Old Siam, Sir
| "Old Siam, Sir" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Wings | ||||
| from the album Back to the Egg | ||||
| B-side | "Spin It On" | |||
| Released | 1 June 1979 (UK) | |||
| Recorded | 23 July 1978 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 4:14 | |||
| Label | Parlophone/EMI (UK) | |||
| Songwriter | Paul McCartney | |||
| Producers |
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| Wings singles chronology | ||||
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"Old Siam, Sir" is a single from Wings' 1979 album, Back to the Egg. It was the A-side of the UK version of the single, reaching No. 35.[1] The B-side, "Spin It On" in the UK was also a track from the album, "Back to the Egg". "Old Siam, Sir" was also the B-side of the US single "Arrow Through Me".[2]
Recording
Wings drummer Steve Holley, while playing keyboards during a studio session, developed a chord sequence that was eventually used in the instrumental section of the song.[3][4] According to Wings guitarist Laurence Juber:
...we were jamming one day and Steve Holley was playing keyboards and had this chord sequence.I'm not sure if Paul was playing drums or if it was Linda because we'd trade off in a jamming situation, but what ended up happening was that ended up in the instrumental section of the song. I always felt that Steve should have received some sort of nod for that. Unfortunately, that's the nature of the process in that you don't always get full credit for what you contribute as a musician, especially as the song writing is traditionally words and melody, not chords, licks and grooves. If you could copyright a rhythm, Bo Diddley would have been very happy.[4]
Personnel
- Paul McCartney – vocals, bass, electric guitar
- Linda McCartney – keyboards
- Denny Laine – electric guitar
- Laurence Juber – electric guitar
- Steve Holley – drums
Charts
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[5] | 29 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[6] | 35 |
References
- ^ "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
- ^ https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/album/arrow-through-me-old-siam-sir/
- ^ Exclusive: Ex-Wings guitarist, Laurence Juber, talks about attending 'Paul McCartney University' « Daytrippin' Beatles Magazine
- ^ a b Wild, Andrew (2019). The Solo Beatles 1969-1980. Sonicbond. p. 134. ISBN 9781789520309.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Old Siam Sir". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart on 24/6/1979 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
