Flaming Pie
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| Flaming Pie | ||
| ||
| Studio album by Paul McCartney | ||
| Released | 5 May 1997 | |
| Recorded | 22 February 1995 - 14 February 1997 except "Calico Skies" & "Great Day": 3 September 1992 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 53:44 | |
| Label | Parlophone/EMI | |
| Producer(s) | Paul McCartney, Jeff Lynne & George Martin | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Paul McCartney chronology | ||
| Paul is Live (1993) | Flaming Pie (1997) | Paul McCartney's Standing Stone (1997)
|
Flaming Pie is an album by Paul McCartney, first released in 1997. His first studio album in over four years, it was mostly recorded following McCartney's involvement in the highly successful Beatles Anthology project. Quoted in Flaming Pie's liner notes as saying, "(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."
Beginning in February 1995, McCartney teamed up with Jeff Lynne, Electric Light Orchestra lead singer and guitarist and a massive Beatles fan who had previously worked with George Harrison on his 1987 album Cloud Nine, while both were members of The Traveling Wilburys, and who had also co-produced "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" for the Anthology project. With a keen sense to produce something pure and easy - and without indulging in elaborate productions - McCartney sporadically recorded the entire album in a space of two years, working not only with Lynne, but with Steve Miller, George Martin, Ringo Starr and his own son, James McCartney, who plays lead guitar on "Heaven On A Sunday". "Calico Skies" and "Great Day" both hailed from a 1992 session, recorded even before Off the Ground had come out.
The title Flaming Pie (also given to one of the album's songs) is a reference to a humorous story John Lennon had told journalists on the origin of The Beatles' name when they became newly famous: "I had a vision that a man came unto us on a flaming pie, and he said, 'You are Beatles with an A.' And so we were."
Upon its May 1997 release, the critical reaction to Flaming Pie was very strong, with McCartney achieving his best reviews since 1982's Tug of War. The commercial reaction was everything McCartney could have hoped for. With fresh credibility even with young fans who had been introduced to him through the Anthology project, and anticipation raised with the excellent reviews, Flaming Pie debuted at #2 in the UK and US, giving McCartney his first US Top 10 album since Tug of War. Not surprisingly, Flaming Pie went gold quickly. Singles "Young Boy", "The World Tonight" and "Beautiful Night" all became UK hits, though US singles success once again eluded McCartney.
Flaming Pie is considered one of Paul McCartney's finest albums - a point supported by its nomination for the "Album of the Year" Grammy in 1998.
[edit] Track listing
All songs by Paul McCartney, except where noted.
- "The Song We Were Singing" – 3:55
- "The World Tonight" – 4:06
- "If You Wanna" – 4:38
- "Somedays" – 4:15
- Orchestration by George Martin
- "Young Boy" – 3:54
- "Calico Skies" – 2:32
- "Flaming Pie" – 2:30
- "Heaven On A Sunday" – 4:27
- Lead guitar performed by son James McCartney
- "Used To Be Bad" (Paul McCartney/Steve Miller) – 4:12
- Tracks 3, 5 and 9 are recorded solely by McCartney and Steve Miller
- "Souvenir" – 3:41
- "Little Willow" – 2:58
- A tribute to the memory of Maureen Starkey
- "Really Love You" (Paul McCartney/Ringo Starr) – 5:18
- Resulting from an improvised jam between McCartney, Ringo Starr and Jeff Lynne
- "Beautiful Night" – 5:09
- Orchestration by George Martin
- Ringo Starr on drums
- "Great Day" – 2:09
- Written in the early 1970's
[edit] External links
