- Give Ireland Back to the Irish
Infobox Single
Name = Give Ireland Back to the Irish
Artist = Wings
from Album = Wild Life
(The Paul McCartney Collection )
B-side = "Give Ireland Back to the Irish (version)"
Released =February 25 ,1972
Format = 7" single
Recorded = 1972
Genre = Rock
Length =
Label =Apple Records
Writer =Paul McCartney Linda McCartney
Producer =Paul McCartney Linda McCartney
Chart position = * #21 (US)
* #16 (UK)
* #1 (Republic of Ireland ,Spain )
Reviews =
Last single =
This single = "Give Ireland Back to the Irish"
(1972)
Next single = "Mary Had a Little Lamb"/"Little Woman Love"
(1972)"Give Ireland Back to the Irish" is a Paul and
Linda McCartney song written in response to the events of Bloody Sunday inNorthern Ireland onJanuary 30 ,1972 . The song was released onFebruary 25 ,1972 as the debut single by McCartney's new band Wings, and it was the first recorded song by Wings that included Irish guitaristHenry McCullough .It was completely barred from media exposure in the
United Kingdom , being banned by theBBC , Radio Luxembourg and theIndependent Television Authority . On theBBC Radio 1 chart show "Pick of the Pops ",Alan Freeman had to refer to it as "a record by the group Wings". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5087006.stm "The seven ages of Paul McCartney"] ,BBC , 17 June 2006.]"From our point of view," said Paul McCartney, "it was the first time people questioned what we were doing in Ireland. It was so shocking. I wrote 'Give Ireland Back to the Irish', we recorded it and I was promptly 'phoned by the
Chairman ofEMI , Sir Joseph Lockwood, explaining that they wouldn't release it. He thought it was too inflammatory. I told him that I felt strongly about it and they had to release it. He said, 'Well it'll be banned', and of course it was. I knew 'Give Ireland Back to the Irish' wasn't an easy route, but it just seemed to me to be the time. All of us in Wings felt the same about it. ButHenry McCullough 's brother who lived inNorthern Ireland was beaten up because of it. The thugs found out that Henry was in Wings."Lewisohn, Mark. "Wingspan". Little Brown, 2002. ISBN 0-316-86032-8]The song reached number 1 in the singles charts in the
Republic of Ireland andSpain , but it only climbed to number 16 in the UK singles chart and number 21 in the U.S.The B-side of the single, "Give Ireland Back to the Irish (version)", is an instrumental version of the
A-side . The A-side was reissued as a bonus track on the 1993 remastered CD of Wings' "Wild Life" album.Personnel
*
Paul McCartney
*Linda McCartney
*Denny Laine
*Denny Seiwell
*Henry McCullough Notes
References
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