Blackpool

“Blackpool” is a track written by Paul McCartney. Paul recorded it on acoustic guitar and vocal performance during the filming of the 1974 documentary “One Hand Clapping.” The track remained unreleased for decades, circulating only as a bootleg until its official debut on a special edition of the “One Hand Clapping” album, which includes a 7″ disc with six acoustic tracks, released in 2024.

In 1984, “Blackpool” was scheduled to be released as the B-side of the third single from the album “Pipes Of Peace“, with “The Man” as the A-side. The release date was set for February 13, 1984 (under the catalog number Parlophone R 6066). But after Paul and Linda’s drug bust in Barbados and London in January, the release was cancelled and “Blackpool” remained unreleased until 2024.

Blackpool was the star of day trips in the north of England. We went there sometimes just to see the lights on the pier and the Illuminations, which were really terrific. In the early 1970s, I wrote a song called ‘Blackpool’ that had the line ‘That’s the place for me’, and when you grew up in Liverpool, Blackpool felt glamorous, sort of like our version of Las Vegas. Actually it’s probably closer to Atlantic City or Reno.

Paul McCartney – From “Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now” by Barry Miles, 1997

Variations

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

Videos

Live performances

“Blackpool” has been played in 1 soundchecks.