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- Album This song officially appears on the Red Rose Speedway - Archive Collection Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Mar 13, 1972
Jan 28, 1973
Overdubs for Cold Cuts project
September / October 1986
Other unreleased songs from the double-album Red Rose Speedway project
Officially appears on Red Rose Speedway - Archive Collection
Officially appears on Red Rose Speedway - Archive Collection
Related interviews
RAM, Wings, and Beyond: An Interview with Denny Seiwell
May 22, 2012 • From The Morton Report
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Tragedy” is a song by Gerald H. Nelson and Fred B. Burch. A recording of the song by Thomas Wayne and the DeLons rose to #5 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1959. A 1961 cover version by The Fleetwoods rose to #10 on the charts. Brian Hyland also recorded it in 1969, but it only made it to #56.
Wayne’s hit version was released on Memphis, Tennessee-based Fernwood Records, which was owned by Ronald “Slim” Wallace (1957–1965). The single was made with a trio of girls recruited from the local high school. Wayne was a one hit wonder who cut around 20 songs including a remake of his hit for the reactivated Sun label which sounds similar to the original. Some of his other songs were hits for others such as “This Time” (Troy Shondell) and “Girl Next Door Went a Walkin’” (Elvis Presley). Despite all of his recordings for 3 different labels before his death in a car crash on August 15, 1971, he never cut an album and there has never been any CD been issued of his songs.
Paul McCartney and Wings also recorded a version of the song for the planned 2 LP set Red Rose Speedway. The idea for the 2 LP set was later abandoned and instead they released a single LP with the same title, but without “Tragedy”. […]
“Tragedy” covered by Wings has been available on many bootlegs over the years. It has been officially released in 2018 as part of the “Red Rose Speedway (Archive Collection)“. It’s worth noting that a snippet of this cover was included on a promotional 7″, released in 1977 by MPL, to advertise the move of their corporate offices.
Last updated on July 2, 2020
Lyrics
Wind and storm (ooh-ooh)
Gone's the sun (the sun, ooh)
From the stars my dark has come
You've gone from me, oh, oh, tragedy (ah, ah, ah, ah, ah)
Oh, come back
Have me here
Hold me, love
Be sincere
You've gone from me, oh, oh, tragedy (ee-ee, ee-ee, ee-ee, ee-ee)
(ah, ah, ah)
Like smoke from a fire
Of love oh, oh, oh, ooh
Our dreams have all gone
Above oh, oh, oh, ooh
Blown by wind
Kissed by snow
All that's left is the dark be-ee-ee-low
You've gone from me, oh, oh, tragedy
(Oh, oh, oh)
Tragedy
Officially appears on
Red Rose Speedway - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2018
3:21 • Studio version • A
- Performed by :
- Paul McCartney • Linda McCartney • Denny Laine • Henry McCullough • Denny Seiwell
- Paul McCartney :
- Producer
- Mark Vigars :
- Mixing assistant engineer
- Glyn Johns :
- Recording engineer
- Richard Lush :
- Mixing engineer
- Alex Wharton :
- Mastering
- Steve Orchard :
- Mastering
- Phil Ault :
- Recording assistant engineer
- Session Recording:
- Mar 13, 1972
- Studio :
- Olympic Sound Studios, London
- Session Mixing:
- Jan 28, 1973
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Bootlegs
The Alternate Red Rose Speedway Volume 1: The Original Acetate
Unofficial album
3:23 • Studio version
The Alternate Red Rose Speedway Volume 2: Outtakes & Rough Mixes
Unofficial album
3:26 • Studio version
The Alternate Red Rose Speedway Volume 2: Outtakes & Rough Mixes
Unofficial album
3:22 • Studio version
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
Contribute!
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Ah, my favorite McCartney quote; "Find more lyrics at ? Mojim.com"
oooops :D Thanks for noticing Katie
This song also appeared on this promo in 1976: https://www.discogs.com/Various-We-Moved/release/3235446
Thanks @andrew, this MPL promo is a great find !!
Pegboy's Cold Cuts says it's a portion of the song but there's nothing to indicate that in the artwork shown on discogs. I can't say I know but I figured you'd want this for sure in your listings. Looks like there were a couple other Wings entries on there too.
@andrew, I've added an entry for https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/album/whats-happened-to-us-we-moved/ - "The Paul McCartney & Wings related songs on the sampler are Let Em In, Silly Love Songs, My Love, Live and Let Die, Tragedy, Jet, Band On The Run and Uncle Albert." Thanks a lot again !
This is the first time I have heard sitar on a Paul McCartney track. Is there any record of who is playing it?
Roger Rajah
Is there any evidence suggesting which version inspired McCartney--the original by Thomas Wayne or the sweeter one by The Fleetwoods?
One of the best previously unreleased songs to be included in the Archive Collection. Rivals Love is Strange for the best cover song McCartney has ever done post Beatles.
I first heard this wonderful version in the late 1980s when I got a vinyl copy of Cold Cuts. Strange how I never realized a sitar was part of the song until I had on the CD of the expanded Red Rose Speedway earlier today. It blends so effortlessly with the overall instrumentation, much as it did on the Beatles “You’ve Got toHide Your Love Away”. Surely, this plus the 1993 live version of “Good Rockin’ Tonight” from Paul is Live are the two best covers he has done since the demise of the Fabs. A pity that many had to wait so long after the 1970s to hear Tragedy. Should have been a single back in his hot selling days of the seventies.
According to The McCartney Legacy, Paul played the sitar part himself
Thanks Sylvain. I have yet to finish reading The McCartney Legacy - plenty to update on the site based on this amazing work, I suspect !