UK album release: Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) by Paul McCartney – 20 May 1991
Monday 20 May 1991 | Paul McCartney, Release
Paul McCartney's second solo live album, Unplugged (The Official Bootleg), was released in the United Kingdom on 20 May 1991. It peaked at number seven on the UK album chart and was issued in the US on 4 June 1991, where it reached number 14 — McCartney's highest charting album in almost a decade. The vinyl version was limited to 250,000 copies worldwide, each individually numbered.
The MTV Unplugged Session
The album was recorded at a taping of MTV's Unplugged series on 25 January 1991 at Limehouse Studios in London. MTV's Unplugged format — which required artists to perform acoustically, without electric amplification — had launched in 1989 and would go on to produce landmark recordings by Nirvana, Eric Clapton, and Tony Bennett, among others. McCartney's session was one of the most celebrated of the early years of the format.
The performance was broadcast on MTV in the US and on ITV in the UK. McCartney performed a mix of Wings and Beatles songs alongside rock and roll and skiffle standards — including songs he had not performed publicly in decades. The informal, stripped-back setting suited the material well and was widely praised by critics.
The Setlist and Bonus Tracks
Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) contained three songs which were not featured in the television broadcast: 'San Francisco Bay Blues' (written by Jesse Fuller), 'Hi-Heel Sneakers' (written by Robert Higginbotham, aka Tommy Tucker), and 'Ain't No Sunshine' (written by Bill Withers). These additions gave the album a slightly different character from the broadcast and provided an incentive for fans who had already seen the television version.
The album also included McCartney performing early Beatles songs in an acoustic setting — among them 'I Lost My Little Girl', which McCartney has described as the first song he ever wrote, composed at the age of 14 shortly after his mother's death in 1956.
The Official Bootleg Concept
The title The Official Bootleg was a deliberate play on the bootleg culture that had surrounded McCartney — and The Beatles — for decades. Unofficial live recordings had circulated among fans since the 1960s; by calling the album an “official bootleg”, McCartney acknowledged this culture while reclaiming control of the material. The limited, individually numbered vinyl edition reinforced the collector's item aesthetic.
McCartney's Live Albums
Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) was McCartney's third post-Beatles live album, following Wings Over America (1976) — a triple album documenting the Wings Over The World Tour — and Tripping The Live Fantastic (1990), recorded on the 1989–90 World Tour. The US chart position of number 14 was his highest since Tug of War reached number one in 1982.
Key Facts: 20 May 1991
- Album: Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)
- UK release date: 20 May 1991
- US release date: 4 June 1991
- UK chart peak: Number 7
- US chart peak: Number 14
- Recorded: 25 January 1991, Limehouse Studios, London (MTV Unplugged)
- Bonus tracks (not in broadcast): 'San Francisco Bay Blues', 'Hi-Heel Sneakers', 'Ain't No Sunshine'
- Vinyl edition: Limited to 250,000 copies worldwide, individually numbered
- McCartney's previous live albums: Wings Over America (1976), Tripping The Live Fantastic (1990)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)?
A live album by Paul McCartney, recorded at an MTV Unplugged taping at Limehouse Studios, London on 25 January 1991. It was released in the UK on 20 May 1991 and in the US on 4 June 1991.
Why is it called The Official Bootleg?
The title is a deliberate play on the bootleg culture surrounding McCartney and The Beatles. By calling it an “official bootleg”, McCartney acknowledged the tradition of unofficial live recordings while reclaiming control of the material. The limited, individually numbered vinyl edition reinforced the collector's item aesthetic.
What songs were on Unplugged but not in the TV broadcast?
'San Francisco Bay Blues' (Jesse Fuller), 'Hi-Heel Sneakers' (Tommy Tucker), and 'Ain't No Sunshine' (Bill Withers) were included on the album but not broadcast on MTV or ITV.
How many copies of the vinyl edition were made?
250,000 copies worldwide, each individually numbered.
What was McCartney's highest charting album before Unplugged?
Tug of War reached number one in the UK and US in 1982. Unplugged's US chart position of number 14 was McCartney's highest in almost a decade.
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