Paul McCartney/Off the Ground Sessions

Paul’s activity cycles can be divided into decades. The 70s was the era of Wings. In the first half of the 80s, he was busy with album and film production, but the second half was a period of decline. The biggest characteristic of the 80s is that he did not tour at all. Then, in the first half of the 90s, he went on two world tours. Each tour was accompanied by a new album, and it was a period when Paul was full of activity. However, in the second half of the 90s, Linda’s condition worsened, and he again stopped appearing on the stage. The last tour with Linda, who had been on stage with him since the Wings era, was the New World Tour in 1993. The “GET BACK TOUR”, his first tour in 10 years, began in 1989 and included a lot of songs from the Beatles era that had only been played as an add-on until then, and Paul said, “Those are my songs too.” Perhaps Paul felt a sense of accomplishment from the GET BACK TOUR, and from then on, he would continue to use songs from the Beatles era in his setlists as a selling point for his stage performances, even to this day. In 1990, Paul was 48 years old. From today’s perspective, he is still young, and if you think of him as the same age as Noel Gallagher, he is still too young to be old. Since his children had already grown up and were no longer of a handful, he was actively engaged in the activities of an active musician, releasing a new album and touring to promote it, while still using the songs from the Beatles era as his selling point. As mentioned above, following the GET BACK TOUR from 1989 to 1990, he went on tour again in 1993. Prior to that, he decided to produce a new album with the tour members. As an active musician, he absolutely needed a new album to tour and not just reminisce. And so “OFF THE GROUND” was born. Many of the songs were intended to be performed on tour, and dubbing was kept to a minimum, and it is said that they were recorded almost entirely in a live studio format. [OFF THE GROUND] This song became the album title, and was also performed live. It is a rhythm-based song with Paul using falsetto on an impressive riff. In track 1, the BASIC TRACK, the vocals are mixed to the forefront, making it feel as if the singer is singing right in front of you. It even includes breathing that was not heard in the release version. It is particularly interesting that the interludes where he interjects with a “hahaha” sound are clearly recorded. There is no chorus, and it is Paul singing alone. Track 2 is an overdub of guitar and chorus. Paul’s lead vocals can be heard faintly, but the guitar and chorus are the main tracks. This is how that heavy song is completed. The SINGLE MIX is a different version with a chorus added at the beginning. The VIDEO MIX also has a guitar solo added to the beginning of the song. [LOOKING FOR CHANGES] This is a light rock tune located in the second song of the album. The lyrics are against animal experiments, and in the actual concert, the scene of animal experiments was projected on the screen. THE MILL REHEARSAL is a performance at a recording rehearsal as the name suggests. There are almost no differences from the released version, probably because it was originally recorded live, but Paul’s vocals are a different take. CHANNEL MIX is a mix that emphasizes the guitar. It is surprising that the guitar suddenly comes out. [HOPE OF DELIVERANCE] It is probably the most well-known song on this album because it was cut as a single and was often broadcast on TV in Japan. The BACKING TRACK is karaoke. Unlike the Beatles era, this song was created by recording the orchestra first and adding the vocals later, which is different from the other songs on this album. It was probably carefully created with the assumption that it would be a single. There is no vocal, let alone a chorus. After that, Paul’s vocals are dubbed on a single track, followed by dubbed tracks of percussion and guitar. [MISTRESS AND MAID] This song was co-written with Costello and was included on slides because it was not included in “FLOWERS IN THE DIRT”. Indeed, it gives off the atmosphere of Costello or the previous work. No outtakes of this song have been discovered, but a different mix is ​​included in this album. The only time it was performed live was at the Royal Performance on March 23, 1995, where it was performed as a duet with Costello with the addition of string instruments. This is the only confirmed live performance. [I OWE IT ALL TO YOU] No outtakes have been discovered for this song either, and the take included in this album is a different mix with the vocals lowered and the piano at the forefront. The only time it was performed live was at UP CLOSE in 1992, and it was not performed at a concert. It is a beautiful song with a sad melody, so I hope it will attract more attention. [BIKER LIKE AN ICON] When Paul composes an album, it seems like he has already decided what kind of song will go in which position. And he always tends to insert a rock number that will look good in live performances in the middle of the A-side of the album LP. This song, with its rhyming title of biker, like an icon, is one of those songs. Of course, it was played every night at the live show, and a large Virgin Mary was projected on the screen. In the BASIC TRACK, Paul’s vocals seem to have been recorded as they were, with no effects whatsoever. [PEACE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD] It’s a slow-tempo song, but Paul seems to like it, and he sang it at every concert. It seems like a simple song, but the chorus is quite complicated and difficult to play. THE MILL REHEARSAL is a valuable rehearsal recording, even though it is only a fragment. [GOLDEN EARTH GIRL] A beautiful piano ballad. The title, melody, and lyrics are flawless, and this is a masterpiece that is full of Paul’s unique style. The original’s singing, which makes heavy use of falsetto, is also wonderful. The backing track is included in this work. [THE LOVERS THAT NEVER WERE] This song was also co-written with Costello, and was included as a slide because it was omitted from “FLOWERS IN THE DIRT”. Indeed, it is a song that Paul alone could not have written, with Costello’s color at the forefront. Costello wrote it as the main writer, and it seems that he intended to expose a new side of Paul by honoring his senior. This work includes two demo versions. Although it is a simple performance with only piano and acoustic guitar, the powerful vocals exude a richness like a band performance. Costello is committed to the chorus, and you can see that Paul is singing with a rough and rough voice. [GET OUT OF MY WAY] In contrast, this is an intense rock number with a rough-looking title. This song was also played every time on stage. Like “LOOKING FOR CHANGES”, this song was probably intended for a live performance from the beginning. Track 5, VIDEO SHOOT, is a live performance for filming, but it has the same arrangement as the studio version. However, since it is a live take, it is a wonderful version full of a sense of speed. In particular, the backing musicians who play the instrumental part speed up the tempo a little, and Paul’s vocals, which are echoed, are desperately trying not to fall behind, and the tension is irresistible. [WINEDARK OPEN SEA] In the album, this song plays the role of taking a light breath again here. It is a song that connects to the next song, “C’MON PEOPLE”, as a pair with “GOLDEN EARTH GIRL”. REHEARSAL is a playful version where Paul sings at an up-tempo and light-hearted pace, as he often does. It is a completely different song that you can only tell is this song when you listen to the lyrics. In addition, a different mix and backing tracks are included. [C’MON PEOPLE] And the best song on this album is, above all, “C’MON PEOPLE”. It starts solemnly with piano, gradually builds up, and ends with a grand finale, following the style of “HEY JUDE”. The basic track is a mix before the orchestra is dubbed, with Paul’s vocals at the forefront. There are no effects on Paul’s vocals, so it’s truly live. Fans will love the vividness of Paul’s voice, as if he can hear his breathing. In particular, when moving to the chorus, Paul mouths “du-du-du-du-du” and it gives you goosebumps. There are occasional double-tracked parts, and the chorus is included to a certain extent, so you can tell that it is a fairly advanced stage. The biggest highlight of this work is the basic track of “C’MON PEOPLE”. After that, there are versions with acoustic guitar and orchestra, and other mixes. The last track, “If I Were Not Upon The Stage”, is probably just a playful one for the video recording of “C’MON PEOPLE”. [I CAN’T IMAGINE] [KEEP COMING BACK TO LOVE] Both are outtakes from the same album that were also included in “COMPLETE WORKS”. I wonder if John’s “IMAGINE” was in mind, but the title seems to deny his best friend’s representative song, which makes me startle. The song itself is trivial, as it was leaked from the album, and was released as a single attachment. Here, it is an extract of Hamish’s chorus and acoustic guitar. [Cosmically Conscious] It was recorded at the end of the album as a secret track, but it was very short. Furthermore, the full-length version will be recorded in “COMPLETE WORKS”. According to the explanation at the time, it was a song written when they went to India during the Beatles era, and it was a selling point that it was an outtake of the Beatles. It is indeed a song with an oriental atmosphere, and the lyrics are woven with Maharishi’s catchphrase. It was never performed live at the time, and it wasn’t a song that garnered much attention, but it became known once again after it was performed live once in New York in 2009. It’s a simple song, but it has an addictive magic. [DELIVERANCE] Although the title is similar, it only samples the lyrics of “HOPE OF DELIVERANCE” and the song itself is unrelated; it’s dance music. It was released as a track on the single “C’MON PEOPLE” and is still difficult to find. It was a song that followed the trends of the time, and has an unorthodox position in Paul’s history. The version included on this album is a video edit mix. [IS IT RAINING IN LONDON] This is an unreleased song by Paul that was included in the documentary “MOVIN’ ON,” which covered the tour during this period. Unfortunately, Paul’s version is stillIt cannot be heard in its proper form. However, since it was written in collaboration with Hamish, he performed the complete version on stage at his solo live performance. Initially, there may have been a plan to create a large-scale piece with a large orchestra, and this album includes the recording of the orchestra rehearsal and the complete version at Hamish’s solo live performance. [MORE REHEARSALS] Two songs from rehearsals that were written around the same time but were not included on the album and did not have a studio version left. One is “ROBBIE’S BIT”. It is a guitar instrumental that was performed at a concert to connect songs. Paul is playing the drums here. “I’M MOVING ON” is probably an improvisation by Paul. The documentary mentioned above is thought to have been adopted from this song. The password “I’M MOVING ON” was probably popular among the band during the tour. [OFF THE GROUND COMMERCIALS] This is a radio spot from the time of the album’s release. Although it is just a commercial, it is elaborate, with a launch count of a spaceship or something, and the announcement “OFF THE GROUND” accompanied by the sound of an explosion. [DISC THREE] Disc 3 contains three programs that Paul appeared on to promote the album at the time of its release. Each program is interesting in that Paul plays the actual songs while giving commentary. Of course, it is in English, but it is relatively easy to understand, so please give it a try. [OFF THE GROUND SESSIONS] The album session series is the 1993 album “OFF THE GROUND”. It is a wonderful album filled with songs that were intended to be performed on stage between two world tours, and other beautiful and good songs. The reason this album is special for Paul can be seen from the fact that he suddenly performed “HOPE OF DELIVERANCE” on stage in 2012. When this album was released at the time, I was excited by the songs that placed undulating guitars at the core of the sound and emphasized the rhythm. The beautiful piano songs and the closing song “C’MON PEOPLE” were magnificent masterpieces that fully conveyed their majesty. Contrary to the album title, it was a work that was firmly grounded. This work is a comprehensive compilation of the recording sessions for “OFF THE GROUND.” DISC ONE OFF THE GROUND 01. Basic Track 02. Guitar and Backing Vocal overdubs 03. Single Mix 04. Bob Clearmountain remix 05. Keith Cohen remix 06. AC Edit by Larry Walsh 07. Video Sound Tack mix LOOKING FOR CHANGES 08. The Mill Rehearsal 09. Channel Mix HOPE OF DELIVERANCE 10. Rehearsal (fragment) 11. Original backing track 12. Basic Track with single vocal 13. Basic Track with vocal overdubs 14. Precussions and Guitar overdubs 15. Video soundtrack mix 16. The Humpty Dumpty Rap / Hope of Deliverance (Video Shoot Rehearsal) MISTRESS AND MAID 17. Channel Mix 18. Live Performance March 23, 1995 I OWE IT ALL TO YOU 19. Channel Mix BIKER LIKE AN ICON 20. Basic Track 21. Guitar Overdubs (5.1. mix) 22. Video Shoot PEACE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD 23. The Mill Rehearsal 24. Channel Mix 25. Piano, Guitar and backing vocal Overdub DISC TWO GOLDEN EARTH GIRL 01. Backing track channel mix THE LOVERS THAT NEVER WERE 02. Demo Source #1 (complete) 03. Demo Source #2 (incomplete) GET OUT OF MY WAY 04. Backing track channel mix 05. Video Shoot WINEDARK OPEN SEA 06. Rehearsal 07. Alternate Mix 08. Backing track channel mix C’MON PEOPLE 09. Basic Track no Orchestra 10. Acoustic, backings and Orchestra overdub (5.1. mix) 11. Promo Radio Edit 12. Video Edit Mix 13. If I Were Not Upon The Stage (video shoot) I CAN’T IMAGINE 14. Hamish’s backing vocals and acoustic guitar KEEP COMING BACK TO LOVE 15. Backing track channel mix COSMICALLY CONSCIOUS 16. Different Channel Mix DELIVERANCE 17. Video Edit Mix IS IT RAINING IN LONDON (unreleased McCartney/Stewart track) 18. Orchestra Session 19. Hamish Stuart Live MORE REHEARSALS 20. Robbie’s Bit (Paul on Drums) (Off the Ground Video Shoot) 21. I’m Movin’ On OFF THE GROUND COMMERCIALS 22. Version #1 23. Version #2 DISC THREE OFF THE GROUND RADIO SHOW, Recorded Jan 17, 1993 01. Introduction 02. Segment 1 – Hope Of Deliverance 03. Segment 2 – C’mon People 04. Segment 4 – Off the Ground 05. Segment 5 – I Owe it All to You 06. Segment 6 – Mistress and Maid 07. Segment 7 – Biker Like an Icon 08. Segment 8 – Looking for Changes 09. Segment 9 – Get Out of My Way ROCKLINE Radio Show, Feb 11, 1993 10. Segment 1 – Hope Of Deliverance 11. Segment 2 – Biker Like an Icon 12. Segment 3 -The Lovers That Never Were 13. Segment 4 – Big Boys Bickering 14. Segment 5 -Looking for Changes OFF THE RECORD WESTWOOD ONE RADIO, June 1993 15. Commercial 1 16. Commercial 2 17. Commercial 3 18. Introduction 19. Segment 1 – I Saw Her Standing There 20. Segment 2 – Big Boys Bickering 21. Segment 3 – C’mon People 22. Segment 4 – Hope of Deliverance 23. Segment 5 – Got To Get You Into My Life 24. Segment 6 – Live And Let Die 25. Segment 7 – Eleanor Rigby 2 6. Segment 8 – Off The Ground