Paul McCartney – Pipes Of Peace

Paul McCartney – Pipes Of Peace

Originally released on 31 October 1983 by Parlophone, Pipes Of Peace is Paul McCartney's fourth solo album following the end of Wings and the follow-up to his acclaimed 1982 album Tug Of War. Produced by George Martin, the album continues the polished, melodic sound of McCartney's early-1980s work while bringing together pop, rock, orchestral arrangements and contemporary studio production.

The album's standout moment is undoubtedly “Say Say Say,” McCartney's hugely successful duet with Michael Jackson. The two had first worked together on Jackson's “The Girl Is Mine”, before recording “Say Say Say” during the Tug Of War sessions in 1982. The collaboration was subsequently released as a single in October 1983 and became one of the defining pop duets of the decade.

The Jackson collaboration continues with “The Man,” while McCartney's own songwriting dominates the remainder of the album. The title track “Pipes Of Peace” provides the record with its central theme of peace, love and the future, and was released as a single in December 1983, reaching No. 1 in the UK. Its memorable promotional film used the Christmas Truce of 1914 as its historical inspiration.

Elsewhere, “The Other Me,” “Keep Under Cover” and “So Bad” demonstrate McCartney's gift for melodic pop songwriting, with the latter also appearing as the B-side to the “Pipes Of Peace” single. “Sweetest Little Show” and “Average Person” provide lighter, more character-driven moments, while “Hey Hey” is an instrumental featuring McCartney on guitar. The album closes with “Tug Of Peace,” an obvious companion piece to the preceding Tug Of War, and the orchestral “Through Our Love.”

The album was created from material recorded over several years, with some songs originating during the sessions for Tug Of War. Alongside McCartney and Linda McCartney, the sessions featured musicians including Ringo Starr, Stanley Clarke, Eric Stewart, Michael Jackson, Andy Mackay and Steve Gadd. George Martin produced the album, with arrangements by McCartney and Martin and engineering by Geoff Emerick.

In the UK, Pipes Of Peace reached No. 4 on the Albums Chart, spending 23 weeks in the chart. For collectors of Paul McCartney, The Beatles, Wings, 1980s pop and classic singer-songwriter albums, this is an essential part of McCartney's early-1980s catalogue, particularly for the presence of the major international hit “Say Say Say” and the UK No. 1 title track.

Side A

1. Pipes Of Peace — 3:53
2. Say Say Say — 3:55
3. The Other Me — 3:56
4. Keep Under Cover — 3:18
5. So Bad — 3:03

Side B

1. The Man — 3:54
2. Sweetest Little Show — 2:56
3. Average Person — 4:22
4. Hey Hey — 2:55
5. Tug Of Peace — 2:52
6. Through Our Love — 3:29