Ringo meet Lovely Rita

 

There all Dark Horses

 George with Dark Horse recording artists.  It always blows my mind a little that Henry McCullough left Paul and Wings and went to George with Dark Horse 

All Tied Up

 I know we always think of the "Butcher Sessions" as the weird Beatle photo shoot, but you have to admit -- there were ones before that one that were weird too.  

Home to Us

Photos taken by Sonny McCartney (Paul's nephew / Mike's son)

 May 5, 2026 -- Notice the socks my friends -- Paul is wearing Beatles Help! socks.  I would love to take a peek into this man's sock drawer. 

22,000 Scream for McCartney (Cleveland 1976)

 

22,000 Scream for McCartney

By Dick Wootten

The Cleveland Press

May 11, 1976

    10 years ago, at the Cleveland Stadium, four Beatles created pandemonium. Last night at the Coliseum, one Beatle created pandemonium. You would think the passage of time and the subtraction of three Beatles would result in a slightly more subdued reaction on the part of the audience. If you think that, then you misjudge the nature of rock fans.

     I had my hopes up that the age of screamers at concerts was long gone. Ha! Last night at the Coliseum, Paul McCartney and his group called Wings kept 22,000 fans at a fever pitch, of mass hysteria. The roar of the crowd equaled the thickness of the cloud of pot smoke. Flash cubes turned the carnivorous Coliseum into a blitzkrieg. The volume of the music was again deafening. Four gigantic speakers suspended from the ceiling gave the guitar, voice, and keyboard sound a fuzzy, blurry tone. No one could understand the words unless they were already memorized, and most of the audience appeared to have those words committed to memory.

     The first few notes excited a roar of recognition from the denim-clad crowd. Many were in their teens and many more in their 20s. Said one girl about 16, "Tonight's sort of historical I came here so I could say I was here."

     The concert was supposed to start at eight. The doors opened at 7:30, and the lines of fans waiting outside seemed endless. The spongers who joined the lines in front of you didn't help matters. When the crowd was finally inside the building, the lines outside the ladies' room were so long you could hardly make your way into the hall. The crowd was treated as if it were cattle. The experience was totally unpleasant. 

    The concert got underway about 8:40. The lights on the performers shifted from red to yellow to pink and to green. Dry ice fogged McCartney's knees and a red planet was shown rising on a screen above the stage. Very dramatic. All was for effect, and effect it had; everyone screamed. The hard edged music had a headlong and bloodthirsty brutality about it, and it kept hammering away as at your nervous system. At least you can turn down a record. When will show producers learn that ear-numbing volume does not equate with quality? Where is the subtlety? Where is judgment? Where is taste? Even such a Beatles classic as "The Long and Winding Road" was hard to enjoy because of the volume, but for the fans, the charisma was ever-present.

     McCartney sang numbers from such recent record albums as Venus and Mars, Band on the Run, and At the Speed of Sound. He was backed up instrumentally and vocally by his wife, Linda, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, and Joe English, plus a quartet of wind and brass players. It was all sort of historical, but like the Vietnam War, I'm glad it's over.

Fans were very unhappy with this concert review and they wrote into the editoral section of the newspaper to them know....

On Wings Concert:  McCartney:  Yes; Wootten:  No

The Cleveland Press

May 15, 1976

    I was amazed to read Dick Wootten's review of the McCartney and Wings concert at the Coliseum the other night. It is quite obvious that Wootten detests rock music and the audience that comes with it, and I find it hard to believe that anyone with such an extreme bias would review something he intrinsically hates. The fact that he views rock music, especially that of Wings, as nothing more than insufferable noise, lacking dimension and intricacy, sophisticated technique and melody, shows that he has no understanding of what today's music is about.

 The nature of rock fans consists of an intense love and appreciation for both the performer and his music. The McCartney concert was the most well-received, appreciated concert I've seen in years. The ovations were deafening. It was no less than a fitting tribute to someone who, through his music and his charisma, made our coming of age a little less painful. There was a true undercurrent of love and gratitude flowing between the audience and the performer. To compare that with even the slightest insinuation to the Vietnam War is an affront to every person who ever attended and enjoyed a rock concert. Next time, sir, stay home with your musak tapes and let the testimony of 22,000 other people stand as a proper judgment. -- Sara L. Stein

     Mr. Wootten, can't you appreciate the great thrill many experienced at being able to see Paul McCartney, considered by many to be the best the Beatles had to offer? Or can you only criticize the screaming fans for the excess of noise? Were you expecting a symphony orchestra crowd, Mr. Wootten? You expected that the passage of time and the subtraction of three Beatles would result in a slightly more subdued reaction on the part of the audience. However, great is great, and talent is talent, and neither time nor change can alter those qualities. If the crowd had done anything but scream, I suspect McCartney would have been terribly disappointed. As for the quality of the music, I was amazed at the authenticity of the sound. You found fault with the fact that not all the words of the songs were decipherable. The next time you're at a Cavaliers game, listen to the announcer and see if you can understand his every word, then consider the fact that a rock concert is not a rock concert without amplification. Also, if you haven't noticed, the Coliseum is exceptionally large, and amplification is necessary. It's unfortunate you didn't find room in your article to describe the tasteful song selection, McCartney's quality showmanship, or the exceptionally well-behaved crowd -- Cynthia M Bezpiaty

    I couldn't believe Dick Wootten's terrible write-up on Paul McCartney's concert Monday night at the Coliseum. How could he even compare such an ecstatic, happy event to the Vietnam War? I thought it was the most incredible concert I've ever been to. How could it help but not be with Paul in the lead? I know I will never see anything like it again--- until he returns. -- LeeAnn Drenkhan.

    Anyone with any real knowledge of concerts knows that it's rare to see a fantastic light show, such as Wings had. Maybe dry-ice covering McCartney's shoes isn't so amazing, but how many times can you see laser beams shooting all over the Coliseum and actual album covers coming to life? The sound was fuzzy, but it seemed to improve as the concert went on. Personally, it was the greatest concert I've ever heard or seen, and I wish it could have lasted longer. -- Lynda Baranauskas

    That article was a review of the concert. It was a big put-down. Dick Wootten had few comments on the performance itself. He was too busy picking on every petty thing that annoyed him. -- Marian Hudak 

    The fabulous visual effects used by Wings helped make this concert the most exciting and entertaining concert I've ever had the pleasure of attending. Every song performed that historic night far exceeded any of the studio versions. And finally, there was far less use of pot at this concert than any I have ever been to. 

In retrospect, on Dick Woottens review, I find it totally worthless, a waste of ink and paper space, and completely void of any value, as I and any of the 22,000 musically satisfied fans could tell you.-- Mark Baldy

     I think Dick Wootten's article has about as much class as Paul McCartney's toe! His article is much, MUCH too unfair to the hundreds of 1000s of people and fans who read the Press and didn't see the concert. Mr. Wootten apparently didn't realize who actually was on stage Monday night. Paul McCartney, a living legend, along with his dynamic band, performed one of the finest musical and visual concerts that Cleveland has ever witnessed. I alone speak for the 22,000 people who attended and very much enjoyed the concert --  Jerry Abbadine.

McCartney Backstage Full of Enthusiasm (Toronto 1976)

 

McCartney Backstage Full of Enthusiasm

By Peter Goddard

Toronto Star

May 10, 1976

    "I recognize this place", said Paul McCartney, looking at his dressing room ceiling in Maple Leaf Gardens last night. "I remember its shape."

     He looked at his wife, Linda, and smiled. He was last in the hall 10 years ago when he was a Beatle and hadn't performed live anywhere in North America before starting his current tour last Monday in Fort Worth, Texas. 

    But as tired as he looked after his two-hour appearance, he seemed pleased at being backstage once again on the road. Yet only he and Linda were enthusiastic. Ignoring a table full of pastries in front of them and a roast that was quickly carted out the door, they talked about how much they loved the tour. Everyone else in the tiny room, from friends to tour helpers, seemed slightly in awe.

     How did he find the Toronto audience last night? Wasn't it a bit subdued? "Well, perhaps we could have played a little louder," he said, "but it was all right. We've always heard that audiences here had good taste."

     When he said that, you felt, just for a moment, that his Beatle days weren't all that far behind. There was something sly, mocking in everything he said, as if none of it was to be taken all that seriously, as if rock and roll was still a bit of a giggle. 

    He certainly wasn't worried that his band Wings might not be met with a strong reception. "We knew that our record sales had been good," he went on, "and we knew that if our records sold well, that there were several million people who bought them, and they'd be there to see us."

     McCartney merely shrugged when asked if he had heard that other ex-Beatles may be in his audience. He seemed more interested in talking about things that mattered, like songwriting. "I don't know how songs come about," he said. "They come out of the blue. You might just be sitting down plunking some chords when an idea comes. Once you got the first line, it's easy."

     And what were his influences in the days when he was growing up in Liverpool, when he met John Lennon at the Liverpool Art Institute, and the pair won a contest as the British Everly Brothers?

     "Oh, he said, Buddy Holly and...."

     "Wayne Cochran," added Linda.

     "and Gene Vincent."

     Suddenly, a road manager let it be known that they all had to get in their limousines to head for the airport and back to New York. Otherwise, McCartney might have gone through the entire history of rock and roll.

Yesterday with McCartney Reflected the Good Times (Toronto 1976)

 

Yesterday with McCartney Reflected the Good Times

By Peter Goddard 

The Toronto Star

May 10, 1976

    "And yesterday came suddenly...." sang Paul McCartney. Only the occasional flicker of matches gave any indication that there were over 18,000 people listening to him sing the melancholy line in Maple Leaf Gardens last night.  He sat alone on stage, cradling his guitar as a spotlight cast a glow around his dark hair, and there was such silence that it seemed everyone was holding a breath lest the song end too soon. 

    The song was "Yesterday", one of the five Beatles tunes McCartney included in his two-hour performance. It was, in its way, the dead center of calm in the middle of the thrusting, rocking, glossy concert.

     It was what the evening was about, not because it was an old Beatles song and there was an ex-Beatle singing it live for the first time in 10 years, but because it so aptly reflected McCartney and what he was trying to do on stage. Last night was a bit of yesterday. 

    It started 40 minutes late due to a delay in the flight plan for the 33-year-old singer, his wife Linda, and his band Wings. But once underway, the concert became pure sensory pleasure. As dry ice filled the stage at one point and green laser beams blinked in a strobe so spectacular at another, all its surfaces, both visual and aural, became charged and sensual. 

    Outwardly, it was designed like any other large-scale rock show to play the Gardens. Certainly, it was anticipated as the biggest of shows. Scalpers had a field day outside the Gardens, getting up to $300 for a pair of tickets, and $1 McCartney posters were being hustled as fans rushed in, hoping that the rumors around town were true, that the other ex-Beatles, John, George, and Ringo might get up on stage with McCartney. 

    No one seemed disappointed, however, when the others didn't perform or even show up, for that matter, for there was no reason to be disappointed. McCartney and Wings recreated the essence of an old Beatles show, this time with a first-rate sound system and for an audience willing to listen more than scream. Yet this show was unlike many of the recent big Garden efforts, both George Harrison's show and Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Review of last year attempted to be something more than just a concert, like The Rolling Stones' appearance. They were seen as events. They tried to be meaningful in a way that went beyond music. 

    The Wings concert was music pure, if not so simple, because the band was still fresh after playing only four dates on its 31-concert tour, estimated to earn $5 million. Each song sounded far more alive and had far more presence than the same songs on McCartney and Wings' various albums. Concentrating on tunes from the Venus and Mars, Band on the Run, and Wings at the Speed of Sound albums, the group meshed as a tight-knit unit. 

    Lead guitarist Jimmy McCulloch was allowed only a few brief solos; otherwise, the work of drummer Joe English, guitarist Danny Laine, and McCartney himself on bass and piano was integrated to the point of being self-effacing. Linda McCartney's keyboard playing and what passed for singing were mirror-window dressing. 

   Only one non McCartney song was included. Paul Simon's "Richard Cory" performed by McCartney, Linda ,McCulloch and Laine with acoustic guitars. Everything else, from "Lady Madonna" to the last song "Soily" (as yet unrecorded), was not just sung by McCartney, but through his presence, reflected all the yesterdays of The Beatles.  The yesterdays when rock was self-indulgent, giddy with good times and fun. 

Happy Mother's Day!

 

Here is a photo of Ringo with his Mum in the 1980s (I would guess 1985 when Ringo shaved his beard to play the Turtle in Alice in Wonderland).

Wishing all of the Mothers out in Pepperland a happy day!  

Back at an airport

 May 10, 1971 

Paul McCartney Magic Still Lives (Detroit 1976)

 Paul McCartney Magic Still Lives 

By Anthony A. Rocha

The Saginaw News

May 8, 1976

    "A living legend." Few people can live up to such praise in today's music. Under the generic term of "rock", Paul McCartney stands out as a giant. His two-day stop in Michigan, Friday and Saturday, was met with an enthusiastic response in the manner given to the original mopheads, the Beatles, in the mid-1960s. 

    Wings, his group, and the Wings Over America tour brought to Detroit's Olympia Stadium a musical entertainment package matched by very few groups in today's rock concert scene. More than 18,000 fans, both nights, jammed into the hockey arena for a glimpse of their hero. That the McCartney influence on music stretches more than 12 years was evident in the program, which offered the tunes of McCartney and Wings along with classic standards from the McCartney-Lennon era. "Yesterday" and "Lady Madonna" are examples. 

    It was the magic of one of the top performers in today's music industry on the concert stage, complete with effective lighting and pyrotechnics, a songwriter and showman, McCartney recaptured the Beatlemania fans and drew a sizable number of younger people without memory of the mid 60s. Its musical quality has given rise to a wide range of acceptance since it is not simply limited to rock and roll. 

    The experience of the weekend has to be noted in terms of total impact: the more than two hours of performances and the Wings appearances around the country until June 22 will go a long way toward giving added stature to McCartney. Speculation is right for a reunion of the original Beatles. Multi-million dollar guarantees are being offered and considered. McCartney's position can only be strengthened with the success of his American tour.

     The 1976 edition of the Wings concert is total entertainment. When the lights went down after a film of poetic images on an overhead 40 by 20-foot screen, complete with classical music  (Beethoven, Bach, etc), the crowd was ready for the appearance of McCartney. The electronic guitar sound and vocals of McCartney were balanced with the talented brass instrumentation of musicians gathered for many quarters. The tasteful trumpet work of Steve Howard in "Long and Winding Road" will lend many such McCartney touches evident throughout the performance. 

    McCartney worked between his guitar and piano on selections ranging from " Jet " to  "Lie and Let's Go " [sic]. The acoustic guitar (non-amplified) selections were masterful, giving way to a showcase of McCartney's enduring talent. His solo renditions of the classic " Yesterday " gave way to a rush of memories for old Beatles enthusiasts and produced a crowd response at once overwhelming and appreciative of McCartney's work. "Band on the Run" was the album highlighted during the performance of the closing selection.  The album's title cut was set to an interpretive film of band members dressed in black, with the prison spotlight; the interesting camera close-ups of the individuals were coordinated with the song. 

    McCartney's prime situation centers on his family and Wings; the spokesman for the group would neither deny nor confirm the possible reunion talks.

     It's difficult to predict the impact of the concert visit of such a powerful show and the subsequent pressure of the high-rise tag on the entertainment. A local FM radio station offered tickets and trips for the McCartney show at the special rate of $30 per person; the expense appears obviously unbearable for some, despite the "it's worth it" notion. In the future, will major concerts drive such special rates even higher? Station officials were not available for comment.