Publisher: Pegboy
Reference: PB1004
Date: 1996
Reference: PB1004
Date: 1996
01. Attention CFL's lead-off tracks are the two McCartney
02. Private Property originals, "Attention" and "Private Property." Each
displays all the earmarks of much of the composer's
work: light-weight, yet bouncy, infectious,
eminently hummable with stick-in-your-brain melodies.
As mentioned earlier, both tracks were subjected to
numerous edits, and "Private Property" was also
given significantly different mixes. The cut of
"Attention" that was settled on for both CFL & S&STR
was the same, the shortest of the four known edits
(3:19). The CFL "Private Property", however, is a
2:48 cut with Lloyd Green's steel guitar very much
in evidence. For S&STR, a mix omitting that
instrument was used, a bad decision, as far as this
reviewer is concerned, because the CFL mix sees to
have the edge. 13 January 1981.
03. You've Got A Nice Way Sounds perhaps a bit too much like what it is:
a Stephen Stills song with Ringo doing the
vocal. The stereotypically mellow California-
style laid-back instrumental and vocal backing
seems a bit at odds with the Liverpudlian
singer's persona and vocal delivery. However,
it's pleasant and fits well with the album's
other tunes. 13 January 1981.
04. Wake Up One of the three numbers that got axed when CFL became S&STR.
This reviewer's rather negative initial opinion of this
Starkey original has tapered somewhat after repeated
listening. I used to think its title was apt because it
described what I'd need to do by the time the song was over.
But its ennui-invoking attributes have subsided now that I've
gotten used to it. Ringo invests some real emotion in his
vocal performance; he sounds like he means it when he sings
the lyrics. Granted, it IS a bit mopey and its deletion from
the revised album's lineup is understandable. But if you do't
like it at first, maybe you should give it a chance. It might
grow on you, just like a fungus, or a cold sore on your lip.
By the way, the original 3:32 CFL version is NOT what appears
as a bonus track on the S&STR CD. January 13, 1981.
05. You Can't Fight Lightning Ringo on guitar and Paul on drums!
CLF's first side would have closed with the
title track. This song does sound like it
was a lot of fun to record, and the full-
length 10-min version might be fascinating
to hear. Unfortunately, us poor schmoes in
the listening audience were left out of the
"creative process" wherein, through the
utilization of agents of perceptual
alteration, the musicians developed this
nugget of audio wonderment. Consequently,
as a piece of recorded music detached from
the circumstances of its performance, and
experienced during the cold light of day by
ears which are perhaps metaphorically
clogged with what George Harrison might
refer to as "maya cerumen" (translation:
truth-blocking earwax) it does not seem to
be one of the strongest tracks the der
Ringostein has laid down. January 13, 1981.
06. Wrack My Brain A "pop" song in the best sense of the word, the
sprightly, jaunty musical backing belied the bitterness
of the lyrics; words which were no doubt heartfelt by
author George Harrison who was having his own problems
with record company officials at the time. This should
have been a Top Ten hit, but ex-Beatles seemed to be
somewhat out of fashion with the Top 40 crowd at the
time of its initial release. January 13, 1981.
07. Dead Giveaway What do you get when you cross a Rolling Stone with a
Beatle? In this particular instance you get "Dead
Giveaway", the long version (5:20), a Ronnie Wood /
Ritchie Starkey original. It was chopped down to 4:24
on S&STR. This version includes a short bass solo,
plus runny trousers and baggy noses or whatever. This
song adds a bit of funk to the album. I guess you
could call it a funked-up song. January 13, 1981.
08. Brandy Ritchie and Ronnie were also the main culprits behind the
recording of a cover version of "Brandy". No, it's not the
obnoxious 1972 #1 hit by Looking Glass, but rather the 1978
flop (#79) by the O'Jays. It's hard to say what spurred them
to record it, unless it was from reading the label on a bottle
of the identically named potable they may have been imbibing.
This song most decidedly did not add a bit of funk to the
album. In point of fact, this doleful dirge merely added a
four-minute dollop of tedium to CFL, and its omission from
S&STR was a wise decision. Of the known songs recorded during
Ringo's '80-'81 sessions, this was unquestionably the worst.
January 13, 1981.
09. You Belong To Me CFL's penultimate track, the bubbly and chipper
Harrison-produced "You Belong To Me" offers a
welcome respite to the downer mood likely to be
engendered by the preceding song. This tune pre-
dates the rock era by several years. Three versions
made it into the U.S. Pop Charts in 1952: recordings
by Jo Stafford, Patti Page and Dean Martin,
respectively. Its fourth and final appearance on the
Hit Parade was in 1962 when The Duprees put their
spin on it. It'd be interesting to know which
rendition inspired George to put his own stamp on
the song. This unlikely song choice was a good one,
though. Ringo's recording of it is arguably much
better than the hit versions that came before it.
It's certainly more upbeat than its prececessors.
January 13, 1981.
10. Stop And Take The Time Song, with the notorious "Ford Cortina" gibe,
To Smell The Roses closed the album. In this version with the
original vocals intact, Starr wisecracks "Stop
when you're in your Ford Cortina, you know
it's accident prone." Boardwalk President Neil
Bogart got cold feet about leaving that remark
in the song, for fear of a libel suit from the
car company so, through a bit of editing
hocus-pocus, the offending dig was neutralized
before the song appeared on S&STR. This was
definitely was an 11th hour decision on
Bogart's part, because (as detailed in Part 1
of these notes) a similar version of the S&STR
LP was almost issued and the "Ford Cortina"
crack was still in "Stop..." (albeit in an
alternate mix of the song). In addition to
being censored, the released version of
"Stop..." was also longer than all original
mixes had been, due to a later fade-out. (The
CFL version is 2:47, the S&STR version exceeds
three minutes.) Note also that the "bonus
track" version (labeled a "rough mix") of
"Stop..." on the S&STR CD is not the one that
was on CFL. January 13, 1981.
11. Wrack My Brain Early mix #1. November 1980.
12. Attention The full-length 4:28 version. As mentioned earlier,
several different edits of this track were prepared
before the shortest one was chosen for inclusion on
CFL & S&STR. July 1980.
13. Back Off Boogaloo Early mix and many obvious differences are
discernible. Each version (along with Track 20)
either adds or mixes out vocals from Ringo, Harry
and Rick Riccio (whoever he is) in differing ways.
January 13, 1981.
14. Private Property
15. Wake Up Take 5. (Take #4 is the one that appears as a bonus
cut on the S&STR CD). Takes #4 & #5 are ten seconds
longer thant the CFL version and they feature Keith
Richards on guitar (he does not play on the CFL
version). September 5, 1980.
16. Dead Giveaway The short version (2:52) that opened side two of
the aborted version of S&STR. September 23, 1980.
17. Stop And Take The Time Essentially the one mentioned earlier as being
To Smell The Roses on the unreleased S&STR, but this comes from
the session tapes and includes studio talk at
the beginning. The first difference one
notices is the omission of the lead guitar
passages during the song's opening lyrics.
November 1980.
18. Wrack My Brain Early mix #2. November 1980.
19. Attention Another alternate cut of it (3:45). July 1980.
20. Back Off Boogaloo See Track 13 information.
21. Wrack My Brain A real curio, the rare mix of "Wrack My Brain"
that was issued only on a Canadian single. Its
striking feature is the relatively prominent
tuba.
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