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1986 single by Paul McCartney

"Pretty Little Head" is a song by Paul McCartney,[1] cowritten by McCartney, and 10cc guitarist Eric Stewart. The track is on his sixth solo studio album Press to Play (1986). The track was McCartney`s 38th single, and his first which failed to chart, so, in an attempt to boost sales, he released his first ever cassette single.[1] It still failed to reach the top 75.[1]

Release

The single was released at a length of 3:50 on the 7" release (remixed by Larry Alexander), and as a 6:56 remix (mixed by John Potoker) on the 12" release on the same day, 27 October 1986, and an extra track, "Angry", was added to the 12".[1] A cassingle was also issued with the same track listing as the 12", and was released on 17 November 1986.[1] Both of these lengths are different from the album version, which has a length of 5:14. (See Press to Play).

"Write Away", the single`s B-side, is included only on the CD release of the album, resulting in the back of the single listing the A-side as "From the album" and the B-side as "From the compact disc".[1]

Music video

A music video, directed by Steve Barron, was recorded for the song,[1] which features a girl running away from home after she witnesses her parents in an argument; she then finds herself in a big city. The girl is actress Gabrielle Anwar. Her father is played by Roger Lloyd-Pack, by then a familiar face in Britain for his role as Trigger in the sitcom Only Fools and Horses.[2] McCartney appears only in a short cameo role, which he filmed in London on 18 October 1986.[1] The beginning of the video contains an excerpt from "She`s Leaving Home," a Beatles song written and performed in 1967, for the Sgt. Pepper`s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

Critical reception

Reviews of the song, and the album as a whole, were mixed. Rolling Stone magazine described it as "dreamily abstract".[3]

Track listing

All songs written by Paul McCartney and Eric Stewart

7" single (R 6145)

1. "Pretty Little Head" – 3:50
   • Remix by Larry Alexander
2. "Write Away" – 3:01

12" single (12R 6145)

1. "Pretty Little Head" – 6:56
   • Remix by John `Tokes` Potoker
2. "Angry" (Remix) – 3:36
   • Remix by Larry Alexander
3. "Write Away" – 3:01