Released in 1980
Written by Paul McCartney • Instrumental
Last updated on November 15, 2016
Album This song officially appears on the McCartney II Official album.
Timeline This song was officially released in 1980
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
June - July 1979
Oct 01, 1980 • From Club Sandwich
Check His Machine: Paul McCartney Interviewed On McCartney II
Jun 14, 2011 • From The Quietus
“Front Parlour” is a song written and performed by Paul McCartney, released on his second solo album, “McCartney II“, released in 1980.
Paul McCartney in The Beatles – The Dream is Over: Off The Record 2, by Keith Badman:That was the first thing I did on the album and it was done in the front parlour of an old farmhouse. It was empty at the time so we just brought the recording machinery in and used the kitchen as an echo chamber. It was a big echoey kitchen so I didn’t have to use echo or any gimmicks on the sessions. I had to make do. If I wanted any kind of echo, I’d just have to stand in this big kitchen with a snare drum and belt it. That’s how I got an echo snare. This little front parlour, which has still got the old wallpaper on it and a little fireplace, was where the main track was recorded. So I called it ‘Front Parlour’.
While the version of “McCartney II” lasts 3:32, a version lasting 5:15 was available on bootlegs before its official release on “McCartney II – Archive Collection” in 2011.
Official album • Released in 1980
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
Official album • Released in 1993
3:34 • Studio version • A1993 • 1993 remaster
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
McCartney II - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2011
3:34 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
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
McCartney II - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2011
5:17 • Studio version • A1 • Full Length Version - Original mix of the song on the main album
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
McCartney II (Limited Clear LP)
LP • Released in 2017
3:34 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
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
McCartney I II III Limited Edition Colour 3LP Box Set
LP • Released in 2022
3:34 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
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
Official album • Released in 2022
3:34 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
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
Unofficial album
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
Unofficial album • Released in 2000
5:10 • Rough mix • 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
McCartney II - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
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
McCartney II - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
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
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
5:10 • Rough mix • 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
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989
With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.
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