McCartney II - Ultimate Archive Collection
By Paul McCartney • Unofficial album • Part of the collection “Paul McCartney • Ultimate Archive Collection”
Last updated on April 25, 2020
By Paul McCartney • Unofficial album • Part of the collection “Paul McCartney • Ultimate Archive Collection”
Last updated on April 25, 2020
This album was recorded during the following studio sessions:
June - July 1979
September - October 1979
Overdubs and mixing "Summer's Day Song"
October 1979
From "McCartney II"
Written by Paul McCartney
3:54 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Electric piano, Mixing engineer, Percussion, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
3:16 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Sequencer, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
3:41 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
4:46 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Electric piano, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
2:55 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
3:34 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Keyboards, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
3:26 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Keyboards, Mellotron, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant, Recording engineer
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Overdubs: October 1979 • Studio Replica Studio, Soho Square, London
Session Mixing: October 1979 • Studio Replica Studio, Soho Square, 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
Written by Paul McCartney
3:41 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant, Recording engineer
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
3:28 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
2:22 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
3:38 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
5:52 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Banjo, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Mixing engineer, Percussion, Producer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: Oct 16, 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Written by Paul McCartney
10:32 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Mixing engineer, Percussion, Producer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: Oct 04, 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Mr H Atom
2:23 • Studio version
Written by Paul McCartney
3:01 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Mixing engineer, Percussion, Producer, Synthesizers Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: Sep 27, 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Written by Paul McCartney
5:17 • Studio version • A1 • Full Length Version
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Keyboards, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: Sep 25, 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
5:43 • Studio version • A1 • Full length version
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant, Recording engineer
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: Sep 25, 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Mr H Atom [original mix]
2:25 • Studio version
Written by Paul McCartney
3:27 • Studio version • A1 • Original without vocals
Paul McCartney : Keyboards, Mellotron, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant, Recording engineer
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: Sep 25, 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
3:47 • Studio version • A1 • Full length version
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: Oct 04, 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
8:59 • Studio version • A1 • [full length]
Paul McCartney : Banjo, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Mixing engineer, Percussion, Producer, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Recording: Oct 16, 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Written by Paul McCartney
3:22 • Studio version • A1 • Stereo Promo Edit
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Electric piano, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Written by Paul McCartney
3:45 • Studio version • A2 • Promotional video edit
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Electric piano, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Vocals Eddie Klein : Mixing assistant
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
Session Recording: June - July 1979 • Studio Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Session Mixing: September 1979 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
From the liner notes:
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Words to live by. Also, it most definitely means that it’s time for the next installment of the Paul McCartney Ultimate Archive Collection. This time, we offer up the 1980 classic, ‘McCartney II’ as a 2-CD set. You McCartney scholars out there will note that this one is also available as a standard Archive Edition, that contains THREE CDs. Rest assured that not only does the UAC version have all the audio presented on the Archive release (sourced from the Unlimited downloads), there’s also another half-hour of material that’s NOT on the Archive set! So let’s look at what we have here, okay? After one takes away the material from the standard Archive set (most of which was material pertaining to the original, unreleased 2-LP version of ‘McCartney II’), we get such material as the original mix of ‘Mr H Atom’, which had a noticeably different mix on the Archive set as compared to the bootleg. It has been speed-corrected here and sounds better here Also, there’s the full-length ‘Bogey Wobble’, which had close to :30 snipped from it for the Archive set. We’ve also included such fun items as the Video Version of ‘Waterfalls’ (with keyboard intro), along with two demos of ‘Seems Like Old Times’, carefully restored and speed corrected, as all other boots of these have been woefully slow! Two different mixes of the 1980-era Linda track have been included as well – both the 1980 mix (included on ‘Wide Prairie’), and a 1982-era mix by Tony Visconti that went unreleased. Again, the track sounds better here than anywhere else! Finally, for fun, a “stripped down” mix of the basic tracks of ‘Coming Up’ has been included, so you can hear the rhythm tracks more clearly.
With all that has been included, there was one item in particular that I had to leave off for space considerations – namely, the ‘Wingspan Edit’ of ‘Coming Up’. For those who may not be aware, the UK Wingspan CD has the studio version of ‘Coming Up’, which must have been freshly edited from the full length version, as one of the edits is in a slightly different location. A minor difference to be sure, but it IS different. Rest assured that it will be included on the ever-growing ‘Rarities’ collection!
As usual, full-artwork has been included. I’ve always been a big fan of the packaging for this LP, and I wanted to try and present it as close to the original release as possible (albeit with the singles sleeves draped over the gatefold photo! I hope y’all dig it!
And with that, we now stand at 32 down (!!!) and just 13 to go. What will be next?? Who cares!! For now, you have 158 minutes of Avant Macca to enjoy!
P.S. For those who wish to hear the original 2-LP set, program whatever it is you play/rip these on to play these tracks in order: 2-2, 2-3, 1-14, 1-15, 1-2, 1-3, 2-4, 2-5, 1-17, 2-6, 2-7, 1-11, 1-13, 1-9, 2-8, 1-4, 1-5, 2-10
NOTES:
“I really just was fascinated with these things called synthesizers which had appeared on the scene,” explained Paul in 2011, “particularly with sequencers, I loved them. It was new technology and I just wanted to see what it was all about, and have a go, and see what I could do with it.”
So, in June 1979, he set up the Roland Jupiter 4, Mellotron, Yamaha CS80, Arp Pro-Soloist and Mini Moog in the front parlour of an empty house he bought some months earlier (Lower Gate Farm, in Peashmarsh, near Rye), he rented a 16-track Studer recording machine and a monitor mixer for two weeks , and asked engineer Eddie Klein to install the whole machinery. As usual, a family holiday in the farm in Campbeltown, Scotland is planned for August. However, Macca is enjoying himself so much with his new toys that he continues his largely improvised recordings in his Spirit of Ranachan Studio, over there. Originally it wasn’t planned to release anything, but ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ was too good to ignore.
So, it was released as the first Paul McCartney solo single ever. After the Japanese tour was cancelled because Paul didn’t want to throw a bag with “excellent quality stuff” away, he offered the recordings to his record company. They didn’t want to release a double album as the last Wings album Back To the Egg hadn’t been a large seller. So, McCartney II was released as a single album in Spring 1980.CD 1
1-11 McCartney II, released on April 11, 1980.
12 – Check My Machine – released as b-side of the single ‘Waterfalls in July 1980.
13 – Secret Friend – the longest solo Macca track of all time , released as b-side of the 12” single ‘Temporary Secretary’, on September 15, 1980.
14-18 – outtakes, as released on the Paul McCartney Archive Collection of McCartney II, on June 13, 2011. ‘You Know I’ll Get You Baby’ and ‘Bogey Wobble’ are slightly edited, while ‘Mr. H Atom’ is a remixed (missing a guitar track and sections of the backing vocals).
19 – Wonderful Christmastime – single edit, released on November 16, 1979
20 – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae – b-side of the above, recorded in December 1974 (or perhaps in 1975) in Abbey Road Studio, for a lark.CD 2
1 – Coming Up – a brand new Dave Marx “stripped down” mix of the basic tracks
2 – Front Parlour
3 – Frozen Jap – the original “Full Length Versions”, as released on the Paul McCartney Archive Collection
4 – Mr H Atom – original mix (speed corrected). The only track with a contribution from Linda.
5 – Summer’s Day Song – original, instrumental version, as released on the Paul McCartney Archive Collection. The vocals heard on the album version were added in October 1979.
6 – Bogey Wobble – complete version
7 – Darkroom – “Full Length Version”, as released on the Paul McCartney Archive Collection
8 – Check My Machine – idem
9 – Waterfalls – “DJ edit”, as released on the Paul McCartney Archive Collection
10 – Coming Up – “Full Length Version”, as released on the Paul McCartney Archive Collection
11 – Wonderful Christmastime – idem
12-13 – Seems Like Old Times – two Summer 1978 demos
14 – Love’s Full Glory – Linda song, recorded on July 21, 1980, in Hog Hill Mill, Icklesham, with overdubs added on July 18, 1989 in Can Am Recorders Inc California, USA. Released on October 26, 1998 on Wide Prairie
15 – Love’s Full Glory – a second version of the song, recorded in June 1982 in AIR Studios, London with Tony Visconti as producer.
16 – Waterfalls – Promo video mix
17 – Coming Up – Wings version, recorded live in Glasgow, on December 17, 1979. This edit was released on the Paul McCartney Archive Collection
18 – Blue Sway – orchestration from Richard Niles (added in Sept.-Oct. 1986) for the final attempt at Cold Cuts. Also released on Paul McCartney Archive Collection
Notice any inaccuracies on this page? Have additional insights or ideas for new content? Or just want to share your thoughts? We value your feedback! Please use the form below to get in touch with us.
