Tug of War (Paul McCartney song)
"Tug of War" | ||||
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symphonic rock | ||||
Length | 4:20 (album version) 4:00 (single version) | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Paul McCartney | |||
Producer(s) | George Martin | |||
Paul McCartney singles chronology | ||||
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"Tug of War" is the title track from Paul McCartney’s 1982 album Tug of War.
Reception
The single reached number 11 in Poland, number 53 in the UK and number 53 in the US. It also reached number 31 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[7][8]
The album version starts with the sounds of people grunting as part of a real tug of war—a popular sporting event since ancient times, before Paul goes into the song. These sounds were recorded during the National Indoors Tug of War Championship in Huddersfield, by Eddie Klein on December 7 1980, one day before his bandmate John Lennon was shot and killed.[9] At the end of the song, it fades into "Take It Away". The single version omits these factors.
Music video
The music video for "Tug of War" was directed by Maurice Phillips.[10]
Personnel
- bass, synthesizer, drums
- Linda McCartney – backing vocals
- Eric Stewart – electric guitar, backing vocals
- Denny Laine – electric guitar
- Campbell Maloney – military snares
- Kenneth Sillito – orchestral arrangement
Track listing
- 7" single
- "Tug of War"
- "Get It" (with Carl Perkins)
References
- ^ Holden, Stephen. "Review of Tug Of War". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
- ^ Tug of War Songfacts
- ISBN 9780307353382.
- ^ Gallucci, Michael (April 26, 2017). "How Paul McCartney tapped into a storied past with 'Tug of War'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
- ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. September 25, 1982. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
- ^ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. September 25, 1982. p. 60. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ "Paul McCartney singles". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
- ^ "Recording the intro of "Tug Of War" (Dec 07, 1980)". The Paul McCartney project. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ "Paul McCartney: Tug of War (1982)". IMDb. Retrieved October 25, 2019.