Winter Rose

Released: 8 June 1979 (UK), 11 June 1979 (US)

Available on:
Back To The Egg

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, piano, harpsichord, bass guitar
Linda McCartney: vocals
Denny Laine: vocals, acoustic guitar
Laurence Juber: acoustic guitar
Steve Holley: drums

‘Winter Rose’ is a song on Wings’ last album Back To The Egg. It is part of a medley with ‘Love Awake’.

Recording for Back To The Egg began at the Spirit Of Ranachan Studio at the McCartneys’ Scottish farmhouse on 29 June 1978, lasting for five weeks until 27 July.

The barn had a mobile RAK recording unit, which had previously been utilised for London Town. Backing tracks for at least eight Back To The Egg songs were recorded there: ‘To You’, ‘Again And Again And Again’, ‘Arrow Through Me’, ‘Winter Rose’, ‘Spin It On’, ‘Old Siam, Sir’, ‘Maisie’, and a rough version of ‘Love Awake’.

The folk acoustic side of the band was front and center for the ballad ‘Winter Rose’. This flowing minor key song fragment eventually became the intro to ‘Love Awake’, a lovely ballad that we started in Scotland, but would re-record a few months later at Lympne Castle. I played a picking pattern on an Ovation classical with a special pickup that directed alternate strings to either side of the stereo mix, with strings 6, 4 and 2 on the left and 5, 3, 1 on the right. This added a spatial atmosphere to Paul’s piano part that was supported by Steve’s muted drum pulse. The vocal is a little husky (I think Paul had a cold when it was recorded), but it fits the wintery mood of the piece.

I played an Ovation classical wired in stereo. If you listen carefully you can hear the guitar jump from one speaker to the other. Paul played some harpsichord and Denny some double speed guitar.

Video

Since Wings were not due to tour Back To The Egg until the end of 1979, McCartney commissioned Keff and Co to create a set of promotional films. Filmed during the Lympne Castle sessions from 4-13 June 1978, they were intended to be shown as separate clips or as a half-hour film.

The entire set was screened by various US television stations from November-December 1979. In the UK they weren’t shown as one until the BBC broadcast them on 10 June 1981. The running order was ‘Getting Closer’, ‘Baby’s Request’, ‘Old Siam, Sir’, ‘Winter Rose’, ‘Love Awake’, ‘Spin It On’, ‘Again And Again And Again’, ‘Arrow Through Me’, and ‘Goodnight Tonight’.