Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1989
My Brave Face
Buy My Brave Face now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'My Brave Face'" is a single from Paul McCartney's 1989 album, 'Flowers in the Dirt'. Written by McCartney and Elvis Costello, "My Brave Face" is one of the most popular songs from 'Flowers in the Dirt'. It peaked at number 18 in the United Kingdom a week after its debut, and number 25 in the United States. It was McCartney's last top 40 hit on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 until his 2014 collaboration with Kanye West, "Only One", and as of 2022 is the last 'Billboard' top 40 hit with any former Beatle in the lead credit.
Like other songs from 'Flowers in the Dirt', despite the song's chart success, to date it has not been included on any McCartney compilation album.
Recording
"My Brave Face" was first recorded at sessions overseen by McCartney and Costello in early 1988. Excerpts from this session were eventually used in McCartney's documentary video 'Put It There', but other than that were not used. The final version of the song was recorded later the same year at Olympic Studios in London, with producer Mitchell Froom joining in on the work.Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, 'Eight Arms To Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium' (Chesterfield, MO: 44.1 Productions, 2000), 301-302. During the overdub sessions, David Rhodes added an "ebow guitar" in a quick one-day session at Olympic Studios.Luca Perasi, 'Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013)', L.I.L.Y. Publishing, 2013, , p.288. According to the 'Put It There' documentary, Costello requested that McCartney bring his iconic Hfner violin bass, which he had not played in years, to the recording session. To this day, Paul still uses this bass, in addition to the Rickenbacker 4001 and his Wal 5-String Customized.
Personnel
*Paul McCartney – bass, guitar, tambourine, lead vocals
*Linda McCartney – background vocals
*Hamish Stuart – guitar, background vocals
*Chris Whitten – drums
*Robbie McIntosh – guitar
*Mitchell Froom – keyboards
*David Rhodes – EBow guitar
*Chris David – saxophone
*Chris White – saxophone
*Dave Bishop – saxophone
Track listings
This song was released on many formats, including the standard 7-inch single, a 12-inch maxi-single, a cassette single, and a CD single.
7-inch single
'A-side':#"My Brave Face"
'B-side':
#"Flying to My Home"
12-inch single
'A-side':# "My Brave Face"
# "Flying to My Home"
'B-side':
# "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday"
# "Ain't That a Shame"
CD single
# "My Brave Face"# "Flying to My Home"
# "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday"
# "Ain't That a Shame"
Music video
The music video for "My Brave Face" was shot in April 1989, directed by Roger Lunn. It was frequently seen on video channels that year, and was released in 2007 on the three disc collection 'The McCartney Years'. It features a Japanese McCartney-fanatic who acquires McCartney memorabilia, films, and audio by means of robbery, and, allegedly, through Sotheby's.'The McCartney Years', 2007 The video was shot in both black-and-white and in colour, and it features rare videos of him with The Beatles as well as with Wings. There is a video of him and the rest of the Beatles doing the Charleston, and him and Linda (as well as a visible Joe English in the background) being greeted by people in New Orleans. In the end, the Japanese fanatic gets arrested, and a clip of McCartney looking in the camera is shown, with 2007 McCartney voicing-over on the audio commentary, "What did you expect?" The video earned a nomination in "Best Video" category on the 1990 Brit Awards.
Live performances and cover versions
McCartney included the song on his world tour in 19891990; a recording of it is included on the live album 'Tripping the Live Fantastic'. It was also included in some of the small shows McCartney played in 1991. He has not performed the song since.
SR-71 recorded the song for the McCartney tribute album 'Listen To What The Man Said'."McCartney Tribute Album To Benefit Breast Cancer", 'Billboard', 20 August 2001 Star Collector performed it for another tribute album, 'Love In Song: An Atlanta Tribute To Sir Paul McCartney'.
Charts
Weekly charts
References
Category:Paul McCartney songs
Category:Songs written by Paul McCartney
Category:Songs written by Elvis Costello
Category:1989 songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Paul McCartney
Category:Song recordings produced by Mitchell Froom
Category:Music published by MPL Music Publishing
Buy My Brave Face now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1989