Remembering When Paul McCartney Warmed up Some Leftovers for a New Album in 1983

Paul McCartney released *Pipes Of Peace* in 1983, a year after the successful *Tug Of War*, using songs left over from the earlier album’s sessions alongside newer recordings. The decision let him follow up quickly while his solo career was gaining momentum, but the article argues that reusing weaker material made the album less cohesive and slowed that progress.

McCartney had considered a double album before choosing the strongest songs for *Tug Of War*, made with Beatles producer George Martin and experienced studio musicians. For *Pipes Of Peace*, he added tracks including “Say Say Say” and “The Man”, duets with Michael Jackson, as well as the title song, which reached No. 1 in the UK. Despite successful singles, critics and record buyers responded less warmly than they had to *Tug Of War*.