Why You've Never Heard Paul McCartney’s Biggest Hit
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- čas přidán 9. 03. 2024
- / @natscanfly
Music References:
Wings - Mull Of Kintyre
• Wings - Mull Of Kintyre
Big Country - In A Big Country
• Big Country - In A Big...
Bon Iver - Come Talk To Me (Peter Gabriel: And I'll Scratch Yours) • Bon Iver - Come Talk T...
Stock footage by Charlotte May
Music:
“Vintage Memories” by Schematist
“Just Chilling Out” by Barradeen
“Milk” by The Mini Vandals
Bibliography:
www.worldradiohistory.com/Arc...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Mc...
genius.com/Wings-mull-of-kint...
www.officialcharts.com/charts... - Zábava
I am 63. I was born in Liverpool (same hospital as John Lennon, albeit 21 years after) so by the 1970s I was getting into music but 'missed' the whole of the 1960's as I was too young. Once I reached my teens I loved everything Beatles and the natural follow-on for me was Wings. I followed them avidly. I knew all their songs and learned how to play (and perform them live) as well.
In 1977 while my school mates were all getting into Deep Purple and Sabbath I was considered naive as I was mostly into Wings and The Eagles and Andrew Gold. When Mull of Kintyre was number 1 everyone in the common room sang along (you couldn't easily sing along to Paranoid or Whole Lotta Love).
In 1979 I queued up outside the Royal Court Theatre for 2 days & nights for tickets for the new Wings World tour's first concert there in December (TicketMaster websites were 30+ years away).
I had front wrote seats and enjoyed the performance of course! I know lots about Wings, including all the stories around member selection and have followed McCartney since of course.
maybe you should make a wings video..? I'd watch!
In 1977. Capitol chose to release the B- side, "Girls School" in The U.S. the company probably felt it stood more of a chance in the charts, it was more harder edge than 'Mull'.
That was pretty much a perfect description of the UK Christmas No.1, at least in the 1970's! I didn't know Mull of Kintyre was even released in the States. Mull of Kintyre was gifted to 5 or 6 people in my immediate family that year! We all loved it.
What about It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) by AC/DC? Didn't that ever get played on US radio or TV? BAGPIPES! 🙂
You're the voice by John Farnham has a bagpipe part about a minute from the end.
That unironically might be the most famous use of bagpipes in music, or at the very least, rock music.
A Mull is a promontory- a headland, in sea or lake.
It’s a noun, with history in Gaelic and Icelandic and Danish ‘“Maul” “Mulli” and “Muld”
In the UK this song, despite its success is probably one hated most by McCartney fans.
We got as sick of it as we got with Love is All Around (Wet Wet Wet) and Bryan Adams (Everything I Do)
If you want the music of bagpipes, go to Scotland Or Ireland- or Chicago!
It’s a classic and became immensely popular in the US later on, specially after “School of Rock”.
But it didn’t chart or have significant radio play at the time. AC/DC only became commercially successful in the US in 1979.
I was very surprised to hear that this song was/is virtually unknown in the U.S. I am old enough to remember it so well when it played a lot on radio in Canada. The Canadian connection to Scotland/British Isles is no doubt part of why it was so popular here, and I think access to bagpipe bands in Canada compared to the U.S. is likely much much easier. I learned something new watching this video, thanks for that, and thanks for the memories of a great song and good times in the past.
thanks! the differences between Canada and the US are so interesting, so close yet such different worlds O.o
I'll admit: as a GenXer, I watched this entire video, fascinated that someone had never heard of this song! It was a pretty huge radio hit when I was a kid and -- if I'm not mistaken -- created a bit of controversy as some thought it was a song supporting Scottish independence.
As a song, though, it sticks out in McCartney's catalog as something that doesn't really sound like him. As you point out, it sounds like a traditional folk song. So, unlike his other big hits, it didn't really continue to get a lot of radio play after its initial run. While Band on the Run or Jet might be on an oldies station today, I can't remember the last time I heard MOK on the radio. If you didn't hear it in the '70s, it's easy to understand how you might not have been aware of it.
I was 16 when it came out, [mad Beatles and Wings fan from a similarly minded family] and that Christmas 5 or 6 people in my family received it as a gift from several of my siblings. The age range of the recipients went from 13 to 60!. It was a great 'singalong' song, but I think it was so utterly ubiquitous on the radio that once it dropped from the no.1 spot many people heaved a sigh of relief. The same thing happened to Wet Wet Wet's song 'Love is All Around', which was played to death for weeks on end and then dropped out of sight when the band withdrew it from the charts!
I never knew of that song before, definitely gonna add it to my playlists!!
Nice vid! I haven't heard of this song either.
A mull is a Scottish word as an area of land. A hill or knott.
I’d say you’ve got a pretty good understanding of the UK Christmas no.1 market. Back in the day, when vinyl was king, singles were a popular stocking-filler present, particularly when you didn’t know what else to get. So a proportion of Mull of Kintyre’s sales would be older relatives buying it as a gift based on it being McCartney.
I was nine when it came out and remember it being played on radio and TV constantly. Overplayed really. That plus the bagpipes (sorry bagpipe fans) are why I’d happily go to my grave never hearing it again. And I’m not alone in that. It really was a song that divided people.
That said, somewhere out there is an alternate universe where McCartney kept it as an album track with a simpler acoustic guitar or piano backing. I’ve discovered it later in life and have much more positive feelings. The basic song is good. Childhood memories of a Christmas full of bagpipes, not so much.
HAHAHAHAHAHA. thank you for sharing that! They're not for everyone for sure
I Agree. Mull of Kintyre was played too much!
I'm loving your videos!!!
oh my gosh thank you!! welcome!
a.c. d.c. had a song with bagpipes in it. its a long way to the top
Aha! Thanks!
Where my "Blood and Butter" heads at?
It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll
Tons of bag pipes
Huge hit growing up in Massachusetts
omg really?
This video must only be relevant for America. A bigger selling song than She Loves You or I Want To Hold Your Hand. McCartney still has a farm in the Kintyre area. He visited there every year with his young family. Linda and Paul would offer horse rides to local children on the beach.
It’s “Mull Of Kintyre” not “The Mull Of Kintyre.”
Im from Scotland and you never really hear it in scottish media/events which has always baffled me. It would make sense that it would be played at Hogmanay ect but it isnt. I wouldn't say there isnt a affiliation between it and scotland at all. Whats also odd is that it played every time Nottingham forest football club ealk out on to the pitch idk the backstory to that.
The Christmas number 1 used to be a thing that artists would get excited about but now its hardly spoken about and noone really cares- I believe ladbaby won it a couple years in a row with "we built this city on sausage rolls".... Sums it up to be honest
If you are a McCartney fan, you know this song.
When I was a kid, growing up in New York .it was on the jukebox in the pizzeria I used to go to. if you played it, everyone would throw garbage at the jukebox.. (real story)I’m a big Paul McCartney fan. but that song is so bad.. to say it’s terrible is being nice. I don’t know anyone who likes that song.🤮