McGear is the second and final solo album by English singer Mike McGear, released in 1974. The album is a collaboration between McGear and his brother Paul McCartney, who co-wrote and produced the record. All backing tracks on the album are performed by McCartney and his band Wings, occasionally accompanied by guest artists. Lead vocals are sung by McGear.
At the time, Mike had just left the music and poetry group Grimms during a tour after a fight with Liverpool Poet (and fellow member) Brian Patten, and Paul suggested that Mike record a single with Wings to resurrect Mike's solo career.[2] Once the single "Leave It" was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, Paul sent the tape to his in-laws Lee and John Eastman to arrange for its release, but instead they suggested recording an entire album.[2] Mike said of the album that "the whole process was magical" and that the recording "was a truly collaborative process with my older brother."[2] The rest of the album was recorded at Strawberry StudiosinStockport, where Mike had recorded his previous solo album Woman.[3][2]
When Warner Brothers signed McGear and Badfinger with some fanfare, coinciding with McCartney's EMI contract nearing expiration, it was rumoured that Warners were trying to interest McCartney in signing with them.[citation needed].
The front cover shows Mike captured like Gulliver, surrounded by little people.[3] Included in the people are pictures of the band members and photos of other people from McGear's life, as well as a childhood picture of Paul and Mike.[2]
On the original release Paul McCartney is not credited as a musician or backing singer, although he performed both roles during the recordings.
Lead single "Leave It" reached No. 36 in the UK singles chart,[4] becoming the sole charting single by Mike McGear. The opening track on the album, "Sea Breezes", is a Roxy Music cover from their self-titled debut album.
In 1991, McGear was re-released by Rykodisc in the U.S. with a previously unreleased version of the song "Dance The Do" as a bonus track (a different mix had been issued as a stand-alone single on UK Warner Bros).
In 1992, McGear was re-released by See For Miles Records in the U.K. with two bonus tracks, a different mix of "Dance The Do" and "Sweet Baby," which had been the B-side of the single "Leave It". The liner notes to that album quote Mike as saying that "Sweet Baby" had originally been named "All My Lovin'" but "some other group had already done one with that name". Both of these reissues quickly went out of print.
In 2019, Cherry Red Records produced a two-disc remastered reissue on its "Esoteric Records" imprint (which features an "ER" logo duplicative of the Warner Brothers "WB" logo), with one disc the same as the 1992 reissue, and the other disc a collection of alternate takes, outtakes, and a few other songs recorded by McGear between 1973 and 1980 (including his 1976 EMI single "Do Nothing All Day").[2]
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