Thrillington
Thrillington is a
1977 album by
Paul McCartney, under the pseudonym
Percy "Thrills" Thrillington. The album is an instrumental
cover version of Paul and
Linda McCartney's
1971 album
Ram. Arranger
Richard Hewson was asked to arrange the orchestration before
Ram had yet been released. Thrillingron was recorded in June of 1971, with McCartney as producer, and was intended to be released shortly thereafter. The decision of Paul and Linda McCartney to form
Wings, however, resulted in the album being shelved until 1977.
Thrillington was arranged by
Richard Hewson, a classical(?) and
jazz musician who first met McCartney during at
Apple Records of a song by Mary Hopkin. One of the ambitions of Apple was to give opportunities to little-known artists. Hewson had formed a jazz group with bass player
Peter Asher, whose sister
Jane Asher happened to be an ex-girlfriend of McCarney. He arranged "
Those Were the Days" for performance by
Mary Hopkin, the beginning of his career as an arranger. Hewson again crossed the Beatles' path in a very special way in 1970, when
Phil Spector selected him to write the arrangements on "
The Long and Winding Road", "
Let it Be", and "
I Me Mine". In 1971, McCartney asked Hewson to participate in Thrillington.
All occurred very quickly, since Hewson will have to work of night in precipitation... One knows what it occurred: as well McCartney as
George Martin criticized the decision of Spector sharply. And it should be recognized that arrangements of these three songs were absolutely not necessary, even that they disfigured the compositions of Paul in particular - without the quality of the work of Hewson not being besides in question.
His surprise is thus included/understood when, one year later only, McCartney in person calls upon him. The idea of Paul consisted in carrying out an instrumental version of
Ram, and it needed a professional arranger for on the one hand writing the partition and on the other hand to gather musicians. At this time, Ram not having left yet, Hewson could not know the music of it. Also accepted it a copy of the disc in order to study it. At the same time, it have the occasion to work again for Mary Hopkins, that another arranger
Toni Visconti, produced. Visconti will be arranger thereafter on
Band on the Run in particular. The recording of Thrillington will only last three days, from the 15 to June 17, the studios Abbey Road, in the presence of Paul who, although playing of no instrument (except some piano, as concertmaster & arranger), was obviously an attentive "producer".
In preparation for the release of
Thrillington, McCartney thus invented the fictitious socialite Percy Thrillington, and even took out ads in various UK music papers announcing Thrillington's so-called comings and goings to generate curiosity and interest.
Supposedly, Percy Thrillington was born in
Coventry Cathedral in
15 September 1939. He's a man with a
ram head, as the cover of the orignal album. As a young man his travels Around
USA to
Baton Rouge where he studied music for five years on the university and the conservatory, with excelent callifications. Moving later to
Los Angeles working as a producer and arranger. His "new" project is the orchestral version of the old Paul & Linda McCartney's album "Ram", with a help from
London's best musicians, with his specials arrangements.
According to an article published in London's
Evening Standard in March
1977 (and reprinted in a recent Club Sandwich), when Paul started his new company in
1971, McCartney Productions, Ltd. (later to become
MPL), the first artist signed to the organization was an Irish bandleader named Percy Thrillington. So as far back as the days of the album's recording, the Thrillington name, apparently, has been kicked around.
As the release of the album approached, during that month of February that
Wings were in town recording, Paul & Linda began dropping ads in the Evening Standard and
The Times, announcing the various and sundry activities of this Thrillington fellow. "The British press got really fed up," recalls Richard Hewson, "because everyone knew it was made up." Regardless, the ads kept coming, and eventually, on April 29 (May 16 in the U.S.), the album was released.
Not surprisingly, without any "official" push from Paul, Thrillington drew very little attention, even with the release of a single in England (
"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" b/w "Eat at Home"). "Because of the ficticiousness of the Thrillington bit, there was nobody, eventually, to perform it," says Hewson. "They didn't want me to go on the road with it as 'Percy Thrillington' or anything like that.
The cover artwork was by
Jeff Cummins and designed by
Hipgnosis, with sleeve notes by
Clint Harrigan.
While the album was not a commercial success, it does feature some lovely music, including jazzy versions of McCartney compositions like "Dear Boy" and "Smile Away" and a big pop production number of "
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" that will be of interest to both McCartney fans and aficionados of kitschy, lounge-oriented instrumental music.
Released in April of 1977, with no mention of McCartney's name whatsoever - save in the main liner notes where he is described as a friend of Percy's,
Thrillington went unnoticed upon its release and quickly became a hot collector's item. It was re-issued on CD in
1995 and
2004 due to demand.
All songs by
Paul and
Linda McCartney, except where noted.
#"Too Many People" (Paul McCartney) - 4:31#"3 Legs" (Paul McCartney) - 3:41#"Ram On" (Paul McCartney) - 2:49#"Dear Boy" - 2:50#"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" - 4:56#"Smile Away" (Paul McCartney) - 4:39#"Heart Of The Country" - 2:27#"Monkberry Moon Delight" - 4:36#"Eat At Home" - 3:28#"Long Haired Lady" - 5:44#"Back Seat Of My Car" (Paul McCartney) - 4:51
#
Percy "Thrills" Thrillington a.k.a
Paul McCartney: Arranger, concertmaster, piano.#
Vic Flick: Guitars.#
Herbie Flowers: Bass guitar.#
Steve Grey: Piano.#
Clem Cattini: Drums.#
Jim Lawless: Percussion.#
Chris Karan: Guica.#
The Swingle Singers: Backing vocals.
*
JPGR's Thrillington site
