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Tug of War (Paul McCartney album)

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Tug of War is the third solo studio album by the English musician Paul McCartney, released on 26 April 1982. It is his 11th album overall following the break up of the Beatles in 1970, his first album released after the dissolution of his band Wings the previous year, and his first album following the murder of his former songwriting partner John Lennon.[1] The cover features an abstract oil painting by the artist Brian Clarke, a frequent McCartney collaborator, incorporating an overpainted transparency of a portrait of Paul taken by Linda McCartney.[2][3]

Tug of War
Studio album by
Paul McCartney
Released26 April 1982 (1982-04-26)
Recorded
  • December 1980
  • February–December 1981
Studio
GenreRock
Length41:10
LabelParlophone (UK)
Columbia (US)
ProducerGeorge Martin
Paul McCartney chronology
The McCartney Interview
(1980) 		Tug of War
(1982) 		Pipes of Peace
(1983)
Singles from Tug of War
  1. "Ebony and Ivory"
    Released: 29 March 1982
  2. "Take It Away"
    Released: 21 June 1982
  3. "Tug of War"
    Released: 6 September 1982

Tug of War was produced by former Beatles producer George Martin and was a number-one hit in many countries, selling over one million copies in the United States in the year of its release.[4] Some critics hailed it as a 'return to form' for McCartney. The 2015 re-release, in a remastered deluxe edition, received a nomination for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

Recording

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Following the release of the solo album McCartney II, McCartney's band Wings regrouped in July and October 1980 to rehearse several songs which later appeared on Tug of War and Pipes of Peace. Feeling the need for direction, McCartney called upon his former producer, George Martin,[5] to begin recording a song written for the animated Rupert Bear character (to which McCartney acquired the film rights in 1970),[6] titled "We All Stand Together", among others. The productive sessions continued until 9 December, the morning McCartney woke up to learn that his former songwriting partner and fellow ex-Beatle, John Lennon, had been shot and killed in New York City the previous night. Abandoning that day's session (in which he and Denny Laine were recording future B-side "Rainclouds") part-way through, both Martin and McCartney felt it was best to leave the project for the time being and start anew once they were ready.

In February 1981, two months after Lennon's death, McCartney resumed the sessions, recording that month with Stevie Wonder, Stanley Clarke, Carl Perkins and Ringo Starr, and laying down several songs in the process. The sessions were held at AIR Studios in Montserrat, in the Caribbean, and lasted from 3 February to 2 March, ending with "Ebony and Ivory" and "What's That You're Doing",[7] two songs featuring Stevie Wonder.[8] 10cc guitarist Eric Stewart also became a frequent collaborator of McCartney during this period.[9] Further sessions were undertaken that summer at Martin's AIR Studios in Oxford Street, London. The sessions were so productive that several resulting tracks were held over for McCartney's next album, Pipes of Peace, which followed in 1983. The rest of 1981 was spent in a quiet fashion, with McCartney and Martin giving the finishing touches to the album.

Release, critical reception, and aftermath

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [10]
Robert ChristgauB+[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [12]
The Great Rock Discography5/10[13]
Pitchfork Media6.7/10[14]
PopMatters          [15]
Q     [16]
Rolling Stone     [17]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [18]
Uncut9/10[19]

In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, music critic Stephen Holden hailed Tug of War as "the masterpiece everyone has always known Paul McCartney could make", and particularly admired its vivid music and consistent songwriting.[17] In The Boston Phoenix, M. Howell felt that the album "is bouncy, joyful, sweet and melodic — things we expect from Paul McCartney. It's also frightened and fierce — things he’s not supposed to be. To say that Tug of War is a far better record than McCartney’s ever made is to slight it — Tug of War goes beyond anything that McCartney ever indicated he was capable of."[20] Robert Palmer was less enthusiastic in his review for The New York Times, and found the album "exquisitely crafted though lyrically flawed", as he thought McCartney's lyrics were often "clichéd or mawkish", but that the album "at its best, is as finely crafted as his work with the Beatles".[21]

In March 1982, McCartney's duet with Stevie Wonder, "Ebony and Ivory", was released to considerable commercial success, reaching number one in many countries. Tug of War followed in April, and similarly became a worldwide number one. The follow-up single, "Take It Away", reached the top ten in the United States. The album restored McCartney's critical reputation after what was viewed as a lean period for him. Tug of War was nominated for the "Album of the Year" Grammy in 1983. Wingspan author Mark Lewisohn thought it was a better album than Band on the Run.[22]

The album was issued in the US on compact disc on 29 February 1984.[23] In 1993, Tug of War was remastered and re-issued on CD as part of The Paul McCartney Collection series. There were no bonus tracks: "Rainclouds" and "I'll Give You a Ring", B-sides of "Ebony and Ivory" and "Take It Away", respectively, were omitted. In 2007, Tug of War was remastered and re-released on the iTunes Store adding a solo version of "Ebony and Ivory".

A further reissue of Tug of War was released on 2 October 2015, as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection. This edition included a remixed version of the album, along with the original mix, and a series of videos.

Track listing

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All songs were written by Paul McCartney, except "What's That You're Doing?" co-written by Stevie Wonder.

Side one

  1. "Tug of War" – 4:22
  2. "Take It Away" – 4:14
  3. "Somebody Who Cares" – 3:19
  4. "What's That You're Doing?" (with Stevie Wonder) – 6:19
  5. "Here Today" – 2:27

Side two

  1. "Ballroom Dancing" – 4:07
  2. "The Pound Is Sinking" – 2:54
  3. "Wanderlust" – 3:49
  4. "Get It" (with Carl Perkins) – 2:29
  5. "Be What You See (Link)" – 0:34
  6. "Dress Me Up as a Robber" – 2:41
  7. "Ebony and Ivory" (with Stevie Wonder) – 3:46

Archive Collection reissue

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In 2015 the album was re-issued by Hear Music/Concord Music Group as part of the sixth set of releases, alongside Pipes of Peace, in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection. It was released in multiple formats:[24]

  • Standard edition 2-CD; remixed version of the original 12-track album on the first disc, plus 11 bonus tracks on a second disc.
  • Deluxe edition 3-CD/1-DVD box set + 112-page essay book and 64-page scrapbook;
  • Super deluxe CD/DVD 3-CD/1-DVD box set + 112-page essay book and 64-page scrapbook + limited edition acrylic slipcase
  • Remastered vinyl The albums were also released in special gatefold vinyl editions (vinyl editions include a download card).

Disc 1 – Remixed album

Remixed version of the original 12-track album.

Disc 2 – Original album remastered (deluxe edition only)

The original 12-track album.

Bonus audio (disc 2 for standard version, disc 3 for deluxe edition)

All songs written by Paul McCartney, except "Rainclouds", co-written with Denny Laine.

  1. "Stop, You Don't Know Where She Came From" (demo) – 1:44
  2. "Wanderlust" (demo) – 1:46
  3. "Ballroom Dancing" (demo) – 2:04
  4. "Take It Away" (demo) – 5:37
  5. "The Pound Is Sinking" (demo) – 2:35
  6. "Something That Didn't Happen" (demo) – 2:17
  7. "Ebony and Ivory" (demo) – 1:46
  8. "Dress Me Up as a Robber/Robber Riff" (demo) – 3:42
  9. "Ebony and Ivory" (solo version) – 3:50
  10. "Rainclouds" (B-side to "Ebony and Ivory") – 3:13
  11. "I'll Give You a Ring" (B-side to "Take it Away") – 3:09

Note: Tracks 1–8 previously unreleased.

Additional download tracks available via paulmccartney.com[25]

  1. "Take It Away" (single edit) – 4:05

Disc 4 – DVD

  1. "Tug of War" music video (version 1)
  2. "Tug of War" music video (version 2)
  3. "Take It Away" music video
  4. "Ebony and Ivory" music video
  5. "Fly TIA" – Behind the Scenes on Take It Away

Personnel

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Track numbering refers to CD and digital releases of the album.

Production

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  • George Martin – producer
  • Geoff Emerick – engineer
  • Jon Jacobs – assistant engineer
  • Mike Stavrou – assistant engineer
  • Alex Wharton – mastering
  • Hipgnosis – cover coordination
  • Sinc – cover coordination
  • YES – creative direction, design
  • Brian Clarke – cover painting
  • Linda McCartney – photography

Accolades

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Grammy Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1983 Tug of War Album of the Year[26] Nominated
"Ebony and Ivory" (Duet with Stevie Wonder) Song of the Year[26] Nominated
Record of the Year[26] Nominated
Best Pop Vocal Performance – Duo or Group[26] Nominated
"What's That You're Doing?"
(Duet with Stevie Wonder)		 Best R&B Vocal Performance – Duo or Group[26] Nominated
2017 Tug of War (Remastered Deluxe Edition) Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package Nominated

American Music Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1983 Paul McCartney (performer) Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist[27] Nominated
"Ebony and Ivory"
(Duet with Stevie Wonder)		 Favorite Pop/Rock Single[27] Nominated

Brit Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1983
[28]		 Paul McCartney (performer) Best British Male Artist Won
Sony Trophy for Technical Excellence Won
George Martin (producer) Best British Producer Nominated

Charts

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Year-end charts

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Chart (1982) Position
Australian Albums Chart[29] 7
Austrian Albums Chart[48] 7
Canadian Albums Chart[49] 14
French Albums Chart[50] 12
Japanese Oricon Chart[51] 37
UK Albums Chart[52] 16
US Billboard Pop Albums[53] 28

Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[54] Platinum 50,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[55] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[56] Gold 100,000*
Japan (Oricon Charts) — 237,000[C][57][51]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[58] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[59] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[60] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  • A^ In the United States, Tug of War also entered the R&B chart, peaking at No. 11 there.[43]
  • B^ Until January 1987, Japanese albums chart had been separated into LP, CD, and cassette charts. Tug of War also entered the cassette chart, peaking at No. 12 and entering top 100 for 19 weeks. Tug of War also reached number 1 on the Music Labo albums chart in 1982.[61]
  • C^ Combined sales of LP, CD, and audio cassette.

References

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  1. ^ McCartney: Songwriter ISBN 0-491-03325-7 p. 128
  2. ^ Plassat, Francois (2010). Paul McCartney: l'empreinte d'un géant. Paris: JBz & Cie. ISBN 978-2-75560-651-5.
  3. ^ Tug of War (album liner notes). Paul McCartney. EMI. 1982.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ "Paul McCartney: Tug of War". RIAA Certification. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  5. ^ McCartney: Songwriter ISBN 0-491-03325-7 p. 129
  6. ^ "McCartney's solo efforts may bring an end to Beatles as recording group". The Bulletin - Google News Archive Search. Retrieved 28 March 2023.(UPI) "McCartney's solo efforts may bring an end to Beatles as recording group" The Bulletin April 7, 1970: 9
  7. ^ The end of the Beatles? ISBN 978-0-876-50162-7 p. 184
  8. ^ Luca Perasi, Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969–2013), L.I.L.Y. Publishing, 2013, ISBN 978-88-909122-1-4, pp.213–225.
  9. ^ The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years ISBN 978-6-612-52441-7 p. 105
  10. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Tug of War – Paul McCartney". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  11. ^ Christgau, Robert (1 June 1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on 15 August 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  12. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th edn). New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 1257. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
  13. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). New York: Canongate. p. 966. OL 18807297M.
  14. ^ Hart, Ron (6 October 2015). "Paul McCartney: Tug of War / Pipes of Peace". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  15. ^ Strowe, Jeff (2 October 2015). "Paul McCartney: Tug of War / Pipes of Peace". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  16. ^ Nicol, Jimmy (October 1993). "Re-releases: Paul McCartney The Paul McCartney Collection". Q. p. 119.
  17. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (27 May 1982). "Music Reviews : Tug of War by Paul McCartney". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  18. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th edn). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. p. 526. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  19. ^ "Paul McCartney Tug of War". Uncut. November 2015. p. 93.
  20. ^ Howell, M. (18 May 1982). "The war is over: And the dream begins". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  21. ^ Palmer, Robert (25 April 1982). "Music View; PAUL MCCARTNEY'S LATEST IS EXQUISITE BUT FLAWED". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 January 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  22. ^ 013 – LEWISOHN, archived from the original on 4 April 2017, retrieved 3 April 2017
  23. ^ Miles, Barry; Badman, Keith, eds. (2001). The Beatles Diary After the Break-Up: 1970–2001 (reprint ed.). London: Music Sales Group. ISBN 9780711983076.
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  25. ^ "Downloads". Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  26. ^ a b c d e "Rock on the Net: 25th Annual Grammy Awards – 1983". Archived from the original on 28 December 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  27. ^ a b "10th American Music Awards". Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  28. ^ "The BRITs 1983". brits.co.uk. British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  29. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  30. ^ "Paul McCartney – Tug of War – austriancharts.at" (ASP) (in German). Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  31. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 12 June 1982. p. 94. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  32. ^ Library and Archives Canada. Archived 16 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 31 October 2011
  33. ^ "dutchcharts.nl Paul McCartney – Tug of War" (ASP). dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  34. ^ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
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  36. ^ "Paul McCartney Japanese Album Chart listings". Original Confidence. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
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  40. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 3 July 1982. p. 57. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  41. ^ "swedishcharts.com Paul McCartney – Tug of War" (ASP). Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
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  43. ^ a b "Paul McCartney Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  44. ^ "Album Search: Paul McCartney: Tug of War" (in German). Media Control. Archived from the original (ASP) on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  45. ^ "OFFICIAL ALBUMS CHART RESULTS MATCHING: TUG OF WAR". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  46. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Paul McCartney – Tug of War" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  47. ^ "Billboard 200 WEEK OF OCTOBER 22, 2015". billboard.com. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  48. ^ "Austriancharts.st – Jahreshitparade 1982". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  49. ^ "Top 100 Albums '82". RPM. 25 December 1982. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  50. ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1982 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
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  52. ^ "UK best albums 1982". Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
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  55. ^ "Tug of War - CRIA Award". Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  56. ^ "French album certifications – Paul McCartney – Tug of War" (in French). InfoDisc. Select PAUL MCCARTNEY and click OK. 
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  60. ^ "American album certifications – Paul McCartney – Tug of War". Recording Industry Association of America.
  61. ^ Billboard, 5 June 1982, p 61.
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