Coming Up (song)
Encyclopedia
"Coming Up" was the opening track from Paul McCartney
's McCartney II
album, written by McCartney and released in 1980
. Like the rest of the album, the song had a minimalist synthesized feel to it. It featured lead vocals from McCartney distorted by using vari-speed, and he played all the instruments and shared harmonies with his wife Linda McCartney
. It appears again in 1987 on All the Best!
, a McCartney compilation album.
John Lennon
had liked the song, crediting it for driving him out of retirement to resume recording.
, Scotland
on 17 December 1979 by Wings
during their tour of the UK
. This version had a much fuller sound and was included as one of the two songs on the B-side of the single; the other B-side was also a Wings song, "Lunchbox/Odd Sox", that dated back to the Venus and Mars
sessions. Both B-sides were credited to Paul McCartney & Wings (see the alternative cover), the first time this credit had been used for a Wings record since "Junior's Farm
."
In the US and Canada, radio stations bypassed the McCartney solo A-side and played the live Wings B-side. To help sales of McCartney II, a special single-sided 7" 33⅓ rpm promotional white-label copy of the Wings version was included with the album in North America.
The live Wings version has since appeared on various McCartney best-of compilations. For example, on the McCartney and Wings greatest hits album Wingspan, the live Wings version is included on the US/Canada releases, while the McCartney solo studio version is included on the UK release.
A different live Wings recording of "Coming Up" appears on the album version of the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea, with an additional verse that was edited out of the Glasgow release.
, McCartney identified the two characters that were impersonations of specific artists: Hank Marvin
(guitarist from The Shadows
), Ron Mael
of Sparks
(keyboards), and a 'Beatlemania
-Era' version of himself. While others such as author Fred Bronson have suggested that there are other identifiable impersonations in the video, such as Andy MacKay
, Frank Zappa
and Neil Young
, McCartney said the other roles were simply comic relief.
The video made its world premiere on Saturday Night Live
on 17 May 1980.
hit in June 1980 and peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Disco Top 100 chart. The single reached number two in the UK.
"Coming Up" is the only Paul McCartney song to hit the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart that was credited to McCartney as a solo artist. All other Billboard number-one singles involving McCartney after The Beatles are officially credited to either Paul & Linda McCartney ("Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey"), Paul McCartney & Wings ("My Love," "Band on the Run"), Wings ("Listen to What the Man Said", "Silly Love Songs," "With a Little Luck"), Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
("Ebony and Ivory
") and Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
("Say, Say, Say"). That oddity makes McCartney the ex-Beatle to top the charts both the most (in conjunction with Wings and others) and the least (by himself) after the band's breakup. Ringo Starr
and John Lennon
each registered two U.S. pop number-one hits, while George Harrison had three, all of which were credited to each of them alone. Although, in Joel Whitburn's The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, the version listed at #1 is the live version by Paul McCartney and Wings, as most radio station picked up on and played the live side of the single.
The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
for sales of over one million copies.
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's McCartney II
McCartney II
McCartney II is the third album by Paul McCartney, and the first since the formation of Wings in 1971. It was released in 1980, a year before the band's dissolution and while their future lay in limbo...
album, written by McCartney and released in 1980
1980 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.-January–March:*January 1**Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Elizabeth II.**The Zorros audition drummer Greg Pedley....
. Like the rest of the album, the song had a minimalist synthesized feel to it. It featured lead vocals from McCartney distorted by using vari-speed, and he played all the instruments and shared harmonies with his wife Linda McCartney
Linda McCartney
Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....
. It appears again in 1987 on All the Best!
All the Best!
All the Best! is the second official compilation album of Paul McCartney music, after 1978's Wings Greatest and was released in 1987. The album contains tracks from the beginning of his solo career in 1970 up to the newly recorded "Once Upon a Long Ago." The track inclusion and running order...
, a McCartney compilation album.
John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
had liked the song, crediting it for driving him out of retirement to resume recording.
Live Wings version
A live version of the song was recorded in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on 17 December 1979 by Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
during their tour of the UK
Wings UK Tour 1979
On 23 November 1979, Paul McCartney's band Wings began a 19-date concert tour of the United Kingdom to promote their newest album, Back to the Egg....
. This version had a much fuller sound and was included as one of the two songs on the B-side of the single; the other B-side was also a Wings song, "Lunchbox/Odd Sox", that dated back to the Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars is the fourth album by Wings. Released as the follow-up to the enormously successful Band on the Run, Venus and Mars continued Wings' string of success and would prove a springboard for a year-long worldwide tour...
sessions. Both B-sides were credited to Paul McCartney & Wings (see the alternative cover), the first time this credit had been used for a Wings record since "Junior's Farm
Junior's Farm
"Junior's Farm" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Paul McCartney and Wings. A number-three hit single in the United States, it was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1974, while the band was staying at the farm of Curly Putman Jr., which accounts for the title. The...
."
In the US and Canada, radio stations bypassed the McCartney solo A-side and played the live Wings B-side. To help sales of McCartney II, a special single-sided 7" 33⅓ rpm promotional white-label copy of the Wings version was included with the album in North America.
The live Wings version has since appeared on various McCartney best-of compilations. For example, on the McCartney and Wings greatest hits album Wingspan, the live Wings version is included on the US/Canada releases, while the McCartney solo studio version is included on the UK release.
A different live Wings recording of "Coming Up" appears on the album version of the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea, with an additional verse that was edited out of the Glasgow release.
Video
"Coming Up" is also well known for its video. It is an early example of electronic trickery, with Paul McCartney playing ten roles and Linda McCartney playing two. The "band" (identified as "The Plastic Macs" on the drum kit—a nod to Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band") features Paul and Linda's imitations of various rock musician stereotypes, as well as a few identifiable musicians. In his audio commentary on the 2007 video collection The McCartney YearsThe McCartney Years
The McCartney Years is a three-DVD set featuring music videos, live performances and other rare footage from Paul McCartney's solo career and Wings. The set spans the years 1970 to 2005...
, McCartney identified the two characters that were impersonations of specific artists: Hank Marvin
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
(guitarist from The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
), Ron Mael
Ron Mael
Ronald David Mael , is an American musician and songwriter. He and his younger brother Russell, make up the pop duo Sparks.Ron Mael was born in Culver City, California. Ron plays keyboard and writes most of the songs for Sparks...
of Sparks
Sparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
(keyboards), and a 'Beatlemania
Beatlemania
Beatlemania is a term that originated during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success...
-Era' version of himself. While others such as author Fred Bronson have suggested that there are other identifiable impersonations in the video, such as Andy MacKay
Andy Mackay
Andrew "Andy" Mackay is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founder member of the art-rock group Roxy Music....
, Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, McCartney said the other roles were simply comic relief.
The video made its world premiere on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on 17 May 1980.
Chart performance
"Coming Up" became a number one U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit in June 1980 and peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Disco Top 100 chart. The single reached number two in the UK.
"Coming Up" is the only Paul McCartney song to hit the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart that was credited to McCartney as a solo artist. All other Billboard number-one singles involving McCartney after The Beatles are officially credited to either Paul & Linda McCartney ("Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey"), Paul McCartney & Wings ("My Love," "Band on the Run"), Wings ("Listen to What the Man Said", "Silly Love Songs," "With a Little Luck"), Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
("Ebony and Ivory
Ebony and Ivory
"Ebony and Ivory" is a 1982 number-one single by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. It was released on March 29 of that year. The song is featured on McCartney's album Tug of War. The song reached number one on both the UK and the U.S. charts...
") and Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
("Say, Say, Say"). That oddity makes McCartney the ex-Beatle to top the charts both the most (in conjunction with Wings and others) and the least (by himself) after the band's breakup. Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
and John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
each registered two U.S. pop number-one hits, while George Harrison had three, all of which were credited to each of them alone. Although, in Joel Whitburn's The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, the version listed at #1 is the live version by Paul McCartney and Wings, as most radio station picked up on and played the live side of the single.
The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for sales of over one million copies.
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| Canada RPM 100 Singles | 1 |