Tug Of War

Paul McCartney
 
Tug Of War - Front cover Tug Of War - Rear Cover
Tug Of War - Front Cover Tug Of War - Rear Cover
Tug Of War - Front of Inner Sleeve Tug Of War - Rear of Inner Sleeve
Tug Of War - Front of Inner Sleeve Tug Of War - Rear of Inner Sleeve
Label Apple
Catalogue No. PCTC 259
Release date 26th April 1982
Total time 41:12
U.K. Album Chart Detail :
Entry Date :8th May 1982
Highest Position :1 ... for 2 weeks from 8th May 1982.
Weeks in Chart :27
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.


Side 1

Track Composer Recording Information Time
Tug Of War McCartney The grunting and groaning at the start of this track is an actual Tug-of-war contest recorded in Huddersfield at the annual championships.
Paul : Bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums, synthesisers and vocals
Linda : Backing vocal
Denny L. : Electric guitar
Eric Stewart : Electric guitar, backing vocal
Campbell Maloney : Military snares
4:20
Take It Away McCartney Ringo backs Paul on his favourite drums.
Paul : Bass, acoustic guitar, piano and vocals
Linda : Backing vocal
Ringo Starr : Drums
Eric Stewart : Backing vocal
Steve Gadd : Drums
George Martin : Electric Piano
3:50
Somebody Who Cares McCartney
Paul : Acoustic guitar, spanish guitar and vocals
Linda : Backing vocal
Denny L. : Guitar synthesiser
Steve Gadd : Drums, percussion
Eric Stewart : Backing vocal
Stanley Clarke : Bass
Adrian Brett : Pan pipes
3:13
What's That You're Doing Wonder-McCartney This track originated out of a studio jam session.
Paul : Bass, drums, electric guitar and vocals
Linda : Backing vocal
Stevie Wonder : Synthesisers, vocals
Andy Mackay : Lyricon
Eric Stewart : Backing vocal
6:13
Here Today McCartney Paul's tribute to John
Paul : Guitar, and vocals
Jack Rothstein : Violin
Bernard Partridge : Violin
Ian Jewel : Viola
Keith Harvey : Cello
2:24

Side 2

Track Composer Recording Information Time
Ballroom Dancing McCartney
Paul : Bass, drums, percussion, electric guitar and vocals
Linda : Backing vocal
Denny Laine : Electric guitar
Jack Brymer : Clarinet Gliss
Eric Stewart : Backing vocal
Peter Marshall : "Narration"
4:06
The Pound Is Sinking McCartney
Paul : Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synthesisers and vocals
Linda : Backing vocal
Denny L. : Acoustic guitar
Eric Stewart : Backing vocal
Stanley Clarke : Bass
2:49
Wanderlust McCartney "Wanderlust" was the name of one of the boats hired in the Virgin Islands
Paul : Bass, acoustic guitar, piano and vocals
Linda : Backing vocal
Denny L. : Bass
Adrian Sheppard : Drums, percussion
Eric Stewart : Backing vocal
Philip Jones Brass Ensemble : Brass
3:47
Get It McCartney This includes Carl laughing at the end of the track. The laughter is in respect of a rude joke Paul told him, but the joke had to be removed from the released version.
Released as the B-side of the single "Tug Of War".
Paul : Bass, acoustic guitar, synthesisers, percussion and vocals
Carl Perkins : Electric guitar, vocal
2:28
Be What You See (Link) McCartney
Paul : Guitar and vocoder
0:32
Dress Me Up As A Robber McCartney Appeared on the 12" issue of "Take It Away"
Paul : Bass, guitars, and vocals
Linda : Backing vocal
Denny L. : Synthesisers, electric guitar
Dave Mattacks : Drums, percussion
George Martin : Electric piano
2:40
Ebony And Ivory McCartney The smash hit single.
Paul : Bass, guitar, synthesisers, vocoder, percussion, piano and vocals
Stevie Wonder : Electric piano, synthesisers, drums, percussion and vocals
3:41


Further Issues of "Tug Of War"

There is also a cassette version released on the initial release date, TCPCTC 259,
The original L.P. and cassette were ... deleted May 1987.

4th February 1985, the first C.D. release, on Parlophone using an international number of, CDP 7 46057 2. This has the same tracks and running time as the standard album release.

17th October 1988, the Fame label re-release the album on FA 3210, with a cassette TCFA 3210 and C.D. CDFA 3210, once again no bonus tracks.

June 1993, a "Re-master" re-issue C.D. has catalogue number CDPMCOL 12 (+ TCPMCOL 12),
(international number CDP 7 89266 2),
Although (alledgedly) remastered it has the same tracks as all the above releases.

2nd October 2015 - Tug Of War - The Paul McCartney Archive Collection is released (3 CD/1 DVD + book + extras)

17th November 2017 - Blue Vinyl version (578 3680) - Nothing new, no bonus tracks.



©2001 JPGR's Beatles Pages. All Rights Reserved.