After the death of John Lennon, the focus on whatever Paul McCartney released next intensified. Macca came up big in 1982 with Tug Of War, an album that reunited him with producer George Martin and gave his solo career (he had recently scuttled Wings) excellent momentum.
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The album proved to be a critical and commercial hit. Here are some of the stories behind the songs on that record, a special one in the McCartney catalog.
The Last Gasps of Wings
McCartney hadn’t committed to putting an end to Wings when he first began the process of making Tug Of War. That was in July 1980, as he assembled the remnants of the band (Denny Laine, Lawrence Juber, and Steve Holley) for some sessions. Of the songs that they tried, “Ballroom Dancing” was one that made it onto Tug Of War. And Laine would end up playing on a few other tracks as well. But McCartney felt that the sessions were disappointing, which eventually helped him pull the plug on Wings once and for all.
Two Albums’ Worth
Once McCartney committed to making it a solo record, he found that the songs started flowing very quickly. George Martin insisted on excellence in the material, pushing McCartney to really work the songs into excellent shape. When Paul started to assess, he realized that he had way too many songs in the hopper for a single album. He decided to arrange them thematically. Songs, like the title track, detailing the struggle between opposing forces, landed on Tug Of War. The remainder were earmarked for the more hopeful follow-up album Pipes Of Peace.
Special Guests
Another key element of McCartney’s approach to Tug Of War was his decision to look for the very best players. This was a new strategy for him, and it produced excellent results. “Take It Away”, a hit single from the record, displays the evidence. Old Beatle buddy Ringo Starr was joined by session legend Steve Gadd on drums, giving the song a polyrhythmic flavor. And the airy backing vocals were partly performed and arranged by Eric Stewart, known for his work in the British band 10cc.
Boat Battle
McCartney took the inspiration for this song from an experience making the 1978 Wings album London Town. That record was recorded in several different locations, including on a boat in the Virgin Islands. In addition to the boat being used as a studio, another served as living quarters for Wings. At one point, one of the boat captains objected to the band’s antics and argued with McCartney. Another boat, called the Wanderlust, stepped up to take the band members aboard. The event led to McCartney writing the beautiful ballad “Wanderlust” that ended up on Tug Of War.
Laughter And Tears
Paul McCartney and rock legend Carl Perkins had known each other since the heyday of The Beatles. Macca invited Perkins to do a duet on the Tug Of War song “Get It”. At the end of the track, the two can be heard chuckling, the result of an off-color joke Perkins told. A few days later, Perkins, so grateful for the experience, presented Paul with a song he’d written called “My Old Friend”. McCartney teared up when he heard it, as one of the lines reminded him of one of the last things that John Lennon had ever said to him.
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