Percy Thrillington - Thrillington

Title: Thrillington Artist: Percy Thrillington Release Date: 5/17/1977 Re-Released On: 0/0/1977 Label: EMI Music Distribution, Capitol Records UPCs: 667344112921, 724383214525, 724383214556 Genre: Rock Style: Orchestral Pop Moods: Amiable/Good-Natured, Cheerful, Earnest, Happy, Playful, Poignant, Sentimental, Whimsical, Bittersweet, Energetic, Exuberant, Gentle, Humorous, Innocent, Intimate, Light, Precious, Rousing, Soothing, Warm, Wistful, Laid-Back/Mellow, Passionate, Quirky, Theatrical, Wry, Calm/Peaceful, Freewheeling, Fun, Irreverent, Rollicking, Romantic, Silly, Raucous, Carefree, Cathartic, Fiery, Organic, Reckless, Reflective, Sweet, Witty Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 7 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

1. Too Many People
2. 3 Legs
3. Ram On
4. Dear Boy
5. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
6. Smile Away
7. Heart of the Country
8. Monkberry Moon Delight
9. Eat at Home
10. Long Haired Lady
11. Back Seat of My Car

Year Type Label Catalog # 2008 CD EMI Music Distribution 1995 CD Capitol Records 32145

No other editions were found for this album.

The Thrillington album is one of the few genuinely rare, legitimate commercial LP releases in Paul McCartney's output, mostly a result of its never having been officially credited to McCartney or publicized as one of his releases. An orchestral/instrumental version of Paul & Linda McCartney's Ram album, Thrillington is a very potent work in its own right. Arranged and conducted by Richard Hewson, it avoids the temptation to deliver flaccid elevator music, in favor of very precise playing and finely detailed arrangements. The orchestrations incorporate elements of big-band swing and very elegantly realized pop music, with occasional backing by scatted and vamped choruses, courtesy of the Swingle Singers, who call up memories of the Hi-Los at various points here. "Three Legs" swings like a latter-day Count Basie cut, while "Dear Boy" comes off as light, Swingle Singers-style jazz; "Heart of the Country" is a scat vocal feast by the Swingles; "Eat at Home" is done as a big-band reggae instrumental that would have delighted big-band ska king Byron Lee; and "Monkberry Moon Delight" is a treat for fans of luscious trumpet and trombone work. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," not surprisingly, is the most complicated cut on the album, two distinct halves, a pop/rock combo augmented by recorder flutes augmented by trumpets and strings handling the principal melody in the first half, and then a second half highlighted by a harpsichord. What makes these and the other cuts a special pleasure for fans of the original album is that they all retain their beat, even as Hewson's arrangements carry them in some surprising directions. The tragedy is that almost no one has heard this most interesting of McCartney's albums -- cut during June of 1971, it was forgotten amid the burgeoning activity surrounding Wings; the album sat on the shelf for six years until Paul and Linda McCartney started playing with the name Percy Thrillington, spreading phony stories to the gossip pages and taking out ads announcing his social and musical activities in London; and then it came out as Thrillington, appearing in England (and later America) with no explanation or publicity, sandwiched in between the releases of Wings Over America and London Town. Virtually ignored at the time of its release, the LP version of Thrillington can easily command prices of well over 100 dollars, and the CD -- released in 1995 and deleted within a couple of years -- sells for between 25 and 80 dollars. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Name Credits Chris Karan Guica Clem Cattini Drums Clint Harrigan Sleeve Notes, Liner Notes Herbie Flowers Bass Hipgnosis [Design Group] Artwork, Cover Art Jeff Cummins Cover Art, Artwork Jim Lawless Percussion Paul McCartney ? Percy Thrillington Producer, Arranger, Leader Phil Smee Design, Package Design Richard Hewson Conductor, Orchestral Arrangements, Arranger Steve Grey Piano The Swingle Singers Vocals Tony Clark Engineer Vic Flick Spanish Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)