living legend "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey"
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The song is an excellent example of British eccentric music hall type ditties, methinks, and is so melodious I was startled that some think Paul "hates" this song. Yet I've wondered, he's done "Let 'Em In" in concert and "Uncle Albert" sort of reminds me of that one, so I've wondered why he never performed the latter.
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I've always hated this song, but I'm fairly sure that's not the reason Paul never played it. He couldn't have really pulled it off until Wings started touring with a horn section circa 1975 (or much later, with synthesizer wizard Wix on board). By the mid '70s he had so much highly successful and fresher material, this track from an album that had been panned probably seemed old hat. As for why he didn't revive it later -- say, when the remastered "Ram" came out -- is a mystery. Despite my dislike for it, Paul surely must know many fans love it.
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This is one of my favourite songs from Ram. It's also one of the songs that turned me on to Paul when I bought Wings Greatest in the summer of 1987. It had a huge affect on me! I'd never heard anything like it before! I have huge affection for it! It's never occurred to me that Paul might hate it. I would have thought that he'd have fond memories of Ram, given it was his and Linda's first full project together. I think the only reference I've seen him make in interviews to Ram in the past was when he said it was his nephew's favourite album. But yes, he has largely ignored it over the last 40 years ago. He did some of Ram On when I saw him in Cardiff in 2010. Interestingly, nobody who was sitting around me recognised it. It's been good though to hear this song as part of the pre concert DJ bit this year. It sounded really great! Does anyone remember the Uncle Albert segment from Only Fool and Horses about 25 years ago? That made my day at the time!!
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SusyLuvsPaul:
The song is an excellent example of British eccentric music hall type ditties, methinks, and is so melodious I was startled that some think Paul "hates" this song. Yet I've wondered, he's done "Let 'Em In" in concert and "Uncle Albert" sort of reminds me of that one, so I've wondered why he never performed the latter.
I've never been able to fathom some of Paul's song choices in concert; Temporary Secretary, Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite and Letting Go are just a few examples.
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I don't think ( and have never read) of Paul's dislike for the song Uncle Albert. It was a big hit single and did really help the sales of Ram. In my opinion, there are many good songs on Ram with Uncle Albert being just one of them. I think the reason that Paul has never played it live is because it isn't a particularly good "concert" song. And for once, I agree with Paul (if this is true). The beginning is too slow and long. It would be a bit too tedious until you got to the horns' portion. Now I think Ram songs like Smile Away, Eat at Home, or Dear Boy would have been great live in my opinion. Of course I'm talking about Paul's 2002 type voice.
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B J Conlee:
I don't think ( and have never read) of Paul's dislike for the song Uncle Albert. It was a big hit single and did really help the sales of Ram. In my opinion, there are many good songs on Ram with Uncle Albert being just one of them. I think the reason that Paul has never played it live is because it isn't a particularly good "concert" song. And for once, I agree with Paul (if this is true). The beginning is too slow and long. It would be a bit too tedious until you got to the horns' portion. Now I think Ram songs like Smile Away, Eat at Home, or Dear Boy would have been great live in my opinion. Of course I'm talking about Paul's 2002 type voice.
He at least did Too Many People (my favorite song from the album) in 2005. At the show I attended it went over pretty well, though clearly some of the crowd didn't know it.
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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.
I'm not convinced that Paul does believe it's below par. I've read recently that he wished his post Beatles stuff was better received in concert, but he knows most people are there for the Beatles stuff. Not Me! I would dearly love to see a Beatles free Paul gig.
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Golden*Earth*Girl:
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.
I'm not convinced that Paul does believe it's below par. I've read recently that he wished his post Beatles stuff was better received in concert, but he knows most people are there for the Beatles stuff. Not Me! I would dearly love to see a Beatles free Paul gig.
As Aerosmith sings "Dream On!"
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Paul's career is replete with errors, omissions and mistakes. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey is a case in point. It was a US #1 and it probably would have topped the charts in the UK - if he had bothered to release it as a single there; but he didn't. It would have meant a UK #1 in 1971 rather than 1977, and much of the criticism and antipathy he received during those early years might have been disarmed. But it wasn't to be - some guy he met at the bus stop probably said to him, "I'm telling you, Paul, don't put that out as a single..."
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Squid:
Paul's career is replete with errors, omissions and mistakes. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey is a case in point. It was a US #1 and it probably would have topped the charts in the UK - if he had bothered to release it as a single there; but he didn't. It would have meant a UK #1 in 1971 rather than 1977, and much of the criticism and antipathy he received during those early years might have been disarmed. But it wasn't to be - some guy he met at the bus stop probably said to him, "I'm telling you, Paul, don't put that out as a single..."
Do we actually know whether Paul or the record label made the decision? He clearly didn't object to it being a single or it wouldn't have been one in the U.S.
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Bruce M.:
Do we actually know whether Paul or the record label made the decision? He clearly didn't object to it being a single or it wouldn't have been one in the U.S.
Paul McCartney in conversation with Paul Gambaccini in 1973: 'Sometimes we're a bit daft here. We have a bit of a funky organization, you know, which isn't that clued in to picking up tracks off albums. At the time we thought "Maybe I'm Amazed" was a good track and maybe we should do that as a single, which it probably should have been. But we never did. It was the same with "Uncle Albert" in Britain. We only did that as a single in America and it was a great success there. It would have been a big success here, I think, but for some silly little reason it never managed to get out.'
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Kestrel:
Bruce M.:
Do we actually know whether Paul or the record label made the decision? He clearly didn't object to it being a single or it wouldn't have been one in the U.S.
Paul McCartney in conversation with Paul Gambaccini in 1973: 'Sometimes we're a bit daft here. We have a bit of a funky organization, you know, which isn't that clued in to picking up tracks off albums. At the time we thought "Maybe I'm Amazed" was a good track and maybe we should do that as a single, which it probably should have been. But we never did. It was the same with "Uncle Albert" in Britain. We only did that as a single in America and it was a great success there. It would have been a big success here, I think, but for some silly little reason it never managed to get out.'
In hindsight it was clearly a mistake not releasing Maybe I'm Amazed as a single in 1970. It would have put Paul in a more favorable light with both critics and fans and given him much-needed confidence. It also could have meant that the Top 3 singles on the US charts would be Let It Be, Maybe I'm Amazed and Instant Karma at the same time!
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Of course, the biggest mistake of all was in not releasing Band on the Run as the lead single from that album late in 1973. It would have been a monster hit - the biggest seller of the year. Instead it was released almost a year later, in 1974, and it still make the top five in Britain - and that was after the album had sold by the bucket-load. But yeah, "for some silly reason..."
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interesting something I did not know maybe a ploy to sell more albums or a genuine marketing mistake
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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?
Paul performed "Ram on" in 2010, I saw him perform it in Salt Lake City that year and he did it elsewhere also.
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I absolutely love Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey. There's something so haunting about that tune... I'd love to see Paul perform that one, too!
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Nancy R:
Golden*Earth*Girl:
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.
I'm not convinced that Paul does believe it's below par. I've read recently that he wished his post Beatles stuff was better received in concert, but he knows most people are there for the Beatles stuff. Not Me! I would dearly love to see a Beatles free Paul gig.
As Aerosmith sings "Dream On!"
A girl can dream, sigh....