Daytime Nighttime Suffering
Encyclopedia
"Daytime Nighttime Suffering" is a song written by Paul McCartney
and recorded by Wings
. It was the B-side to the 1979 single "Goodnight Tonight
," which was a top-five hit in both the UK and USA. It was released on CD in 1993 as part of the release of The Paul McCartney Collection
, and can be found as a bonus track on the album Back to the Egg
. It is also included on the CD collection Wingspan: Hits and History
.
"When Wings was recording Back to the Egg
, Paul had announced to the other band members that if they could come up with a good enough song, it would be recorded and put on B-side of the single. Such a generous gesture opened financial doors for the other band members, as the song could earn a small fortune as the flip side of a hit single. Each member--including Linda--spent the weekend trying to compose the song, but when Monday morning rolled around, Paul announced that he had written 'the one.' It was included as the B-side of 'Goodnight Tonight
', which hit the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic in the spring of 1979 and went gold in the United States."
, who was a baby at the time, can be heard crying about two minutes into the song.
McCartney cited the song as "one of my current favourites" in a 1984 interview with Oprah Winfrey
, and he has mentioned it as a favourite in subsequent interviews as well. Linda McCartney mentioned it as a favourite as well. Despite this, McCartney has never performed the song live, although it was selected for inclusion on the "History" disc of the Wingspan: Hits and History collection.
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...
and recorded 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....
. It was the B-side to the 1979 single "Goodnight Tonight
Goodnight Tonight
"Goodnight Tonight" is Wings' disco-inflected single which included a spirited flamenco guitar break. It peaked at number five in both the United Kingdom and United States during 1979. The track did not appear on Wings' then-current LP Back to the Egg , however it was included on the 1987 McCartney...
," which was a top-five hit in both the UK and USA. It was released on CD in 1993 as part of the release of The Paul McCartney Collection
The Paul McCartney Collection
The Paul McCartney Collection is a 16 volume set of reissues by Paul McCartney of his solo and Wings albums, with most adding bonus tracks. The discs in the collection were released separately in most of the world, with half appearing on June 7, 1993, and the remainder on August 9 of the same year...
, and can be found as a bonus track on the album Back to the Egg
Back to the Egg
Back to the Egg is the seventh and final studio album by Wings, released in 1979. It is also Wings' first album for Columbia Records after leaving long-time United States distributor Capitol Records in 1978...
. It is also included on the CD collection Wingspan: Hits and History
Wingspan: Hits and History
-Disc 2: History:-Chart positions:-Year-end charts:-Certifications:- References :...
.
Story behind the writing of the song
According to the book Band on the Run: A History of Paul McCartney & Wings by Garry McGee, the writing of the song was as follows:"When Wings was recording Back to the Egg
Back to the Egg
Back to the Egg is the seventh and final studio album by Wings, released in 1979. It is also Wings' first album for Columbia Records after leaving long-time United States distributor Capitol Records in 1978...
, Paul had announced to the other band members that if they could come up with a good enough song, it would be recorded and put on B-side of the single. Such a generous gesture opened financial doors for the other band members, as the song could earn a small fortune as the flip side of a hit single. Each member--including Linda--spent the weekend trying to compose the song, but when Monday morning rolled around, Paul announced that he had written 'the one.' It was included as the B-side of 'Goodnight Tonight
Goodnight Tonight
"Goodnight Tonight" is Wings' disco-inflected single which included a spirited flamenco guitar break. It peaked at number five in both the United Kingdom and United States during 1979. The track did not appear on Wings' then-current LP Back to the Egg , however it was included on the 1987 McCartney...
', which hit the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic in the spring of 1979 and went gold in the United States."
Recording and subsequent history
The song was recorded January and February 1979 as part of the album sessions. In contrast to the quick composition of the song, the mixing required 49 attempts. McCartney's son JamesJames McCartney
James Louis McCartney is a British musician and songwriter living in London. He is the only son of songwriter and former Beatle Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney...
, who was a baby at the time, can be heard crying about two minutes into the song.
McCartney cited the song as "one of my current favourites" in a 1984 interview with Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, and he has mentioned it as a favourite in subsequent interviews as well. Linda McCartney mentioned it as a favourite as well. Despite this, McCartney has never performed the song live, although it was selected for inclusion on the "History" disc of the Wingspan: Hits and History collection.