A Paul McCartney album revisiting traditional Beatles tracks with assist from members of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and his outdated Fab 4 bandmates ought to have been a slam dunk. As a substitute, the messy, unfocused Give My Regards to Broad Avenue precipitated McCartney’s decade-long profitable streak to come back to a crashing halt.
McCartney entered the ’80s on a excessive observe with the chart-topping solo albums McCartney II and Tug of Conflict, adopted by the High 5 hit Pipes of Peace. In late 1982, McCartney started engaged on a movie titled Give My Regards to Broad Avenue, which chronicles a day within the lifetime of the lovable Beatle as he tracks down the lacking grasp tapes for his new album.
The accompanying Broad Avenue soundtrack mixed a handful of latest songs with 10 reworked variations of Beatles, Wings and solo tunes. Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour performs a guitar solo on the lead single “No Extra Lonely Nights,” whereas Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones seems on a rerecorded model of Tug of Conflict‘s “Ballroom Dancing.” Most significantly, the mission additionally reunites McCartney with Ringo Starr and Beatles producer George Martin.
With so many energy gamers onboard, Give My Regards to Broad Avenue ought to have been an unqualified success. However critics eviscerated the movie and soundtrack, which topped the charts in McCartney’s native U.Ok. however peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200, his worst displaying to this point. It was the start of a artistic and business tailspin that McCartney would not right till he teamed up with Elvis Costello for 1989’s acclaimed Flowers within the Filth.
Watch the video under to be taught extra about Give My Regards to Broad Avenue, and tune into our “Doomed to Fail?” video collection every week as we mud off ill-fated traditional rock albums and decide whether or not they’re hidden gems or higher left forgotten.
Paul McCartney Albums Ranked
The Beatles all the time outlined him, however McCartney’s story did not finish there.
