Finding deep cuts in The Beatles’ discography is an art form. It’s a hobby for many and a job for me. And just when I thought I had found everything that members of the Fab Four have put out, from bootlegs to lost songs, something else came across my feed. Instagram Reels is apparently good for something. That “something else” is a deep cut remixed song by Paul McCartney from 1992.
Videos by American Songwriter
It’s worth noting that the 12 songs that are used in this dance remix are far from deep cuts. They come from McCartney’s very well-known 1993 rock album, Off The Ground. But the remix song itself, titled “Deliverance”, was something new. And while it wasn’t entirely McCartney’s doing, the lore behind this remix single is absolutely wild.
“Deliverance” by Paul McCartney Is the Deepest Deep Cut Out There
Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?
Back in the early 1990s, Paul McCartney got together with electronic music producer Youth. He wanted to remix a few tracks from Off The Ground to release as 12-inch singles. They got to work, and eventually came up with Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest in 1993, the first album released by the McCartney-Youth collab known as The Fireman.
But that’s not the end of the story. Since the initial project eventually evolved into a full-blown album and collaboration with Youth, McCartney decided to continue with his initial idea, and worked with record producer Steve Anderson. Anderson then remixed 12 songs from Off The Ground and turned them into a 12-inch dance single titled “Deliverance”.
The song would be released in 1992 before Off The Ground was even out, and there was a mysterious vibe surrounding it. McCartney didn’t attach his name to it. But he did put some work into its promotion.
A press release in 1993 was sent out after the track had already circulated in dance clubs and made it to the club charts. “Deliverance” was a particularly big hit in the UK. According to lore, the song was released to many clubs anonymously, building up a ton of hype using parts of Off The Ground before Off The Ground was even a thought in anyone’s mind. So, nobody really knew that Paul McCartney was involved.
In the press release, though, Paul McCartney admitted that he was the one who submitted the songs anonymously to clubs. According to the press release, McCartney mainly wanted to submit it for fun. But since the remix had taken off in a big way, his record label forced his hand and made him sell it.
“I know this song is unlike what people would usually expect from me, but I enjoy a good boogie as much as anybody, and I didn’t want to ignore the dance audience,” McCartney admitted. “Originally, it was just a bit of a laugh, something for the clubs, and we kept the name off it. But it seems to have gone down so well in the clubs that people have urged me to put it out on release.”
Paul McCartney admitted that Anderson crafted the song via sampling all of Off The Ground ahead of the album’s release. The result was an incredible house mix that blew up unexpectedly. And despite owning up to it, McCartney’s “lost” dance song has been more or less forgotten today.
Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.