McCartney (album)
Encyclopedia
McCartney is the debut solo album by Paul McCartney
. Apart from Linda McCartney
's vocal contributions, McCartney performed (and recorded) the entire album solo. Featuring loosely arranged (and in some cases, unfinished) home recordings, McCartney further explored the "back-to-basics" style which had been intended for The Beatles
Let It Be
.
were growing apart. Recordings were made from late 1969 to March 1970 in London at his home, at Morgan Studios, and at Abbey Road Studios
(under the pseudonym "Billy Martin"). McCartney had brought his instruments with him, as well as a Studer
four-track
tape recorder
. He recorded the ad-libbed "The Lovely Linda
" to test the equipment before the year was out. Enjoying the experience, he continued, composing and improvising new material and overdubbing his singing. In March 1970, as Phil Spector
was concurrently mixing the Let It Be album, McCartney was completed.
The other Beatles realised that McCartney could conflict with the impending release of the Let It Be album and film. Ringo Starr
, whose own first album was almost ready for release, was sent to ask McCartney to delay his solo debut. McCartney later commented, "They eventually sent Ringo round to my house at Cavendish with a message: 'We want you to put your release date back, it's for the good of the group', and all of this sort of shit. He was giving me the party line; they just made him come round, so I did something I'd never done before or since: I told him to get out. I had to do something like that in order to assert myself because I was just sinking. I was getting pummeled about the head, in my mind anyway."
On 10 April, McCartney publicly announced his departure from the Beatles in the form of a Q & A package included in advance copies of the album sent to the press, containing questions McCartney could — and probably would — have been asked about the Beatles' break-up and their future. He stated that he did not know whether the group's break-up would be temporary or permanent (the complete questionnaire, as well as McCartney's own song-by-song commentary, is included in Richard DiLello's book, The Longest Cocktail Party
, as an appendix).
One of the most notable songs on the album is "Maybe I'm Amazed
", one of McCartney's many love songs for his first wife, which later went on to reach No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100
upon being released as a single from the album Wings over America
in 1977. McCartney has subsequently revealed that Linda was instrumental in bolstering his spirits and confidence during the album's making, and helping him out of his depression over losing the Beatles.
's Bridge Over Troubled Water
, which stayed at #1 for 33 (non-consecutive) weeks. There McCartney debuted straight at #2, where it remained for 3 weeks.
Shortly after the album's release, George Harrison
described "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "That Would Be Something
" as "great", and regarded the other tracks as "fair". John Lennon
stated in his 1970 interview with Rolling Stone
editor Jann Wenner
that, given McCartney's penchant for demanding perfectionism in the studio from his fellow Beatles, he was surprised at the lack of quality in the album; Lennon also made several remarks comparing McCartney negatively to his own solo album debut, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
.
When the new remastered version was released in 2011 as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection, the album re-entered the charts in the UK, Netherlands, France and Japan.
It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
.
.
The album was released in three different versions: a two-disc special edition with the second disc containing bonus audio tracks, a two-disc 180-gram remastered vinyl, and a deluxe two-CD and one-DVD version that contains a 128-page hardcover book with never-before-published photos and all-new liner notes.
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...
. Apart from 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....
's vocal contributions, McCartney performed (and recorded) the entire album solo. Featuring loosely arranged (and in some cases, unfinished) home recordings, McCartney further explored the "back-to-basics" style which had been intended for The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
Let It Be
Let It Be (album)
Let It Be is the 12th and final studio album released by the English rock band The Beatles. It was released on 8 May 1970 by the band's Apple Records label shortly after the group announced their break-up....
.
History
The development of McCartney was undertaken as the BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
were growing apart. Recordings were made from late 1969 to March 1970 in London at his home, at Morgan Studios, and at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
(under the pseudonym "Billy Martin"). McCartney had brought his instruments with him, as well as a Studer
Studer
Studer is a Swiss manufacturer of professional audio equipment, founded in Zurich in 1948 by Willi Studer. It is known primarily for the design and manufacture of analog tape recorders and mixing consoles. Studer also produce other technology solutions, such as telephony management systems and...
four-track
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
tape recorder
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
. He recorded the ad-libbed "The Lovely Linda
The Lovely Linda
"The Lovely Linda" is the first song on Paul McCartney's debut solo album McCartney. The song is a home demo dedicated to McCartney's first wife Linda. It is the shortest song in McCartney's catalogue at 42 seconds long. The song was featured on the compilation Wingspan: Hits and History....
" to test the equipment before the year was out. Enjoying the experience, he continued, composing and improvising new material and overdubbing his singing. In March 1970, as Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
was concurrently mixing the Let It Be album, McCartney was completed.
The other Beatles realised that McCartney could conflict with the impending release of the Let It Be album and film. 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...
, whose own first album was almost ready for release, was sent to ask McCartney to delay his solo debut. McCartney later commented, "They eventually sent Ringo round to my house at Cavendish with a message: 'We want you to put your release date back, it's for the good of the group', and all of this sort of shit. He was giving me the party line; they just made him come round, so I did something I'd never done before or since: I told him to get out. I had to do something like that in order to assert myself because I was just sinking. I was getting pummeled about the head, in my mind anyway."
On 10 April, McCartney publicly announced his departure from the Beatles in the form of a Q & A package included in advance copies of the album sent to the press, containing questions McCartney could — and probably would — have been asked about the Beatles' break-up and their future. He stated that he did not know whether the group's break-up would be temporary or permanent (the complete questionnaire, as well as McCartney's own song-by-song commentary, is included in Richard DiLello's book, The Longest Cocktail Party
The Longest Cocktail Party
The Longest Cocktail Party: An Insider's Diary of the Beatles, Their Million-dollar Apple Empire and Its Wild Rise and Fall is a rock history book by Richard DiLello, published in 1973 by Playboy Press, and reprinted in 1981 and 2005...
, as an appendix).
One of the most notable songs on the album is "Maybe I'm Amazed
Maybe I'm Amazed
"Maybe I'm Amazed" is a song written by Paul McCartney that was first released on his McCartney album on 17 April 1970. The studio version from the album has never been released as a single. McCartney dedicated the song to his wife, Linda, who had helped him get through the break-up of The Beatles...
", one of McCartney's many love songs for his first wife, which later went on to reach No. 10 on the 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...
upon being released as a single from the album Wings over America
Wings over America
Wings over America is the sixth album by Wings and their only live album. In its initial release, it was a triple album and included a poster of the band.-Recording history:...
in 1977. McCartney has subsequently revealed that Linda was instrumental in bolstering his spirits and confidence during the album's making, and helping him out of his depression over losing the Beatles.
Reception
McCartney shot to #1 in the United States for three weeks, eventually going double platinum. This was despite the fact that it did not have a hit single released, a video promo or a tour to promote it. In the United Kingdom, it was only denied the top spot by the best-selling album of 1970, Simon and GarfunkelSimon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
's Bridge Over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge Over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by Simon & Garfunkel. Released on January 26, 1970 on both Quadraphonic and Stereo formats, it reached No. 1 on Billboard Music Charts pop albums list...
, which stayed at #1 for 33 (non-consecutive) weeks. There McCartney debuted straight at #2, where it remained for 3 weeks.
Shortly after the album's release, George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
described "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "That Would Be Something
That Would Be Something
"That Would Be Something" is a song written by Paul McCartney in Scotland, which was first released on his McCartney album on 17 April 1970. McCartney sings and plays acoustic guitar, bass, tom tom and cymbal on this song...
" as "great", and regarded the other tracks as "fair". 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...
stated in his 1970 interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
editor Jann Wenner
Jann Wenner
Jann Simon Wenner is the co-founder and publisher of the music and politics biweekly Rolling Stone, as well as the owner of Men's Journal and Us Weekly magazines.-Childhood:...
that, given McCartney's penchant for demanding perfectionism in the studio from his fellow Beatles, he was surprised at the lack of quality in the album; Lennon also made several remarks comparing McCartney negatively to his own solo album debut, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was received with high critical praise upon release. Critic Greil Marcus remarked, "John's singing in the last verse of 'God' may be the finest in all of rock." In early 1971, the album reached number eight on the UK and went to number six in the US, spending eighteen...
.
When the new remastered version was released in 2011 as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection, the album re-entered the charts in the UK, Netherlands, France and Japan.
It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
.
Track listing
All songs written by Paul McCartneyPaul 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...
.
Side one
- "The Lovely LindaThe Lovely Linda"The Lovely Linda" is the first song on Paul McCartney's debut solo album McCartney. The song is a home demo dedicated to McCartney's first wife Linda. It is the shortest song in McCartney's catalogue at 42 seconds long. The song was featured on the compilation Wingspan: Hits and History....
" – 0:42 - "That Would Be SomethingThat Would Be Something"That Would Be Something" is a song written by Paul McCartney in Scotland, which was first released on his McCartney album on 17 April 1970. McCartney sings and plays acoustic guitar, bass, tom tom and cymbal on this song...
" – 2:37 - "Valentine Day" – 1:40
- "Every Night" – 2:30
- "Hot as Sun/Glasses" – 2:06
- "JunkJunk (song)"Junk" is a song written by Paul McCartney in 1968 while The Beatles were in India. It was originally under consideration for The Beatles . It was passed over for that LP, as it was for Abbey Road. It was eventually released on McCartney's debut solo album McCartney in 1970...
" – 1:54 - "Man We Was Lonely" – 2:57
Side two
- "Oo You" – 2:47
- "Momma Miss America" – 4:04
- "Teddy BoyTeddy Boy (song)"Teddy Boy" is a song by Paul McCartney and was first released on his first solo album McCartney, released in April 1970 after The Beatles disbanded. It was written by McCartney and originally recorded during the sessions for what became the Beatles' Let It Be album...
" – 2:22 - "Singalong JunkJunk (song)"Junk" is a song written by Paul McCartney in 1968 while The Beatles were in India. It was originally under consideration for The Beatles . It was passed over for that LP, as it was for Abbey Road. It was eventually released on McCartney's debut solo album McCartney in 1970...
" – 2:34 - "Maybe I'm AmazedMaybe I'm Amazed"Maybe I'm Amazed" is a song written by Paul McCartney that was first released on his McCartney album on 17 April 1970. The studio version from the album has never been released as a single. McCartney dedicated the song to his wife, Linda, who had helped him get through the break-up of The Beatles...
" – 3:49 - "Kreen-Akrore" – 4:14
2011 Hear Music re-issue
In 2011 the album was re-issued by Hear Music/Concord Music Group as part of The Paul McCartney Archive Collection.The album was released in three different versions: a two-disc special edition with the second disc containing bonus audio tracks, a two-disc 180-gram remastered vinyl, and a deluxe two-CD and one-DVD version that contains a 128-page hardcover book with never-before-published photos and all-new liner notes.
Disc 2: Bonus audio tracks (Previously unreleased)
- "Suicide" (outtake) – 2:48
- "Maybe I'm Amazed" (from the "One Hand Clapping" video, 1974) – 4:53
- "Every Night" (live at Glasgow, 17 December 1979) – 4:30
- "Hot as Sun" (live at Glasgow, 17 December 1979) – 2:27
- "Maybe I'm Amazed" (live at Glasgow, 17 December 1979) – 5:11
- "Don't Cry Baby" (Instrumental version of "Oo You") – 3:07
- "Women Kind" (Demo) [Mono] – 2:09
DVD: Bonus film
- "The Album Story"
- "The Beach"
- "Maybe I'm Amazed" (music video)
- "Suicide" (from the "One Hand Clapping" video, 1974)
- "Every Night" (live at Concert for the People of Kampuchea, 29 December 1979)
- "Hot as Sun" (live at Concert for the People of Kampuchea, 29 December 1979)
- "Junk" (MTV Unplugged performance, 25 January 1991)
- "That Would Be Something" (MTV Unplugged performance, 25 January 1991)
Personnel
- Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir 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...
- bass, drums, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, piano, Mellotron, organ, toy xylophone, and "bow and arrow" - Linda McCartneyLinda McCartneyLinda 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....
- Harmony and backing vocals
Chart positions
| Chart (1970-71) | Position | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... Top Pop Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 | 47 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... (top 60) |
2 | 32 |
| Norwegian Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... VG-lista VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... Albums Chart (top 20) |
2 | 21 |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... n Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... |
3 | 14 |
| Dutch Mega Albums Top 10 MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
4 | 7 |
| Japanese Oricon Weekly LP Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... (top 100) |
13 | 20 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1970) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
10 |
| Australian Albums Chart | 17 |
| U.S. Billboard Year-End Billboard Year-End Billboard Year-End charts are a cumulative measure of a single or album's performance in the United States, based upon the Billboard magazine charts during any given chart year. Billboard's "chart year" runs from the first week of December to the final week in November... |
25 |
Chart positions (reissue)
| Chart (2011) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Top Pop Catalog Albums | 7 |
| Japanese Oricon Weekly Chart | 27 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 74 |
| Dutch Mega Albums Top 100 MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
85 |
| UK Albums Chart | 88 |
| French SNEP Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... (top 200) |
91 |
Certifications
| Region | Provider | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | RIAA 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... |
2× Multi-Platinum | 3 December 1991 |