Off the Ground
Studio album by
Paul McCartney
Released1 February 1993
Recorded1 September 1991 – 30 June 1992
StudioThe Mill, Sussex; Hit Factory, London
GenreRock
Length50:25
LabelParlophone (UK)
Capitol (US)
Producer
Paul McCartney chronology
Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio
(1991) 		Off the Ground
(1993) 		The Paul McCartney Collection
(1993)
Singles from Off the Ground
  1. "Hope of Deliverance"
    Released: 29 December 1992
  2. "C'Mon People"
    Released: 22 February 1993 (UK only)
  3. "Off the Ground"
    Released: 19 April 1993
  4. "Biker Like an Icon"
    Released: 8 November 1993

Off the Ground is the ninth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, released on 1 February 1993.[1] As his first studio album of the 1990s, it is also the follow-up to the well received Flowers in the Dirt (1989).

Recording and structure

After planning another world tour, The New World Tour, in 1993, to promote the album, McCartney chose to record Off the Ground with his touring band. Blair Cunningham joined on drums to replace Chris Whitten, who left to join Dire Straits.

McCartney decided to record the album "live in the studio", meaning that the band would rehearse an entire song then record it in one take, instead of recording each vocal track and instrumental track separately. This approach gave a raw, direct feel to the work.

The compositions, some of which were outtakes from Flowers in the Dirt, seemed less complex than those on the earlier album. "Mistress and Maid" and "The Lovers That Never Were", which emerged from McCartney's songwriting collaboration with Elvis Costello, made their appearance on this album. Costello, who had performed on Flowers in the Dirt, did not appear on Off the Ground.

The first two songs taped were "Biker like an Icon" and "Peace in the Neighbourhood", both derived from some album rehearsals in November 1991.[2]

McCartney's increased interest in social issues came to prominence on this album, with the anti animal cruelty rocker "Looking for Changes" (McCartney and his wife Linda both being long time vegetarians by this time) and paeans for a better world ("Hope of Deliverance" and "C'Mon People"). The B-Side "Big Boys Bickering" lambasted politicians, with the phrase "Big boys bickering, fucking it up for everyone" showing a more aggressive side of McCartney and rare use of a swear word in the song. Another notable B-Side is "Long Leather Coat", a protest song co-written by Linda McCartney.

The CD's hidden track, a short excerpt of "Cosmically Conscious", was written by McCartney in 1968 during The Beatles' stay in Rishikesh. A full-length version of the recording was released as the B-Side of the "Off the Ground" single and later included on Off the Ground: The Complete Works.

The feet on the album cover are of McCartney, his wife Linda, and his touring band.

This album was the penultimate McCartney studio album to feature vocals and participation from Linda, who died of breast cancer in 1998.[3]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Calgary HeraldB−[5]
Chicago Tribune(favourable)[6]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[7]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[8]
The Essential Rock Discography4/10[9]
Houston Chronicle[10]
Los Angeles Times[11]
MusicHound[12]
Music Week[13]
The New York Times(favourable)[14]
Q[15]
Rolling Stone[16]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[17]

The lead single, "Hope of Deliverance", was released on 29 December 1992,[18][19] and the album followed on 1 February 1993.[20] Off the Ground was the first Paul McCartney album to contain no sizeable US hit singles since Wings' Wild Life in 1971. The album's first single barely reached the top 20, hitting number 18, in the UK, where "C'Mon People" became a minor hit as well. In the US, the album's title track also entered the Adult Contemporary chart at number 27. Singles from Off the Ground floundered on the US and the UK charts. However, "Hope of Deliverance" achieved commercial success elsewhere. It became McCartney's first international hit single since "Say, Say, Say" with Michael Jackson in 1983, cracking the top 5 on the charts in over five European territories except his homeland and selling over 250,000 copies in Germany alone.

In the United Kingdom, the album itself debuted at number 5 and quickly fell off the chart, spending only 6 weeks inside the top 100.[21] In the United States, it peaked at the number 17 on the Billboard 200 with the first-week sales of only 53,000 copies, managing to receive Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.[22] Although it met with mixed reviews from critics and suffered from lackluster sales in the UK and North America, the album fared better in other key markets such as Spain. In Japan, it surpassed its predecessor Flowers in the Dirt in cumulative sales.[23] In Germany, Off the Ground has been McCartney's best-selling album, spending 20 weeks on the top-ten and eventually achieving Platinum for shipments of over half a million copies.[24]

Some weeks after its release, McCartney launched "The New World Tour", taking in many successful shows across the globe during the summer months. These gigs were documented on the album Paul Is Live, which followed at the end of 1993.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Paul McCartney, except where noted

Off the Ground track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Off the Ground"3:40
2."Looking for Changes"2:47
3."Hope of Deliverance"3:22
4."Mistress and Maid" (McCartney, Declan MacManus)3:00
5."I Owe It All to You"4:51
6."Biker Like an Icon"3:26
7."Peace in the Neighbourhood"5:06
8."Golden Earth Girl"3:45
9."The Lovers That Never Were" (McCartney, Declan MacManus)3:43
10."Get Out of My Way"3:32
11."Winedark Open Sea"5:27
12."C'Mon People" (ends at 5:46, features an excerpt of "Cosmically Conscious" as a hidden track)7:42
Total length:50:25

Off the Ground: The Complete Works

Off the Ground: The Complete Works
Studio album (reissue) by
Paul McCartney
Released1 December 1993
GenreRock
Length98:56
Label
Producer

Off the Ground: The Complete Works is a two-disc set released in Germany and the Netherlands. The first disc contains the original Off the Ground album, with the second collecting various B-sides and two previously unreleased tracks from his 1991 MTV Unplugged concert, "Things We Said Today" and "Midnight Special", which were later released as B-sides to the single "Biker Like an Icon."

Despite the title, the set is missing two B-sides, three promo remixes, one promo B-side, and one international single mix: "Deliverance" and "Deliverance (Dub Mix)", dance-oriented reworkings by Steve Anderson of the song "Hope of Deliverance", released as B-sides of the "C'mon People" CD single No. 1; the three promo remixes of "Off the Ground" released to American radio, namely the Bob Clearmountain remix, the Keith Cohen remix, and the Keith Cohen AC remix; the MTV Unplugged outtake "Mean Woman Blues", which was a B-side of the "Biker Like An Icon" promo CD single, and the single mix of "Off the Ground" contained on the EU and Japanese CD singles.

Off the Ground: The Complete Works has not been reissued and is now out of print and not legally for sale as a digital download.

Track listing

Off the Ground: The Complete Works disc two
No.TitleB-side ofLength
1."Long Leather Coat" (McCartney, Linda McCartney)"Hope of Deliverance"3:35
2."Keep Coming Back to Love" (McCartney, Hamish Stuart)"C'Mon People"5:01
3."Sweet Sweet Memories""Off the Ground"4:03
4."Things We Said Today" (Lennon–McCartney)"Biker Like an Icon"3:38
5."Midnight Special" (arranged by "Lead Belly" Ledbetter, Alan Lomax)"Biker Like an Icon"4:03
6."Style Style""Off the Ground"6:01
7."I Can't Imagine""C'Mon People"4:40
8."Cosmically Conscious""Off the Ground"4:39
9."Kicked Around No More""Hope of Deliverance"5:29
10."Big Boys Bickering""Hope of Deliverance"3:22
11."Down to the River""C'Mon People"3:32
12."Soggy Noodle""Off the Ground"0:28
Total length:47:25

Personnel

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Off the Ground
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[41] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[42] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[43] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[44] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[45] Platinum 500,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[46] Gold 92,000[23]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[47] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[48] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[50] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "BPI".
  2. ^ Luca Perasi, Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969–2013), L.I.L.Y. Publishing, 2013, ISBN 978-88-909122-1-4.
  3. ^ "Tributes to Linda McCartney". BBC News. 21 April 1998. Archived from the original on 3 December 2002. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Off the Ground – Paul McCartney". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  5. ^ Obee, Dave (14 February 1993). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald.
  6. ^ Kot, Greg (5 February 1993). "PMccartney Back on Top of His Pop Material". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  7. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th edn). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 1257. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
  8. ^ Altman, Billy (12 February 1993). "Off the Ground Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  9. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography. Edinburgh, UK: Canongate. p. 696. ISBN 978-1-84195-827-9.
  10. ^ Racine, Martin (9 February 1993). "Nice & friendly/Mushy Paul McCartney finally gets off the ground and Wings it". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  11. ^ Hochman, Steve (7 February 1993). "Paul McCartney – "Off the Ground" (Capitol)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  12. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 730. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  13. ^ Jones, Alan (30 January 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p. 11. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  14. ^ Kozinn, Allan (14 February 1993). "RECORDINGS VIEW; Paul McCartney Reaches for Past Glory". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  15. ^ Hepworth, David (March 1993). "New LPs: Paul McCartney Off the Ground". Q. p. 93.
  16. ^ Puterbaugh, Parker (18 February 1993). "Off the Ground by Paul McCartney". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
  17. ^ "Paul McCartney: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  18. ^ "Dooley's Diary". Music Week. 12 December 1992. p. 27. His new single Hope Of Deliverance isn't released until December 29...
  19. ^ "Ad Focus". Music Week. 26 December 1992. p. 12. Paul McCartney's Hope Of Deliverance, released on December 29...
  20. ^ Calkin, Graham. "Off The Ground". Jpgr.co.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  21. ^ "Paul McCartney UK Album Chart listings". UK Albums Chart. Archived from the original on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  22. ^ "Can't Buy Me Love? How About an Album?". Los Angeles Times. 26 May 1997. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  23. ^ a b c Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  24. ^ "McCartney, Paul – Off The Ground". www.musicline.de. hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  25. ^ "australian-charts.com Paul McCartney – Off The Ground". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  26. ^ "Paul McCartney – Off The Ground – austriancharts.at". Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  27. ^ "Top Albums/CDs – Volume 57, No. 8". RPM. 6 March 1993. Archived from the original (PHP) on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  28. ^ "dutchcharts.nl Paul McCartney – Off The Ground". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  29. ^ a b Billboard – 13 March 1993. 13 March 1993. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  30. ^ "Album Search: Paul McCartney – Off The Ground" (in German). Media Control. Archived from the original (ASP) on 24 July 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  31. ^ "Hungarian Albums Chart". Mahasz.hu. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  32. ^ "ポール・マッカートニー-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック" [Highest position and charting weeks of Off the Ground by Paul McCartney] (in Japanese). oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  33. ^ "charts.nz Paul McCartney – Off The Ground". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  34. ^ "norwegiancharts.com Paul McCartney – Off The Ground". Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  35. ^ "swedishcharts.com Paul McCartney – Off The Ground". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  36. ^ "Paul McCartney – Off The Ground – hitparade.ch". Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  37. ^ "Paul McCartney: Artist: Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  38. ^ "Allmusic: Off The Ground: Charts & Awards: Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  39. ^ "Austriancharts.st – Jahreshitparade 1982". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  40. ^ "LOS 50 TÍTULOS CON MAYORES VENTAS EN LAS LISTAS DE VENTAS DE AFYVE EN 1993" (PDF) (in Spanish). Anuarios SGAE. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  41. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 181.
  42. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Paul McCartney – Off the Ground" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  43. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Paul McCartney – Off the Ground". Music Canada.
  44. ^ "French album certifications – Paul McCartney – Off the Ground" (in French). InfoDisc. Select PAUL MCCARTNEY and click OK. 
  45. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Paul McCartney; 'Off the Ground')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  46. ^ "Japanese album certifications – ポール・マッカートニー – オフ・ザ・グラウンド" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1993年4月 on the drop-down menu
  47. ^ "Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados 1991–1995". Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano.
  48. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Off the Ground')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  49. ^ "British album certifications – Paul McCartney – Off the Ground". British Phonographic Industry.
  50. ^ "American album certifications – Paul McCartney – Off the Ground". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

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