Album release: Tug Of War by Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney’s third solo album, Tug Of War, was released on 26 April 1982.

The album was McCartney’s first since the death of John Lennon, and contained the tribute song ‘Here Today’, as well as two collaborations with Stevie Wonder.

Tug Of War had originally been scheduled for release in October 1981, then February and March 1982, and it was eventually released in April.

‘Ebony And Ivory’ was issued as a single in March 1982, with ‘Rainclouds’ on the b-side. It topped the charts in a number of countries.

The delays helped increase anticipation for the album, along with the reunion of McCartney and George Martin, the success of ‘Ebony And Ivory’, and speculation of how McCartney would respond in song to the death of John Lennon.

Fortunately, it didn’t disappoint, and the album became McCartney’s last to top the US charts until 2018’s Egypt Station. In Japan it was the first number one and the biggest selling album by a European performer since 1977.

In the UK it entered the album charts at number one, where it remained for two weeks. It spent a total of 27 weeks in the charts.

A second single, ‘Take It Away’, followed in June 1982. Its b-side was ‘I’ll Give You A Ring’. The video featured Ringo Starr and George Martin, as well as actor John Hurt.