Flowers in the Dirt
Flowers in the Dirt is the eighth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Paul McCartney, released on 5 June 1989 by Parlophone Records.[1] Recorded primarily at McCartney's Hog Hill Mill Studios in East Sussex between 1987 and 1989, the album features production from Trevor Horn and Mitchell Froom, as well as songwriting collaborations with Elvis Costello on tracks including "My Brave Face," "You Want Her Too," "Don't Be Careless Love," and "That Day Is Done."[2] It marked a significant creative rebound for McCartney after the underwhelming reception of his 1986 album Press to Play, incorporating a mix of rock, pop, and ballad elements that harkened back to his Beatles-era songcraft.[2] The album's standard edition comprises 13 tracks, blending upbeat singles with introspective pieces: Commercially, Flowers in the Dirt topped the UK Albums Chart upon release and peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard 200, where it was certified gold by the RIAA; it also achieved platinum status in the UK.[4][5][2] Critically, it was hailed as McCartney's strongest solo work in over a decade, with the Los Angeles Times praising its return to form and revitalized energy.[2] The album spawned four singles—"My Brave Face," "This One," "Figure of Eight," and "Put It There"—and supported McCartney's extensive 1989–1990 World Tour, his first major trek in over a decade.[2] A 2017 deluxe reissue expanded the collection with demos, outtakes, and archival footage, further cementing its status as a pivotal entry in McCartney's post-Beatles discography.[1]Production
Background and songwriting
Following a period of creative experimentation in the mid-1980s, including the film soundtrack Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984) and the pop-oriented Press to Play (1986), Paul McCartney aimed to reinvigorate his solo career with a return to rock-infused songwriting on Flowers in the Dirt. This shift came after a three-year hiatus from major releases, during which McCartney reflected on his post-Wings trajectory and sought to recapture the energy of his earlier work while incorporating fresh influences.[2][6] The album's conceptual origins trace to intensive songwriting sessions held between 1987 and 1988, primarily at McCartney's Hog Hill Mill studio in East Sussex and additional locations in London. These sessions emphasized a collaborative approach, blending classic pop structures with rock elements and subtle experimental touches, such as unconventional rhythms and introspective lyrics. McCartney described the process as a deliberate effort to reconnect with the collaborative dynamics he had enjoyed in the Beatles, using simple acoustic guitar techniques to spark ideas.[1][2] Central to the album's development were McCartney's songwriting partnerships, particularly his prolific collaboration with Elvis Costello, which produced four co-written tracks: "My Brave Face," "You Want Her Too," "Don't Be Careless Love," and "That Day Is Done." This partnership, initiated in 1987, featured a dynamic lyrical interplay where Costello's sharp, narrative-driven style complemented McCartney's melodic strengths, resulting in songs that explored themes of relationships and resilience with renewed wit and depth. The sessions yielded over two dozen compositions in total, though only a select few appeared on the final album, underscoring the project's role in revitalizing McCartney's creative output.[7][8][1]Recording process
The primary recording for Flowers in the Dirt took place in 1988 at Hog Hill Mill Studios, Paul McCartney's home studio in East Sussex, where the bulk of the album's basic tracks and initial overdubs were captured.[9] Additional sessions occurred at Olympic Studios and other facilities in London, including AIR Studios, to handle further overdubs, mixing, and specialized elements.[10] These sessions built on earlier collaborations, emphasizing a return to a more organic, band-oriented sound after McCartney's previous synth-heavy albums. McCartney co-produced the album alongside Steve Lipson, who contributed to several tracks with a focus on rhythmic drive and contemporary production techniques.[11] George Martin, McCartney's longtime collaborator from The Beatles era, handled orchestral elements, notably arranging and recording strings for "Put It There" during sessions in late 1988.[9] Other producers, including Trevor Horn and Chris Hughes, were involved in specific tracks to experiment with diverse sonic textures, such as blending electronic beats with live instrumentation.[11] Key recording highlights included overdubs featuring session musicians like guitarist Robbie McIntosh, who added layered guitar parts to enhance the album's rock edges, and drummer Chris Whitten, whose contributions brought a dynamic live band feel to tracks like "Don't Be Careless Love."[10] The process involved experimentation with synthesizers for atmospheric effects—such as on "Rough Ride," where Linda McCartney played synths—while prioritizing a fuller, ensemble sound over isolated studio polish.[11] Notable events during the sessions were informal 1988 jam sessions between McCartney and Elvis Costello, where they refined co-written tracks like "My Brave Face" through acoustic demos and iterative plays at Olympic Studios.[12] Martin's string arrangements were finalized and recorded in September 1988, providing elegant swells that complemented the album's melodic core.[10] These collaborative moments underscored the album's blend of introspection and energy, captured across the multi-studio workflow.Cover art
The cover art for Paul McCartney's eighth solo studio album, Flowers in the Dirt, centers on a striking close-up photograph taken by Linda McCartney, showing vibrant flowers embedded directly in soil.[13] This imagery visually embodies the album's title, representing the emergence of beauty and vitality from humble, earthy origins.[14] The artwork resulted from a close collaboration between the McCartneys and British artist Brian Clarke, who conceived the overall visual theme and painted a large canvas that served as the base.[14] Clarke's approach involved pressing real flowers into the wet paint to create textured impressions, which Linda McCartney then photographed to capture the organic fusion of flora and earth.[15] This technique not only produced a tactile, layered effect but also reinforced the album's motifs of renewal and artistic resurgence following McCartney's earlier creative challenges.[14] The design elements, including the palette of muted browns, greens, and natural hues, were finalized by Peter Saville Associates, evoking a grounded, introspective mood that ties into the record's themes of growth amid adversity.[13] On the back cover, the track listing appears in a loose, script-like font mimicking handwriting, paired with additional floral motifs to maintain visual continuity.[16] Inside the sleeve, McCartney provided handwritten lyric sheets, lending a personal, diary-like quality that underscores the album's intimate songwriting process.[17]Release and promotion
Commercial release
Flowers in the Dirt was released in the United Kingdom on 5 June 1989 by Parlophone Records and in the United States on 6 June 1989 by Capitol Records.[18][19] The album was issued in multiple formats, including vinyl LP, compact disc, and cassette tape, to accommodate diverse consumer preferences and playback technologies of the era.[13] Initial pressings featured a standard packaging design with a lyric booklet included in the CD and LP editions, providing fans with complete song texts and credits.[20] International editions incorporated regional tweaks to the artwork, such as localized text or minor graphical adjustments to suit market-specific regulations, while maintaining the core aesthetic of colorful floral arrangements.[13] Catalog numbers varied by territory and format; for example, the UK CD bore CDP 7 91653 2, and the US LP was designated C1-91653.[13] The commercial launch coincided with the announcement of Paul McCartney's 1989-1990 World Tour, his first major global outing since the Wings era, positioning the album as a key component of his renewed live performance initiative.[2]Singles and marketing
The lead single from Flowers in the Dirt, "My Brave Face" (co-written with Elvis Costello), was released on 8 May 1989 in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at No. 18 on the Official Singles Chart, and on 22 May 1989 in the United States, reaching No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.[21][22] This was followed by "This One" on 17 July 1989 in the UK, which also peaked at No. 18.[23] The third single, a double A-side featuring "Figure of Eight" and "Où est le Soleil?", was issued on 13 November 1989 in the UK, with "Figure of Eight" charting at No. 42; "Où est le Soleil?" had earlier been released as a standalone single in the US on 25 July 1989.[24][25] The fourth single, "Put It There", was released on 5 February 1990 in the UK, peaking at No. 32 on the Official Singles Chart.[26][27] The album's marketing campaign emphasized McCartney's renewed creative partnership with Costello, with the collaboration highlighted in contemporary press coverage and promotional materials to underscore the songwriting sessions' role in revitalizing McCartney's output.[7] Videos for the singles, including "My Brave Face" directed by Roger Lunn and "This One" directed by Tim Pope, were produced to support rotation on music television channels.[28][1] Promotion included television appearances on the BBC, where McCartney performed tracks from the album, and the hour-long documentary Put It There, which aired on 10 June 1989 and provided behind-the-scenes footage of the songwriting and recording processes to build anticipation ahead of the album's release.[29] The campaign also featured music videos aired on MTV to target international audiences, contributing to the singles' visibility in both the UK and US markets.[30]Critical reception
Initial reviews
Upon its release in June 1989, Flowers in the Dirt was widely regarded by critics as a strong return to form for Paul McCartney, marking a rebound from the uneven reception of his mid-1980s solo efforts like Press to Play (1986) and Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984).[31] The album's blend of mature songwriting and revitalized energy, particularly through collaborations with Elvis Costello, drew praise for recapturing McCartney's melodic strengths and rock-oriented vigor.[32] Rolling Stone awarded the album three-and-a-half out of five stars in a June 1989 review, commending the Costello co-writes such as "My Brave Face" and "You Want Her Too" for injecting punk-inflected edge and dynamic rock propulsion into McCartney's typically polished style.[32] Similarly, Q magazine's July 1989 assessment by Mark Cooper hailed it as McCartney's finest work since Band on the Run (1973), crediting Costello's influence for "spiking" the material and restoring McCartney's creative spark.[33] The Los Angeles Times, in a June 1989 piece, echoed this sentiment, describing early reactions as robust and positioning the record as McCartney's most engaging since the mid-1970s.[34] Contemporary scores from major outlets averaged around 70 out of 100, reflecting broad approval tempered by minor reservations.[35] The New York Times lauded its stylistic variety and adult-themed reflections on love in tracks like "We Got Married" and "Distractions," comparing it favorably to Tug of War (1982), though it critiqued occasional self-indulgent scat-singing and the disjointed feel from employing nine producers.[31] Some reviewers noted overall unevenness, with weaker moments like the bonus track "Ou Est le Soleil?" diluting the album's cohesion.[31]Retrospective assessments
In the 2010s, retrospective reviews highlighted Flowers in the Dirt as an underrated achievement in Paul McCartney's solo catalog. AllMusic critic Richie Unterberger awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising the album's strong songcraft and describing it as "an underrated gem" that ranks among McCartney's finest work from the 1980s, particularly for its blend of melodic pop and collaborative vigor.[3] The 2017 reissue, part of McCartney's Archive Collection series, spurred renewed critical acclaim, especially for its expanded content including unreleased Elvis Costello demos. Pitchfork's Jayson Greene gave the deluxe edition a 7.3 out of 10, noting how the bonus material uncovers "the art lurking underneath the gloss" of the original production while emphasizing the enduring strength of the McCartney-Costello partnership, which challenged McCartney to avoid simplistic phrasing and delivered tracks with lasting melodic and lyrical bite.[36] Observer contributor Ron Hart echoed this sentiment, calling the reissue a "pleasure to rediscover" and crediting it with reclaiming McCartney's artistic credibility after mid-1980s missteps, thanks to the album's ambitious sound and raw collaborative energy.[37] Later assessments positioned Flowers in the Dirt as a pivotal return to form, bridging McCartney's pop-rock roots with experimental leanings evident in his subsequent work. Glide Magazine's Lee Zimmerman described it in 2017 as "an excellent example of why an album deserves a second look," comparable to McCartney's peak efforts for its thematic depth and production polish that anticipated his 1990s explorations.[38]Commercial performance
Chart positions
Upon its release in June 1989, ''Flowers in the Dirt'' entered the UK Albums Chart at number 2 on 17 June before reaching number 1 the following week, where it held the position for one week and spent a total of 20 weeks on the chart.[39][40][41] In the United States, the album debuted on the Billboard 200 in late June 1989, peaking at number 21 on 1 July and charting for 50 weeks, extending into 1990.[5] Globally, the album topped the charts in Norway and the pan-European albums chart, while reaching the top 10 in several other markets, including number 2 in Sweden, number 9 in Japan on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart, and number 18 in Australia on the ARIA Albums Chart.[41] Its performance benefited from synergy with McCartney's subsequent world tour in 1990, which sustained its presence on charts in Europe and elsewhere into the following year.[10]| Country | Peak Position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1 | Official Charts Company[39] |
| United States | 21 | Billboard[5] |
| Norway | 1 | IFPI Norway via TSort[41] |
| Sweden | 2 | Sverigetopplistan via TSort[41] |
| Japan | 9 | Oricon |
| Australia | 18 | ARIA |
Sales figures
Flowers in the Dirt has achieved various certifications across multiple countries, reflecting its commercial success in key markets. In the United States, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 units.[43] In the United Kingdom, it received a Platinum certification from the BPI for 300,000 units sold.[43] Additional Gold certifications include Canada (50,000 units by Music Canada), France (100,000 units by SNEP), Germany (250,000 units by BVMI), Japan (100,000 units by RIAJ), Sweden (50,000 units by GLF), and Switzerland (25,000 units by IFPI Switzerland).[43] Spain stands out with a 2× Platinum award from PROMUSICAE for 200,000 units.[43] Worldwide, the album has sold an estimated 4.2 million equivalent album units, incorporating physical sales, digital downloads, and streaming equivalents through the Commensurate Sales to Popularity Concept (CSPC) methodology.[44] This figure accounts for strong performance in European markets, which contributed to its longevity beyond initial release.[44] While exact first-week sales data is limited, the album's U.S. certification reached Gold status relatively early, indicating robust initial demand.[43] The 2017 Archive Collection reissue helped sustain interest, though specific additional unit sales from that edition are not publicly detailed in official reports.Track listing and personnel
Standard track listing
The standard edition of Flowers in the Dirt, released in 1989, features 13 tracks on CD and cassette formats, with a total runtime of 53:44; the vinyl LP edition omits the final track and has a runtime of approximately 48:54.[13] All songs are written by Paul McCartney, except for four co-written with Elvis Costello: "My Brave Face," "You Want Her Too," "Don't Be Careless Love," and "That Day Is Done."[1] The tracks are divided into sides for the vinyl release as follows, with the CD and cassette including the bonus track "Où est le Soleil?" at the end: Side A| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | My Brave Face | McCartney, Costello | 3:36 |
| 2 | Rough Ride | McCartney | 4:43 |
| 3 | You Want Her Too | McCartney, Costello | 3:13 |
| 4 | Distractions | McCartney | 4:38 |
| 5 | We Got Married | McCartney | 4:55 |
| 6 | Put It There | McCartney | 2:09 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Figure of Eight | McCartney | 3:23 |
| 8 | This One | McCartney | 4:10 |
| 9 | Don't Be Careless Love | McCartney, Costello | 3:17 |
| 10 | That Day Is Done | McCartney, Costello | 4:18 |
| 11 | How Many People | McCartney | 4:14 |
| 12 | Motor of Love | McCartney | 6:18 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Où est le Soleil? | McCartney | 4:50 |
Personnel credits
The personnel credits for Flowers in the Dirt encompass a core touring band augmented by notable guest musicians and a team of producers and engineers, totaling over 30 contributors across recording, mixing, and artwork.[46][10]Musicians
- Paul McCartney: lead and harmony vocals, bass guitar, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, keyboards (including harmonium, Mellotron, synthesizer, celeste), percussion (including tambourine, handclaps, finger snaps), sitar, glass harmonica, flugelhorn, violin; producer on select tracks.[46][10]
- Robbie McIntosh: acoustic and electric guitars.[46][10]
- Chris Whitten: drums, percussion (including hi-hat, cymbal, synth drums), handclaps.[46][10]
- Paul "Wix" Wickens: keyboards, synthesizer.[10]
- Hamish Stuart: acoustic and electric guitars (including rhythm guitar), harmony vocals, tambourine.[46][10]
- Linda McCartney: harmony and backing vocals, Mini Moog synthesizer, handclaps.[46][10]
- Elvis Costello: second vocals, harmony vocals, keyboards (on co-written tracks).[46][10]
- David Rhodes: E-Bow guitar.[46]
- David Gilmour: guitar.[46][10]
- Dave Mattacks: drums.[46]
- Mitchell Froom: keyboards.[46][10]
- Trevor Horn: keyboards, harmony vocals, handclaps.[46][10]
- Steve Lipson: bass, guitar, drum and computer programming.[46][10]
- David Foster: keyboards.[46]
- Guy Barker: trumpet.[46]
- Nicky Hopkins: piano.[46]
- Judd Lander: harmonica.[46]
- Greg Hawkes: keyboards.[46]
- Jah Bunny: percussion (tongue style).[46]
- Ian Peters: euphonium.[46]
- Ian Harper: tenor horn.[46]
Orchestration and Arrangement
- George Martin: orchestration.[46][10]
- Clare Fischer: orchestration.[46]
- Richard Niles: end orchestration.[46]
Production and Engineering
- Neil Dorfsman: producer (additional), engineer, mixing.[46][10]
- Steve Lipson: producer (additional), engineer.[46][10]
- Geoff Emerick: engineer.[46][10]
- Chris James: engineer (assistant on select tracks).[10]
- Jon Jacobs: engineer.[46]
- Jon Kelly: engineer.[46]
- Heff Moraes: assistant engineer.[46]
- Matt Butler: assistant engineer.[46]
- Lance Phillips: assistant engineer.[46]
- Eddie Klein: assistant engineer, project engineer.[46]
- Richard Moakes: assistant engineer.[46]
- Peter Henderson: computer programming.[46][10]
- Chris Hughes: computer and drum programming.[46]
- Ross Cullum: engineer (on select tracks).[46]
Additional Roles
- Brian Clarke: cover concept, painting.[46]
- Peter Saville Associates: design.[46]
- Bob Ludwig: mastering.[46]
- Neil King: mastering (assistant).[46]