Recorded: June-July 1979
Producer: Paul McCartney
Released: 16 May 1980 (UK), 26 May 1980 (US)
Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar, bass guitar, electric piano, keyboards, drums
Tracklisting:
Coming Up
Temporary Secretary
On The Way
Waterfalls
Nobody Knows
Front Parlour
Summer's Day Song
Frozen Jap
Bogey Music
Darkroom
One Of These Days
Although it was officially Paul McCartney's second solo album, McCartney II was actually his 11th post-Beatles long-player. Between the April 1970 release of McCartney and the May 1980 release of McCartney II there had been nine other albums, by Wings or with his wife Linda.
McCartney II was made during six weeks in the summer of 1979. The recordings began in a farmhouse on the McCartneys' estate in Peasmarsh, East Sussex, and continued in the Spirit of Ranachan Studio at his farm in Campbeltown, Scotland.
Paul McCartney hired a 16-track Studer recording studio and, with the help of engineer Eddie Klein, taped a number of song ideas. Microphones were plugged directly into the Studer without using a mixing desk, just as he had begun the McCartney album 10 years previously.
He began each day by recording a drum track, onto which a series of overdubs were added. Although the working methods were similar to his first solo album, the results were quite unlike anything McCartney had previously recorded.
Although he had only intended to keep the Studer machine for two weeks, he enjoyed the process of recording with it. The experimental nature of the songs provided an escape from the stultified atmosphere in which Wings had often found themselves; McCartney later described the purpose of the recordings as to "blow the cobwebs away".
In 1979 Wings were still very much active, although their commercial peak had passes since the successes of Band On The Run and Mull Of Kintyre. Intra-band relations were often strained, and the group's seventh studio album Back To The Egg – which turned out to be their last – was recorded with their seventh line-up.
McCartney II was begun less than four months after the completion of Back To The Egg. McCartney desired some time away from Wings – he expressed a desire to record some fun songs "to play at parties".
The songs
A total of 20 songs were recorded by McCartney in June and July 1979, some which were improvised on the spot, and others which emerged from incomplete compositional fragments. McCartney used sequencers and synthesizers as well as the conventional guitar, bass and drums, and made heavy use of vari-speed tape recording to alter the pitch of vocals and instruments.
The results were largely experimental and inconsistent, and divided audiences upon release. Although the recordings were largely improvised, McCartney relied too heavily on conservative songwriting techniques, making the results a strange blend of conservative and unconventional. If nothing else, it proved that the most successful songwriter in pop history was unable to leave behind his talents as a melodist.
McCartney initially assembled a double vinyl version which contained almost everything of note from the sessions, but eventually agreed to trim it down to a single disc. The only song missing from this period was Wonderful Christmastime, which had been a solo hit for McCartney in November 1979.
Side one | Side two | Side three | Side four |
Front Parlour | Temporary Secretary | Darkroom | Check My Machine1,2 |
Frozen Jap | On The Way | One Of These Days | Waterfalls (I Need Love) |
All You Horse Riders1,2 | Mr H Atom1,2 | Secret Friend1,2 | Nobody Knows |
Blue Sway1,2 | Summer's Day Song | Bogey Music | Coming Up |
You Know I'll Get You Baby1,2 | |||
Bogey Wobble1,2 |
1 Included on the 2011 reissue Special Edition
2 Included on the 2011 reissue Deluxe Edition
Of the excluded tracks, Check My Machine became the b-side to Waterfalls in the summer of 1980. Secret Friend also became a b-side, issued on the 12" single of Temporary Secretary. At over 10 minutes in length, it became McCartney's longest commercially-available track.
Blue Sway was perhaps the best of the unreleased tracks, but All You Horse Riders and You Know I'll Get You Baby were unremarkable improvisations. Mr H Atom was influenced by New Wave and featured Linda McCartney on backing vocals, and Bogey Wobble was a companion piece to Bogey Music.
Why his second solo album? Do you credit Ram to Paul and Linda?
That’s who it was credited to, yes.
I think the title, McCartney 2, is the biggest hint!
The best thing about the album is Waterfalls – easily equal to any of the Beatles’ output in my overbearing opinion.
Yes, I agree about ‘Waterfalls.’ Very fine song. The production for the song was very much of its time, but that adds to the charm for me.
This is an album that makes very interesting listening, because of it’s mix of the experimental and the conventional. I didn’t get it until three years after it’s original release, but I remember loving the two singles off it in 1980. Coming Up is such a catchy song and one that John Lennon heard on the radio and helped spur him to getting back to recording himself. I also loved the promotional video that went with this. The other single Waterfalls,( as two others have said on this site), is Paul McCartney at his best. A beautiful song.Once again I liked the video that went with it. Nobody Knows and One of These Days are also great.
? First time I heard ‘Coming Up’ I was in my VW driving in LA. I was completely surprised by this power pop song! Thank you Paul. ?
Love this record, the conventional and the experimental tension makes it very interesting and cool listen for me, A signature traight it would seem of Paul, perhaps a result of him being a Gemini.
He should have left off all the conventional material and just released a pure experimental album.
I don’t always wake up screaming, but when I do, Temporary Secretary comes out.