Ever Present Past
{{Infobox song
| name = Ever Present Past
| cover = Paul McCartney Ever Present Past Single Cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Paul McCartney
| album = Memory Almost Full
| B-side =
- "House of Wax (live at Amoeba Music)" (7")
- "Only Mama Knows (live at Amoeba Music)" (CD)
| released =
- 15 May 2007 (US)
- 5 November 2007 (UK)
| recorded = March 2006
| studio = Hog Hill Mill (Icklesham, UK){{cite web |title=Ever Present Past (song) |url=https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/song/ever-present-past/ |website=The Paul McCartney Project}}
| venue =
| genre = Rock
| length = 2:59
| label =
| writer = Paul McCartney
| producer = David Kahne
| prev_title = Nod Your Head
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = Heal the Pain
| next_year = 2008
| misc = {{Extra track listing
| album = Memory Almost Full
| type = single
| tracks = {{Memory Almost Full tracks}}
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|fVGk5qm6Mac|"Ever Present Past"}}}}
}}
"Ever Present Past" is a song by Paul McCartney and is the second track on his 2007 album Memory Almost Full. The song was also released as the first single from that album in the United States on 15 May 2007. The video for the song was premiered on 1 October 2007. McCartney played all the instruments on the song.{{cite AV media notes|title=Memory Almost Full|title-link=Memory Almost Full|others=Paul McCartney|year=2007|type=Booklet|publisher=Hear Music}}
The song was released as the second British single from Memory Almost Full on 5 November 2007 and debuted a week later at #85 in the UK Singles Chart.{{cite web|title=The Official UK Charts Company: Top 100 Singles Chart |work=UK Singles Chart |url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/top40_singles.php |access-date=2007-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011004323/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/top40_singles.php |archive-date=2007-10-11 |url-status=dead }} The single package included a unique "cut out and make your own mobius strip" insert.
The song was used in promotions for the premiere of Private Practice on ABC in Fall 2007.
Music video
The video was directed by British director Phil Griffin. McCartney enters an elegant hall, where a group of black-dressed and very similar female dancers walk around. He meets his doppelgänger, who starts dancing with the others while singing the song. The two McCartneys meet up two more times. At the end, McCartney is left alone in the middle of the room, bends on his knee and fades away slowly. This and the presence of the doppelgänger have been interpreted{{Cite web |url=http://homepages.tesco.net/harbfamily/opd/solopaul.html |title=Michael Harbidge's Officially Pronounced Dead? website - Paul McCartney "clues" |access-date=2011-07-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723231421/http://homepages.tesco.net/harbfamily/opd/solopaul.html |archive-date=2011-07-23 |url-status=dead }} as contemporary references to the Paul is dead urban legend.
Personnel
Personnel per Andrew Grant Jackson{{Cite book|last=Jackson|first=Andrew|title=Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of The Beatles' Solo Careers|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2012|isbn=978-0-8108-8222-5|page=268}}
- Paul McCartney – electric guitar w/ tone pedal Vox AC30, bass, harpsichord, flugelhorn, acoustic guitar, clavioline
Track listing
;UK 7" (723 0621)
- "Ever Present Past" – 2:59
- "House of Wax" (live) – 5:18
- * Recorded at Amoeba Music Los Angeles, 27 June 2007
;UK CD (723 0620)
- "Ever Present Past" – 2:59
- "Only Mama Knows" (live) – 3:49
- * Recorded at Amoeba Music Los Angeles, 27 June 2007
- "Dance Tonight" (live) – 3:15
- * Recorded at Amoeba Music Los Angeles, 27 June 2007
;iTunes download
- "Ever Present Past" – 2:57
- "Only Mama Knows" (live) – 3:45
- * Recorded at Amoeba Music Los Angeles, 27 June 2007
- "That Was Me" (live) – 3:05
- * Recorded at Amoeba Music Los Angeles, 27 June 2007
Chart performance
"Ever Present Past" debuted the week ending 6 June 2007 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart at #10{{in lang|ja}} [http://music8.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/musice/1176950640/284-287 【全米】アルバム売上枚数＆最新順位スレ【全英】9] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723000549/http://music8.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/musice/1176950640/284-287 |date=2011-07-23 }} and the Pop 100 chart at #93.References for chart positions:
- {{cite magazine |title=Paul McCartney: Artist Chart History |magazine=Billboard |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=paul mccartney|chart=all}} |access-date=2007-05-31}} A week later as Memory Almost Full debuted at #3 in the Billboard 200, the song debuted at #27 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, mirroring the placement of McCartney's 2006 single "This Never Happened Before", ultimately reaching #16 on that chart. The video (currently posted on YouTube) has received over a million views. The song also reached #42 in Japan, #1 in Russia,{{Cite web|url=https://tophit.ru/ru/search?str=paul+mccartney|title = TopHit (Highway to airplay)|website = Tophit}} #29 in Scotland,{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/20071111/41/|title = Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company|website = Official Charts}} #48 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart,{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/paul-mccartney/chart-history/cac/|title=Paul McCartney|magazine=Billboard}} #16 on the US Adult Alternative Songs chart{{Cite magazine|title=Paul McCartney AAA Chart History|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/paul-mccartney/chart-history/aaa/|access-date=2021-03-15|magazine=Billboard}} and #25 on the UK Physical Singles Chart.{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/physical-singles-chart/20071111/1/|title=Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company|website=Official Charts}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120205220642/http://www.therockradio.com/2007/04/new-paul-mccartney-single-to-air-on.html "New Paul McCartney single to air on Friday"]}} at the Rock Radio
{{Paul McCartney singles}}
{{authority control}}