Jump to content

C Moon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"C Moon"
Label of the UK 7-inch single
Single by Wings
A-side"Hi, Hi, Hi"
Released1 December 1972
Recorded2 September 1972
StudioMorgan Studios, London
Genre
Length4:33
LabelApple Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Paul McCartney
Wings singles chronology
"Mary Had a Little Lamb"
(1972)
"C Moon"
(1972)
"My Love"
(1973)
Alternative cover art
Back cover of the German release of "Hi Hi Hi"

"C Moon" is a song with a reggae beat, written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Wings. It was released as a double A-side with "Hi, Hi, Hi" in 1972. The single reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and since "Hi Hi Hi" was banned by the BBC, "C Moon" received much airplay in the United Kingdom.[2][3] In the United States, "C Moon" did not appear on any of the major record charts.[4]

Lyrics and structure

[edit]

The title "C Moon" was inspired by lyrics in the song "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. McCartney said, "There's a line in [Wooly Bully] that says, 'Let's not be L7.' Well, L7, it was explained at the time, means a square—put L and 7 together and you get a square... So I thought of the idea of putting a C and a moon together (a half-moon) to get the opposite of a square. So 'C Moon' means cool, in other words."[5]

The recording includes a missed-cue intro that was kept in the released version.[6]

The song is in the key of C and is in 4/4 time. The performers change instruments from their usual places. Guitarist Henry McCullough plays drums and tambourine, guitarist Denny Laine plays bass, and drummer Denny Seiwell plays xylophone and cornet.[7]

The song was recorded around the same time as "Hi, Hi, Hi", in September 1972.[8]

Releases

[edit]
Country UK US Germany France Japan
Label Apple Apple EMI Electrola/Apple Apple Apple
Catalogue number R 5973 1857 1C006-05208 2C006-05208 EAR-10241
Release date 1 December 1972 4 December 1972 December, 1972 20 January 1973
Chart ratings 5
(16 January 1973)
N/A N/A 26
(February, 1973)

The song was included on the Paul McCartney compilation albums All the Best! (1987) and Wingspan: Hits and History (2001) and as a bonus track on the 1993 remastered CD of Red Rose Speedway, as part of The Paul McCartney Collection. It was also included on The 7" Singles Box in 2022.[9]

Personnel

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Wawzenek, Bryan (7 March 2014). "Top 10 Reggae Rock Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  2. ^ McGee 2003, p. 35.
  3. ^ "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2015). The Comparison Book. Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 333. ISBN 978-0-89820-213-7.
  5. ^ McGee 2003, p. 198.
  6. ^ Luca Perasi, Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013), L.I.L.Y. Publishing, 2013, ISBN 978-88-909122-1-4, p.92
  7. ^ Rhino Records 2007.
  8. ^ "Hi, Hi, Hi / C Moon (Album)".
  9. ^ "'The 7" Singles Box' – Out 2 December 2022". PaulMcCartney.com. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.

Sources

[edit]
  • McCartney, Paul (2007). The McCartney Years (DVD). Rhino Records.
  • McGee, Garry (2003). Band on the Run: A History of Paul McCartney and Wings. New York: Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87833-304-2.