Tripping the Live Fantastic

History

A document of the hugely successful The Paul McCartney World Tour, Tripping the Live Fantastic encompasses McCartney's entire musical career from his famed Beatles hits to his recent hit album, Flowers in the Dirt, while also including some unique covers. Interspersed throughout the package are occasional soundcheck recordings as well. The title is an allusion to the phrase "tripping the light fantastic", meaning to dance or move to musical accompaniment, originally from the poem L'Allegro by John Milton.

Despite reversing the famed Lennon–McCartney credits on Wings over America, McCartney left the credits for his Beatles songs contained on Tripping the Live Fantastic in their original form.

This album spawned a few singles which contained live B-sides from this tour. These B-sides were live songs that were not featured on the live album, which made the singles collectors items.

Tripping the Live Fantastic: Highlights!

Tripping the Live Fantastic: Highlights! is an abridged version of the double CD/triple LP Tripping the Live Fantastic. Released in 1990, it documents the highly successful Paul McCartney World Tour of 1989–1990.

Cutting out all of the soundcheck recordings and leaving merely the concert highlights (hence the album's title), this set is notable for the exclusive inclusion of "All My Trials", not found on the more complete Tripping the Live Fantastic double CD set or on the US commercial release version, where it was replaced by "Put It There", but it was issued on the Columbia House mail-order Highlights release.

Not charting at all in the UK, Tripping the Live Fantastic: Highlights! reached number 141 in the US on the Billboard 200 and, proving to be a sustained seller, went platinum, whereas the original set, which reached number 26, failed to even go gold.

Get Back

A VHS concert film was also released, entitled Get Back. The film was directed by Richard Lester.

Paul McCartney: Coming Home

The Disney Channel filmed Paul McCartney: Coming Home during this period. The show highlights McCartney's return to Liverpool where he introduced a tribute to John Lennon, featured on the B-side of the "All My Trials" single, comprising "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Help!" and "Give Peace a Chance".

Paul McCartney: Put It There

Another VHS film was released, titled Paul McCartney: Put It There. The film featured McCartney and his band rehearsing for the tour.

Track listing

All songs by Paul McCartney, except where noted.

1. "Showtime" – 0:38
2. "Figure of Eight" – 5:32
3. "Jet" – 4:02
4. "Rough Ride" – 4:48
5. "Got to Get You into My Life" (Lennon–McCartney) – 3:21
6. "Band on the Run" – 5:09
7. "Birthday" (Lennon–McCartney) – 2:43
8. "Ebony and Ivory" – 4:00
9. "We Got Married" – 6:38
10. "Inner City Madness" (McCartney/Linda McCartney/Hamish Stuart/Robbie McIntosh/Paul Wickens/Chris Whitten) – 1:22
11. "Maybe I'm Amazed" – 4:41
12. "The Long and Winding Road" (Lennon–McCartney) – 4:18
13. "Crackin' Up" (Ellas McDaniel) – 0:49
14. "The Fool on the Hill" (Lennon–McCartney) – 5:01
15. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (Lennon–McCartney) – 6:23
16. "Can't Buy Me Love" (Lennon–McCartney) – 2:14
17. "Matchbox" (Carl Perkins) – 3:09
18. "Put It There" – 2:43
19. "Together" (McCartney/McCartney/Stuart/McIntosh/Wickens/Whitten) – 2:17

1. "Things We Said Today" (Lennon–McCartney) – 5:01
2. "Eleanor Rigby" (Lennon–McCartney) – 2:36
3. "This One" – 4:28
4. "My Brave Face" (McCartney/Declan MacManus) – 3:09
5. "Back in the U.S.S.R." (Lennon–McCartney) – 3:15
6. "I Saw Her Standing There" (Lennon–McCartney) – 3:25
7. "Twenty Flight Rock" (Eddie Cochran/Ned Fairchild) – 3:09
8. "Coming Up" – 5:18
9. "Sally" (Will E. Haines/Harry Leon/Leo Towers) – 2:03
10. "Let It Be" (Lennon–McCartney) – 3:53
11. "Ain't That a Shame" (Fats Domino/Dave Bartholomew) – 2:40
12. "Live and Let Die" – 3:11
13. "If I Were Not upon the Stage" (Thomas Sutton/Bill Turner/Stan Bowsher) – 0:36
14. "Hey Jude" (Lennon–McCartney) – 8:03
15. "Yesterday" (Lennon–McCartney) – 2:06
16. "Get Back" (Lennon–McCartney) – 4:11
17. "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End" (Lennon–McCartney) – 6:41
18. "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" (Joe Greene) – 4:31

Tripping the Live Fantastic: Highlights!

1. "Got to Get You into My Life" – 3:15
2. "Birthday" – 2:43
3. "We Got Married" (McCartney) – 7:09
4. "The Long and Winding Road" – 3:48
5. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" – 6:21
6. "Can't Buy Me Love" – 2:14
7. "All My Trials" (Traditional) – 3:14 (UK only)
   "Put It There" (McCartney) – 2:44 (US only)
8. "Things We Said Today" – 5:01
9. "Eleanor Rigby" – 2:36
10. "My Brave Face" (McCartney, Declan MacManus) – 3:09
11. "Back in the U.S.S.R." – 3:15
12. "I Saw Her Standing There" – 3:25
13. "Coming Up" (McCartney) – 5:18
14. "Let It Be" – 3:53
15. "Hey Jude" – 8:03
16. "Get Back" – 4:11
17. "Golden Slumbers"/"Carry That Weight"/"The End" – 6:41

Personnel