- UK release date:
- Feb 25, 1972
- US release date:
- Feb 19, 1972
- Publisher:
- Apple Records
- Reference:
- R 5936 (UK) / 1847 (US)
Timeline
More from year 1972
Related sessions
This album has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Recording "Give Ireland Back To The Irish"
Feb 01, 1972
Mixing "Give Ireland Back To The Irish"
Feb 03, 1972
Mixing "Give Ireland Back To The Irish"
Feb 04, 1972
Related articles
“Give Ireland Back To The Irish” banned
Feb 10, 1972
Jan 30, 1972
Paul and Linda meet John and Yoko in New York
January 29-31, 1972
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Hide track details
Track list
Side 1
1.
Give Ireland Back To The Irish
Written by Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney
3:42 • Studio version • A • Stereo
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Electric guitar (?), Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Keyboards
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar
- Henry McCullough :
- Electric guitar
- Denny Seiwell :
- Drums
- Tony Clark :
- Recording engineer
- Mark Vigars :
- Assistant engineer
- Glyn Johns :
- Mixing engineer
- Session Recording:
- Feb 01, 1972
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Overdubs :
- Feb 02-04, 1972 ?
- Session Mixing:
- Feb 03, 1972
- Studio :
- Island Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing ?:
- Feb 04, 1972
- Studio :
- Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Side 2
1.
Give Ireland Back To The Irish (version)
Written by Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney
3:46 • Studio version • B • Stereo • Instrumental version, labelled "(version)"
- Performed by :
- Paul McCartney • Linda McCartney • Denny Laine • Henry McCullough • Denny Seiwell
- Paul McCartney :
- Producer
- Tony Clark :
- Recording engineer
- Mark Vigars :
- Assistant engineer
- Glyn Johns :
- Mixing engineer
- Session Recording:
- Feb 01, 1972
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Overdubs :
- Feb 02-04, 1972 ?
- Session Mixing:
- Feb 03, 1972 ?
- Studio :
- Island Studios, London, UK ?
- Session Mixing:
- Feb 04, 1972 ?
- Studio :
- Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London ?
About
From Wikipedia:
[…] The “Give Ireland Back to the Irish” single was released by Apple Records on 25 February 1972 in the United Kingdom (as Apple R 5936) and 28 February in the United States (as Apple 1847). It was Wings’ debut single release, after the cancellation of their scheduled single from Wild Life, a reggae-style cover of “Love Is Strange“. Further to McCartney’s refusal to include the Apple logo on the LP face labels for Wild Life, five green Irish shamrocks appeared on the single’s customised labels. In the US, the song lyrics were reproduced on the yellow paper sleeve enclosing the disc.
On 7 March, Wings were filmed rehearsing “Give Ireland Back to the Irish” at the McCartneys’ St John’s Wood home in London for a segment on ABC News in the United States. McCartney told the ABC reporter that he did not plan to focus on politics in his work, but that “on this one occasion I think the British government overstepped the mark and showed themselves to be more of a sort of oppressive regime than I ever believed them to be.” A 30-second television advertisement for the single was produced by Apple but never broadcast by the ITA, who cited the stipulation regarding “political controversy” in the Television Act, by which the organisation was legally bound.
“Give Ireland Back to the Irish” peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart, and number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. According to author Bruce Spizer, listeners there felt alienated by McCartney’s political stance and “Airplay was so marginal that the song, for all practical purposes, was also banned by American radio.” On the other US singles charts, published by Cash Box and Record World, the single peaked at number 38 and number 36, respectively.
The single reached number 1 in Ireland and in Spain. McCartney attributed the song’s success in Spain to its popularity among Basque separatists. The A-side was included as a bonus track on the 1993 Paul McCartney Collection CD reissue of Wild Life. […]
Last updated on August 2, 2023
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