Paul McCartney - Simple As That (1989)

Here's a nice little collection of rarities, out-takes and b-sides from Paul McCartney, mostly covering the 80's - that's the 1980's and the 1880's, as it also includes one legendary track from 1972, with the first demo of '1882' dating back to the time that he was recording the 'McCartney' album. That was as a simple Paul-on-piano track, and some of the eventual lyrics weren't yet present, but a second second demo brought Linda in for some backing vocals, and she also vocalized the guitar parts. It was supposed that a studio version was recorded in January 1972, and this did eventually surface on the 4CD re-issue of 'Red Rose Speedway', but it was also played during the 'Wings Over Europe' tour in 1972, and a live version recorded in The Hague was originally slated for inclusion on the band's 'Red Rose Speedway' album. This was initially planned as a double-disc set, and the live recording of '1882' was to be augmented with some studio overdubs, but it was eventually removed from the final track listing, and so this version is the actual recording from The Hague, on which I've reconstructed the intro and given it a suitably bombastic finale. 'On The Wings Of A Nightingale' was written for, and gifted to, The Everly Brothers in 1984, and as their version was so faithful to his original demo, Frank Walker has managed to remix it using the Everly's backing track with McCartney's vocals for this unique version. There are a couple of b-sides from collaborative singles with Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, with 'Rainclouds' reputedly being the song he was working on the day that John Lennon was murdered. 'Don't Break The Promise' was written by McCartney and Eric Stewart of 10cc during their collaboration in 1986 for the 'Press To Play' album, and although McCartney recorded it in 1988 with the help of Hamish Stuart, he kept it until 1997 when it was released as the b-side of his 'Beautiful Night' single. The title track is McCartney's contribution to an anti-heroin charity album in 1986, and 'Spies Like Us' was written as the theme to the 1985 film of the same name. It's all housed in a cover based on a wooden sculpture by Wilfred Wood, which you may seen in the news recently, as it caused quite a stir when it was banned from being used for a 7" single released by the Secret 7 charity because McCartney thought it was too "unflattering". I love it, so I'm using it here.  

Track listing

01 Simple As That (from 'It's A Live-In World' charity album by The Anti-Heroin Project 1986)
02 The First Stone (b-side of 'This One' 1989)
03 Good Sign (b-side of 'This One' 1989)
04 Rainclouds (b-side of 'Ebony And Ivory' 1982)
05 I'll Give You A Ring (b-side of 'Take It Away' 1982)
06 Don't Break The Promise (recorded 1988, b-side of 'Beautiful Night' 1997)
07 Ode To A Koala Bear (b-side of 'Say Say Say' with Michael Jackson 1983)
08 On The Wings Of A Nightingale (remixed demo for The Everly Brothers 1984)
09 Hanglide (b-side of 'Press' 1986)

10 Spies Like Us (single 1985)

11 1882 (Live in The Hague, Rotterdam, 1972)