Take It Away (Paul McCartney song)
1982 single by Paul McCartney
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"Take It Away" is a single by the English musician Paul McCartney from his third solo studio album Tug of War (1982). The single spent sixteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, reaching #10 and spending five consecutive weeks at that position.[2][3] It reached #15 in the UK.[4] The music video, directed by John Mackenzie, features former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, long-time producer George Martin, and songwriting collaborator Eric Stewart, all of whom played on the track, as well as actor John Hurt, Linda McCartney and Barbara Bach.[5]
- "I'll Give You a Ring" (7")
- "I'll Give You a Ring" / "Dress Me Up as a Robber" (12")
21 June 1982 (7")
5 July 1982 (12")
| "Take It Away" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Paul McCartney | ||||
| from the album Tug of War | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | 26 April 1982 (Tug of War album) 21 June 1982 (7") 5 July 1982 (12") | |||
| Recorded | 16–18 February 1981[1] | |||
| Studio | AIR Studios, Montserrat | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 4:13 (album version) 3:59 (single/video version) | |||
| Label | Parlophone/EMI | |||
| Songwriter | Paul McCartney | |||
| Producer | George Martin | |||
| Paul McCartney singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Take It Away" on YouTube | ||||
Although there is a segue from "Tug of War" into this song on the album, the single version instead starts cleanly but fades out earlier at the end.
Track listings
7" single
- "Take It Away" – 3:59
- "I'll Give You a Ring" – 3:05
12" single (black vinyl everywhere else; clear yellow vinyl in Japan)[6]
- "Take It Away" – 3:59
- "I'll Give You a Ring" – 3:05
- "Dress Me Up as a Robber" – 2:40
Personnel
"Take It Away"
- Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, piano
- Linda McCartney – backing vocals
- Eric Stewart – electric guitar, backing vocals
- Ringo Starr – drums
- Steve Gadd – drums
- George Martin – electric piano
"I'll Give You a Ring"
- Paul McCartney – vocals, electric guitar, bass, piano, drums
- Tony Coe – clarinet
- Linda McCartney – backing vocals
- Eric Stewart – backing vocals
"Dress Me Up As A Robber"
- Paul McCartney – vocals, bass, guitars
- Linda McCartney – backing vocals
- Denny Laine – electric guitar, synthesizer
- George Martin – electric piano
- Dave Mattacks – drums, percussion
Critical reception
Billboard called it "a superior single that fuses a driving rhythm with a sleek, polished production" and said it was McCartney's "most assured, seamless, irresistible" single since the mid-1970s.[7] Cash Box said that it's a "dense, multi-layered pop confection" that "keeps the listener on his/her toes throughout the song, going from a lazy tropical-type rhythm to a galloping brass section."[8] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated it as the best song on Tug of War, stating that it starts "with an off-kilter rhythm courtesy of Ringo Starr and all of the tasteful hallmarks of a George Martin production" and becomes "one of McCartney's patented pop confections, featuring a feverish horn counterpoint, deceptively intricate bass, and an utterly indecipherable narrative."[9] DeRiso also praised Eric Stewart's backing vocals.[9]
Chart performance
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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