| Cold Cuts | |
|---|---|
| Compilation album by | |
| Released | Unreleased |
| Recorded | 1970–1987 |
| Studio | Various |
| Genre | Rock |
| Producer | Paul McCartney |
Cold Cuts (also known as part ofHot Hitz/Kold Kutz) is an unreleased album ofouttakes byPaul McCartney and Wings.[1]
The first iteration of the album was planned to be released in 1975 and the project was revisited several times over the years, changing the tracklist and adding overdubs to the tracks, until it was abandoned permanently in the late 1980s. Most of the songs considered for the album were recorded with Wings, but a few McCartney's solo tracks were also considered.
The album was originally conceived as a budget release in 1975, composed of non-album singles and previously unreleased tracks.[2][3] During Wings' recording sessions inNashville, Tennessee in July 1974 several new songs were recorded and some previously unused tracks were overdubbed for a potential compilation album, variously referred to asCold Cuts orHot Hitz and Kold Kutz. The album was slated for release in March 1975 but never materialized.[4][5] There is no information about the track selection for the album during this period. Songs recorded or overdubbed during the Nashville sessions in July 1974 but eventually shelved include: "Send Me The Heart", "Hey Diddle" and "Wide Prairie".[6]
McCartney returned to the project in 1978 and presented it to EMI/Capitol in October 1978 as a hits and rarities compilation to be titledHot Hitz/Kold Kutz.[7] The label was not convinced and the compilation was repackaged asWings Greatest and released in November 1978.[7][8] TheKold Kutz disc would be leaked in 1988 as bootleg LP titledCold Cuts (Another Early Version).[9]
McCartney returned to the project in late 1979 to make new track lists and this time it was to be a standalone album retitledCold Cuts.[10] No further work was done until additional overdubs were added to the tracks "A Love for You", "Waterspout", "My Carnival" and "Same Time Next Year" in January 1981.[11][12]
The new version ofCold Cuts removed the Linda McCartney and Denny Laine vocal tracks and instrumentals and added newly recorded tracks duringLondon Town andBack to the Egg sessions instead in order to create a more commercial offering.[7] The album was planned to be released in early 1981, howeverColumbia Records, McCartney's then new label, was not interested in releasing an album of outtakes and it was shelved.[13] It was also believed that its release soon after themurder of John Lennon would seem inappropriate.[3][12] This version of the album was also bootlegged.[14]
The project was rebooted again in late 1986 with arranger-producerRichard Niles.[15] "My Carnival" was excluded as it was released the previous year as b-side and new tracks from Paul McCartney's solo recordings were considered for the tracklisting, including "Blue Sway" from theMcCartney II sessions for which a large string section by Nilesand was added. "A Love for You" also received further overdubs.[16] In 1987, this version of the album leaked onto the bootleg market as an LP titledCold Cuts (Club Sandwich SP-11)
The final sessions that attempted an official release ofCold Cuts was in August 1987. McCartney mixed and edited another version of the album with producerChris Thomas and engineerBill Price.[17] Additional work was done to "Mama's Little Girl" and "Same Time Next Year".[8] According to an interview with McCartney, this version was to feature album art bySaul Steinberg.[8][1] Steinberg's art would later appear on the "Put It There" single cover.
In 1987 McCartney's new manager, Richard Odgen, recommended that, at this point in McCartney's career, releasing abest-of compilation would be a better idea, soCold Cuts was scrapped in place ofAll the Best! that was released in November 1987.[7] Previously unreleased track "Waterspout" was initially planned to be released on that album but was pulled at the last minute.
After bootleg versions of "Cold Cuts" appeared on the market, McCartney abandoned the project permanently.[18]
Below is a list of the possible tracks that were under consideration over the lifetime of the project. All of the unreleased songs have appeared on various bootlegs.
| Song | Origins | Release(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "A Love for You" | Recorded in 1970 during theRam sessions, the track received additional overdubs byLaurence Juber andSteve Holley from Wings'third line-up in 1981.[3] | A version of the song was released in 2003 onThe In-Laws soundtrack album. Another mix of the song dating back to 1986 was released on the 2012 reissue ofRam.[19][20] |
| "Best Friend" | Recorded live during the 1972Wings Over Europe Tour.[21] It was originally intended to be released on the double album version ofRed Rose Speedway. | Released on the 2018 reissue ofRed Rose Speedway and the 2018 live albumWings Over Europe. |
| "Blue Sway" | Recorded in 1979 during theMcCartney II sessions. The track received additional overdubs by producer/arrangerRichard Niles in 1986. | Both versions, with and without overdubs, were released on the 2011 reissue ofMcCartney II. |
| "Cage" | Recorded in 1978 and planned forBack to the Egg, but it removed from the album at the last minute in favour of "Baby's Request".[22] This song features the chords C-A-G-E as its riff, to go along with the lyrics. | Unreleased |
| "Did We Meet Somewhere Before?" | Recorded in 1978 during the sessions forBack to the Egg.[23] The track was intended as the main theme forWarren Beatty's filmHeaven Can Wait but got rejected.[24] A snippet of the track was used in the filmRock 'n' Roll High School although it did not appear on the soundtrack album nor in the screen credits. | Unreleased |
| "Hey Diddle" | Recorded in 1970 during theRam sessions as a Paul and Linda duet. Later, the track received further overdubs when Wings were in Nashville in 1974. | The first official release of the song was a snippet of home demo performance from 1971 with "Bip Bop" on theWingspan: Hits and History compilation. The original 1971 studio version was released in 2012 on the Special Edition reissue ofRam.[19] The Nashville version was released on the 2014 reissue ofVenus and Mars.[25] A complete home demo version was released on the 2018 reissue ofWild Life. |
| "I Would Only Smile" | Written byDenny Laine and recorded in 1972 during theRed Rose Speedway sessions, it was intended to be released on the double album version ofRed Rose Speedway. | Released on Denny Laine's albumJapanese Tears in 1980.[21] An alternative mix was released on the 2018 reissue ofRed Rose Speedway. |
| "Lunch Box/Odd Sox" | Recorded in 1975 during theVenus and Mars sessions. | Released as the B-side of "Coming Up" in 1980. |
| "Mama's Little Girl" | Recorded in 1972 during theRed Rose Speedway sessions. It was intended to be on the double album version ofRed Rose Speedway. | Released as the B-side of "Put It There" in 1990.[21] Included on the 1993 reissue ofWild Life and on the 2018 reissue ofRed Rose Speedway. |
| "My Carnival" | Recorded during theVenus and Mars sessions in New Orleans in 1975. | Released as the B-side of "Spies Like Us" in 1985. Included on the 2014 reissue ofVenus and Mars |
| "Night Out" | Recorded in 1972 during theRed Rose Speedway sessions. It was overdubbed multiple times by different incarnations of Wings.[21] It was intended to be released on the double album version ofRed Rose Speedway. | A primarily instrumental version dating from 1972 was released on the 2018 reissue ofRed Rose Speedway. |
| "Oriental Nightfish" | Written byLinda McCartney and recorded with Wings in 1973. | Released on Linda McCartney's albumWide Prairie in 1998. |
| "Proud Mum/Proud Mum (Reprise)" | Two instrumental tracks recorded in 1974 during theVenus and Mars sessions, under the name "The Whippets".[26] The songs were meant to be in a commercial forMother's Pride bread, but they were never used.[27] | Unreleased |
| "Robber's Ball" | Recorded in 1978 during theBack to the Egg sessions.[28] | Unreleased |
| "Same Time Next Year" | Recorded in 1978 for the filmSame Time, Next Year, but it was rejected because too much of the plot was given away in the lyrics.[29] | Released as the B-side of "Put It There" in 1990. |
| "Seaside Woman" | Written by Linda McCartney and recorded in 1972 during theRed Rose Speedway sessions. It was intended to be released on the double album version ofRed Rose Speedway. | Released as a single in 1977 under the name Suzy and the Red Stripes.[30] Included on Linda McCartney's albumWide Prairie in 1998. An alternative mix was released on the 2018 reissue ofRed Rose Speedway. |
| "Send Me the Heart" | Written by Laine and McCartney, recorded by Wings during the Nashville sessions in 1974. After the recording of "Sally G" Paul challenged Denny Laine to write a country song too.[31] | Released on Laine's albumJapanese Tears in 1980. |
| "Thank You Darling" | Recorded in 1972 during theRed Rose Speedway sessions. It was intended to be on the double album version ofRed Rose Speedway. | Released on theRed Rose Speedway 2018 reissue. |
| "Tomorrow" | An instrumental remake of the song from the albumWild Life. Recorded in 1974 during theVenus and Mars sessions, under the name "The Whippets".[32] | Unreleased |
| "Tragedy" | A cover ofThomas Wayne's 1959 ballad. It was recorded in 1972 during theRed Rose Speedway sessions. It was intended to be released on the double album version ofRed Rose Speedway.[21] | Released in 2018 on the deluxe reissue ofRed Rose Speedway. |
| "Twice in a Lifetime" | Recorded in 1985, it was the theme from the filmTwice in a Lifetime. | Released as a bonus track on the 1993 reissue ofPipes of Peace. |
| "Waterspout" | Recorded in 1977 during theLondon Town sessions, with additional overdubs done in 1987. Planned to be added toAll the Best! but was ultimately scrapped in favour of "C Moon".[33] | Unreleased |
| "Wide Prairie" | Written by Linda McCartney and recorded in 1973, with overdubs done in Nashville in 1974. | An edited version, omitting two sections with lead vocals by Paul, was released on Linda McCartney's albumWide Prairie in 1998. |
To date, an official track listing has never been announced. However, various bootlegs of the different versions have appeared on the market. These bootleg versions show theCold Cuts project in its various stages of mixing and differentoverdubs on the recordings over the years.
Side one:
Side two:
Side three:
Side four:
Side one:
Side two:
Side one:
Side two:
