Stop And Smell The Roses", an 8 minute
Linda song, "Love's Full Glory" is recorded ... which remained unreleased until the 1998 album "Wide Prairie", but then at
only 3' 46" long.
2nd-25th October 1980 - Finston Manor, Tenterton, Kent. - The final Wings sessions, produce many initial demo's for
the album "Tug Of War", which include :
"Take It Away", "Ballroom Dancing", "The Pound Is Sinking", "Wanderlust", "Dress Me Up As A Robber", and "Ebony And Ivory".
AND the next album, "Pipes Of Peace" which include :
"Keep Under Cover", "Average Person", and "Sweetest Little Show".
Also recorded are, "Rainclouds" (B-side of the single "Ebony And Ivory"),
"Old Man Lovin", "Sure To Fall", "Movie Magg", "Blue Moon Of Kentucky", "Summertime", "Good Rockin' Tonight - Shake, Rattle
and Roll", "Cut Across Shorty", "Stealin' Back To My Same Old Used To Be", "Singing The Blues", "Johnny B. Goode",
"Twenty Flight Rock", and "Cage".
plus a number of unreleased tracks which are :
"Stop, You Don't Know Where She Came From", "Take Her Back, Jack", "The Unbelievable Experience",
"Here's The Chord, Roy (sic)", "Seems Like Old Times" and a further version of "Boil Crisis" first started in 1977.
27th October - 3rd November 1980 - AIR Studios, London - The Rupert The Bear tracks are recorded.
9th December 1980 - AIR Studios, London - The Day after John's murder, Paul, and Denny with George Martin record a
small piece of "Rainclouds" before being unable to continue.
2nd February - 3rd March 1981 - Air Studios, Montserrat - "Somebody Who Cares", "The Pound Is Sinking", "Hey Hey" and
"Rainclouds". During these sessions on 16th/17th February, Ringo joins Paul to record "Take It Away",
on 21st February Carl Perkins joins Paul for "Get It", and 26th February Stevie Wonder joins Paul to
record "What's That You're Doing" and finally, "Ebony And Ivory" in the final days on Montserrat.
Summer 1981 - Paul's Scottish Studios - "Dress Me Up As A Robber", "Tug Of War", "Ballroom Dancing", "Be What You See",
"Wanderlust", "Here Today", "I'll Give You A Ring", "The Man", "Average Person", "Keep Under Cover", "Sweetest Little Show",
"Ode To A Koala Bear" and with Michael Jackson, "Say Say Say".
Plus the unreleased track "Blackpool" planned to be the B-side of "The Man".
14th-16th April 1982 - Westlake Studios, L.A. - "The Girl Is Mine" with Michael Jackson.
The album cover was designed by Hipgnosis and Sinc., with photography by Linda, and artwork by Brian Clarke.
The label on the disc is in the same blue and red style and colouration as the front cover. |
