| Hot Hits – Cold Cuts | |
|---|---|
| Greatest hits album by Wings | |
| Released | Unreleased |
| Recorded | 1971 - 1980 |
| Genre | Rock |
| Language | English |
| Label | Parlophone/EMI (U.K.) Columbia (U.S.) |
| Producer | Paul McCartney |
Hot Hits – Cold Cuts (or Hot Hitz and Kold Kuts) is an unreleased double compilation album by Wings. The album was planned to be a greatest hits album on the first disc (named Hot Hits) with the second disc (Cold Cuts) consisting of unreleased studio out-takes and live recordings dating from 1971 to 1980.[1]
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The first known incarnation of Hot Hits - Cold Cuts was in 1978 when McCartney was compiling the greatest hits album for his band Wings. Originally the album was planned to be a 2 LP set, with the second disc planned for outtakes and live tracks that Wings had shelved during their 7 year history. However, as the end of that year came closer, the band's record company EMI wanted a release for the Christmas season so Wings Greatest was released as a single disc album instead in early November 1978.[2] A version was then compiled containing nearly 60 minutes of music, but this one was also shelved.[3]
A second version was assembled in 1979, cutting out many of the instrumentals and the Linda McCartney and Denny Laine vocal songs and adding two songs recorded during the Back to the Egg sessions (Robbers Ball and Cage).
In early 1980, Wings went into the studio for their final time to add further overdubs. McCartney then assembled the third version of the album with an intended for release in 1980.
Around 1986 a fourth version was being prepared for release. 14 of the songs on this configuration received overdubs from the Richard Niles Orchestra and the title for the 1972 live song "Best Friend" was changed to "Why Do You Treat Me So Bad?".
Between 1978 and 1980 the three versions of the album have turned up on various bootlegs. Each version of the album contains a different mix and new overdubs by McCartney and Wings.
This remake of The Fleetwoods' early 60s ballad dates from Red Rose Speedway sessions. The song was considered to be featured on the album, which was originally planned to be a double. There are at least four mixes of this track available among collectors. Each one featuring several distinct instrumental differences throughout the song.
This Red Rose Speedway-era outtake was overdubbed multiple times by different incarnations of Wings in advance of the version that finally appears here.
Regarded by some as Paul's finest unreleased song, this outtake from the London Town sessions features an infectious melody. It was to be added to All the Best!, with additional overdubs done in 1987, but was ultimately scrapped in favour of "C Moon".
Featured as the last track on the Wingspan: Hits and History album as a fun acoustic run-through, this full-blown version of the song began to take shape in 1971 during the Ram sessions as a Paul/Linda duet. Later, the track received further overdubs when Wings were in Nashville, in the summer of 1974, with the help of musicians such as Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer. The same sessions in America produced the rocker "Junior's Farm" and its b-side, "Sally G".
A remake of the Wild Life song. Recorded during the Venus and Mars sessions in 1975.
Two instrumental tracks from the 1974 Nashville sessions.
Rejected as the main theme for Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait, the song remained on Paul's shelf until he decided to include it on the outtakes project. A snippet of the track was used on Ramones film Rock 'n' Roll High School although it did not appear on the soundtrack. Allan Arkush, the director, swung a deal whereby he was able to use the song for only $500 provided McCartney did not receive screen credit.[4] The song is a gentle ballad in the vein of "My Love". A cleaner mix of the song recently appeared on a bootleg along over 60 tracks. The recording originally belonged to Paul McCartney's late roadie Trevor Jones and was auctioned in 1998 as part of the Trevor Jones private collection.
Recorded live in 1972, this rocker is a nice memento of the 1972-era Wings as a live act. For the 1986 compiling of Cold Cuts this was temporarily retitled to "Why Do You Treat me So Bad?".
One of the most interesting songs in this compilation, "Robber's Ball" features a rare operatic-style vocal from Paul and similarly over the top vocals from the rest of Wings, sounding more like a slightly off-beat Broadway show number than a Wings tune.
Removed from Back to the Egg at the last minute in favour of "Baby's Request", this exquisite song (which features the chords C-A-G-E as its riff to go along with the Cage lyric) was prominently placed as the first track on Side Two of the 1980 Cold Cuts.
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