Album This song officially appears on the Memory Almost Full Official album.
Timeline This song was officially released in 2007
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
"Memory Almost Full" first sessions
End of February 2004
David Kahne talks about Memory Almost Full
Jun 01, 2007
“That Was Me” is a song from Paul McCartney’s 2007 album, “Memory Almost Full“.
People often say they can remember more from their childhood than they can from a month ago. I think that is a fact of life – I don’t know why. So all I had to do for this song was to think back. And immediately I go back to Liverpool, where there was a little place we could escape to, beautiful little woods where, come springtime, there would be these carpets of bluebells. It was a magical place. There’s something about me at the bus stop that’s a big part of my memories – going to school, coming home from school, going to the pictures, going to your friend’s house. So all of these things got in there. ‘The cellar’ is the Cavern, ‘Royal Iris’ is a ferry boat they had – they’d call them riverboat shuffles, and some of our earliest gigs were on them. So these are just exciting memories of mine, and I connected them: ‘On a blanket, in the bluebells, at the bus stop,’ Then I get into the Beatles: ‘That was me, on TV, sweating cobwebs in a cellar.’
Paul McCartney – interview with Mail On Sunday, May 12, 2008
Interview with David Khane, from Mix Online, October 1, 2007:
“That Was Me”: The very Ram-like “That Was Me” again features McCartney and the band, mostly on acoustic guitars. During the third verse, after the guitar solo, McCartney added a little something extra. “We were talking about that part needing a lift, and he said, ‘Well, maybe I’ll sing it up an octave,’ doubling the guitar line. He went out, and that’s the second pass. He kind of figured it out and just ripped it.”
That was me
At the scout camp
In the school play
Spade and bucket
By the sea
That was me
That was me
Playing conkers
At the bus stop
On a blanket
In the blue bells
That was me
The same me that stands here now
And when I think that all this stuff
Can make a life, it's pretty hard to take it in
That was me
Well that was me
Royal iris
On the river
Merseybeatin'
With the band
That was me
That was me
Sweating cobwebs
Under contract
In the cellar
On TV
That was me
The same me that stands here now
If fate decreed
That all of this
Would make a lifetime
Who am I to disagree
That was me
That was me
A cappella
At the altar
In the middle
Of the picture
That was me
That was me
At the party
Sweating cobwebs
In a cellar
On TV
That was me
The same me that stands here now
And when I think that all this stuff
Can make a life, it's pretty hard to take it in
That was me
That was me
Memory Almost Full - 2CD limited edition bonus disc
Official album • Released in 2007
2:39 • Studio version • A
Official album • Released in 2007
2:39 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Vocals Rusty Anderson : Electric guitar Abe Laboriel Jr. : Drums David Kahne : Mixing engineer, Producer Paul Wickens : Piano Andy Wallace : Mixing engineer
Session Recording: End of February 2004 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
EP • Released in 2007
2:59 • Live • L1
Concert From "iTunes Festival" in London, United Kingdom on Jul 05, 2007
EP • Released in 2009
3:03 • Live • L2
Performed by : Paul McCartney • Rusty Anderson • Abe Laboriel Jr. • Brian Ray • Dave Arch Darrell Thorp : Recording engineer
Concert From the concert in Los Angeles, USA on Jun 27, 2007
Official live • Released in 2010
2:42 • Live • L2
Performed by : Paul McCartney • Rusty Anderson • Abe Laboriel Jr. • Brian Ray • Dave Arch Darrell Thorp : Recording engineer
Concert From the concert in Los Angeles, USA on Jun 27, 2007
Official live • Released in 2019
3:35 • Live • L2.2019 • 2019 mix
Performed by : Paul McCartney • Rusty Anderson • Abe Laboriel Jr. • Brian Ray • Dave Arch Steve Orchard : Remix engineer Randy Merrill : Mastering engineer Darrell Thorp : Recording engineer
Concert From the concert in Los Angeles, USA on Jun 27, 2007
Amoeba Gig (Limited Edition - Clear Amber Vinyl)
LP • Released in 2019
3:35 • Live • L2.2019 • 2019 mix
Performed by : Paul McCartney • Rusty Anderson • Abe Laboriel Jr. • Brian Ray • Dave Arch Steve Orchard : Remix engineer Randy Merrill : Mastering engineer Darrell Thorp : Recording engineer
Concert From the concert in Los Angeles, USA on Jun 27, 2007
Live At The Institute Of Contemporary Arts
Unofficial live • Released in 2007
3:12 • Live
Concert From "iTunes Festival" in London, United Kingdom on Jul 05, 2007
Unofficial live • Released in 2007
4:00 • Live
Concert From the concert in Los Angeles, USA on Jun 27, 2007
Unofficial live • Released in 2007
3:40 • Live
Concert From the concert in New York City, USA on Jun 13, 2007
Memory Almost Full - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
2:38 • Studio version • A
Album Amoeba Gig
“That Was Me” has been played in 6 concerts.
Oct 25, 2007 • United Kingdom • London • Roundhouse
Oct 22, 2007 • France • Paris • Olympia Hall
Jul 05, 2007 • United Kingdom • London • Institute for Contemporary Arts
Los Angeles • Amoeba Music • USA
Jun 27, 2007 • USA • Los Angeles • Amoeba Music
New York City • Highline Ballroom • USA
Jun 13, 2007 • USA • New York City • Highline Ballroom
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