Working Classical
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Working Classical
''Working Classical'' is Paul McCartney's third full-length release of original classical music as a double LP and as a single CD, and was issued less than a month after '' Run Devil Runs release in 1999. Background and recording Following up on 1997's '' Standing Stone'', the concept behind ''Working Classical'' was to place pre-existing (and in some cases, very well known) McCartney songs into an orchestral context. Specially for this project, McCartney also unveiled some new pieces, namely "Haymakers", "Midwife", "Spiral" and "Tuesday". A different performance of " A Leaf" was originally released on 21 April 1995 on a CD single, and is presented here in a new recording. Performing the new arrangements are the London Symphony Orchestra and the Loma Mar Quartet, with special orchestrations arranged by noted musicians Richard Rodney Bennett, Jonathan Tunick and Andy Stein. Album title The title of this project is a pun on the phrase "working class", in the sense that McCar ...
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Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring styles ranging from pre–rock and roll pop to classical and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon remains the most successful in history. Born in Liverpool, McCartney taught himself piano, guitar and songwriting as a teenager, having been influenced by his father, a jazz player, and rock and roll performers such as Little Richard and Buddy Holly. He began his career when he joined Lennon's skiffle group, the Quarrymen, in 1957, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Sometimes called "the cute Beatle", McCartney later invo ...
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Andy Stein
Andy Stein is an American saxophone and violin player. He is a member of The Guys All-Star Shoe Band on the radio show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and the movie. He was a founding member of the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. Stein attended the University of Michigan as a contemporary of George Frayne ("Commander Cody"). He has also written a number of film scores, including the soundtracks for ''Hollywood Boulevard'' (1976), '' Thunder and Lightning'' (1977), ''Deathsport'' (1978) and ''National Lampoon's Movie Madness'' (1983). He plays the violin in the Ken Burns documentaries '' The War'' (2007) and ''The West'' (1996). Andy Stein made arrangements of classical pieces by Franz Schubert and Ludwig van Beethoven: He reworked the String Quartet No. 14, D.810, nicknamed ''Death and the Maiden'', into a symphony for full orchestra (with winds & Timp.), the Fantasia in F minor (Schubert) for piano four-hands Piano four hands (french: À quatre ...
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The Lovely Linda
"The Lovely Linda" is a song by English musician Paul McCartney, released as the opening track of his debut solo album, ''McCartney'', in April 1970. McCartney wrote the song to his first wife, Linda McCartney. History Paul McCartney wrote "The Lovely Linda" in Scotland during 1969, when he and wife Linda McCartney were living at their farm, High Park, in Campbeltown. The song is dedicated to McCartney's first wife and was a reply-of-sorts to Beatles bandmate John Lennon's public declarations of love for his wife, Yoko Ono. "The Lovely Linda" was released as the opening track on McCartney's eponymous debut solo album, and was the first song taped for the album. McCartney recorded the composition shortly before Christmas in December 1969, in order to test his then-new 4-track recorder, which he had installed in his home studio in London. At 42 seconds, it is the shortest song in McCartney's solo catalogue. The recording features him on all instruments, including what authors Chip ...
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She's My Baby (Wings Song)
"She's My Baby" is a song credited to Paul and Linda McCartney that was first released by Wings on their 1976 album ''Wings at the Speed of Sound''. It is a love song sung by Paul directed at Linda. Critical opinion of the song has ranged from a description as Paul McCartney's "sweetest, daftest love song" to a suggestion that it deserves an "honor for sheer awfulness." In 1998, after Linda's death, Paul McCartney rearranged the song for string quartet to be played at memorial concerts for his late wife. This version was included on the 1999 album '' Working Classical''. Lyrics and music "She's My Baby" is a love song inspired by Linda. Paul McCartney sings the lead vocal. In each of the verses, the song describes characteristics of the singer's "baby." Some of these have been criticized as being trite; for example, the woman is described as gravy to be mopped up by the singer: :''Like gravy, down to the last drop'' :''I keep mopping her up'' :''Oh yeah, she's my baby'' The ...
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Flaming Pie
''Flaming Pie'' is the tenth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 5 May 1997 by Parlophone in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. His first studio album in over four years, it was mostly recorded after McCartney's involvement in the highly successful ''Beatles Anthology'' project. The album was recorded in several locations over two years, between 1995 and 1997, featuring two songs dating from 1992. The album featured several of McCartney's family members and friends, most notably McCartney's son, James McCartney featured on electric guitar. In ''Flaming Pies liner notes, McCartney said: "'' he Beatles Anthology' reminded me of the Beatles' standards and the standards that we reached with the songs. So in a way it was a refresher course that set the framework for this album." ''Flaming Pie'' peaked at number two in both the UK and the US and was certified gold. The album, which was well-received by critics, also reached the top 20 in many other co ...
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Off The Ground
''Off the Ground'' is the ninth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, released on 2 February 1993. As his first studio album of the 1990s, it is also the follow-up to the well received ''Flowers in the Dirt'' (1989). Recording and structure After planning another world tour, The New World Tour, in 1993, to promote the album, McCartney chose to record ''Off the Ground'' with his touring band. Blair Cunningham joined on drums to replace Chris Whitten, who left to join Dire Straits. McCartney decided to record the album "live in the studio", meaning that the band would rehearse an entire song then record it in one take, instead of recording each vocal track and instrumental track separately. This approach gave a raw, direct feel to the work. The compositions, some of which were outtakes from ''Flowers in the Dirt'', seemed less complex than those on the earlier album. "Mistress and Maid" and "The Lovers That Never Were", which emerged from McCartney's songwriting collaboration with ...
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Calico Skies
"Calico Skies" is the sixth song on Paul McCartney's 1997 album, ''Flaming Pie''. McCartney had been staying on Long Island when the category-three storm Hurricane Bob that made landfall had hit in August 1991. This made McCartney sit with an acoustic guitar and write what he describes as "a gentle love song that becomes a 1960s protest song". The song was co-produced by George Martin and McCartney, being started, finished, and mixed within a single session on 3 September 1992 in Sussex, England. It is the earliest recording on ''Flaming Pie''. McCartney says of the song: "Bob” the hurricane, knocked out all the power; it was all candle-light, cooking on a woodfire. Very primitive, but we like that enforced simplicity. I couldn't play records, so I made up little acoustic pieces. This was one of them—it's a primitive little powercut memory." "Calico Skies" was arranged for string quartet; this version was included on McCartney's 1999 album '' Working Classical''. The song wa ...
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Maybe I'm Amazed
"Maybe I'm Amazed" is a song written by English musician Paul McCartney that was first released on his 1970 debut solo album ''McCartney''. Although the original recording has never been released as a single, a live performance by McCartney's later band Wings, from the live album ''Wings over America'', was. Released in 1977, this version became a top ten hit in the United States and reached number 28 in the United Kingdom. In 2011, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked "Maybe I'm Amazed" number 347 on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list. History McCartney wrote the song in 1969, just before the Beatles' break-up. He credited his wife Linda with helping him get through the difficult time. Although most of his debut solo album was recorded at his home in London, McCartney recorded "Maybe I'm Amazed" entirely in EMI's Number Two studio in Abbey Road, on the same day as he recorded " Every Night". He played all the instruments: guitars, bass, piano, organ and drums. Although Mc ...
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My Love (Paul McCartney & Wings Song)
"My Love" is a song by the British–American band Paul McCartney and Wings that was first released as the lead single from their 1973 album ''Red Rose Speedway''. It was written by Paul McCartney as a love song to his wife and Wings bandmate Linda. The single marked the first time that McCartney's name appeared in the artist credit for a Wings record, after their previous releases had been credited to Wings alone. Released on 23 March 1973, the song topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the US for four weeks and peaked at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart. The single was viewed as Wings' first significant success in the US and helped ''Red Rose Speedway'' achieve commercial success. Wings recorded "My Love" at Abbey Road Studios in London in January 1973. The song is a piano ballad and features an orchestral arrangement by Richard Hewson that was recorded live with the main track. The recording also includes a guitar solo by Henry McCullough that some commentators view as a ...
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Warm And Beautiful
"Warm and Beautiful" is a love ballad credited to Paul and Linda McCartney that was first released by Wings on their 1976 album ''Wings at the Speed of Sound''. It is a love ballad sung by Paul directed to Linda. Critical opinion of the song has varied widely, ranging from a comment that it is "one of the most beautiful songs that Paul ever wrote for Linda," to a suggestion that it may be "one of the worst songs Paul McCartney has ever written." In 1998, after Linda's death, Paul rearranged the song for string quartet to be played at memorial concerts for his late wife. This version was included on the 1999 album '' Working Classical''. Lyrics and music "Warm and Beautiful" is a love song, the inspirational subject of whom is Linda McCartney. Paul McCartney sings the lead vocal. ''The Rough Guide to the Beatles'' author Chris Ingham describes "Warm and Beautiful" as a "big sensitive ballad." The verses treat love as being eternal and proclaim that love, faith and hope are what all ...
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Junk (song)
"Junk" is a song written by English musician Paul McCartney and released on his debut studio album ''McCartney'' (1970). He wrote the song in 1968 with the Beatles while the group were studying Transcendental Meditation in India. After the band's return from India, he recorded the song as a demo at Kinfauns, George Harrison's home, before sessions for ''The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album") took place. It was ultimately passed over for inclusion on ''The Beatles'' and ''Abbey Road'' in 1969. After the group's break-up, McCartney recorded the song for inclusion on ''McCartney''. The lyrics describe various items in a junkyard. A slightly longer, instrumental version of the song, titled "Singalong Junk", also appears on the album. History McCartney wrote "Junk", along with another ''McCartney'' track "Teddy Boy", during the Beatles' visit to India in 1968. The song was one of several the Beatles demoed at George Harrison's Kinfauns home before the recording of ''The Beat ...
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Ocean's Kingdom
''Ocean's Kingdom'' is the fifth classical album by Paul McCartney. It is the score of the ballet of the same name, commissioned by the New York City Ballet. It was performed by the London Classical Orchestra and conducted by John Wilson. The album was released on CD and vinyl, on 3 October 2011 by Decca (UK) and October 4 (US) by Hear Music/Telarc (US). In the United States, it peaked at number 144 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. The album has a score of 60 out of 100 at Metacritic, based on eight reviews, signifying a "mixed or average" critical response. The ballet tells of a love story based in two fantastic worlds – the "pure" ocean kingdom, and the Earth kingdom with its "sort of baddies" who threaten the underwater way of life. According to McCartney, love happens when earth meets water, and "you'll have to see whether the couple make it". His score for the ballet consists of four orchestral movements. Track listing All pieces by Paul McCartney. ;Movement 1 # "Ocean' ...
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