Press to Play
Labels
- Parlophone / EMI (UK )
- Capitol Records (USA)
Occupation
- Paul McCartney: Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Electric guitar, vocals
- Eric Stewart: Acoustic Guitar, Electric guitar
- Neil Jason: bass
- Pete Townshend: guitar
- Carlos Alomar: Acoustic Guitar, Electric guitar
- Eddie Rayner: Keyboard
- Nick Glennie -Smith: Keyboard
- Simon Chamberlain: Piano
- Linda McCartney: Keyboard, Vocals
- Phil Collins, Jerry Marotta, Graham Ward, John Bradbury: drums, percussion
- Ray Cooper: percussion
- Dick Morrissey: Tenor Saxophone
- Lenny Pickett: alto and tenor saxophone
- Gary Barnacle: Saxophone
- Gavyn Wright: Violin
- Kate Robbins, Ruby James: Background Singer
- Anne Dudley, Tony Visconti: Orchestra Arrangement
Studios
- Hog Hill Mill Studios, Sussex
Press to Play is the seventh solo album by Paul McCartney. At the same time, it is including the Wings albums the seventeenth album Paul McCartney after the breakup of the Beatles. It was released on August 25, 1986 in the U.S. and on September 1, 1986 in the UK.
- 5.2 Press
- 5.3 Pretty Little Head
- 5.4 Stranglehold
- 5.5 Only Love Remains
Formation
After the commercial failure of his music film Broad Street and mixed reviews for his last studio album, Pipes of Peace (1983) and the relatively poor sales in the U.S. of the soundtrack album Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984 ) wanted Paul McCartney sound contemporary with his new studio album. He was involved as a producer Hugh Padgham, who was known for his work with Genesis, XTC, The Police and Phil Collins in the 1980s.
Paul McCartney his recording studio Hogg Hill Mill was directed not far from his farm in Sussex and began with Eric Stewart and drummer Jerry Marotta from April 1985 to work on a new album. He had, however, neither concept nor concrete ideas wanted, " start from scratch ". The way of working with Eric Stewart - " with two acoustic guitars, glancing at each other, as in a mirror, only better " - McCartney recalled that his previous collaboration with John Lennon, he had not tried again since the Beatles time. With Eric Stewart Paul McCartney in these recording sessions wrote six songs on the album: Footprints, Stranglehold, Pretty Little Head, Move Over Busker Angry and HOWEVER Absurd. Although Stewart cooperation described in retrospect positive, but he stated that the recordings " in no particularly exciting direction led [n ] " and McCartney artistic " just a bit tired " was. Eric Stewart withdrew prematurely from the recordings back: In addition to his personal differences with producer Hugh Padgham also Paul McCartney's mood swings in the studio led to increasingly bad mood. The musical collaboration with Eric Stewart, which had existed since the recording of Tug of War, was not extended for future albums. Press to Play was also the only album that Hugh Padgham produced for Paul McCartney.
In September 1985, the recordings were to album for four days, interrupted by the theme song for the movie Spies Like Us ( Spies Like Us ) record.
The studio recording of the album had been completed in November 1985. After it was decided that Paul McCartney would leave in the U.S. recorded music company, Columbia Records, to sign up again at Capitol Records a new contract made prior to the April 18, 1986 more recording and mixing.
Was not published the song Yvonne's the One, which was released in 1995 in a re-recording of 10cc on their album Mirror Mirror. Paul McCartney played the guitar in this version. The version of Paul McCartney, however, was available on bootlegs.
On June 20, 1986 Paul McCartney joined with other artists at the Wembley Arena to mark the tenth anniversary of the Prince's Trust. He sang the songs I Saw Her Standing There, Long Tall Sally and Get Back. The published vinyl album Recorded Highlights of the Prince's Trust 10th Anniversary Birthday Party contains the song Get Back, an enclosed 7 " vinyl single, the other two songs.
The album was supposed to appear in June 1986, Press to Play but was released in Europe until September 1, 1986. Despite the good reviews of the musical change of direction was not accepted to a more contemporary sound of the audience. With 600,000 copies sold, it was the hitherto commercially least successful solo album McCartney. It was the second album that could not place in the top twenty of the U.S. Billboard 200.
The cover
The cover photo shows Paul and Linda McCartney cheek to cheek with closed eyes. The black and white photo is from Hollywood photographer George Hurrell, who used an old box camera for recording.
Title list
Page 1
Page 2
The CD release contained three additional songs:
1993 Remaster Bonus Tracks
ITunes bonus tracks ( 2007)
- Press ( 12 " Bevans / Forward dub mix ) - 6:31 ( McCartney )
Information about individual songs
In addition to Eric Stewart more famous musicians were involved in the album, so worked Phil Collins and Pete Townshend with the song Angry. The intro of Talk More Talk spoke a Paul McCartney's son James McCartney, Linda McCartney, Eddie Klein, Paul McCartney's longtime guitar technician John Hammel, Matt Howe and Steve Jackson.
The first edition in the UK and Germany the LP included the same version of the song press as the CD version, the mix of Bert Bevans and Steve Forward. The second edition of the LP contains the longer mixing by Hugh Padgham.
Single releases
On November 18, 1985, the Single Spies Like Us / My Carnival appeared, the A-side was recorded during sessions for the album Press to Play, while the B - side My Carnival in 1975 was recorded during the sessions for the album Venus and Mars.
The single was released on 9 December 1985 in the UK as a picture disc single in Shape format.
Furthermore, a 12 " vinyl maxi single was released with the following songs: Spies Like Us (Party Mix) / Spies Like Us ( Alternative Mix ) / Spies Like Us ( DJ Version ) / My Carnival (Party Mix). This maxi single was released on 2 December 1985 in the UK as a picture disc.
Spies Like Us is so far the last top ten hit in the U.S. for Paul McCartney. The promotional 7 " vinyl single and 12" vinyl single in the U.S. each case contains the single version and the abridged version of DJ.
Press
On 14 July 1986, the Single Press / It 's Not True appeared, the single was withdrawn after a few days on July 20, in the UK and Germany and replaced by Press ( Video Edit, Bevans -Forward Mix), which only in the U.S. the second version has been released.
The 12 " vinyl maxi single contains the following songs: Press ( Bevans -Forward Mix) / It's Not True / Hanglide / Press ( Dubmix ). Hanglide has not been released on CD.
In the UK, was released a limited edition 10 " vinyl maxi-single on August 18, 1986 ( Press ( Original Mix) / It's Not True / Press ( Video Edit ) ).
In the U.S., two different 7 " vinyl singles promotion distributed, the first contains the Video Edit on both sides, while the second promotional single to Video Edit on the A- side and B-side has an exclusive mix. In turn, the 12 " vinyl single includes the promotion Video Edit on both sides.
Pretty Little Head
The second single from the album in Europe, Pretty Little Head / Write Away took place on 27 October 1986. The A-side is a new mix by Larry Alexander.
The 12 " vinyl maxi single contains the songs Pretty Little Head (Long Remix) / Angry (Remix) / Write Away; the new mix of Pretty Little Head was here by John Potoker, the new mix of Angry was again carried out by Larry Alexander.
Although in the United States Pretty Little Head was not released as a single, a promotional 12 " vinyl single released there ( Catalog Number: Capitol SPRO - 9928 ) containing the European single version.
Stranglehold
The second single in the U.S. was Stranglehold / Angry (Remix) and took place on November 3, 1986.
" - And 12" In the U.S., 7 were vinyl Promotion Singles prepared containing on both sides of the normal single version. Furthermore, a 12 " vinyl promotional single, which includes on both sides Angry LP version was released.
Only Love Remains
The third single release in the U.S. and Europe was Only Love Remains ( Remix) / Tough on a Tightrope and was released on 1 December 1986 in the UK and on 19 January 1987 in the United States.
In Europe, in addition, the 12 " vinyl maxi single Only Love Remains appeared (Remix) / Tough on a Tightrope (Long Remix) / Talk More Talk ( Remix). The new mix of Only Love Remains was made by Jim Boyer, who also added some instrumentation. Tough on a Tightrope (Long Remix) was remixed by Julian Mendelsohn.
In the U.S. 7 " vinyl promotional singles were prepared containing on both sides of the normal single version.
There music videos were made to the single A-side.
Chart positions
Video Publications
The video documentary The McCartney Special was released in November 1987 on VHS tape. A DVD version is not published yet. The documentation outlines the career of Paul McCartney to and including the album Press to Play.
Reissues
- In April 1993, the CD was released in a re -mastered version with three bonus tracks.
- In May 2007, the album was released in download format.
Criticism
The Rolling Stone was in 1986 that Press to Play McCartney let the music firmly arrive in the present. The collaboration with Stewart and producer Padgham connect McCartney's melodies with a " dense electronic, contemporary sound ," which give the album a " rhythmic kick."
Allmusic stated that McCartney try on the album in the areas that he can be good, and austeste what was working. Press to Play is not his strongest album, but more interesting than some of its content and style consistent albums. The Chicago Tribune called Press to play one of the better solo albums McCartney, it was something edgier and much faster than you would be used to from him, even if it was not particularly memorable.