Paul McCartney releases studio demo of My Brave Face

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By ( Classic Rock ) published

Watch studio footage of Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello performing demo of My Brave Face in 1987

Costello and McCartney in the studio
Costello and McCartney in the studio

Paul McCartney has released a video featuring a demo of the track My Brave Face which he recorded with Elvis Costello in 1987.

The song features on McCartney’s Flowers In The Dirt, which is being reissued on March 24. It originally came out in 1989 and was the former Beatle’s eighth studio album.

Reflecting on the recording sessions with Costello, McCartney says: “I was looking for someone to work with, trying to think of something imaginative to do and one day my manager said, ‘Do you fancy writing with Elvis Costello? It might be a great thing.’ I said, ‘Yeah.’

“Costello came down to my studio and we sat opposite each other with our guitars because I had said to him early on that this is how I’d written with John, with me being left handed and him being right handed – it was almost like looking in a mirror.

“We did virtually what John and I did which was just make up a song a day.”

McCartney was joined by dozens of artists on the album, including Trevor Horn and former Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, who played on the track We Got Married.

The remaster of Flowers In The Dirt is part of an ongoing set of releases in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection.

Along with a standard issue, it’ll also be released in a deluxe box set, featuring unreleased demos, videos, a notebook of McCartney’s handwritten lyrics, a collection of Linda McCartney photographs and a 112-page hardcover book.

A demo of Twenty Fine Fingers was released earlier this month.

The Flowers In The Dirt cover

The Flowers In The Dirt cover

Flowers In the Dirt Reissue Track Listing

Three CD/1 DVD

Disc 1

  1. My Brave Face (2017 Remaster)
  2. Rough Ride (2017 Remaster)
  3. You Want Her Too (2017 Remaster)
  4. Distractions (2017 Remaster)
  5. We Got Married (2017 Remaster)
  6. Put It There (2017 Remaster)
  7. Figure Of Eight (2017 Remaster)
  8. This One (2017 Remaster)
  9. Don’t Be Careless Love (2017 Remaster)
  10. That Day Is Done (2017 Remaster)
  11. How Many People (2017 Remaster)
  12. Motor Of Love (2017 Remaster)
  13. Où Est Le Soleil? (2017 Remaster)

Disc 2

  1. The Lovers That Never Were (Original Demo)
  2. Tommy’s Coming Home (Original Demo)
  3. Twenty Fine Fingers (Original Demo)
  4. So Like Candy (Original Demo)
  5. You Want Her Too (Original Demo)
  6. That Day Is Done (Original Demo)
  7. Don’t Be Careless Love (Original Demo)
  8. My Brave Face (Original Demo)
  9. Playboy To A Man (Original Demo)

Disc 3

  1. The Lovers That Never Were (1988 Demo)
  2. Tommy’s Coming Home (1988 Demo)
  3. Twenty Fine Fingers (1988 Demo)
  4. So Like Candy (1988 Demo)
  5. You Want Her Too (1988 Demo)
  6. That Day Is Done (1988 Demo)
  7. Don’t Be Careless Love (1988 Demo)
  8. My Brave Face (1988 Demo)
  9. Playboy To A Man (1988 Demo)

DVD

Music Videos

  1. My Brave Face
  2. My Brave Face (Version 2)
  3. This One (Version 1)
  4. This One (Version 2)
  5. Figure Of Eight
  6. Party Party
  7. Où Est Le Soleil?
  8. Put It There
  9. Distractions
  10. We Got Married

Creating Flowers in the Dirt

  1. Paul And Elvis
  2. Buds In The Studio
  3. The Making Of ‘This One’
    Put it There Documentary

Download Only

Original B-sides, remixes and single edits

  1. Back On My Feet
  2. Flying To My Home
  3. The First Stone
  4. Good Sign
  5. This One (Club Lovejoys Mix)
  6. Figure Of Eight (12” Bob Clearmountain Mix)
  7. Loveliest Thing
  8. Où Est Le Soleil? (12” Mix)
  9. Où Est Le Soleil? (Tub Dub Mix)
  10. Où Est Le Soleil? (7” Mix)
  11. Où Est Le Soleil? (Instrumental)
  12. Party Party (Original Mix)
  13. Party Party (Club Mix)

Cassette demos

  1. I Don’t Want To Confess
  2. Shallow Grave
  3. Mistress And Maid

Two CD

Disc 1

  1. My Brave Face (2017 Remaster)
  2. Rough Ride (2017 Remaster)
  3. You Want Her Too (2017 Remaster)
  4. Distractions (2017 Remaster)
  5. We Got Married (2017 Remaster)
  6. Put It There (2017 Remaster)
  7. Figure Of Eight (2017 Remaster)
  8. This One (2017 Remaster)
  9. Don’t Be Careless Love (2017 Remaster)
  10. That Day Is Done (2017 Remaster)
  11. How Many People (2017 Remaster)
  12. Motor Of Love (2017 Remaster)
  13. Où Est Le Soleil? (2017 Remaster)

Disc 2

  1. The Lovers That Never Were (Original Demo)
  2. Tommy’s Coming Home (Original Demo)
  3. Twenty Fine Fingers (Original Demo)
  4. So Like Candy (Original Demo)
  5. You Want Her Too (Original Demo)
  6. That Day Is Done (Original Demo)
  7. Don’t Be Careless Love (Original Demo)
  8. My Brave Face (Original Demo)
  9. Playboy To A Man (Original Demo)

Vinyl (Two LP)

Side 1

  1. My Brave Face (2017 Remaster)
  2. Rough Ride (2017 Remaster)
  3. You Want Her Too (2017 Remaster)
  4. Distractions (2017 Remaster)
  5. We Got Married (2017 Remaster)
  6. Put It There (2017 Remaster)
  7. Figure Of Eight (2017 Remaster)
  8. This One (2017 Remaster)
  9. Don’t Be Careless Love (2017 Remaster)
  10. That Day Is Done (2017 Remaster)
  11. How Many People (2017 Remaster)
  12. Motor Of Love (2017 Remaster)
  13. Où Est Le Soleil? (2017 Remaster) (*not on vinyl, this track will be available with the accompanying digital download).

Side 2

  1. The Lovers That Never Were (Original Demo)
  2. Tommy’s Coming Home (Original Demo)
  3. Twenty Fine Fingers (Original Demo)
  4. So Like Candy (Original Demo)
  5. You Want Her Too (Original Demo)
  6. That Day Is Done (Original Demo)
  7. Don’t Be Careless Love (Original Demo)
  8. My Brave Face (Original Demo)
  9. Playboy To A Man (Original Demo)
Scott Munro
Scott Munro
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Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.