Give Ireland Back To The Irish

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 ?

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. […]

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