living legend "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey"
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Let me first say -- I think Sir James Paul McCartney is the best ever. Frank Sinatra used to say something to terms like "there will never be no one better than me". Well, he was wrong. He attributed "Something" (written by George Harrison) to the "best song Lennon and McCartney ever wrote". Well I think many of us know that story. I have had the privilege of sending ten family members to see Paul -- and they all got giant cheers on their faces. I have seen Paul twice, and my wife says thats enough. Well, not enough for me. Enough with my adulation. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey". This is the only song that I have some documentation that he has never performed live. Why? This is the song that made the Beatles/McCartney my passion. It was so popular when it was released in 1971. Maybe Paul hates the song, but it's certainly in my top 10. I used to ask my Uncles -- who is this? They often said it was the Beatles, so as a kid I explored every Beatle song I could find, but could not find Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey. I bought every Beatle record before I was 11. I kept looking though. Not until I was 12 did I find out it was on Ram. Now I am 53. But Paul won't do that song live. So my question to the forum is this: why do I love that song? Why don't more on the forum say anything about it? Why does Paul hate it? Any answers are quite welcome and will be much to my gratitude.
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RAm was widely panned back in the day - in particularly by Rolling Stone and the other ex Beatles. Even though the public opinion has changed, I don't think Paul ever got past that. He did too many people on one tour, but has he ever done any Ram songs otherwise?
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Love that song too. I have been watching this great video of the McCartney family in Scotland with the song playing. Such a relaxing treat:
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hey_kittay:
Love that song too. I have been watching this great video of the McCartney family in Scotland with the song playing. Such a relaxing treat:
I love that video, and the song. Who says Paul hates it?!
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He did make a video of the song as part of the James Paul McCartney TV Special in ?73. I don't think he hates the song, but it is very strange that he hasn't played more Ram songs live. In Wings?first live sets Smile Away and Eat At Home would sometimes feature. Then we got Too Many People in 2005 and then Ram On will sometimes be played now during shows and soundchecks. I don't think Paul considers Uncle Albert a great song to play live, maybe the Gypsy section would be too difficult to sing?
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Danish Macca:
He did make a video of the song as part of the James Paul McCartney TV Special in ?73. I don't think he hates the song, but it is very strange that he hasn't played more Ram songs live. In Wings?first live sets Smile Away and Eat At Home would sometimes feature. Then we got Too Many People in 2005 and then Ram On will sometimes be played now during shows and soundchecks. I don't think Paul considers Uncle Albert a great song to play live, maybe the Gypsy section would be too difficult to sing?
I still can't understand this. The "hands across the water" chorus would work very well with audience participation. With the video backdrop on stage, Paul could have a lot of fun with this song. Yet he prefers to play the horrible Mr Kite instead.
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Was it not Number One, this song.... Largely ignored it is. I, on firs listen, discounted it, liked it but just put it down as a good song..... and then came to realise how GREAT it is..... learned to realise that no harmonies were ever going to be forthcoming from those I wanted..... A great song, nevertheless..... a most 'elusive' song from the catalogue, most definitely. Correct.... why has this escaped the realm of a live performance?... after being such a hit all those years ago. It smacks of a great live performance in waiting, and always has.
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prudence1964:
RAm was widely panned back in the day - in particularly by Rolling Stone and the other ex Beatles. Even though the public opinion has changed, I don't think Paul ever got past that. He did too many people on one tour, but has he ever done any Ram songs otherwise?
Wings Did Eat at Home and Smile Away on 72' tours , I have live recordings of them ...
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hoodatnva:
..."Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey". This is the only song that I have some documentation that he has never performed live...
It's a great song but maybe it just doesn't lend itself to a live performance as far as he's concerned - personal preference and all that. Remember that there are plenty of other songs that Paul's written that he's never played live (and probably never will!). Having said that, like many others, I've seen Tim Christensen, Mike Viola, and Tracy Bonham perform the track under the guise of "Pure McCartney" and they did a great job, though.
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hoodatnva:
So my question to the forum is this: why do I love that song? Why don't more on the forum say anything about it? Why does Paul hate it?
Ah well, 'beauty is in the ear of the listener' and we can all respond positively to any given song.
I don't think Paul hates the song,he's probably just forgotten about it. He wrote and recorded it quickly 45 years ago and most likely hasn't performed it since. He hasn't done Back Seat Of My Car either,no doubt for the same reason. -
It is amazing that he's written so many songs that he has forgotten many of them!
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Paul has written so many songs that have never been recorded. And he's recorded so many songs that have never been released. Its hardly any wonder that after thirty,forty,fifty years he's probably clueless as to what actually has been released or not?
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Ram was a huge hit in 1971. I remember the album rock stations playing it to death. In my opinion, Ram is easily one of the top 5 albums of the 70's and a breathtaking lp.
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'Ram' is consistently ranked as a Top 3 Beatles solo album by music critics and fans alike. 'Uncle Albert' is also recognized as a creative pastiche of Beatles-influenced pop. Yet, Paul still feels like much of his solo-work is below-par. It's time for Paul to start promoting his best solo work more than his Beatles-work - in concert, interviews, and print.
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JoeySmith:
'Ram' is consistently ranked as a Top 3 Beatles solo album by music critics and fans alike. 'Uncle Albert' is also recognized as a creative pastiche of Beatles-influenced pop. Yet, Paul still feels like much of his solo-work is below-par. It's time for Paul to start promoting his best solo work more than his Beatles-work - in concert, interviews, and print.
It's past time! He should have been promoting it years ago!
: (the eye rolls are directed at Paul, not you!) -
Nancy R:
JoeySmith:
'Ram' is consistently ranked as a Top 3 Beatles solo album by music critics and fans alike. 'Uncle Albert' is also recognized as a creative pastiche of Beatles-influenced pop. Yet, Paul still feels like much of his solo-work is below-par. It's time for Paul to start promoting his best solo work more than his Beatles-work - in concert, interviews, and print.
It's past time! He should have been promoting it years ago!
: (the eye rolls are directed at Paul, not you!) ________________________________________________________ Couldn't agree with Joey and Nancy more. There was recently an article about someone preparing for a Paul interview where the premise of the interview is...what can you ask Paul McCartney that hasn't been already been covered hundreds of times before. The article was of course talking about all things Beatles and John etc. With many on this site, our answer would be that there are like 35 years (since Tug of War and beyond) worth of many questions that have been rarely or never asked in interviews over the last 20 years at least. Our questions would be on songs/albums written well after the Beatle years were over. They would be mainly music directed. Paul can control his interviews and direct people to discuss Solo/Wings years only if he wanted. Unfortunately, we have never seen this. You would think that Paul would want to promote the last 40 years of his career in his interviews and the print medium.
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When you've been a Beatle, people will always ask you about The Beatles, no matter what you did afterward. It's like Ozzy and the bat or bird or whatever it was. He's probably eaten a million animals since then, but only one gets all the attention.
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HaileyMcComet:
When you've been a Beatle, people will always ask you about The Beatles, no matter what you did afterward. It's like Ozzy and the bat or bird or whatever it was. He's probably eaten a million animals since then, but only one gets all the attention.
He and son Jack even mentioned the bat on their new show Ozzy and Jack's World Detour. Pretty funny/good show btw.
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HaileyMcComet:
When you've been a Beatle, people will always ask you about The Beatles, no matter what you did afterward. It's like Ozzy and the bat or bird or whatever it was. He's probably eaten a million animals since then, but only one gets all the attention.
Ozzy did both actually - bit the head off a dove & a bat
He wasnt quite all there...still isnt. -
Back to topic. We're so sorry, Ozzy Osbourne We're so sorry if that bat flew on the stage We're so sorry, Ozzy Osbourne But there's no bird in the cage And I believe it's flown away We're so sorry, but we haven't seen the sparrow's head We're so sorry, Ozzy Osbourne But if any pigeons land here We'll be sure to chomp them dead We're so sorry, Ozzy Osbourne But we haven't bit a bloody bird all day We're so sorry, Ozzy Osbourne But the swallow's hard to catch And the ostrich runs away Hands across the feathers, heads across the stage Hands across the feathers, heads across the stage Tony Iommi notified me He had to eat a finch or he couldn't play in key I had another loon and I had a small kiwi and a butterfly Butterfly? The butter wouldn't melt So I ate a thing that flies Hands across the feathers, heads across the stage Hands across the feathers, heads across the stage Live a little, be a rocker, bite a head Eat that bat until it's dead Live a little, bite a head Live a little, be a rocker, bite a head Eat that bat until it's dead Live a little, bite a head
