Tug of War | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 26 April 1982 | |||
Recorded |
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Studio |
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Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 41:10 | |||
Label | Parlophone (UK) Columbia (US) | |||
Producer | George Martin | |||
Paul McCartney chronology | ||||
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Singles from Tug of War | ||||
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Tug of War is the third solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 26 April 1982. It is his 11th album overall following the break up of the Beatles in 1970, his first album released after the dissolution of his band Wings the previous year, and his first album following the murder of his former songwriting partner John Lennon. [1] The cover features an abstract oil painting by the artist Brian Clarke, a frequent McCartney collaborator, incorporating an overpainted transparency of a portrait of Paul taken by Linda McCartney. [2] [3]
Tug of War was produced by former Beatles producer George Martin and was a number-one hit in many countries, selling over one million copies in the United States in the year of its release. [4] Some critics hailed it as a 'return to form' for McCartney. The 2015 re-release, in a remastered deluxe edition, received a nomination for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
Following the release of the solo album McCartney II , McCartney's band Wings regrouped in July and October 1980 to rehearse several songs which later appeared on Tug of War and Pipes of Peace . Feeling the need for direction, McCartney called upon his former producer, George Martin, [5] to begin recording a song written for the animated Rupert Bear character (to which McCartney acquired the film rights in 1970), [6] titled "We All Stand Together", among others. The productive sessions continued until 9 December, the morning McCartney woke up to learn that his former songwriting partner and fellow ex-Beatle, John Lennon, had been shot and killed in New York City the previous night. Abandoning that day's session (in which he and Denny Laine were recording future B-side "Rainclouds") part-way through, both Martin and McCartney felt it was best to leave the project for the time being and start anew once they were ready.
In February 1981, two months after Lennon's death, McCartney resumed the sessions, recording that month with Stevie Wonder, Stanley Clarke, Carl Perkins and Ringo Starr, and laying down several songs in the process. The sessions were held at AIR Studios in Montserrat, in the Caribbean, and lasted from 3 February to 2 March, ending with "Ebony and Ivory" and "What's That You're Doing", [7] two songs featuring Stevie Wonder. [8] 10cc guitarist Eric Stewart also became a frequent collaborator of McCartney during this period. [9] Further sessions were undertaken that summer at Martin's AIR Studios in Oxford Street, London. The sessions were so productive that several resulting tracks were held over for McCartney's next album, Pipes of Peace , which followed in 1983. The rest of 1981 was spent in a quiet fashion, with McCartney and Martin giving the finishing touches to the album.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
Robert Christgau | B+ [11] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [12] |
The Great Rock Discography | 5/10 [13] |
Pitchfork Media | 6.7/10 [14] |
PopMatters | [15] |
Q | [16] |
Rolling Stone | [17] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [18] |
Uncut | 9/10 [19] |
In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone , music critic Stephen Holden hailed Tug of War as "the masterpiece everyone has always known Paul McCartney could make", and particularly admired its vivid music and consistent songwriting. [17] In The Boston Phoenix , M. Howell felt that the album "is bouncy, joyful, sweet and melodic — things we expect from Paul McCartney. It's also frightened and fierce — things he’s not supposed to be. To say that Tug of War is a far better record than McCartney’s ever made is to slight it — Tug of War goes beyond anything that McCartney ever indicated he was capable of." [20] Robert Palmer was less enthusiastic in his review for The New York Times , and found the album "exquisitely crafted though lyrically flawed", as he thought McCartney's lyrics were often "clichéd or mawkish", but that the album "at its best, is as finely crafted as his work with the Beatles". [21]
In March 1982, McCartney's duet with Stevie Wonder, "Ebony and Ivory", was released to considerable commercial success, reaching number one in many countries. Tug of War followed in April, and similarly became a worldwide number one. The follow-up single, "Take It Away", reached the top ten in the United States. The album restored McCartney's critical reputation after what was viewed as a lean period for him. Tug of War was nominated for the "Album of the Year" Grammy in 1983. Wingspan author Mark Lewisohn thought it was a better album than Band on the Run . [22]
The album was issued in the US on compact disc on 29 February 1984. [23] In 1993, Tug of War was remastered and re-issued on CD as part of The Paul McCartney Collection series. There were no bonus tracks: "Rainclouds" and "I'll Give You a Ring", B-sides of "Ebony and Ivory" and "Take It Away", respectively, were omitted. In 2007, Tug of War was remastered and re-released on the iTunes Store adding a solo version of "Ebony and Ivory".
A further reissue of Tug of War was released on 2 October 2015, as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection . This edition included a remixed version of the album, along with the original mix, and a series of videos.
All songs were written by Paul McCartney, except "What's That You're Doing?" co-written by Stevie Wonder.
Side one
Side two
In 2015 the album was re-issued by Hear Music/Concord Music Group as part of the sixth set of releases, alongside Pipes of Peace , in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection . It was released in multiple formats: [24]
Disc 1 – Remixed album
Remixed version of the original 12-track album.
Disc 2 – Original album remastered (deluxe edition only)
The original 12-track album.
Bonus audio (disc 2 for standard version, disc 3 for deluxe edition)
All songs written by Paul McCartney, except "Rainclouds", co-written with Denny Laine.
Note: Tracks 1–8 previously unreleased.
Additional download tracks available via paulmccartney.com [25]
Disc 4 – DVD
Track numbering refers to CD and digital releases of the album.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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1983 | Tug of War | Album of the Year [26] | Nominated |
"Ebony and Ivory" (Duet with Stevie Wonder) | Song of the Year [26] | Nominated | |
Record of the Year [26] | Nominated | ||
Best Pop Vocal Performance – Duo or Group [26] | Nominated | ||
"What's That You're Doing?" (Duet with Stevie Wonder) | Best R&B Vocal Performance – Duo or Group [26] | Nominated | |
2017 | Tug of War (Remastered Deluxe Edition) | Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package | Nominated |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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1983 | Paul McCartney (performer) | Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist [27] | Nominated |
"Ebony and Ivory" (Duet with Stevie Wonder) | Favorite Pop/Rock Single [27] | Nominated |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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1983 [28] | Paul McCartney (performer) | Best British Male Artist | Won |
Sony Trophy for Technical Excellence | Won | ||
George Martin (producer) | Best British Producer | Nominated |
Weekly charts
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Chart (1982) | Position |
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Australian Albums Chart [29] | 7 |
Austrian Albums Chart [48] | 7 |
Canadian Albums Chart [49] | 14 |
French Albums Chart [50] | 12 |
Japanese Oricon Chart [51] | 37 |
UK Albums Chart [52] | 16 |
US Billboard Pop Albums [53] | 28 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [54] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [55] | Gold | 50,000^ |
France (SNEP) [56] | Gold | 100,000* |
Japan (Oricon Charts) | — | 237,000 [C] [57] [51] |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [58] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [59] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [60] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
"Jealous Guy" is a song written and originally recorded by the English rock musician John Lennon from his second studio album Imagine (1971). Not released as a single during Lennon's lifetime, it became an international hit in a version by Roxy Music issued in early 1981; this version reached #1 in the UK and Australia, and was a top 10 hit in several European countries. Lennon's own version was subsequently issued as a single, and charted in the US and UK.
Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 26 September 1969, by Apple Records. It is the last album the group recorded, although Let It Be (1970) was the last album completed before the band's break-up in April 1970. It was mostly recorded in April, July, and August 1969, and topped the record charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom. A double A-side single from the album, "Something" / "Come Together", was released in October, which also topped the charts in the US.
"All Those Years Ago" is a song by the English rock musician George Harrison, released in May 1981 as a single from his ninth studio album Somewhere in England. Having previously recorded the music for the song, Harrison tailored the lyrics to serve as a personal tribute to his former Beatles bandmate John Lennon, following the latter's murder in 1980. Ringo Starr is featured on drums, and Paul McCartney overdubbed backing vocals onto the basic track. The single spent three weeks at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, behind "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes, and it peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. It also topped Canada's RPM singles chart and spent one week at number 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary listings.
The discography of British musician Paul McCartney consists of 26 studio albums, four compilation albums, ten live albums, 37 video albums, two extended plays, 111 singles, seven classical albums, five electronica albums, 17 box sets, and 79 music videos. Before his career as a solo artist, McCartney enjoyed success as a member of the rock band the Beatles.
Flaming Pie is the tenth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 5 May 1997 by Parlophone in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. His first studio album in over four years, it was mostly recorded after McCartney's involvement in the highly successful Beatles Anthology project. The album was recorded in several locations over two years, between 1995 and 1997, featuring two songs dating from 1992.
Wings at the Speed of Sound is the fifth studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released on 26 March 1976. Issued at the height of the band's popularity, it reached the top spot on the US album chart—the band's fourth consecutive album to do so—and peaked at number 2 on the UK album chart. Both singles from the album also reached the top 5 of the UK and US singles charts, with "Silly Love Songs" reaching number 1 in the US.
Pipes of Peace is the fourth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Paul McCartney, released on 31 October 1983. As the follow-up to the popular Tug of War, the album came close to matching the commercial success of its predecessor in Britain but peaked only at number 15 on America's Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. While Pipes of Peace was the source of international hit singles such as "Say Say Say" and the title track, the critical response to the album was less favourable than that afforded to Tug of War.
Give My Regards to Broad Street is the fifth solo studio album by Paul McCartney and the soundtrack to the film of the same name. It features covers of Beatles' songs, Wings and solo tracks by McCartney, as well as a few new songs. The album reached number 1 on the UK chart. The lead single, "No More Lonely Nights", was BAFTA and Golden Globe Award nominated. It was also to be his final album to be released under Columbia Records, which had been his US label for over five years.
Flowers in the Dirt is the eighth solo studio album by Paul McCartney. The album was released on 5 June 1989 on Parlophone, as he was embarking on his first world tour since the Wings Over the World tour in 1975–76. It earned McCartney some of his best reviews for an album of original songs since Tug of War (1982). The album made number one in the United Kingdom and Norway and produced several hit singles. The album artwork was a collaboration between artist Brian Clarke, who painted the canvas and arranged the flowers, and Linda McCartney, who produced the cover photography.
"Ebony and Ivory" is a song that was released in 1982 as a single by Paul McCartney featuring Stevie Wonder. It was issued on 29 March that year as the lead single from McCartney's third solo album, Tug of War (1982). Written by McCartney, the song aligns the black and white keys of a piano keyboard with the theme of racial harmony. The single reached number one on both the UK and the US charts and was among the top-selling singles of 1982 in the US. During the apartheid era, the South African Broadcasting Corporation banned the song after Wonder dedicated his 1984 Academy Award for Best Original Song to Nelson Mandela.
"Getting Closer" is a rock song from the British rock band Wings, Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band. The song was released on the album Back to the Egg.
"Tug of War" is the title track from Paul McCartney’s 1982 album Tug of War.
Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre–rock and roll pop to classical, ballads, and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most successful in modern music history.
Good Evening New York City is a CD/DVD double live album by Paul McCartney consisting of material performed over three nights as the inaugural concerts at New York City's Citi Field, 17, 18 and 21 July 2009, part of his Summer Live '09 concert tour. Over 180,000 tickets were sold within hours of the shows being announced. The album is McCartney's third release for Hear Music, following 2007 album Memory Almost Full and the live EP Amoeba's Secret. Previous McCartney live albums such as Back in the US proved to be huge sellers based on his record-breaking live shows from the 2000s.
Song Review: A Greatest Hits Collection is a double-disc compilation album by Stevie Wonder. It was also released as a single-disc edition, which contained six tracks not featured on the 2CD release. The Australian edition has a slightly different track listing.
"Say Say Say" is a song by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, released in October 1983 as the lead single from McCartney's 1983 album Pipes of Peace. Produced by George Martin, it was recorded during production of McCartney's 1982 Tug of War album, about a year before the release of "The Girl Is Mine", the pair's first duet from Jackson's album Thriller (1982).
The Paul McCartney Archive Collection is a project to remaster and reissue Paul McCartney's solo catalogue, including various albums released with Wings. These editions feature deluxe packaging and bonus rare tracks. Thus far, there have been 14 releases since the project began in 2010. They are overseen by McCartney himself and remastered at Abbey Road Studios. Albums reissued in this project are visually marked by a white stripe along the left side of the album cover that reads "Paul McCartney Archive Collection" and a copy of McCartney's signature.
"So Bad" is a song written by Paul McCartney that was first released on his 1983 album Pipes of Peace. It was also released as a single in the US, with the album's title track as the B-side and reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, "So Bad" was released as the B-side of the "Pipes of Peace" single. A version of "So Bad" was later released on McCartney's 1984 album Give My Regards to Broad Street and it was used in the accompanying film.
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