Album This song officially appears on the Wide Prairie Official album.
Timeline This song was officially released in 1998
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
October 1973
Ex-Wings guitarist, Laurence Juber, talks about attending "Paul McCartney University"
Aug 09, 2010 • From Daytrippin' Beatles Magazine
2014 • From Calico Skies Radio
From WogBlog:
“Oriental Nightfish” was a song composed by Linda McCartney during the “Band On The Run” sessions, and was recorded on October 4th, 1973 by the Wings trio, Paul, Linda and Denny Laine. It made it’s official debut as the soundtrack to an animated movie of the same name, directed by Linda McCartney and Ian Eames. The film ran at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 1978, and was finally available officially when it was one of the bonus videos on the 1984 children’s video cassette, “Rupert and the Frog Song“. Many kids got scared by the haunting, dramatic song and the stark imagery of the video, which may or may not be the reason why it was missing on the official McCartney Music and Animation Collection DVD. The song itself was finally released on the posthumous Linda McCartney album “Wide Prairie” in 1998.
From Wide Prairie liner notes:
Recorded with Wings up at the old Air London Studios, Linda’s dramatic vocal harks back to the Fifties and Sixties when strange stories were told by acts like The Shangri-Las, The Coasters, and others. It was made into an excellent animated film by Ian Eames which was later objected to by some lady writing to a newspaper to complain about the nudity and it’s effect on her 5 year old child. A female figure is seen naked, yes but come on! – it’s only a harmless drawing, the likes of which have been on view in museums around the world for centuries.
Paul McCartney
It was a Thursday night
I was working late
When I first caught sight
Of the Oriental Nightfish
The colors were swirling
The room was getting hotter
I couldn't see anything
Emerald blue purple red
I was working late
When I first caught sight
Of the Oriental
Night
Fish
Oh
Night
Fish
Official album • Released in 1998
2:53 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Guitar, Mellotron, Producer Linda McCartney : Electric piano, Lead vocal, Moog Denny Laine : Flute Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Peter Sweetenham : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Oct 04, 1973 • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK
Official album • Released in 2019
2:53 • Studio version • A2019 • 2019 remaster
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Guitar, Mellotron, Producer Linda McCartney : Electric piano, Lead vocal, Moog Denny Laine : Flute Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Peter Sweetenham : Recording engineer Alex Wharton : Remastering
Session Recording: Oct 04, 1973 • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK
Unofficial album • Released in 1998
2:44 • Outtake • November 1973 - "Cold Cuts" version
Band On The Run - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
2:51 • Studio version • A • Recorded in the Air Studios in October 1973, during the Band on the Run sessions. Mixed on October 15 for the first Cold Cuts compilation, but released on Linda’s Wide Prarie in 1998.
Paul McCartney : Bass, Drums, Guitar, Mellotron, Producer Linda McCartney : Electric piano, Lead vocal, Moog Denny Laine : Flute Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Peter Sweetenham : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Oct 04, 1973 • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK
1978 • For Linda McCartney • Directed by Ian Eames
Album Wide Prairie
Album Wide Prairie (2019)
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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