Paul McCartney's Working Classical

Infobox Album | Name = Paul McCartney's Working Classical
Type = Studio album
Artist = Paul McCartney


Released = 1 November 1999
Recorded = Mid 1999 | Genre = Classical
Length = 61:35
Label = EMI Classics
Producer = John Fraser
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:6g47gjvr26ic link]
Last

Last album = "Run Devil Run"
(1999)
This album = "Paul McCartney's Working Classical"
(1999)
Next

Next album = "Liverpool Sound Collage"
(2000)|

"Paul McCartney's Working Classical" is Paul McCartney's third full-length release of original classical music and was issued one month after "Run Devil Run"'s release in 1999.

Following up on 1997's "Paul McCartney's Standing Stone", the concept behind "Working Classical" was to place pre-existing (and in some cases, very well known) McCartney songs into an orchestral context. Specially for this project, McCartney also unveiled some new pieces, namely "Haymakers", "Midwife", "Spiral" and "Tuesday". A different performance of "A Leaf" was originally released in October 1995 on a CD single, and is presented here in a new recording.

Performing the new arrangements are the London Symphony Orchestra and the Loma Mar Quartet, with special orchestrations arranged by noted musicians Richard Rodney Bennett and Jonathan Tunick.

The title of this project is a pun on the phrase "working class", in the sense that McCartney, despite his elevated stature, still cherishes his Liverpool roots and is proud of them. Mirroring this ideology is his pride in his rock and roll songs and willingness to transfer them into the "elevated" classical music genre.

"Paul McCartney's Working Classical" was another success in that genre, even though this time it failed to dent the regular US album charts. His most recent foray into the classical realm is "Ecce Cor Meum" ("Behold My Heart"), released in the autumn of 2006.

Track listing

All pieces by Paul McCartney.

#"Junk" – 2:49
#* "Originally introduced on McCartney's 1970 debut solo album McCartney"
#"A Leaf" – 11:08
#* "Originally premiered as a CD Single in an alternate performance in 1995"
#"Haymakers" – 3:33
#"Midwife" – 3:34
#"Spiral" – 10:02
#"Warm And Beautiful" – 2:31
#* "Originally introduced on Wings' 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound"
#"My Love" – 3:48
#* "Originally introduced on Paul McCartney & Wings' 1973 album Red Rose Speedway"
#"Maybe I'm Amazed" – 2:04
#* "Originally introduced on McCartney's 1970 debut album McCartney"
#"Calico Skies" – 1:52
#* "Originally introduced on McCartney's 1997 album Flaming Pie"
#"Golden Earth Girl" – 1:57
#* "Originally introduced on McCartney's 1993 album Off the Ground"
#"Somedays" – 3:05
#* "Originally introduced on McCartney's 1997 album Flaming Pie"
#"Tuesday" – 12:27
#"She's My Baby" – 1:47
#* "Originally introduced on Wings' 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound"
#"The Lovely Linda" – 0:56
#* "Originally introduced on McCartney's 1970 debut album McCartney"