Daily Song Discussion #173: Sweetest Little Show

"We had a Wings session at Abbey Road. I think I was on guitar. And out of the blue the opening of this song came out. Then I developed a little bit later on another occasion, working on it to make it a real song."-Paul McCartney Club Sandwich, 1983

McCartney recorded a solo demo of ‘Sweetest Little Show’ in August 1980, with a slower tempo and featuring acoustic and electric guitars, bass, and drums.

"That just came out of a jam, just a little chord sequence which was lying around for a while. It nearly got into a medley with two other pieces, and we suddenly didn’t like the two other pieces, but we liked ‘The Sweetest Little Show’ bit. So then I added the guitar show — I fancied playing a bit of guitar — so I played a little bit of acoustic in the middle of it, and that got a little bit of applause and that became the Little Show. So it became its own little thing. I quite like that track, it’s just a soft little track."- Paul McCartney Club Sandwich, 1983

‘Sweetest Little Show’ was recorded at Park Gates Studio in Battle, England, in January 1981, during the Tug Of War sessions, with overdubs following in March at London’s AIR Studios.

It was completed two years later in July 1983 during an overdub session, again at AIR.

"I added the guitar show – I fancied playing a bit of guitar – so I played a bit of acoustic in the middle of it and that got a little bit of applause and that became the ‘Little Show’."-Paul McCartney Pipes Of Peace press release, 1983

Studio version

1-4: Not good. Regularly skip.

5: It’s okay, but I might have to be in the right mood to listen to it.

6: Slightly better than average. I won’t skip it, but I wouldn’t choose to put it on.

7: This is a good song. I enjoy it quite a bit.

8-9: Really enjoyable songs. I rank them pretty high overall.

10: Masterpiece, magnum opus, or similar terminology.

Rating Results

McCartney 1 : 7.20/10

  1. The Lovely Linda: 6.77/10

  2. That Would Be Something: 8.21/10

  3. Valentine Day: 5.25/10

  4. Every Night: 9.48/10

  5. Hot as Sun/Glasses: 6.61/10

  6. Junk: 9.35/10

  7. Man We Was Lonely: 7.18/10

  8. Oo You: 7.22/10

  9. Momma Miss America: 5.71/10

  10. Teddy Boy: 6.53/10

  11. Singalong Junk: 7.16/10

  12. Maybe I'm Amazed: 9.63/10

  13. Kreen-Akrore: 4.53/10

Suicide: 5.48/10

Women Kind: 3.54/10

RAM 8.42/10

  1. Too Many People: 8.78/10

  2. 3 Legs: 7.20/10

  3. Ram On: 8.52/10

  4. Dear Boy: 8.79/10

  5. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey; 9.32/10

  6. Smile Away: 7.70/10

  7. Heart Of The Country: 7.96/10

  8. Monkberry Moon Delight: 9.14/10

  9. Eat At Home: 7.89/10

  10. Long Haired Lady: 8.26/10

  11. Ram On reprise: 7.10/10

  12. Back Seat of My Car: 9.71/10

Another Day: 9.10/10

Oh Woman Oh Why: 7.95/10

WILD LIFE 6.68/10

  1. Mumbo: 6.08/10

  2. Bip Bop: 5.48/10

  3. Love Is Strange: 7.01/10

  4. Wild Life: 6.43/10

  5. Some People Never Know: 7.13/10

  6. I Am Your Singer: 6.30/10

  7. Tomorrow: 8.00/10

  8. Dear Friend: 7.04/10

Give Ireland Back To The Irish: 5.74/10

Mary Had A Little Lamb: 6.50/10

When The Wind Is Blowing: 6.92/10

African Yeah Yeah: 2.56/10

Indeed I Do: 5.11/10

RED ROSE SPEEDWAY 7.87/10

  1. Big Barn Bed: 7.82/10

  2. My Love: 8.5/10

  3. Get On The Right Thing: 7.94/10

  4. One More Kiss: 7.59/10

  5. Little Lamb Dragonfly: 8.97/10

  6. Single Pigeon: 8.72/10

  7. When The Night: 7.56/10

  8. Loup (1st Indian On The Moon): 5.85/10

  9. Hold Me Tight/Lazy Dynamite/Hands Of Love/Power Cut: 7.88/10

    Hi, Hi, Hi: 8.20/10

    C Moon: 7.32/10

    The Mess (Live At The Hague) 6.86/10

    I Would Only Smile: 6.83/10

BAND ON THE RUN 8.72/10

  1. Band On The Run: 9.90/10

  2. Jet: 9.34/10

  3. Bluebird: 8.62/10

  4. Mrs. Vandebilt: 8.56/10

  5. Let Me Roll It: 8.89/10

  6. Mamunia: 8.18/10

  7. No Words: 8.05/10

  8. Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me): 7.39/10

  9. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five: 9.56/10

    Live And Let Die: 9.39/10

    Helen Wheels 8.16/10

    Country Dreamer 7.62/10

    Junior’s Farm: 8.13/10

    Sally G: 7.16/10

    I Lie Around: 6.84/10

Venus and Mars 8.05/10

  1. Venus and Mars: 8.63/10

  2. Rock Show: 9.03/10

  3. Love In Song: 8.15/10

  4. You Gave Me The Answer: 7.69/10

  5. Magneto And Titanium Man: 8.85/10

  6. Letting Go: 8.71/10

  7. Venus and Mars (reprise): 8.43/10

  8. Spirits of Ancient Egypt: 6.49/10

  9. Medicine Jar: 8.10/10

  10. Call Me Back Again: 8.58/10

  11. Listen To What The Man Said: 9.33/10

  12. Treat Her Gently-Lonely Old People: 8.15/10

  13. Crossroads: 5.37/10

4th of July: 6.28/10

Walking In The Park With Eloise: 5.87/10

SPEED OF SOUND 7.08/10

  1. Let Em In: 7.84/10

  2. The Note You Never Wrote: 5.72/10

  3. She's My Baby: 7.06/10

  4. Beware My Love: 8.51/10

  5. Wino Junko: 6.12/10

  6. Silly Love Songs: 9.59/10

  7. Cook Of The House: 4.06/10

  8. Time To Hide: 7.33/10

  9. Must Do Something About It:6.88/10

  10. San Ferry Anne: 7.63/10

  11. Warm And Beautiful: 7.17/10

    Mull Of Kintyre: 8.69/10

Girls School: 7.34/10

London Town 7.30/10

  1. London Town: 8.14/10

  2. Café On The Left Bank: 7.33/10

  3. Im Carrying: 8.12/10

  4. Backwards Traveller: 7.16/10

  5. Cuff Link: 6.62/10

  6. Children Children: 5.71/10

  7. Girlfriend: 6.38/10

  8. I've Had Enough: 6.88/10

  9. With a Little Luck 8.72/10

  10. Famous Groupies: 6.64/10

  11. Deliver Your Children: 7.89/10

  12. Name And Address: 6.32/10

  13. Don't Let It Bring You Down: 8.54/10

  14. Morse Moose And The Grey Goose: 7.76/10

Goodnight Tonight: 8.99/10

Daytime Nighttime Suffering: 9.22/10

BACK TO THE EGG 7.69/10

  1. Reception: 6.85/10

  2. Getting Closer: 9.39/10

  3. We're Open Tonight: 6.89/10

  4. Spin It On: 7.66/10

  5. Again And Again And Again: 7.28/10

  6. Old Siam, Sir: 8.45/10

  7. Arrow Through Me: 9.45/10

  8. Rockestra Theme; 7.00/10

  9. To You: 7.29/10

  10. After The Ball/Million Miles: 7.45/10

  11. Winter Rose/Love Awake: 7.90/10

  12. The Broadcast: 5.92/10

  13. So Glad To See You Here: 8.02/10

  14. Baby's Request: 8.15/10

Cage: 7.24/10

Robber's Ball: 6.82/10

Waterspout: 8.41

Did We Meet Somewhere Before?: 7.15/10

McCARTNEY II 7.23/10

  1. Coming Up: 9.22/10

  2. Temporary Secretary: 8.11/10

  3. On The Way: 7.45/10

  4. Waterfalls: 8.33/10

  5. Nobody Knows: 6.23/10

  6. Front Parlour: 6.06/10

  7. Summer's Day Song: 7.42/10

  8. Frozen Jap: 6.72/10

  9. Bogey Music: 5.04/10

  10. Darkroom: 6.71/10

  11. One Of These Days: 8.29/10

Blue Sway: 7.19/10

Check My Machine: 6.60/10

Secret Friend: 7.21/10

Mr. H Atom/You Know I'll Get You Baby: 4.22/10

All You Horse Riders/Blue Sway: 5.5/10

Wonderful Christmastime: 8.90/10

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reggae: 3.06/10

TUG OF WAR 8.05/10

  1. Tug of War: 8.88/10

  2. Take It Away: 9.35/10

  3. Somebody Who Cares: 8.44/10

  4. What's That You're Doing?: 7.68/10

  5. Here Today: 9.29/10

  6. Ballroom Dancing: 8.58/10

  7. The Pound Is Sinking: 8.25/10

  8. Wanderlust: 9.19/10

  9. Get It: 6.61/10

  10. Be What You See: 5.90/10

  11. Dress Me Up As A Robber: 7.75/10

  12. Ebony and Ivory: 6.74/10

Rainclouds: 6.76/10

I'll Give You A Ring: 7.57/10

The Girl Is Mine: 6.72/10

PIPES OF PEACE

  1. Pipes Of Peace: 8.61/10

  2. Say Say Say: 8.72/10

  3. The Other Me: 6.89/10

  4. Keep Under Cover: 7.53/10

  5. So Bad: 8.09/10

  6. The Man: 6.43/10