Cold Cuts (also known as part of Hot Hitz/Kold Kutz) is an unreleased album of outtakes by Paul McCartney & Wings. The first iteration of the album was planned to be released in 1975 and the project was revisited several times over the years, changing the tracklist and adding overdubs to the tracks, until it was abandoned permanently in the late 1980s. The songs considered for the album were recorded during McCartney's solo career and with Wings in the 1970s and 1980s.

History

Early concept

The album was originally conceived as a budget release in 1975, composed of non-album singles and previously unreleased tracks. During Wings' recording sessions in Nashville, Tennessee in July 1974 several new songs were recorded and some previously unused tracks were overdubbed for a potential compilation album, variously referred to as Cold Cuts or Hot Hitz and Kold Kutz. The album was slated for release in March 1975 but never materialized. There is no information about the track selection for the album during this period. Songs recorded or overdubbed during the Nashville sessions in July 1974 but eventually shelved include: "Send Me The Heart", "Hey Diddle" and "Wide Prairie".

Hot Hitz/Kold Kutz double LP

McCartney returned to the project in 1978 and presented it to EMI/Capitol in October 1978 as a hits and rarities compilation to be titled Hot Hitz/Kold Kutz. The label was not convinced and the compilation was repackaged as Wings Greatest and released in November 1978. The Kold Kutz disc would be leaked in 1988 as bootleg LP titled Cold Cuts (Another Early Version).

Cold Cuts single LP

McCartney returned to the project in late 1980, this time it was to be a standalone album retitled Cold Cuts. Additional overdubs were added to the tracks "A Love for You", "Waterspout", "My Carnival" and "Same Time Next Year" in January 1981. The new version of Cold Cuts removed the Linda McCartney and Denny Laine vocal tracks and instrumentals and added newly recorded tracks during London Town and Back to the Egg sessions instead in order to create a more commercial offering. The album was planned to be released in early 1981, however Columbia Records, McCartney's then new label, was not interested in releasing an album of outtakes and it was shelved. It was also believed that its release soon after the murder of John Lennon would seem inappropriate. This version of the album was also bootlegged. The project was rebooted again in late 1986 with arranger-producer Richard Nilesand. "My Carnival" was excluded as it was released the previous year as b-side and new tracks from Paul McCartney's solo recordings were considered for the tracklisting, including "Blue Sway" from the McCartney II sessions for which a large string section by Nilesand was added. "A Love for You" also received further overdubs. In 1987, this version of the album leaked onto the bootleg market as an LP titled Cold Cuts (Club Sandwich SP-11) The final sessions that attempted an official release of Cold Cuts was in August 1987. McCartney mixed and edited another version of the album with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Bill Price. Additional work was done to "Mama's Little Girl" and "Same Time Next Year". According to an interview with McCartney, this version was to feature album art by Saul Steinberg. Steinberg's art would later appear on the "Put It There" single cover.

Cancellation

In 1987 McCartney's new manager, Richard Odgen, recommended that, at this point in McCartney's career, releasing a best-of compilation would be a better idea, so Cold Cuts was scrapped in place of All the Best! that was released in November 1987. Previously unreleased track "Waterspout" was initially planned to be released on that album but was pulled at the last minute. After bootleg versions of "Cold Cuts" appeared on the market, McCartney abandoned the project permanently.

Possible tracks considered for the album

Below is a list of the possible tracks that were under consideration over the lifetime of the project. Most of these songs have appeared on various bootlegs connected to the album.

Track listings

To date, an official track listing has never been announced. However, various bootlegs of the different versions have appeared on the market. These bootleg versions show the Cold Cuts project in its various stages of mixing and different overdubs on the recordings over the years.

Hot Hitz/Kold Kutz – 1978 version

Side one: Side two: Side three: Side four:

Cold Cuts – 1981 version

Side one: Side two:

Cold Cuts – 1987 version

Side one: Side two: