Cold Cuts (Paul McCartney album)

Cold Cuts
Compilation album by Paul McCartney
Released Unreleased
Recorded 1971–87
Genre Rock
Language English
Producer Paul McCartney

Cold Cuts is an unreleased album of outtakes by Paul McCartney. The album was originally planned to be released in 1975 and McCartney revisited the project several times over the years until it was abandoned permanently in the late 1980s. The songs on the album were recorded during his solo career and with Wings in the 1970s and 1980s.

History

The album was originally conceived as a budget release in 1974, composed of non-album singles and previously unreleased tracks.[1][2] McCartney began work on the album during Wings' recording sessions in Nashville, Tennessee in July 1974, recording several new songs and overdubbing some previously unused tracks. The album, variously referred to as Cold Cuts or Hot Hits, Cold Cuts, was slated for release in 1975 but never materialized.[3] In January 1981, McCartney and Wings recorded additional overdubs for the unreleased tracks with the album, a double LP titled Hot Hitz and Kold Kutz, slated for release in early 1981.[4] However, Columbia Records was not interested in releasing an album of outtakes and the album was shelved.[5] Producer/arranger Richard Niles did further work on the tracks in 1986.[6] In August 1987, McCartney mixed and edited another version of the album with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Bill Price.[7] That album also went unreleased and after bootleg versions appeared on the market, McCartney abandoned the project permanently.[8]

Possible tracks considered for the album

Below is a list of the possible tracks that were under consideration over the lifetime of the project. Most of these songs have appeared on various bootlegs connected to the album.

Bootleg versions

To date, a track listing has never been announced. However, various bootlegs have appeared on the market, taken from various sources. These bootleg versions show the Cold Cuts project in its various stages of mixing and different overdubs on the recordings over the years.

Cold Cuts

In 1987, a bootleg LP titled Cold Cuts (Club Sandwich SP-11) was released containing outtakes recorded between 1971 and 1978.

Track listing

Side one:

  1. "A Love For You"
  2. "My Carnival"
  3. "Waterspout"
  4. "Momma's Little Girl"
  5. "Night Out"
  6. "Robbers Ball"

Side two:

  1. "Cage"
  2. "Did We Meet Somewhere Before?"
  3. "Hey Diddle"
  4. "Tragedy"
  5. "Best Friend"
  6. "Same Time Next Year"

Cold Cuts (Another Early Version)

The following year, another bootleg LP titled Cold Cuts (Another Early Version) (Hot Hits Records SP-12) was released containing additional outtakes.

Track listing

Side one:

  1. "Mama's Little Girl"
  2. "I Would Only Smile"
  3. "Tragedy"
  4. "Night Out"
  5. "Oriental Nightfish"
  6. "Lunch Box/Odd Sox"
  7. "My Carnival"
  8. "Send Me the Heart"
  9. "Hey Diddle"

Side two:

  1. "Wild Prairie"
  2. "Tomorrow" (instrumental)
  3. "Proud Mum"
  4. "Proud Mum (reprise)"
  5. "Same Time Next Year"
  6. "Did We Meet Somewhere Before?"

References

  1. "Random Notes" Rolling Stone 21 November 1974: 26
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 McGee, Garry (2003). Band on the Run: A History of Paul McCartney and Wings. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 72. ISBN 9780878333042.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Bailey, Jerry "Paul & Linda Try the Gentle Life" The Tennessean July 18, 1974: 67
  4. Terrill, Marshall (15 October 2010). "Ex-Wings guitarist, Laurence Juber, talks about having Paul McCartney as a boss". daytrippin.com. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  5. Sounes, Howard. Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney (2010): 365
  6. "Music and Video". richardniles.com. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  7. Weiner, Allen. The Beatles: The Ultimate Recording Guide (1992): 67, 83
  8. Lewisohn, Mark. "The Paul McCartney Interview" Club Sandwich Vol. 72, Winter 1994
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Sir Paul McCartney 'RAM' tracklisting, reissue details revealed". paulmccartney.com. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  10. Miles, Barry; Badman, Keith, ed. (2001). The Beatles Diary After the Break-Up: 1970–2001 (reprint ed.). London: Music Sales Group. ISBN 9780711983076.
  11. Wings Reissue 'Venus and Mars' and 'At The Speed Of Sound'
  12. http://webpages.charter.net/ram71/1974.htm''. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  13. McGee 2003, p. 226
  14. "Random Notes" Rolling Stone July 31, 1975: 24