This song is kinda akin to Wang Chung's Dance Hall Days. Except here Paul is remembering his own experiences and in Wang Chung's song, he's coming to appreciate how much that time meant to his sister. This is one of a very few songs, where Paul will admit that it IS autobiographical. The first verse is young childhood, the second middle (and the third teenage -- GMRtBS version). Trust Paul though to say that a song which depicts primarily flights of fancy is "autobiographical". It clearly means a lot to him, since it reappears in Give My Regard to Broad Street
Well I used to smile When I was a pup Sailing down the Nile In a china cup With a recipe For a lovely day Sticking out of my back pocket. But it wasn't always such a pretty sight 'Cause we used to fight Like cats and dogs.... Great tune. Cute lyric. Shiny production. Another gem.
Ballroom Dancing is another example of McCartney genius. It's pure fun, joy and nostalgia wrapped up into a super catchy song. Nobody can do this like Paul. Also he's using his "Long Tall Sally" voice, which is always gold.
The speaking part is Peter Marshall who hosted Hollywood Squares. The clarinet is Jack Brymer, long-time first clarinet in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra who also played on A Day in the Life. McCartney said he wrote this recalling school dances he & George went to where they had trouble getting girls to dance with them. I think it's quite catchy. Love the instrumental parts.
I'm pretty sure that it's actually the British broadcaster Peter Marshall, who used to host the Miss World competitions, rather than the American game show host. The confusion most likely arises because his entry in the album credits on Wikipedia's "Tug of War" page links to the wrong man.
@@dVb9 I did not know that. Thanks! I didn't see Wikipedia. I got it from the 2013 edition of the Perasi book, which specifies the American Peter Marshall. The Come Dancing one is British, I see. I stand corrected.
I remember hearing Ballroom Dancing on Z99 radio one evening while working at roof truss assebly plant. One of the college students started dancing away on the assembly tables where he was working. The station occasionally debuted albums and played one whole side of the selected album for the show.
Part of the "ballroom dancing" were the theaters and clubs that the Quarrymen, and the early Beatles played in, north England, and Hamburg -dacing to the band, and fights on the dance floor. Paul is creative to use imagery around the idea, yet, it's a reflection on youths and music venues. When Paul did his film "give my regards to Broadstreet" a few years later,(1984) he performed some old and some new songs, and this was one chosen for a visual spectacle.
I've always liked this song very much but just today with your reaction I noticed how compressed the sound and how tight is the panning, it's almost a mono track (Maybe on purpose, to sound more old school?). I've always loved that crazy vocal run at 3:16 in this video, where Paul's voice, heavy filtered, goes from maybe his lowest note up into the stratosphere before being doubled and substituted by the trumpet, and generally all the rhythmic variations in the song's break. Very lovely lyrics too. Lyrically speaking this album in pretty strong, in the most meaningful songs as in his most light-hearted as this one
It's a happy song, the rhythm remembered Mr. Mustard from abbey road. The piano sound seems like a "Honky tonk Piano". It's possible that's a shynt. Do you think the breaks in the song were necessary? I think it's for the film, in live, you can't dance in this parts. Unfortunately the band had never play this song in live. Could you do it getting away the parts that aren't working to dance? (I'm not English speaker, sorry about mistakes)
McCartney needed to release an album like "Tug of War" after "McCartney II." The latter album has its highlights but often comes across as a lazy collection of demo tracks. By bringing in George Martin to produce "Tug of War" and recruiting Stevie Wonder to collaborate on two tracks (as well as singing with Carl Perkins for a minor but fun album cut), McCartney signaled his commitment to the new release. The result was his best album in years. It also gave Paul's music a new 80s sound rooted in styles he was known for from the 1960s and 1970s (like the Beatlesque vibe of "Ballroom Dancing"). It's surprising that while the vast commercial and critical success of "Tug of War" marked a career renaissance like he experienced with the release of "Band on the Run," "Tug of War" would be his last #1 album in the US for 35 years until "Egypt Station" in 2018.
Catchy and witty track and should've been the third single off TOW instead of the title track. I love the song Tug Of War but that's not a single in my book.
This song is kinda akin to Wang Chung's Dance Hall Days. Except here Paul is remembering his own experiences and in Wang Chung's song, he's coming to appreciate how much that time meant to his sister. This is one of a very few songs, where Paul will admit that it IS autobiographical. The first verse is young childhood, the second middle (and the third teenage -- GMRtBS version). Trust Paul though to say that a song which depicts primarily flights of fancy is "autobiographical". It clearly means a lot to him, since it reappears in Give My Regard to Broad Street
Well I used to smile
When I was a pup
Sailing down the Nile
In a china cup
With a recipe
For a lovely day
Sticking out of my back pocket.
But it wasn't always
such a pretty sight
'Cause we used to fight
Like cats and dogs....
Great tune. Cute lyric. Shiny production. Another gem.
Ballroom Dancing is another example of McCartney genius. It's pure fun, joy and nostalgia wrapped up into a super catchy song. Nobody can do this like Paul. Also he's using his "Long Tall Sally" voice, which is always gold.
Ballroom Dancing 💃 is Brilliant..
The speaking part is Peter Marshall who hosted Hollywood Squares. The clarinet is Jack Brymer, long-time first clarinet in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra who also played on A Day in the Life. McCartney said he wrote this recalling school dances he & George went to where they had trouble getting girls to dance with them. I think it's quite catchy. Love the instrumental parts.
I'm pretty sure that it's actually the British broadcaster Peter Marshall, who used to host the Miss World competitions, rather than the American game show host. The confusion most likely arises because his entry in the album credits on Wikipedia's "Tug of War" page links to the wrong man.
@@dVb9 I did not know that. Thanks! I didn't see Wikipedia. I got it from the 2013 edition of the Perasi book, which specifies the American Peter Marshall. The Come Dancing one is British, I see. I stand corrected.
I remember hearing Ballroom Dancing on Z99 radio one evening while working at roof truss assebly plant. One of the college students started dancing away on the assembly tables where he was working.
The station occasionally debuted albums and played one whole side of the selected album for the show.
Part of the "ballroom dancing" were the theaters and clubs that the Quarrymen, and the early Beatles played in, north England, and Hamburg -dacing to the band, and fights on the dance floor. Paul is creative to use imagery around the idea, yet, it's a reflection on youths and music venues. When Paul did his film "give my regards to Broadstreet" a few years later,(1984) he performed some old and some new songs, and this was one chosen for a visual spectacle.
"Toto, I don't think we're in Wings anymore."
:)😃
hahaha
NICE!
I've always liked this song very much but just today with your reaction I noticed how compressed the sound and how tight is the panning, it's almost a mono track (Maybe on purpose, to sound more old school?).
I've always loved that crazy vocal run at 3:16 in this video, where Paul's voice, heavy filtered, goes from maybe his lowest note up into the stratosphere before being doubled and substituted by the trumpet, and generally all the rhythmic variations in the song's break.
Very lovely lyrics too.
Lyrically speaking this album in pretty strong, in the most meaningful songs as in his most light-hearted as this one
That guitar is especially compressed like it belongs on Revolver
Love it. BTW, The title track is also about his relationship with John Lennon.
It's a happy song, the rhythm remembered Mr. Mustard from abbey road. The piano sound seems like a "Honky tonk Piano". It's possible that's a shynt.
Do you think the breaks in the song were necessary?
I think it's for the film, in live, you can't dance in this parts.
Unfortunately the band had never play this song in live.
Could you do it getting away the parts that aren't working to dance?
(I'm not English speaker, sorry about mistakes)
McCartney needed to release an album like "Tug of War" after "McCartney II." The latter album has its highlights but often comes across as a lazy collection of demo tracks. By bringing in George Martin to produce "Tug of War" and recruiting Stevie Wonder to collaborate on two tracks (as well as singing with Carl Perkins for a minor but fun album cut), McCartney signaled his commitment to the new release. The result was his best album in years. It also gave Paul's music a new 80s sound rooted in styles he was known for from the 1960s and 1970s (like the Beatlesque vibe of "Ballroom Dancing").
It's surprising that while the vast commercial and critical success of "Tug of War" marked a career renaissance like he experienced with the release of "Band on the Run," "Tug of War" would be his last #1 album in the US for 35 years until "Egypt Station" in 2018.
When this came out I had no connection to dancing of any kind. Now I see this song, that I always liked, is less a Chachacha but more a Juve 😂
The video of this is from Give My Regards to Broadstreet. It's a different recording. Not as good, but it adds another verse.
I think it's much better on Broad Street: there is extra verse and a guitar solo added.
@@Zholobov1 "Wave the sword. Wave the sword."
Catchy and witty track and should've been the third single off TOW instead of the title track. I love the song Tug Of War but that's not a single in my book.
I agree
Ballroom Dancing is one of my favorite Macca songs, though I prefer the Give My Regards To Broadstreet version better.
agreed