Album This song officially appears on the Off The Ground Official album.
Timeline This song was officially released in 1993
Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1991, when Paul McCartney was 49 years old)
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
December 1991 - July 1992
September - October 1992
New “Winedark Open Sea” video premiered
Nov 11, 2020
“Winedark Open Sea” is a track from 1993 album “Off The Ground“. Paul started to write it ( “Sailing On The Winedark Open Sea” was the current name) in August 1991 while on holidays (“Calico Skies” was written at the same period), and recorded a demo a month after.
“Winedark Sea” is likely a reference to Homer, who mentioned this line dozens of time in his epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey:
The wine-dark sea is a traditional English translation of οἶνοψ πόντος (oinops pontos), an epithet in Homer of uncertain meaning. A literal translation is “wine-face sea”. The only other use of oinops in the works of Homer is for oxen, where it seems to describe a reddish color, which has given rise to various speculations about what it could mean about the blue seas.
From Wikipedia
That’s a nice track, simply played and underproduced as well. I know I would have added more to it, but it’s a case of the magic’s in there and you’ve got to leave it alone.
Hamish Stuart – From the “New World Tour” tour book
“Winedark Open Sea” was rehearsed in anticipation of the 1993 New World Tour, but was finally never played live. A rehearsal turned into a jam was aired on McCartney’s Oobu Joobu radio show in 1995.
In 2020, a film clip directed by award-winning surfing filmmaker Jack McCoy used “Winedark Open Sea” as its soundtrack, to gather funds for Surfers For Climate.
Open up your heart
If you want to set me free
Full of love, your love.
Sailing on a winedark open sea.
Sailing on a winedark open sea.
Lighten up, my heart
Leave it to the evening breeze.
Give me love, your love.
Sailing on a winedark open sea.
Sailing on a winedark open sea.
Oh my, I feel love for you
Spreading through my body,
I remember how
We can be so loving.
I feel love for you now.
I feel love for you right now.
Loosen up, my heart.
Let me have some time to be
With a love, my love.?
Sailing on a winedark open sea.
Sailing on a winedark open sea.
Oh my, I feel love for you
Spreading through my body,
I remember how
We can be so loving.
I feel love for you now.
I feel love for you right now.
Sailing on a winedark open sea.
Sailing on a winedark open sea.
Oh, I feel love for you now.
I feel love for you right now.
I feel love for you now.
Baby I feel love for you right now.
We're sailing on a winedark open sea.
Sailing on a winedark open sea.
Off the Ground - The Complete Works
Official album • Released in 1993
5:27 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Electric piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Harmonium Robbie McIntosh : Electric guitar Hamish Stuart : Backing vocals, Electric guitar Paul Wickens : Bass synth, Percussion Blair Cunningham : Drums Julian Mendelsohn : Producer Bob Kraushaar : Recording engineer
Session Recording: December 1991 - July 1992 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Session Mixing: September - October 1992 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
5:27 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Electric piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Harmonium Robbie McIntosh : Electric guitar Hamish Stuart : Backing vocals, Electric guitar Paul Wickens : Bass synth, Percussion Blair Cunningham : Drums Julian Mendelsohn : Producer Bob Kraushaar : Recording engineer
Session Recording: December 1991 - July 1992 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Session Mixing: September - October 1992 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2016
5:28 • Studio version • A2016 • 2016 remaster
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Electric piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Harmonium Robbie McIntosh : Electric guitar Hamish Stuart : Backing vocals, Electric guitar Paul Wickens : Bass synth, Percussion Blair Cunningham : Drums Julian Mendelsohn : Producer Bob Kraushaar : Recording engineer Alex Wharton : Remastering
Session Recording: December 1991 - July 1992 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Session Mixing: September - October 1992 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Off The Ground - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
5:27 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Electric piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Harmonium Robbie McIntosh : Electric guitar Hamish Stuart : Backing vocals, Electric guitar Paul Wickens : Bass synth, Percussion Blair Cunningham : Drums Julian Mendelsohn : Producer Bob Kraushaar : Recording engineer
Session Recording: December 1991 - July 1992 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Session Mixing: September - October 1992 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Off The Ground - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
6:17 • Studio version • [early take]
2020 • For Paul McCartney • Directed by Jack McCoy
Album Off The Ground
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 2) 1990-2012
This new book by Luca Perasi traces Paul McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1990 to 2012 in the form of 250 song entries, filled with details about the recordings, stories behind the sessions and musical analysis. His pop albums, his forays into classical and avant-garde music, his penchant for covering old standards: a complete book to discover how these languages cross-pollinate and influence each other.
The second volume in a series that has established itself as a unique guide to take the reader on a journey into the astonishing creativity of Paul McCartney.
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Jean Birchette • 5 years ago
I think it's about Linda.
The PaulMcCartney Project • 5 years ago
Hi Jean, you are likely right - several songs on "Off The Ground" was inspired / about Linda.
