Post by Beatle Bob on Jul 4, 2009 4:52:14 GMT
REVIEW: Paul McCartney – “SUMMERTIME 1980” (Audiofon AF 13)
By Beatle Bob
The Audiofon off-shoot label from Yellow Dog has been a bit busy and prolific of late issuing some interesting CDs including this new SUMMERTIME 1980 disc that purportedly is from sometime in 1980. It is said to be one of the last Wings tapes playing as a cohesive unit. There is debate as to which is the correct recording date(s) of these rehearsals. Some say the tapes are split between 7/4/80 and 10/30/80. I couldn’t tell you without seeing session logs, but to me the sound quality throughout has a consistent lousy sound balance, is boomy and more than likely from the same set of tapes, so I tend to doubt they are put together from different recording dates. These tapes, possibly being some of the last Wings recordings as a group are akin to some of the last recordings of the Beatles as a group during their Get Back sessions in January of ’69. These tend to be sloppy at best, a bit off-key and certainly not to the level of more recent McCartney rehearsal jams that come to light where he and his band members at least make an effort. These recordings should be more interesting than they are. They are certainly slightly improved from previous releases probably from using a bit of eq. They have all been previously released. The selling point for me was to have the two bonus tracks. First is “Daytime Nighttime Suffering” from the old Library release, HOT HITS AND COLD CUTS that came out in 1990 (being I’m not a McCartney or Beatles solo completest I did not have this CD). The track is a bit distorted and slightly muffled but definitely has an alternate vocal. BUT, the real highlight is 2nd bonus track--the new to bootleg “Goodnight Tonight. I’m convinced this is McCartney’s home demo. It has the feel of his MCCARTNEY 2/RUDE STUDIO DEMOS and there is no sign of Wings on this track. There is a homemade feel to it. I’m sure Wings used this demo as the bed to overdub additional instruments and vocals from the band, but on this track presented here, overdubs are all Paul vocally. The more you play it your realize the guitar solo (stabs I call them here) are very much in Paul’s style. The demo has a bit of a self-indulgent feel that his one man show tracks give off at times. Yet, I like this one a lot!
If you’re a Paul McCartney fan you’ll need this disc in your collection especially for the premier appearance on bootleg of the demo of “Goodnight Tonight”.
CD Track listing:
01. BALROOM DANCING
02. OLD MAN LOVING
03. REGGAE RIFF
04. AEIDU
05. CRAKING UP
06. NATURE' CALLING
07. DON'T GO FOOLIN'
08. HAPPY GO LUCY
09. UNTITLED JAM
10. TAKING ON A WOMAN
11. ROOM SERVICE
12. SUMMERTIME
13. JOHNNY B. GOOD
14. SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL
15. BALLAD OF SHORTIE
BONUS TRACKS:
16. DAYTIME NIGHTTIME SUFFERING
17. GOODNIGHT TONIGHT
Regards,
Beatle Bob
By Beatle Bob
The Audiofon off-shoot label from Yellow Dog has been a bit busy and prolific of late issuing some interesting CDs including this new SUMMERTIME 1980 disc that purportedly is from sometime in 1980. It is said to be one of the last Wings tapes playing as a cohesive unit. There is debate as to which is the correct recording date(s) of these rehearsals. Some say the tapes are split between 7/4/80 and 10/30/80. I couldn’t tell you without seeing session logs, but to me the sound quality throughout has a consistent lousy sound balance, is boomy and more than likely from the same set of tapes, so I tend to doubt they are put together from different recording dates. These tapes, possibly being some of the last Wings recordings as a group are akin to some of the last recordings of the Beatles as a group during their Get Back sessions in January of ’69. These tend to be sloppy at best, a bit off-key and certainly not to the level of more recent McCartney rehearsal jams that come to light where he and his band members at least make an effort. These recordings should be more interesting than they are. They are certainly slightly improved from previous releases probably from using a bit of eq. They have all been previously released. The selling point for me was to have the two bonus tracks. First is “Daytime Nighttime Suffering” from the old Library release, HOT HITS AND COLD CUTS that came out in 1990 (being I’m not a McCartney or Beatles solo completest I did not have this CD). The track is a bit distorted and slightly muffled but definitely has an alternate vocal. BUT, the real highlight is 2nd bonus track--the new to bootleg “Goodnight Tonight. I’m convinced this is McCartney’s home demo. It has the feel of his MCCARTNEY 2/RUDE STUDIO DEMOS and there is no sign of Wings on this track. There is a homemade feel to it. I’m sure Wings used this demo as the bed to overdub additional instruments and vocals from the band, but on this track presented here, overdubs are all Paul vocally. The more you play it your realize the guitar solo (stabs I call them here) are very much in Paul’s style. The demo has a bit of a self-indulgent feel that his one man show tracks give off at times. Yet, I like this one a lot!
If you’re a Paul McCartney fan you’ll need this disc in your collection especially for the premier appearance on bootleg of the demo of “Goodnight Tonight”.
CD Track listing:
01. BALROOM DANCING
02. OLD MAN LOVING
03. REGGAE RIFF
04. AEIDU
05. CRAKING UP
06. NATURE' CALLING
07. DON'T GO FOOLIN'
08. HAPPY GO LUCY
09. UNTITLED JAM
10. TAKING ON A WOMAN
11. ROOM SERVICE
12. SUMMERTIME
13. JOHNNY B. GOOD
14. SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL
15. BALLAD OF SHORTIE
BONUS TRACKS:
16. DAYTIME NIGHTTIME SUFFERING
17. GOODNIGHT TONIGHT
Regards,
Beatle Bob