The five greatest Paul McCartney B-sides
For The Beatles to become the biggest band in the world, all the world had to do was hear them. Their songs were so beautifully crafted and well-written that the minute people listened, they instantly found themselves connected to the Fab Four. Unfortunately, the band wasn’t destined to last, but that didn’t stop them from making exciting music as solo artists.
Paul McCartney enjoyed a highly successful solo career, including a notable stint with his band Wings. Renowned for his knack for writing hits, McCartney’s eagerness to collaborate with various artists led him to create a diverse catalogue of music that spanned multiple styles. This versatility endeared him to fans, who eagerly embraced his wide-ranging musical explorations, further cementing his legacy as one of the most innovative and enduring figures in popular music.
McCartney’s problem was that he ended up making too much music. Rhythm and melody are in his blood, to the point that writing music comes second nature to him. Regardless of which piece you’re listening to, it has an exciting quality that is difficult to ignore. This means he has some great singles and some even better B-sides.
Here are some of the very best Paul McCartney B-sides from various aspects of his solo career. This includes songs he made on his own and others that he did with Wings.
Paul McCartney’s five best B-sides
‘I Can’t Imagine’
Released in 1993, ‘I Can’t Imagine’ is a love song that McCartney recorded during the sessions when he was putting together the album Off The Ground. The track is classic McCartney as far as lyricism is concerned, as he managed to keep a human touch present in every single line that speaks about one of the most profound feelings a person can face.
What separates this song is the psychedelic outro. Granted, The Beatles were hardly perverse to making psychedelic music, but it wasn’t something McCartney touched upon as much as a solo artist. It was refreshing to hear it on this B-side, and McCartney showed he never lost his psychedelia touch.
‘Back On My Feet’
‘Back On My Feet’ is the perfect song for fans of rock music who want to dance to something. With light distortion and a toe-tapping beat, it’s hard to hear the song and not start moving. It was released as a B-side to ‘Once Upon A Long Ago’ and marked the first time McCartney and Elvis Costello worked together.
“It was his manager of the time who suggested we write together. I took a train down to his studio near Rya and we just went to work. We brought bits and pieces of songs we had been working on that weren’t quite complete,” recalled Costello, “He had one called ‘Back On My Feet’. That was pretty much written. I just sort of made a couple of suggestions if that’s not too absurd an idea!”
‘Daytime Nighttime Suffering’
Released in 1979, ‘Daytime Nighttime Suffering’ was the B-side to the Wings single, ‘Goodnight Tonight’. There was already a great deal of excitement surrounding the single as the cover unveiled the two new band members, Steve Holly and Laurence Juber, and ‘Goodnight Tonight’ was a treat to listen to from start to finish.
Turn the single over, and the good times just kept coming. ‘Daytime Nighttime Suffering’ was a harmony-laden track that showcased the band’s gorgeous vocal range. It was also a funky listen, with a beat that was easy to dance to and a curious subject matter about love not being reciprocated.
‘Coming Up (Live In Glasgow)’
The original song, ‘Coming Up’, was released in 1980 as the opening track on the album McCartney II. It was an interesting tone for McCartney, as the track had a minimalist synthesised feel. McCartney was also experimental with the speed of his vocals on the track, as he sped up and slowed down the tape machine.
While the original track was good, the B-side stood out when it was released as a single. It was a live recorded version of the song from when McCartney played the track in Glasgow with Wings. It gave the song a much bigger feel and proved more popular than the A-side in the US.
‘Flying to My Home’
‘Flying to My Home’ is one of the heavier B-sides on this list. McCartney utilises single and sporadic chord hits throughout the instrumentation, so every note played is done so with attitude, making for an excellent listen.
The track was released in 1989 as the B-side to ‘My Brave Face’. On the song, McCartney worked with Nile Krieger, who could play Vibraphone. Unfortunately, his contribution can be pretty tricky to pick out as it is buried underneath percussion, but that didn’t stop Krieger from saying, “Working with Paul was one of the highlights of my career.”
