Talk:Thank U Very Much (The Scaffold song)

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Aintree iron

The is on online discusiion about what the term Aintree iron means at https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-1840,00.html where lots of suggestions are given. There is a comment from someone who purports to be Mike McCartney which reads:

"As I actually wrote "Thank U very much for the Aintree Iron" for Scaffold, I trust that I'm the best judge as to the authenticity of your readers' answers. Stephen Bold says that he once heard me define the Aintree Iron as "iron hoof: poof", ie Brian Epstein, "a resident of Aintree". I suggest he buys a hearing aid! I have never commented on Brian's sexuality, and I could never have said that he was a resident of Aintree, as he didn't live there. As for Neil Burgess, who says the Iron was a railway "gravitational marshalling yard" . . . what a load of grid iron! Sorry, Neil, you're light aeons away. As it's now coming up to 30 years since I created this mischievous little monster, I'd like to thank U all very much for your continuing curiosity, and look forward to the next 30 years of miles-off guesswork.
Mike McCartney, (ex-McGear, ex-Scaffold), Liverpool"

Personally I think that the suggestion that it refers to the shape of Aintree racecourse, which is somewhat like that of a flat iron, is most likely - see https://www.attheraces.com/course-guides/Aintree. However in an interview for Record Collector magazine at https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/mike-mcgear he says " “Originally, the words were, ‘Thank you very much for the Saigon angel, Gertie the Girl with the Garston Gong’…” What does that mean, then? “I dunno!” he replies, cackling. “It’s total bullshit! Which I made up, like the Aintree Iron. Our kid said, ‘Don’t do that…" so maybe it doesn't mean anything

As to the story about Paul McCartney suggesting his brother change the song title as it was "too oblique" it doesn't really make sense as there is nothing oblique about "Thank U Very Much". However I did once hear an interview with Paul McCartney when he said that he told him that the Aintree iron reference should be taken out as it was too obscure (or he possibly said "oblique") He then went on to say something to the effect of "However, it then went on to become a big talking point of the song - so what do I know?" If anyone has access to the book given as the citation for that point it could do with checking to see what it actually says. . Richerman (talk) 12:49, 20 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]