Friday 10 August 1979 | Paul McCartney, Release, Wings
Linda McCartney’s single ‘Seaside Woman’, credited to Suzy And The Red Stripes, was released in the United Kingdom on 10 August 1979 by A&M Records.
The song had been recorded by Wings on 20 and 21 March 1972 during the Red Rose Speedway sessions, and was produced by Paul McCartney. The 7″ single featured diagonal red stripes on the cover, and there was also a limited box set with 10 seaside postcards.
The B-side, ‘B-Side To Seaside’, was written by Paul McCartney and featured just him and Linda. It was initially recorded on 18 February 1977 at Abbey Road Studios, but was re-recorded from scratch on 16, 17 and 18 March 1979.
Linda McCartney on ‘Seaside Woman’
“I fool around with the songs I write, but I don’t take it as a serious career.”
“I did a song, ‘Seaside Woman’, right after we’d been to Jamaica, about three or four years ago, I guess. Very reggae-inspired. That’s when ATV was suing us saying I was incapable of writing, so Paul said, ‘Get out and write a song.’ And then about a week ago we went in to a b-side for it of something I’d written in Africa, and we just talk over it. It’s very sort of Fifties R&B, the Doves, the Penguins. I love that, that was my era. I’m New York, you know. Alan Freed and the whole bit.
We’re going to put the single out under the name Suzi and the Red Stripes. When we were in Jamaica, there had been a fantastic reggae version of ‘Suzi Q’, so they used to call me Suzi. And the beer in Jamaica is called Red Stripe, so that makes it Suzi and the Red Stripes. It’ll be out someday, but I’ve been saying ‘Seaside Woman’ will be released since 1971 and we still haven’t bothered. It’s a bit like my photography book. Someday there will be a book.”
Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney In His Own Words, Paul Gambaccini
Wings — officially licensed merch
Paul McCartney: Wings Band on the Run Unisex T-Shirt (Black).
Background
‘Seaside Woman’ had a long journey to release. Linda wrote it in the early 1970s, inspired by a trip to Jamaica, and Wings recorded it during the Red Rose Speedway sessions in March 1972. It was first released in the United States in May 1977 — also credited to Suzy And The Red Stripes — but the UK release did not follow until August 1979.
The name Suzy And The Red Stripes had a double origin: Linda had been nicknamed ‘Suzi’ in Jamaica after a reggae version of ‘Suzi Q’, and Red Stripe is the name of Jamaica’s most famous beer.
Linda’s reference to ATV suing relates to the long-running dispute between Paul McCartney and ATV Music, which had acquired the Northern Songs catalogue — including the Lennon–McCartney songwriting catalogue — in 1969. The suggestion that ATV claimed McCartney was “incapable of writing” reflects the acrimony of that period.
Alan Freed, mentioned by Linda, was the American disc jockey widely credited with popularising the term ‘rock and roll’ and championing Black R&B music to white audiences in the 1950s. Linda, who grew up in New York, was a fan of that era’s music.
Wings — officially licensed merch
Paul McCartney: Wings Over America ’76 Unisex T-Shirt (Charcoal Grey).
Key Facts
| UK release date | 10 August 1979 |
| Artist credit | Suzy And The Red Stripes |
| A-side | ‘Seaside Woman’ (written by Linda McCartney) |
| B-side | ‘B-Side To Seaside’ (written by Paul McCartney) |
| Label | A&M Records |
| Producer | Paul McCartney |
| Originally recorded | 20–21 March 1972 (Red Rose Speedway sessions) |
| US release | May 1977 |
| Special edition | Limited box set with 10 seaside postcards |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Suzy And The Red Stripes?
Suzy And The Red Stripes was a pseudonym for Linda McCartney. The name came from her Jamaican nickname 'Suzi' (after a reggae version of 'Suzi Q') and Red Stripe, Jamaica's famous beer.
When was 'Seaside Woman' recorded?
'Seaside Woman' was recorded by Wings on 20 and 21 March 1972 during the Red Rose Speedway sessions, produced by Paul McCartney.
What was the B-side of 'Seaside Woman'?
The B-side was 'B-Side To Seaside', written by Paul McCartney and featuring just Paul and Linda. It was re-recorded from scratch on 16, 17 and 18 March 1979.
Why did it take so long for 'Seaside Woman' to be released in the UK?
Linda McCartney acknowledged the long delay herself, joking that she had been saying it would be released since 1971. The US release came in May 1977; the UK release followed in August 1979.
What was special about the 'Seaside Woman' single packaging?
The 7" single featured diagonal red stripes on the cover. There was also a limited edition box set that included 10 seaside postcards.
→ US single release: Arrow Through Me by Wings – 10 August 1979
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