Wide Prairie


Wide Prairie is a posthumous compilation album by Linda McCartney.

Overview

The idea for the album was inspired by a fan who wrote in inquiring about "Seaside Woman", a reggae song which Wings had recorded in 1972 under the name Suzy and the Red Stripes featuring Linda on lead vocals.
The album is composed of songs by different incarnations of Wings recorded between 1972 and 1980, including previously released single only "Seaside Woman" and "Cook of the House", a track from Wings at the Speed of Sound, and Linda McCartney’s works recorded in the end of the 80’s and 90’s,
Lead guitar on the song "The Light Comes from Within" is played by the McCartneys' son, musician/sculptor James McCartney.

Promotion and reception

The album reached #127 in the UK charts with two singles released in support. The title track made the top 75, at #74, while "The Light Comes from Within" charted at #56 charts.

Track listing

All songs by Linda McCartney, except where noted.
  1. "Wide Prairie" – 4:33
  2. *Recorded by Wings on 20 November 1973 in Paris, and in June 1974 in Nashville, Tennessee.
  3. *Linda McCartney – lead vocals, Mellotron, backing vocals
  4. *Paul McCartney – bass, piano, Rhodes, electronic organ, backing vocals
  5. *Jimmy McCulloch – electric guitar
  6. *Denny Laine – acoustic guitar
  7. *Davey Lutton – drums
  8. *Vassar Clements and Johnny Gimble – fiddles
  9. *Thaddeus Richard – alto saxophone
  10. *Hewlett Quillen – trombone
  11. *William Puett – tenor saxophone
  12. *George Tidwell and Barry McDonald – trumpets
  13. *Norman Ray – baritone saxophone
  14. "New Orleans" – 3:13
  15. *Recorded in New Orleans February 1975 during Wings sessions for album Venus and Mars, with further recording taking place on 24 May 1979.
  16. *Linda McCartney – lead vocals, piano
  17. *Paul McCartney – bass, piano, backing vocals
  18. *Denny Laine – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  19. *Joe English – drums
  20. "The White Coated Man" – 2:13
  21. *A song critical of the practice of vivisection, recorded 21 March 1988 and 18 July 1989.
  22. *Linda McCartney – lead vocals, Casio keyboard
  23. *Paul McCartney – bass guitar, string synthesizer, drums, electric guitar
  24. *Robbie McIntosh – electric guitar
  25. *Steve Johnson – string synthesizer, trumpet, Kurzweil synthesizer
  26. *Carla Lane – Spoken verse
  27. "Love's Full Glory" – 3:46
  28. *Recorded 16 July 1980 and October of the same year.
  29. *Linda McCartney – lead vocals, piano, harmony vocal
  30. *Paul McCartney – bass, drums
  31. *Lloyd Green – pedal steel
  32. *Laurence Juber – Acoustic guitar
  33. "I Got Up" – 3:19
  34. *Recorded 11 November 1973 and 20 March and 9 July 1998.
  35. *Linda McCartney – lead vocals, backing vocals
  36. *Paul McCartney – bass, organ, piano, backing vocals
  37. *Jimmy McCulloch – guitar
  38. *Denny Laine – backing vocals
  39. *Davey Lutton – drums
  40. "The Light Comes from Within" – 2:57
  41. *Recorded 18 March 1998, in what turned out to be Linda's final recording session before her death.
  42. *Linda McCartney – lead vocals, electric piano
  43. *Paul McCartney – bass guitar, electric guitar, piano, Wurlitzer, electric piano, backing vocals
  44. *James McCartney – electric guitar, Acoustic guitar
  45. "Mister Sandman" – 2:50
  46. *Recorded in Jamaica at the Black Ark studio on 20 June 1977 and in Scotland in August of the same year.
  47. *Linda McCartney – lead vocal
  48. *Paul McCartney – electric guitar, vocals, engineer
  49. *Billy Boy – rhythm guitar
  50. *Boris Gardiner – bass guitar
  51. *Mike "Boo" Richards – drums
  52. *Winston Wright – keyboard
  53. "Seaside Woman" – 3:54
  54. *Recorded 27 November 1972. Released as a single 31 May 1977.
  55. *Included in a short film by Oscar Grillo that won the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival.
  56. *The first song Linda ever wrote, according to Paul.
  57. *Linda McCartney – lead vocals, electric piano, backing vocals
  58. *Paul McCartney – bass, backing and harmony vocals
  59. *Denny Laine – piano, guitar, backing vocals
  60. *Henry McCullough – guitar
  61. *Denny Seiwell – drums
  62. "Oriental Nightfish" – 2:49
  63. *Recorded 5 October 1973 during sessions for the Wings album Band on the Run.
  64. *Included in a short film titled Oriental Nightfish by Linda McCartney and Ian Emes.
  65. *Linda McCartney – lead vocals, Moog, electric piano
  66. *Paul McCartney – bass, drums, guitar, Mellotron
  67. *Denny Laine – flute
  68. "Endless Days" – 3:11
  69. *Recorded 21 October 1987.
  70. *Linda McCartney – lead vocal
  71. *Mick Bolton – piano, keyboard
  72. *Ian Maidman – bass and drums
  73. *Geoffrey Richardson – mandolin, slide guitar
  74. "Poison Ivy" – 2:54
  75. *A cover version of the original by the Coasters. Recorded 21 October 1987.
  76. *Linda McCartney – lead vocal
  77. *Ian Maidman – bass guitar, drums, electric guitar, backing vocals
  78. *Mick Bolton – piano, keyboards, backing vocal
  79. *Steve Fletcher – backing vocals
  80. "Cow" – 4:24
  81. *Recorded 24 July 1988.
  82. *Linda McCartney – lead vocals, Casio keyboard, harmony vocals
  83. *Paul McCartney – bass guitar, drums, electric guitar, harmony vocals
  84. *Carla Lane – Spoken verse
  85. "B-side to Seaside" – 2:38
  86. *As the title might suggest, recorded on 16 March 1977 specifically as a B-side for a single featuring "Seaside Woman".
  87. *Linda McCartney – lead vocal, backing vocal
  88. *Paul McCartney – drums, Mellotron, backing vocals, electric guitars, piano, Moog, congas, Banjo
  89. "Sugartime" – 2:06
  90. *A cover version of the original by the McGuire Sisters. Recorded in Jamaica at The Black Ark studio, 20 June 1977 and 7 July 1998.
  91. *Linda McCartney – lead vocal
  92. *Paul McCartney – Wurlitzer, vocals, engineer
  93. *Billy Boy – rhythm guitar
  94. *Boris Gardiner – bass guitar
  95. *Mike "Boo" Richards – drums
  96. *Winston Wright – keyboard
  97. "Cook of the House" – 2:37
  98. *Recorded January–February 1976.
  99. *Originally released in 1976 on the Wings album Wings at the Speed of Sound and also as the B-side to "Silly Love Songs".
  100. *Linda McCartney – lead vocal, piano
  101. *Paul McCartney – upright bass, Mellotron, piano
  102. *Denny Laine – electric guitar
  103. *Joe English – drums
  104. "Appaloosa" – 4:44
  105. *Recorded 7 March 1998.
  106. *Inspired by the history of the Nez Perce tribe and their Appaloosa horses.
  107. *Linda McCartney – lead vocal
  108. *Paul McCartney – drums, bass guitar, clarinet, Wurlitzer, Acoustic guitar, electric guitar