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- Album This song officially appears on the Band On The Run (UK version) Official album.
- Timeline This song has been officially released in 1973
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
October 1973
Late October / Early November 1973
Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974
Sep 29, 1974
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” (sometimes written as “1985”) is a song by Paul McCartney and Wings. It has been featured on the 2001 documentary DVD Wingspan and Paul McCartney & Wings’ 1974 TV special One Hand Clapping.
Lyrics and music
Paul McCartney, the writer of “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five“, has said that the song originated with just the first line.
“With a lot of songs I do, the first line is it. It’s all in the first line, and then you have to go on and write the second line. With ‘Eleanor Rigby’ I had ‘picks up the rice in the church where the wedding has been.’ that was the one big line that started me off on it. With this one it was ‘No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty-five. That’s all I had of that song for months. No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty… six?’ It wouldn’t have worked!”— Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney In His Own Words
This tune is the climactic track from the album Band on the Run. It continues the album’s theme of escape by describing the singer achieving artistic freedom through love. Author Andrew Grant Jackson calls the lyrics “gibberish” and mere placeholders for the excitement and “cinematic purpose” of the music.”
The song has a grandiose ending with a full orchestra and the band. Other instrumentation includes mellotron, organ and horns. On the album Band on the Run, it ends the album with an excerpt of the opening song. This song is featured on several episodes of Trigger Happy TV. In its early life, it was simply titled “Piano Thing“.
Live performances
McCartney performed the song live for the first time ever during his 2010–11 Up and Coming Tour. He played the song live again during his 2011–12 On the Run Tour, his 2013–15 Out There Tour, his 2016 One on One tour and at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief.
In 2016, a series of remixes of “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” by Timo Maas and James Teej (with Paul McCartney’s blessing) have been released on vinyl.
Last updated on October 31, 2016
Lyrics
Oh no one ever left alive in 1985, will ever do
She may be right
She may be fine
She may get love but she won't get mine
‘Cos I got you
Oh I Oh I
Well I just can't enough of that sweet stuff
My little lady gets behind
INTERLUDE
Oh my mama said the time would come when I
would find myself in love with you
I didn't think
I never dreamed
That I would be around to see it all come true
Woh I Oh I
Well I just can't enough of that sweet stuff
My little lady gets behind.
INTERLUDE
Oh no one ever left alive in 1985 . . .
FINALE
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1973
5:31 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Shaker (?), Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Organ, Shaker (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Electric guitar
- Tony Visconti :
- Orchestration
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Monday :
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Swettenham :
- Assistant engineer
- Beaux Arts Orchestra :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- October 1973
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Late October / Early November 1973
- Studio :
- Kingsway Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1973
5:31 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Shaker (?), Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Organ, Shaker (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Electric guitar
- Tony Visconti :
- Orchestration
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Monday :
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Swettenham :
- Assistant engineer
- Beaux Arts Orchestra :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- October 1973
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Late October / Early November 1973
- Studio :
- Kingsway Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
5:31 • Studio version • A1993 • 1993 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Shaker (?), Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Organ, Shaker (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Electric guitar
- Tony Visconti :
- Orchestration
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Monday :
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Swettenham :
- Assistant engineer
- Beaux Arts Orchestra :
- Horns, Strings
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- October 1973
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Late October / Early November 1973
- Studio :
- Kingsway Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1996
5:31 • Studio version • B • DTS Mix / Quadraphonic version
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Shaker (?), Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Organ, Shaker (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Electric guitar
- Tony Visconti :
- Orchestration
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Monday :
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Swettenham :
- Assistant engineer
- Beaux Arts Orchestra :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- October 1973
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Early 1974
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Band On The Run (25th Anniversary)
Official album • Released in 1999
5:31 • Studio version • A1999 • 1999 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Shaker (?), Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Organ, Shaker (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Electric guitar
- Tony Visconti :
- Orchestration
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer, Remastering
- Monday :
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Swettenham :
- Assistant engineer
- Beaux Arts Orchestra :
- Horns, Strings
- Greg Calbi :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- October 1973
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Late October / Early November 1973
- Studio :
- Kingsway Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Band On The Run - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2010
5:32 • Studio version • A2010 • 2010 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Shaker (?), Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Organ, Shaker (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Electric guitar
- Tony Visconti :
- Orchestration
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Monday :
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Swettenham :
- Assistant engineer
- Beaux Arts Orchestra :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- October 1973
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Late October / Early November 1973
- Studio :
- Kingsway Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Band On The Run - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2010
6:00 • TV show • C • From "One Hand Clapping"
- Performed by :
- Paul McCartney • Linda McCartney • Denny Laine • Jimmy McCulloch • Geoff Britton
- Paul McCartney :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Mark Vigars :
- Assistant recording engineer
- John Barrett :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Session Recording:
- Aug 30, 1974
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Sep 29, 1974
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2016
5:32 • Studio version • A2010
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Shaker (?), Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Organ, Shaker (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Electric guitar
- Tony Visconti :
- Orchestration
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Monday :
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Swettenham :
- Assistant engineer
- Beaux Arts Orchestra :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- October 1973
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Late October / Early November 1973
- Studio :
- Kingsway Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2016
5:32 • Studio version • A2010
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Drums, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Shaker (?), Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Organ, Shaker (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Bass (?), Electric guitar
- Tony Visconti :
- Orchestration
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Monday :
- Assistant engineer
- Pete Swettenham :
- Assistant engineer
- Beaux Arts Orchestra :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- October 1973
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Late October / Early November 1973
- Studio :
- Kingsway Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Bootlegs
On The Run - Bologna, Italy - November 26, 2011
Unofficial live
4:32 • Live
Concert From the concert in Bologna, Italy on Nov 26, 2011
On The Run - Bologna, Italy - November 27, 2011
Unofficial live
3:49 • Live
Concert From the concert in Milan, Italy on Nov 27, 2011
Unofficial live
4:05 • Live
Concert From "Live at BBC Maida Vale" in London, United Kingdom on Oct 16, 2013
Videos
Concert • Aug 19, 2010 in Pittsburgh
Concert • Oct 26, 2010 in London
Concert • Nov 21, 2010 in Sao Paulo
Concert • Dec 13, 2010 in New York
Concert • Dec 17, 2010 in London
Concert • May 09, 2013 in Fortaleza
Concert • Sep 07, 2018 in New York
Live performances
“Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five” has been played in 297 concerts and 7 soundchecks.
Latest concerts where has been played
Los Angeles • Dodgers Stadium • USA
Jul 13, 2019 • Part of Freshen Up Tour
Jul 10, 2019 • Part of Freshen Up Tour
Jul 06, 2019 • Part of Freshen Up Tour
Las Vegas • T Mobile Arena • USA
Jun 29, 2019 • Part of Freshen Up Tour
Las Vegas • T Mobile Arena • USA
Jun 28, 2019 • Part of Freshen Up Tour
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