"Jet" is a song by

Paul McCartney and Wings Paul McCartney and Wings, often billed simply as Wings, was a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in 1971 in London by former The Beatles, Beatle Paul McCartney; his wife Linda McCartney on keyboards; session drummer Denny Seiwell; a ...

from their third studio album '' Band on the Run'' (1973). It was the first British and American single to be released from the album. The song peaked at No. 7 on the British and American charts on 30 March 1974, also charting in multiple countries in Europe. It has since been released on numerous compilation albums.

Background

Reviewers have reported that the song's title was inspired by the McCartneys'

Labrador Retriever The Labrador Retriever or simply Labrador or Lab is a British list of dog breeds, breed of water dog retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom from St. John's water dogs imported from the Newfoundland Colony, colony of Newfoun ...

dog named "Jet". McCartney has substantiated this claim: Also confirmed by an interview with Paul Gambaccini, broadcast on BBC Radio in December 1978, However, in a 2010 interview on the UK television channel

ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...

for the programme ''Wings: Band on the Run'' (to promote the November 2010 CD/DVD re-release of the album), McCartney said that Jet was the name of a pony he had owned, although many of the lyrics bore little relation to the subject; indeed, the true meaning of the lyrics has defied all attempts at decryption. In a 2017 interview on Australian radio station

Triple J Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...

for the segment Take 5, McCartney said that the song was actually about his experience meeting Linda's father:

Recording

Whereas most of the ''Band on the Run'' album was recorded in

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

, Nigeria, "Jet" was recorded entirely at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

after the group's return (according to engineer

Geoff Emerick Geoffrey Ernest Emerick (5 December 1945 – 2 October 2018) was an English sound engineer and record producer who worked with the Beatles on their albums ''Revolver'' (1966), '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' (1967) and ''Abbey Road' ...

in his book ''Here There and Everywhere''). Instrumentation used in the song includes electric guitars, bass, Moog, drums, piano, horns and strings. A closer listening reveals the Moog is used for the bass line during the verse and is simply Linda holding the root note.

Release and reception

"Jet" was released as the debut single from ''Band on the Run'' in January 1974 (although in some countries, the non-UK/US single "

Mrs. Vandebilt "Mrs. Vandebilt" is a song by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings from the album ''Band on the Run''. The track was not issued as a single in the UK or US, but was a single in Continental Europe and Australia. Writing and re ...

" was released first). McCartney initially opposed issuing "Jet" as a single, carrying on a practice from the Beatles where singles were usually non-album tracks. However, Capitol Records executive Al Coury persuaded McCartney to issue the single to help ''Band on the Run'' stalled chart position at no. 13. McCartney also agreed to let Capitol edit the song's length down to maximize radio airplay, but asked that both the original and shortened versions be sent to radio DJs. The single was backed with " Let Me Roll It" in Britain. When first released in America, the single's B-side was " Mamunia", another track from ''Band on the Run'', but it was soon replaced with the British B-side. The single was a Top 10 hit for Paul McCartney and Wings. It peaked at number 7 on both the British and American charts on 30 March 1974, and charted in multiple countries in Europe. "Jet" has since been released on multiple compilation albums, including '' Wings Greatest'' (1978), '' All the Best!'' (1987), '' Wingspan: Hits and History'' (2001), and '' Pure McCartney'' (2016). Prominent music critic

Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born ) is an American music critic and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has published num ...

named the song number 793 in his list of the 1001 greatest singles ever made. He referred to it as a "grand pop confection" that represented the only time McCartney approached the "drive and density" of his tenure with

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' said that the "guitar energy" and vocal performances generate "an outstanding production". ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' called it a "catchy number" with "distinctive guitar riffs", a "straightforward rock beat" and "provocative lyrics". ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' called it "an overpowering smash both vocally and instrumentally". Paul McCartney was quoted in ''Clash'' magazine that the soft rock duo

the Carpenters The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining ...

were fans of "Jet": The Australian rock band Jet drew their name from the song title.Maybe, Brad. "Clear For Takeoff: Jet Gets Ready To ''Get Born''" ''CMJ New Music Report'' 8 September 2003: 7

Cover versions

Japanese pop J-pop (often stylized in all caps; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in trad ...

power trio A power trio is a rock band format having a lineup of electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit, leaving out a dedicated vocalist or an additional rhythm guitar or keyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quart ...

Shonen Knife Shonen Knife is a Japanese pop-punk band formed in Osaka in 1981. Influenced by 1960s girl groups, pop bands, the Beach Boys, and early punk rock bands such as the Ramones, the band crafts stripped-down songs with simple yet unconventional ...

's cover of this song is the last track on their 2008 album ''

Super Group ''Super Group'' is an album by the Japanese rock music, rock trio Shonen Knife. It was released in Japan on 7 November 2008, in the USA on 20 May 2009, and in the UK and Europe in 2010. The original Japanese CD issue was released as a mini-LP ca ...

''. Group member Naoko Yamano said that she picked the song since she is a longtime fan of McCartney. The song was also covered live by American rock band

Jellyfish Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animal ...

, and the recording was included in their 1991 EP '' Jellyfish Comes Alive''.

Personnel

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

– lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums, piano, electric piano *

Linda McCartney Linda Louise, Lady McCartney ( Eastman; September 24, 1941 – April 17, 1998) was an American photographer, musician, cookbook author, and activist. She was the keyboardist and harmony vocalist in the band Paul McCartney and Wings, Wings tha ...

– backing vocals,

Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer ( ) is a modular synthesizer invented by the American engineer Robert Moog in 1964. Moog's company, R. A. Moog Co., produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 2014. It was the first commercial synthesizer ...

Denny Laine Brian Frederick Hines (29 October 1944 – 5 December 2023), known professionally as Denny Laine, was an English musician who co-founded two major rock bands: the Moody Blues and Wings. Laine played guitar in the Moody Blues from 1964 to 1966 ...

– backing vocals, guitar *

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 ...

–

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...

‘’One Hand Clapping version’’ *

– lead vocals, bass guitar *

– backing vocals, keyboards *

– backing vocals, guitar *

Jimmy McCulloch James McCulloch (4 June 1953 – 25 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 i ...

– lead guitar *

– saxophone *

Geoff Britton Geoffrey Britton (born 1 August 1943) is an English rock drummer known for his work with Wings from May 1974 to January 1975, where he was featured on the '' Venus and Mars'' album. Career Britton was born in Lewisham, South East London. He ...

–

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

‘’Wings Over America version’’ *

– lead vocals, bass guitar *

– backing vocals, keyboards *

– backing vocals, guitar *

– lead guitar *Tony Dorsey – trombone, percussion *

– saxophone, percussion *Steve Howard – trumpet, flugelhorn *

Thaddeus Richard Thaddeus (, , from ) is a masculine given name. As of the 1990 Census, ''Thaddeus'' was the 611th most popular male name in the United States, while ''Thad'', its diminutive version, was the 846th. Alternate forms * Taco – Dutch * Tadeu ( i ...

– saxophone * Joe English – drums

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

* {{authority control 1973 songs 1974 singles Apple Records singles British power pop songs Deram Records singles Music published by MPL Music Publishing Paul McCartney songs Song recordings produced by Paul McCartney Songs written by Linda McCartney Songs written by Paul McCartney Paul McCartney and Wings songs Glam rock songs British hard rock songs