Label: Moonlight ML 9634 (1996)
Quality: Excellent
tracks 01-06: Daumier's Law (1989)
tracks 07-18: Rupert The Bear (1978)
track 19: We All Stand Together (1984 demo)
Daumier's Law:
"Paul and Linda McCartney's film Daumier's Law premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1992. It was a 15-minute animated short directed by Geoff Dunbar. The film re-creates the drawings of French artist Honore Daumer. Paul wrote and produced the film's musical score, and he performed most of it himself, recording it during late Dec 1989. The film had been given a private London screening the preceding month."
(excerpt from Allen J. Wiener "The Beatles - The Ultimate Recording Guide")
Rupert the Bear:
Late 1970s: Paul recorded songs and narration for a planned full-length Rupert the Bear animated film to be shot by Oscar Grillo. The film was never made, but test pressings of an album containing Paul's music and narration were made. These appeared later on the bootleg CD Rupert, which included the following songs with Paul's between-songs narration: "Rupert Song" (with vocal), "Tippi Tippi Toes", "Flying Horses", "When the Wind Is Blowing" (some scat vocals can be heard), "The Castle of the King of the Birds", "Sunshine Sometime" (with vocal), medley "Sea"/"Cornish Water" (with vocal), "Storm" (with coval; essentially a different arrangement of "Sea"), "Nutwood Scene", "Walking in the Meadow" (with some vocal), "Sea Meloday" and a reprise of "Rupert Song". "We AAll Stand Together", used in the 1984 short Rupert and the Frog Song, also appears here. It is the same demo version heard on Tug of War Demos and More. Paul recorded another new Rupert song with George Martin during Dec 14-19, 1987. One of two songs sound similar to some of those on Paul's early 1978 demo session, sometimes calles "The Piano Tapes", and "Sea" is clearly on that tape, with slightly different lyrics; its title was once thought to be either "Lucy" or "Around the World."
(excerpt from Allen J. Wiener "The Beatles - The Ultimate Recording Guide")
reviews:
A brilliant bootleg. A collection of songs and melodies which have very few to do with the regular McCartney stuff.
This disc is your chance to discover another face of Paul McCartney. No "catchy-commercial-pop" here. Only music and arrangement matters: there is no need to please the public, no need to be in the top-50 and that's why it's so different to what we hear usually.
This disc is so different in the approach that the only other work Paul had made which can be compared to is his classical pieces (Liverpool's Oratorio and Standing Stone) although this has nothing to do with it. It has nothing to do with "Live And Let Die" (James Bond movie score) or "Spies Like Us" either, because here, most of the songs are instrumental. Daumier's Law tracks are a bit more experimental than Rupert. The explanation is certainly that there is almost 20 years between the two movies. The interesting bit is that these songs tell a story and therefore, they are connected (sometimes by using a rather similar melody but not always).
Final review: whether you're a McCartney fan or not, you'll be interested by this original material. Get it now.
I have to say, when I first saw this boot on the shelves, I thought it was going to be one that I was going to leave there. I mean, what do I want with "children's music" from cartoons?? Well, for some reason, I broke down and bought it. I can't tell you how glad I am. This CD is absolutely wonderful. Definately McCartney at his best.
The tracks from Daumier's Law and Rupert are written and performed by Paul who vocalizes on some tracks (sometimes with Linda). Also, as a humorous aside, on the Rupert tracks, Paul gives a little narration (for the film they were in). Put it on at night and it's like Paul is telling you a bedtime story set to music he is playing!
Refer to "The Piano Tapes" for an early version of "Sea." I think the real gem on this tape is "Sea Melody" which as soon as you hear it, is "Celebration" from Standing Stone. I played both versions to someone who isn't into the Beatles at all to demonstrate Paul's amazing ability, and he said afterwards "You mean he took that [Sea Melody] and made it that [Celebration]? No wonder why he's worth millions!" He is, and so is this bootleg.