Wings (band)
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Wings were a British-American rock band formed in 1971 by former
Beatle The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development ...
bassist
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
, his wife
Linda McCartney Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney ( Eastman; September 24, 1941 – April 17, 1998) was an American photographer, musician, animal rights activist, vegetarian cookbook author and advocate, and entrepreneur. She was the keyboardist in th ...
on keyboards, session drummer
Denny Seiwell Denny Seiwell (born July 10, 1943) is an American drummer and a founding member of Wings. He also drummed for Billy Joel and Liza Minnelli and played in the scores for the films ''Waterworld'', '' Grease II'', and ''Vertical Limit''. His drum ...
, and former
Moody Blues Moody may refer to: Places * Moody, Alabama, U.S. * Moody, Indiana, U.S. * Moody, Missouri, U.S. * Moody, Texas, U.S. * Moody County, South Dakota, U.S. * Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada * Hundred of Moody, a cadastral division in Sout ...
guitarist
Denny Laine Denny Laine (born Brian Frederick Hines, 29 October 1944) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, known as a founder of two major rock bands: the Moody Blues, with whom he played from 1964 to 1966, and Wings, with whom he played from 1 ...
. Wings were noted for their commercial successes, musical eclecticism and frequent personnel changes; going through three lead guitarists and four drummers. However, the core trio of the McCartneys and Laine remained intact throughout the group's existence. Created following the McCartneys' 1971 album '' Ram'', the band's first two albums, '' Wild Life'' (1971) and '' Red Rose Speedway'' (1973) (the latter featuring guitarist Henry McCullough), were viewed as artistic disappointments beside Paul's work with the Beatles. After the release of the title track of the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
film '' Live and Let Die'', McCullough and Seiwell resigned from the band. The McCartneys and Laine then released 1973's ''
Band on the Run ''Band on the Run'' is the third studio album by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released in December 1973. It was McCartney's fifth album after leaving the Beatles in April 1970. Although sales were modest initially ...
'', a commercial and critical success that spawned two top-ten singles in " Jet" and the title track. Following that album, the band recruited guitarist
Jimmy McCulloch James McCulloch (4 June 1953 – 27 September 1979) was a Scottish musician best known for playing lead guitar and bass, as a member of Paul McCartney's band Wings from 1974 to 1977. McCulloch was a member of the Glasgow psychedelic band One in ...
and drummer Geoff Britton, only for Britton to quit shortly afterwards and be replaced by Joe English. With the new line-up, Wings released 1975's '' Venus and Mars'', which included the US number one single " Listen to What the Man Said", and undertook a highly successful world tour over 1975–76. Intended as more of a group effort, '' Wings at the Speed of Sound'' (1976) was issued midway through the tour and featured the hit singles " Silly Love Songs" and " Let 'Em In". In 1977, the band earned their only UK number one single, with "
Mull of Kintyre The Mull of Kintyre is the southwesternmost tip of the Kintyre Peninsula (formerly ''Cantyre'') in southwest Scotland. From here, the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland is visible on a calm and clear day, and a historic lighthouse, the second ...
", which became one of the best-selling singles in history. Wings experienced another line-up shuffle, however, with both McCulloch and English departing before the release of the group's 1978 album '' London Town''. The McCartneys and Laine again added new members, recruiting guitarist Laurence Juber and drummer Steve Holley. The resulting album, ''
Back to the Egg ''Back to the Egg'' is the seventh and final studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in June 1979 on Columbia Records in America (their first for the label), and on Parlophone in the UK. Co-produced by Chris Thomas, t ...
'', was a relative flop, with its singles under-performing and the critical reception negative. During the supporting tour, Paul was arrested in Japan for cannabis possession, putting the band on hold. Despite a final US number one with a live-recorded version of " Coming Up" (1980), after Laine departed from the band, Wings discontinued in 1981.


History


Origins

After the Beatles' break-up in 1970, McCartney recorded two albums: ''
McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. On ...
'' (1970), credited to himself, and '' Ram'' (1971), with his wife, Linda McCartney. He had insisted from the beginning of their marriage that Linda should be involved in his musical projects, notwithstanding her lack of previous experience as a musician, so that they did not have to be apart when he was on tour. ''Ram'' was recorded in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, where McCartney auditioned a number of drummers and guitarists, selecting Seiwell and guitarist David Spinozza. When Spinozza became unavailable due to other session commitments, Hugh McCracken was enlisted to take his place.


1971–1973: First line-up

After the release of ''Ram'', McCartney decided to form a new group and asked Seiwell and McCracken to join. Seiwell accepted, but McCracken declined, so McCartney invited
Denny Laine Denny Laine (born Brian Frederick Hines, 29 October 1944) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, known as a founder of two major rock bands: the Moody Blues, with whom he played from 1964 to 1966, and Wings, with whom he played from 1 ...
, whom he had known since the early 1960s, to join. Laine, who was working on a solo album at the time, got a phone call from McCartney enquiring if he would like to work with him, as McCartney said: "I'd known him in the past and I just rang him and asked him, 'What are you doing?' He said, 'Nothing', so I said, 'Right. Come on then!'" Laine then dropped plans for his album there and then. As he had in the Beatles, McCartney would serve as the chief bassist and lead singer for Wings and he doubled on guitar, keyboards, drums and assorted instruments at various times. When asked why he stayed on bass guitar rather than change back to guitar after the Beatles disbanded, he has explained that by then, he was "a bass player pretty much, who also happened to play guitar" and also considers himself a bassist who happens to play piano. In August 1971, Seiwell and Laine joined Paul and Linda McCartney to record Paul's third post-Beatles album for Apple Records. The result was '' Wild Life'', released 7 December. It was the first project to credit Wings as the artist. The band name is said to have come to McCartney as he was praying in the hospital while Linda was giving birth to their second child together, Stella, on 13 September 1971. Paul McCartney recalled in the film ''
Wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan o ...
'' that the birth of Stella was "a bit of a drama"; there were complications at the birth and that both Linda and the baby almost died. He was praying fervently and the image of wings came to his mind. He decided to name his new band "Wings." In an attempt to capture the spontaneity of live performances, five of ''Wild Lifes eight songs were first takes by the band.Wright, Jeb
Denny Seiwell of Wings
. Interview, ''Classic Rock Revisited'' website. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
The album included a cover of Mickey & Sylvia's " Love Is Strange". Like ''Ram'', ''Wild Life'' left music critics cold, a response that typified the anti-McCartney sentiments that prevailed among the music press following the Beatles' break-up. In their 1975 book '' The Beatles: An Illustrated Record'', Roy Carr and
Tony Tyler James Edward Anthony Tyler (31 October 1943 in Bristol – 28 October 2006 in Hastings, East Sussex) was a British writer who authored several books and wrote for the ''NME'','' Macworld'', ''MacUser'', ''PC Pro'' and '' Computer Shopper''. He j ...
called ''Wild Life'' "rushed, defensive, badly timed, and over-publicized", and wrote that it showed McCartney's songwriting "at an absolute nadir just when he needed a little respect".Carr, Roy, and Tyler, Tony. '' The Beatles: An Illustrated Record.'' New York: Harmony Books, a subsidiary of Crown Publishing Group, 1975. . Wings similarly struggled to gain artistic credibility, particularly during the early 1970s, with critics, fans and McCartney's musical peers alike ridiculing the inclusion of Linda as a keyboard player and backing vocalist. On 24 January 1972, McCartney added to the Wings line-up guitarist Henry McCullough, after he had tried out for the band. The new line-up immediately mounted an impromptu tour of UK universities (with the group driving around in a van), followed by a tour of small European venues. Although this was the first tour including an ex-Beatle after the Beatles broke up, Wings played no Beatles numbers during the tour, to show that it was a new band in its own right.However, McCartney played a solo version of "Let It Be", on piano, at Nottingham
Paul McCartney biography
(2003). MPL Communications. Retrieved: 11 December 2006.
In February 1972, Wings released a single called " Give Ireland Back to the Irish", a response to the events of
Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday may refer to: Historical events Canada * Bloody Sunday (1923), a day of police violence during a steelworkers' strike for union recognition in Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia * Bloody Sunday (1938), police violence aga ...
. The song was banned by the BBC for its anti- Unionist political stance.The seven ages of Paul McCartney
, ''
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...
'', 17 June 2006. Retrieved on 6 November 2006.
Despite limited airplay, it reached number 16 in the UK, as well as number 1 in both the Republic of Ireland and Spain. Wings released a children's song, "
Mary Had a Little Lamb "Mary Had a Little Lamb" is an English language nursery rhyme of nineteenth-century American origin, first published by American writer Sarah Josepha Hale in 1830. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 7622. Background The nursery rhyme was ...
", as its next single, which reached the top 10 in the UK. Although some critics interpreted it as a sarcastic reaction to the ban on "Give Ireland Back to the Irish", it was in fact a serious effort by McCartney to record a song for children.Garbarini, Vic (1980). ''The McCartney Interview'' nterview LP Columbia Records. Wings followed it with December 1972's " Hi, Hi, Hi", which was again banned by the BBC, this time for its alleged drug and sexual references. The B-side, " C Moon", was played instead. The single peaked at number 5 in the UK. The band were renamed "Paul McCartney and Wings" for the 1973 album '' Red Rose Speedway'' (and for the follow-up ''
Band on the Run ''Band on the Run'' is the third studio album by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released in December 1973. It was McCartney's fifth album after leaving the Beatles in April 1970. Although sales were modest initially ...
''), which yielded their first US number 1 hit, " My Love". The album included two tracks left over from the ''Ram'' sessions and was originally intended as a two-record set. After producer
Glyn Johns Glyn Thomas Johns (born 15 February 1942) is an English musician, recording engineer and record producer. Biography Early history Johns was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. He had three siblings, two older sisters and a younger brother, Andy ...
had walked out on the project, however, McCartney conceded to EMI's opinion that the material was "substandard" and cut it down to a single disc. Among the unreleased songs from the seven-month sessions was the Linda composition "Seaside Woman", which was finally issued in 1977, credited to "Suzy and the Red Stripes". Near the end of the ''Red Rose Speedway'' sessions, in October 1972, Wings recorded the
theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
to the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
film '' Live and Let Die'', which reunited McCartney with
Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...
producer/arranger
George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the " Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the ...
. Issued as a non-album single in mid-1973, "Live and Let Die" became a worldwide hit and has remained a highlight of McCartney's post-Wings concert performances (often accompanied by
pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition ...
). That same year, McCartney and Wings filmed a TV special, the critically maligned '' James Paul McCartney'', which featured footage of the group performing in outdoor settings and in front of a studio audience. After a successful British tour in May–June 1973, Wings went into rehearsals for their next album. McCullough and Seiwell abruptly left the band in August, however, at the end of rehearsals. Both musicians were disenchanted with the group's musical direction and Linda's inclusion; McCullough also objected to McCartney's domineering attitude towards him as a guitar player, while Seiwell had long felt aggrieved at the lack of a formalised financial arrangement and his status as a lowly paid sideman. With the band reduced to a trio, the McCartneys and Laine cut what turned out to be Wings' most successful album, ''
Band on the Run ''Band on the Run'' is the third studio album by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released in December 1973. It was McCartney's fifth album after leaving the Beatles in April 1970. Although sales were modest initially ...
'', at EMI's primitive eight-track recording studio in
Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...
, Nigeria. The album went to number 1 in both the US and UK and spawned three hit singles: the rockers " Jet" and " Helen Wheels" (originally included only on the US version of the album) and the title track—a suite of movements recalling side two of '' Abbey Road''. It also included " Let Me Roll It", which was seen as an affectionate impersonation of
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
's vocal style, and " No Words", the first Wings song on which Laine received a co-writing credit beside the McCartneys. ''
Band on the Run ''Band on the Run'' is the third studio album by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released in December 1973. It was McCartney's fifth album after leaving the Beatles in April 1970. Although sales were modest initially ...
'' enjoyed a highly favourable response from music critics and restored McCartney's tarnished post-Beatles image.


1974–1978: Second line-up

After ''Band on the Run'',
Jimmy McCulloch James McCulloch (4 June 1953 – 27 September 1979) was a Scottish musician best known for playing lead guitar and bass, as a member of Paul McCartney's band Wings from 1974 to 1977. McCulloch was a member of the Glasgow psychedelic band One in ...
, former lead guitarist in Thunderclap Newman and Stone the Crows, joined the band. The first Wings project with McCulloch was '' McGear'', a 1974 collaboration between Paul and his younger brother Mike McGear, with session musician
Gerry Conway Gerard Francis ConwayThomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, te ...
playing drums. Warner Bros. Records chose not to play up the "Wings" angle in its marketing for ''McGear'', and the album sold poorly. However, the sessions also generated a single credited to McGear's group the Scaffold, "Liverpool Lou", which became a top-10 hit in the UK. Shortly thereafter, Geoff Britton joined Wings on drums, and the first recording session with this full line-up was held in
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
, where the band stayed at the farm of songwriter Curly Putman Jr.Bailey, Jerry
"Paul and Linda Try the Gentle Life"
, ''The Tennessean'', 18 July 1974. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
The trip was immortalised in the 1974 non-album single " Junior's Farm", backed with a straight country track entitled "
Sally G "Sally G" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Paul McCartney and Wings. It was released as the B-side to the single "Junior's Farm" in October 1974. Writing, recording and release McCartney composed the song during Wings ...
", the group's last release on Apple Records. In a rare occurrence for this era, both sides of the single separately reached the Billboard Top 20 in the US. Wings began recording sessions for its next album in London in November 1974, then moved to New Orleans to complete '' Venus and Mars'' (1975), the first release from the group on
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...
. The album topped the charts and contained the US number 1 single " Listen to What the Man Said", which also featured Dave Mason, formerly of
Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...
, on guitar and Tom Scott on saxophone. When the ''Venus and Mars'' recording sessions moved to New Orleans, Britton quit Wings and was replaced by Joe English who won the job at a secret audition before McCartney. In late 1975 Wings embarked on the Wings Over the World tour, following a postponement to allow McCulloch to recuperate from a hand fracture. Starting in Bristol, the tour took them to Australia (November), Europe (March 1976), the US (May/June), and Europe again (September), before ending in a four-night grand finale at London's Wembley Empire Pool. For this tour, added to Wings' stage act was a horn section consisting of Tony Dorsey,
Howie Casey Howard William Casey (born 12 July 1937) is a British rhythm and blues and rock saxophonist. He came to prominence in the early 1960s as a member of Derry and the Seniors, the first rock and roll band from Liverpool to play clubs in Germany, a ...
, Thaddeus Richard and Steve Howard, on saxes, brass and percussion. In between sections of the tour, Wings recorded '' Wings at the Speed of Sound'', which was released at the end of March 1976, just prior to the US leg of the world tour. It represented a departure from the previous Wings template in that each of the five members of the band (including English) sang lead on at least one song. However, the two singles, " Silly Love Songs" and " Let 'Em In" (the former a US number one), were both sung by Paul. Four of the album tracks were played in the 1976 portion of the tour, which also included five Beatles songs. One of the
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
concerts from the American leg of the 1975–76 world tour was filmed and later released as the concert feature ''
Rockshow ''Rockshow'' is a 1980 concert film released by Paul McCartney and Wings, filmed during the band's 1976 North American tour. The film features 30 songs from segments of four concerts of the tour: New York, on 25 May (four songs); Seattle, Washin ...
'' (1980). The tour's American leg, which also included
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
in New York City and
Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (la ...
in Massachusetts, spawned a triple live album, '' Wings over America'' (1976), which became the fifth consecutive Wings album to reach number 1 in the US. From this album came a single release of the live version of " Maybe I'm Amazed" originally from the ''
McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. On ...
'' album. The single's flipside was " Soily", a previously unreleased rocker that was often used as a closer for the concerts. After the tour, and following the release of "Maybe I'm Amazed" in early 1977, Wings took a break. Later in the year, the band started recording their next album in the
Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Cro ...
, but the sessions were interrupted by Linda's pregnancy and then by the departures of both McCulloch and English. McCulloch, who joined
Small Faces Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The ...
, died of morphine and alcohol poisoning in 1979. English joined
Chuck Leavell Charles Alfred Leavell (born April 28, 1952) is an American musician. A member of the Allman Brothers Band throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the band Sea Level. He has served as the pri ...
's band
Sea Level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardis ...
and later founded the Christian-oriented Joe English Band. Undeterred by their departure, Wings released the already-completed McCartney–Laine ballad "
Mull of Kintyre The Mull of Kintyre is the southwesternmost tip of the Kintyre Peninsula (formerly ''Cantyre'') in southwest Scotland. From here, the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland is visible on a calm and clear day, and a historic lighthouse, the second ...
", an ode to the Scottish coastal region where McCartney had made his home in the early 1970s. Its broad appeal was maximised by a pre-Christmas release. It became an international hit, dominating the charts in Britain (where it was Wings' only number 1 single), Australia and many other countries over the Christmas/New Year period. Ultimately, it became the first single to exceed sales of 2 million in the UK, eclipsing the previous all-time best-seller (the Beatles' "She Loves You"), and remains one of the biggest-selling UK singles of all time. However, it was not a success in the US, where the B-side "Girls School" received most of the airplay but barely reached the top 40. The core trio of Wings then released the album '' London Town'' in 1978. Though only the remaining trio are pictured on the sleeve, much of the album included McCulloch and English, having been recorded before their departures. Laine, however, remained and was co-credited on five of the tracks, including the title song. It was a commercial success, although it became the first Wings album since ''Wild Life'' not to reach number 1 in the US (peaking at number 2). ''London Town'' featured a markedly softer-rock, synth-based sound than previous Wings albums. " With a Little Luck" reached number 1 in the US and number 5 in the UK, but " I've Had Enough" and " London Town" were commercial disappointments in both countries.


1978–1981: Third line-up

Later in 1978, lead guitarist Laurence Juber and drummer Steve Holley joined the band, restoring Wings to touring strength. In 1979, McCartney signed a new record contract, leaving Capitol, the company he had been with in the US and Canada since he was a Beatle, and joining
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
, while remaining with Parlophone in the rest of the world. Influenced by the punk and new wave scenes, Wings abandoned its mellow touch and hired Chris Thomas to help in the production process. The result was a somewhat less polished sound. This new version of Wings released the disco-oriented single " Goodnight Tonight", backed by " Daytime Nighttime Suffering", which reached the top 5 in both the US and UK. However, the subsequent album ''
Back to the Egg ''Back to the Egg'' is the seventh and final studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in June 1979 on Columbia Records in America (their first for the label), and on Parlophone in the UK. Co-produced by Chris Thomas, t ...
'' was not favourably received by critics and although it went platinum in the US, sales were disappointing in comparison to its immediate predecessors. It contained the
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
-winning song "
Rockestra Theme "Rockestra Theme" is the fourth and final single on Wings' final studio album ''Back to the Egg''. Recording "Rockestra Theme" was recorded on 3 October 1978 at Abbey Road Studios by an all-star collection of musicians dubbed "Rockestra", although ...
", the result of an October 1978 superstar session with members of Wings,
the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
,
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...
, and
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
, among others. Three singles, " Old Siam, Sir" (UK only), " Getting Closer", and "
Arrow Through Me "Arrow Through Me" is a song by the British–American rock band Wings, released on their 1979 album '' Back to the Egg''. Background "Arrow Through Me", unlike most songs on ''Back to the Egg'', is more pop-oriented than rock-oriented. ''Ult ...
" (US only), were culled from the album, but performed poorly on the charts. During much of 1979, Wings were inactive as McCartney worked on a new solo album ('' McCartney II'') without the band. In November and December 1979, Wings toured the UK, once again adding the horns and brass section consisting of Tony Dorsey, Howie Casey, Thaddeus Richard, and Steve Howard. This tour climaxed with a massive " Rockestra" all-star collection of musicians in London in aid of
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to c ...
and Kampuchean refugees. Also during this tour, a live version of the ''McCartney II'' track " Coming Up" was recorded in Glasgow and became Wings' sixth US number one hit the following year. Paul McCartney and his family arrived in Japan on 16 January 1980 for the planned eleven-date Wings' concert tour of Japan (due to visit Budokan Hall, Tokyo from 21 to 24 January 1980; Aichi-Ken, Taiiku-Kan, Nagoya on 25–26; Festival Hall, Osaka on 28; Osaka Furitsu-Kan, Osaka on 29; Budokan Hall, Tokyo from 31 January to 2 February 1980). McCartney was arrested immediately upon arriving at New Tokyo Airport for possession of of marijuana (with an estimated street value of 600,000 yen) hidden in Paul's luggage.Wasserman, Harry
"Paul's Pot-Bust Shocker Makes Him A Jailhouse Rocker"
. ''
High Times ''High Times'' is an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by Tom Forcade.Danko, Danny"Norml Founder Retires – Exhal ...
'', July 1980. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
The arrest put the tour in jeopardy and Wings' music was immediately banned from all television and radio stations across Japan. Wings' Japanese promoters claimed that almost 100,000 tickets for the concerts had been sold, representing a possible loss of well over 100 million yen. The promoters had no option but to cancel all of the tour dates the day after McCartney's arrest. The other band members of Wings, except Linda, left Japan and returned to England on 21 January 1980. McCartney spent ten days in jail before being (unexpectedly) released without charge on 25 January 1980 and deported. After returning to England, McCartney decided to release his solo album '' McCartney II'' and plans for a US tour were subsequently dropped. Meanwhile, Denny Laine released the single "Japanese Tears" and formed the short-lived Denny Laine Band with Steve Holley and released a solo album '' Japanese Tears'' that December. By 1980, McCartney was growing weary of maintaining Wings and his personal and professional aspirations began to diverge from the group. The McCartneys now had three school-age children and had moved out of London to the countryside of East Sussex, desiring that their children have a normal upbringing. Musically, McCartney was dissatisfied by the band's performances during the 1979 UK tour, and when rehearsals for the next album began in October, it was apparent his latest songs were not a good fit for the band. Consequently, he and George Martin, who would be producing the album, decided not to use Wings for recording. Instead, top session musicians and guest artists were brought in to make the best possible album. In November 1980, Holley and Juber were told they would not be needed for the new album and other than sessions in January 1981 to finish work on the '' Cold Cuts'' album of previously unreleased tracks, no further activities were scheduled for Wings. Juber has said he could see the "writing on the wall" regarding Wings' future at that point and moved to New York to continue his career there. Laine stayed on for the '' Tug of War'' sessions in
Montserrat Montserrat ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, with roughly of coastline. It is n ...
in February 1981 but his relationship with McCartney had become strained over business and personal matters. Laine had begun to feel that he was not being adequately compensated for his role in Wings, and was particularly bitter that he was employed as a contract writer on "Mull of Kintyre", a song he co-wrote with McCartney. He had been paid a flat fee for his contributions so when the song became a hit, he did not share in the royalties. Laine was also upset with McCartney over his drug arrest in Japan which meant a loss of extra income from the tour as well as putting future tour plans in doubt. Laine's marriage was also troubled, and his wife and the McCartneys did not get along well, adding to his upset with Wings. In April 1981, Laine announced he was leaving Wings, citing the lack of tour plans as the reason. While Laine's departure effectively ended the band, a spokesman for McCartney said that Wings still continued as an active concept. McCartney finally acknowledged the band no longer existed while promoting the release of ''Tug of War'' in 1982.


The Country Hams

The Country Hams was a pseudonym used by the group for the release of the single " Walking in the Park with Eloise" in 1974, a song written years before by Paul's father James. Wings (with guest musicians Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer) recorded it during the sessions for Junior's Farm.


Suzy and the Red Stripes

Suzy and the Red Stripes was a pseudonym used by the group for the release of the Linda McCartney and Wings single " Seaside Woman" in 1977. It was written and sung by Linda McCartney. It was the only release by Wings under that name. Linda said that the "Suzy and the Red Stripes" pseudonym came about because she had been called "Suzi" in Jamaica because of "a fantastic reggae version of 'Suzi Q'", and Red Stripe is Jamaica's leading brand of beer.Gambaccini, Pau
"The RS Interview: Paul McCartney"
. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', 31 January 1974. Retrieved 14 May 2007.


Partial reunions

In March 1997, Denny Laine, Laurence Juber and Steve Holley did an impromptu "Wings" reunion at a Beatlefest convention in
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
. This was not a planned event, and no further reunions were intended. However, ten years later, in July 2007, Laine, Juber and Denny Seiwell reunited for one show at a Beatlefest convention in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...
. Among other songs, they performed "Band on the Run", "Mull of Kintyre" and "Go Now". Laine and Seiwell appeared again at the Fest for Beatles Fans in
Secaucus, New Jersey Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
in August 2010. Laine, Juber and Seiwell performed together at the Fest for Beatles Fans in Los Angeles, California, in October 2014; the setlist included "Hi, Hi, Hi", "Live and Let Die" and "Rockestra Theme". In August 2017, the trio performed at the festival once again, this time joined by drummer Steve Holley. Laine, Juber, Seiwell and Holley performed together in January 2018 at Grand Oak Live, a music venue in Upland, California, headlining an event called Imagine Something Yesterday. Laine, Juber and Holley performed again in March 2019 at the Fest for Beatles Fans in Jersey City, New Jersey performing songs from the band's final album ''
Back to the Egg ''Back to the Egg'' is the seventh and final studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in June 1979 on Columbia Records in America (their first for the label), and on Parlophone in the UK. Co-produced by Chris Thomas, t ...
''.


Legacy

Wings had twelve top-10 singles (including one number one) in the UK and fourteen top 10 singles (including six number ones) in the US. All 23 singles released by Wings reached the US
top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...
, and one two-sided hit, "Junior's Farm"/"Sally G", reached the top 40 with each side. Of the nine albums released by Wings, all went top 10 in either the UK or the US, with five consecutive albums topping the US charts. Paul McCartney was unquestionably Wings' leader and dominant creative force, but Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, and Linda McCartney all contributed a little in songwriting, and Laine, McCulloch, Joe English, and Linda McCartney all performed a few lead vocals. The success of Wings was a vindication for McCartney. His first few post-Beatles albums were highly criticized and often dismissed by critics as "lightweight" next to the more serious nature of his former bandmates' solo output. But by the mid-1970s, the solo careers of the other three former Beatles were in varying degrees of decline, with John Lennon putting his career on hold in 1975 for the first five years of his son
Sean Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán ( anglicized as '' Shaun/Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan ( Ulster variant; a ...
's life. A year later,
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
had all but retired from live performances, with his new releases failing to match the success of his initial solo output.
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
was living in Los Angeles and was writing and recording, but as a solo artist had not been performing onstage other than rare guest appearances. Meanwhile, Wings continued to tour regularly and enjoy much commercial success. According to author Robert Rosen, by 1980, Lennon was envious enough of McCartney's continuing success to make his re-emergence on the music scene. One of the criticisms of Wings was that the other members were little more than sidemen backing up a solo McCartney. Guitarist Henry McCullough quit the band because he grew tired of being told by McCartney exactly what to play, and said that Wings were never a "real band." On the other hand, other former members of Wings such as Joe English and Laurence Juber have said that they were allowed a degree of creative freedom. In an interview, Juber, Wings' third lead guitarist, said, "I was a sideman, but the job assignment very much included considering myself a part of the band ... In all its incarnations Wings sounded like a band, not like a solo McCartney project and I think that reflects well not only on Paul's ability to share in the creative process, but also on the importance of Denny and Linda's contributions, too. The other players brought their own personalities to the scene." In addition to its own output, Wings recorded several songs that were released through various outlets both before and after the band's break-up. Denny Laine's 1977 solo album '' Holly Days'' was a joint effort by Laine with Paul and Linda McCartney; three songs on Laine's 1980 solo album '' Japanese Tears'' were performed by Wings with Laine on lead vocals; Laine also contributed to several songs on Paul McCartney's 1982 and 1983 solo albums ''Tug of War'' and ''Pipes of Peace'', respectively. Juber's instrumental "Maisie"—which was backed by members of Wings—appeared on his solo album ''
Standard Time Standard time is the synchronisation of clocks within a geographical region to a single time standard, rather than a local mean time standard. Generally, standard time agrees with the local mean time at some meridian that passes through the ...
''. The McCartneys and Laine contributed backing vocals to George Harrison's 1981 tribute to John Lennon, "
All Those Years Ago "All Those Years Ago" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released in May 1981 as a single from his album ''Somewhere in England''. Having previously recorded the music for the song, Harrison tailored the lyrics to serve as a personal t ...
". Linda McCartney continued to tour and record with her husband up until her death in 1998, after which a compilation of her songs entitled ''
Wide Prairie ''Wide Prairie'' is a posthumous compilation album by Linda McCartney, compiled by her husband Paul McCartney and released in October 1998, roughly six months after her death due to breast cancer. The idea for the album was inspired by a fan who ...
'' was released that featured seven Wings songs written or co-written by her. Wings also backed Paul's brother Mike McGear on the '' McGear'' album, as well as McGear's band the Scaffold on the single "Liverpool Lou" and its B-side "Ten Years After on Strawberry Jam". Paul McCartney also used three unreleased Wings songs as B-sides of his solo singles several years after Wings' break-up. Wings' 1977 single "Mull of Kintyre"/"Girls School" is still the biggest-selling non-charity single in the UK (although
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
's "
Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack o ...
" sold more, its sales include a reissue in aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust), and it ranked fourth in the official list of all-time best-selling singles in the UK issued in 2002. In 2001, '' Wingspan: Hits and History'' was released, a project spanning an album and a television special retrospective.


Personnel

During its ten-year lifespan, Wings underwent numerous personnel changes, including twice being reduced to its core McCartney–McCartney–Laine trio. Members *
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
 – lead vocals, bass, guitar, piano, keyboards, drums (1971–1981) *
Linda McCartney Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney ( Eastman; September 24, 1941 – April 17, 1998) was an American photographer, musician, animal rights activist, vegetarian cookbook author and advocate, and entrepreneur. She was the keyboardist in th ...
 – keyboards, vocals (1971–1981; died 1998) *
Denny Laine Denny Laine (born Brian Frederick Hines, 29 October 1944) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, known as a founder of two major rock bands: the Moody Blues, with whom he played from 1964 to 1966, and Wings, with whom he played from 1 ...
 – guitar, bass, piano, vocals (1971–1981) *
Denny Seiwell Denny Seiwell (born July 10, 1943) is an American drummer and a founding member of Wings. He also drummed for Billy Joel and Liza Minnelli and played in the scores for the films ''Waterworld'', '' Grease II'', and ''Vertical Limit''. His drum ...
 – drums, percussion (1971–1973) * Henry McCullough – guitar, vocals (1972–1973; died 2016) *
Jimmy McCulloch James McCulloch (4 June 1953 – 27 September 1979) was a Scottish musician best known for playing lead guitar and bass, as a member of Paul McCartney's band Wings from 1974 to 1977. McCulloch was a member of the Glasgow psychedelic band One in ...
 – guitar, vocals (1974–1977; died 1979) * Geoff Britton – drums, percussion (1974–1975) * Joe English – drums, percussion, vocals (1975–1977) * Laurence Juber – guitar, vocals (1978–1981) * Steve Holley – drums, percussion, vocals (1978–1981) Timeline ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:15 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1971 till:01/01/1981 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1971 Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards,_piano id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums,_percussion id:studio value:black legend:Studio_release PlotData= width:13 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Paul McCartney from:01/01/1971 till:31/12/1980 color:bass width:9 bar:Paul McCartney from:01/01/1971 till:31/12/1980 color:vocals bar:Paul McCartney from:01/01/1971 till:31/12/1980 color:guitar width:7 bar:Paul McCartney from:01/01/1971 till:31/07/1973 color:keys width:3 bar:Paul McCartney from:31/07/1973 till:01/04/1974 color:keys width:5 bar:Paul McCartney from:01/04/1974 till:31/01/1975 color:keys width:3 bar:Paul McCartney from:31/01/1975 till:01/02/1975 color:keys width:5 bar:Paul McCartney from:01/02/1975 till:30/06/1977 color:keys width:3 bar:Paul McCartney from:30/06/1977 till:01/01/1978 color:keys width:5 bar:Paul McCartney from:01/01/1978 till:end color:keys width:3 bar:Paul McCartney from:31/07/1973 till:01/04/1974 color:drums width:3 bar:Paul McCartney from:31/01/1975 till:01/02/1975 color:drums width:3 bar:Paul McCartney from:30/06/1977 till:01/01/1978 color:drums width:3 bar:Linda McCartney from:01/01/1971 till:31/12/1980 color:keys bar:Linda McCartney from:01/01/1971 till:31/12/1980 color:vocals width:3 bar:Denny Laine from:01/01/1971 till:31/12/1980 color:guitar bar:Denny Laine from:01/01/1971 till:31/12/1980 color:vocals width:3 bar:Denny Laine from:01/01/1971 till:31/12/1980 color:keys width:7 bar:Denny Laine from:01/01/1971 till:31/12/1980 color:bass width:5 bar:Henry McCullough from:01/01/1972 till:31/07/1973 color:guitar bar:Henry McCullough from:01/01/1972 till:31/07/1973 color:vocals width:3 bar:Jimmy McCulloch from:01/01/1974 till:30/06/1977 color:guitar bar:Jimmy McCulloch from:01/01/1974 till:30/06/1977 color:vocals width:3 bar:Jimmy McCulloch from:01/01/1974 till:30/06/1977 color:bass width:7 bar:Laurence Juber from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1980 color:guitar bar:Laurence Juber from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1980 color:vocals width:3 bar:Denny Seiwell from:01/01/1971 till:31/07/1973 color:drums bar:Geoff Britton from:01/04/1974 till:31/01/1975 color:drums bar:Joe English from:01/02/1975 till:30/06/1977 color:drums bar:Joe English from:01/02/1975 till:30/06/1977 color:vocals width:3 bar:Steve Holley from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1980 color:drums bar:Steve Holley from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1980 color:vocals width:3 LineData = layer:back color:studio at:07/12/1971 at:30/04/1973 at:05/12/1973 at:27/05/1975 at:25/03/1976 at:31/03/1978 at:24/05/1979 Line-ups


Discography

* '' Wild Life'' (1971) * '' Red Rose Speedway'' (1973) * ''
Band on the Run ''Band on the Run'' is the third studio album by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released in December 1973. It was McCartney's fifth album after leaving the Beatles in April 1970. Although sales were modest initially ...
'' (1973) * '' Venus and Mars'' (1975) * '' Wings at the Speed of Sound'' (1976) * '' Holly Days'' (credited to
Denny Laine Denny Laine (born Brian Frederick Hines, 29 October 1944) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, known as a founder of two major rock bands: the Moody Blues, with whom he played from 1964 to 1966, and Wings, with whom he played from 1 ...
) (1977) * '' London Town'' (1978) * ''
Back to the Egg ''Back to the Egg'' is the seventh and final studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in June 1979 on Columbia Records in America (their first for the label), and on Parlophone in the UK. Co-produced by Chris Thomas, t ...
'' (1979) Collaborations * '' McGear'' (credited to Mike McGear) (1974) Live * '' Wings over America'' (1976) * '' Wings over Europe'' (2018)


Tours

Wings played five concert tours during their ten-year existence:: Wings tours details; : Wings tours dates. * Wings University Tour – 11 shows in the UK, 1972 * Wings Over Europe Tour – 25 shows, 1972 * Wings 1973 United Kingdom Tour – 21 shows, 1973 * Wings Over the World Tour – 66 shows, 1975–1976 * Wings 1979 United Kingdom Tour – 20 shows, 1979


Awards

;Music Week Award ;Yugoton Award ; Brit Award ; American Music Award ;
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
;Million-Air Award ; The Guinness Book of Records ; Q Awards ;RIAA award ; NME Awards ;Capitol Radio music Awards ;Daily Mirror Readers Awards ; Ivor Novello Awards ;
Juno Awards The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
(Canadian Music awards) and Nominations ;
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s and Nominations


Notes


References

Citations


External links

* {{Authority control Apple Records artists Articles which contain graphical timelines English rock music groups British soft rock music groups Capitol Records artists Grammy Award winners Juno Award for International Album of the Year winners Linda McCartney Musical groups disestablished in 1981 Musical groups established in 1971 Paul McCartney EMI Records artists Parlophone artists Columbia Records artists 1971 establishments in England