Wings Over Yugoslavia

 September 21, 1976 

The First Buddy Holly Party

 

Pa

September 7, 1976 

Injury Clips Wings (1976)

 Injury Clips Wings: McCartney Tour Delayed

No author listed

The News of Cumberland County

April 2, 1976

    Paul McCartney and Wings have postponed their American tour because of an injury to one of the group's members. Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch suffered a broken hand when he slipped in a bathroom. The injury came following the conclusion of the group's European tour.

     The American tour, entitled "Wings Over America", was to have encompassed 20 cities and 31 performances. The tour will be herland the debut of Wings in America, and also be McCartney's first personal appearance on a US concert stage in almost 10 years. 

    The ex-Beatle and his group were to have played Spectrum on May 12 and 14th. A spokesman for the group said Tuesday that the tour was being rescheduled to begin in May, but could not say whether the Spectrum dates for the group would be changed.

     Wings over America is the culmination of many months of planning and is the fourth and final leg of the Wings World Tour, which began in England in late 1975 and proceeded to Australia and Europe. Wings will be performing a set lasting between two and two and one half hours with no intermission. New sound and light apparatus, as well as special staging, have been designed especially for the tour.

     Wings will be arriving in the United States directly from Paris, where the group concluded its triumphant European tour on March 26. During the third leg of the World Tour, Wings performed to sold-out houses in Denmark, Holland, and Berlin, Germany. Wings consists of Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, Danny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, and Joe English. The four-member brass section that accompanied Wings in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the European segment of the Wings World Tour will perform on the American tour.

     The band will be performing material from all prior Paul McCartney and Wings albums, as well as songs that have been associated with Paul McCartney throughout his career. Also included will be selections from Wings' latest release, Wings at the Speed of Sound, the album, which has recently been released on the Capitol label, includes songs written by Paul and Linda McCartney as well as Jimmy McCulloch and Denny Laine, who will also perform their compositions during the course of the concert tour. 

    The album was certified gold immediately upon its release in the US. The brass section on the tour consists of leader, Tony Dorsey (trombone), who also arranged the horn section on Wings at the Speed of Sound, Steve Howard (trumpet, and fuglehorn), who has been featured on albums with Labelle, and has worked with Alan Tossant. Thaddeus, Richard (flute, sax) has worked with Johnny Taylor and Tony Dorsey over the last few years, and Liverpudlian  Howie Casey (Tenor sax) has backed such music luminaries as Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Wilson Pickett, T Rex, and John Entwistle.

Wings over Holland

March 25, 1976
 

Sily Love Songs at Checkpoint Charlie in 1976

 

March 23, 1976 - Berlin, Germany 

The Man Who Left Wings Seeks Peace From Within (1981)

 The Man Who Left Wings Seeks Peace From Within

By Joe Edwards

Associated Press

February 14, 1981

    Joe English forsook the renown and riches as a drummer-vocalist for former Beatle Paul McCartney and Wings to search for peace within himself as an obscure gospel singer. English, who was with the widely acclaimed British rock and roll group from 1975 to 1977, is now recording what he calls "message music" with gospel overtones. 

    "The Lord was knocking at the door," the stocky English, 31 says, explaining why he left the choice position with Wings. "We had done a lot of tours, albums, and been the number one band in the world," he says. "I wanted a break to come home and air my head out."

     After more than 20 gold and platinum albums and a tour that carried him before 3 million people, he still wasn't satisfied. "There was no falling out, and I didn't get fired," English says. "When I told Paul, he told me to go home and think about it. I ended up retiring from the ranks of superstars."

     English, formerly of Macon, Georgia, remembers McCartney for his hard work and musical genius. "He was friendly and really hardworking," he says. "I stayed at his house when I went over there, and he made it easy for me. He tried to be my friend and made it easy to adjust. He was a square shooter and a genuine good person. He was real witty and a family man too. He can write catchy melodies, songs with hooks that really grab you, and he has boundless energy. We would be burned out, and he'd go, go, go.

     "I learned a lot from being with him and the band," English says. "I learned how to play songs, the art of playing a tune. It was more regimented than the Rock and Roll work I had done earlier." The bearded, black-haired English plays on Wings albums Venus and Mars, Speed of Sound, and Wings Over America.

     "It was all good," he said, recapping his experience with McCartney. "You couldn't ask for more-- million-selling records, sold-out tours. I'd have grossed a million if I stayed." English was living in a mobile home in Macon when he got the job with Wings through the help of an arranger friend, Tony Dorsey, who recommended English to McCartney.

     "I was not in awe of him," English says of McCartney, recalling when he got the job. "He was a nice guy who got a fantastic break and wrote good songs. I've never been around anybody with as much talent, not anybody in Nashville, Los Angeles, anywhere."

     After leaving Wings, English took several months off and joined the rock group Sea Level. He moved from Macon to Nashville last year to form his own band to play Christian music. He recently released an album, Lights in the World, on Refugee Records. "This album is as good as any I've done,: he says. "I'm really happy with it."

Beware My Love Sessions

 Wings sessions for the song "Beware My Love" January 1976 

Maybe I'm Amazed (1976)

 

With the Got Back Tour 2025 coming to an end, I have enjoyed seeing everyone who has attended concerts review on YouTube and Social Media.   It has been fun to see fans experience the show in different cities.    

I thought it would be just as fun to go back almost 50 years and see how one fan experienced seeing Paul with Wings at various U.S. cities on the Wings Across America Tour.    I notice a LOT of similar things in her accounts and today with one big exception. 

Maybe I'm Amazed

By  Kathy Meyer

With a Little Help From My Friends

Issue #15 --  July 1976

    Trying to write down a coherent account of what happened to me in the last couple of months is bordering on the impossible, because as I sit here at the typewriter and attempt to put everything into perspective, I can't help stopping repeatedly to convince myself that it all really happened. 

    Upon hearing the schedule for Paul's tour, I quickly made arrangements to see him all three times that he was to be in New York, only to find out that the tour was postponed. When the new schedule was released, I tried unsuccessfully to get some answers from the ticket office at the Garden (for the last time. Miss. We don't have any word on the Paul McCartney tour! Nothing! Click.) "Lovely", I thought.

     And then suddenly they were all sold out. "Lovely", I thought again, with tears of anger in my eyes. I felt frustrated and cheated. I decided to just forget about all the hassles I was going to run into by trying to scalp for the New York shows and concentrated on the Philly shows. 

    This was the beginning of my incredible luck in getting tickets. Two very nice girls who didn't know me from Adam were kind enough to get me a ticket each for both nights. While further south, my great friend Pauline secured me a ticket for the second DC show. (At this point, I was going to say yes to anyone who offered me any tickets.  Alaska?  I'll take it! How much?)  After a minor trauma in Philly with a hotel room (I figured $20 tops per night, and brought $40 to cover it, expecting to bring home some change, $34 for one lousy night!)  I was all set. I ran up to my room and ordered three rum and Cokes.

     After being told by every nice person in Philly which (wrong) bus to take to the Spectrum, I was finally there. I met a lot of really nice people outside, and soon sold the mezzanine ticket I had for a 12th row center one. 

    When Paul came out, I didn't move, I didn't blink an eye. I just sat there, and then it all hit me at once. I jumped, I screamed, I cried, I laughed, I cried and cried and laughed some more. I couldn't believe the feeling that came over me. Here was the last Beatle. The only one I never have seen in concert. Here was Paul McCartney.

     As the show continued, I thought of how ridiculous it would be to see him only a few times. I suddenly vaguely minded even the idea of Paul doing a show without me there. So right then and there, I decided to follow him as far as any money would take me, which wasn't far, but who cares I was going!

     The second show was even better, the one in DC, better yet, although for the DC show, Paul rushed through it a bit. Because it was general admission, there was no way for the guards to control the audience, and there were tons of frantic people trying to get to Paul, discounting the 10 or so odd people under them.  Well, oblivion does strange things to normal, sane people.

     Back home again, and I found it fairly easy to find tickets for the New York shows, provided one had a rather large bank account. Several of the offers I got for tickets came from people I met in Philly and it turned out that I did get my tickets from a guy from New Jersey that I met there.  Two 12th  row seats for the last night at the garden. $75 for the show, doubled the night of the concert. I got to Jersey faster than hell and got the tickets.  The Garden 12th row !!

    Philly was the first time that I'd ever seen Paul close up as he drove in the second night. And it was amazing that I was so thrilled to see him. I knew that I would go crazy, but I really had a hard time containing myself. It was just so exciting for me, and I was fortunate enough to see him in New York as well. Although it was only a fleeting glimpse as he went by, it was, for me, a great, great thrill.

     I had to miss the show in Uniondale because I'd spent too much money on the Garden Show, and this was also the case for the first New York show. But I didn't mind. I went and stayed outside and just waited for the finale. From the minute Paul stepped out onto the stage, the place was wild. It actually shook from so much emotion. When a New York audience loves you, they want you to know it. And Paul knew it and loved it. What a ham. 

    Then it was back home again to tell my parents that I was, you know, leaving for a little while. I was kind of going to follow Paul for a little bit. And very surprisingly, they were really cool about it. The only question they had about it was, how was I going to, you know, fund this sort of thing? Well, I told them I'd figure it out.

     On Friday, June 4, I was off to Denver for the show on the seventh at the McNichols Sports Arena. My cousin and I set out early in the morning, and it was one big party for us the whole time, except for the flat tire we got on the first day. We got to Denver via the Worlds of Fun in Missouri, which is kind of like Disneyland. We spent all day Sunday riding roller coasters. 

    There was quite a difference in the show on Monday night; they were jamming more. Paul was a lot looser and seemed thoroughly relaxed. The audience loved this. I'd heard about the "mellow mountain people", and if this is the case, then most of the people in the place were imports, like us. The whistling never ceased, and the place was rocking. And needless to say, Paul didn't mind it all one bit, dancing around, jumping, making noise. He was like a little kid. It was too much.

     It's important to note that through all the concerts I saw, Paul's voice never faltered. He was always in top form, smooth and beautiful. It was incredible to listen to him go from a rocker like "Magneto" into "My Love." There was no cracking whatsoever. One of my very favorite songs every concert was "Maybe I'm Amazed." That song, without fail, makes me cry every night. I just love the way he sings it. He was so into it. His voice is just so perfect. 

    The next shows were in San Francisco, and were some of the best that we saw. They were very thrilling and a lot of fun. The weather was really nice, and this was in direct contrast from DC, where it was rainy and generally lousy and I had to sit out in the rain. Because DC and San Francisco both were general admission, and then went into the hall, smashed, wet, and anxious. Well, many people got sick in DC. San Francisco was great, though. Everyone was very together and friendly. I was really enjoying myself. 

    The Cow Palace had a stampede that first night and then again on the second night. In particular, after "Yesterday", everyone started to stamp their feet, and the sound was deafening. They put in bleachers for the sides, and no one sat in them. Everyone was up for the entire show. It was fabulous. Everyone had so much energy. 

    It got so wild that Paul didn't come out for an encore the second night. Just as he was turning in to the mic to introduce the horn section, some girl who was trying to get up on stage to give him a gift, knocked the mic right into Paul's mouth. It quite obviously upset him. He was taken completely by surprise. He was shaken there for a bit. His mouth was bleeding. He had to grab a towel for that. But true to form, he turned right back to the audience and gave us a giant grin, and went into the intros and then "Letting Go", which he did so seductively that, you know...

    I miss "Soily", though, what a song! That baseline in that one is incredible! Paul is the most underrated bassist in the whole world. Let's hope this tour has put him in his proper place as the best bassist in the world, a title he richly deserves. It has been said that Paul's face has, to an extent, been to his detriment because he has been overlooked as far as his musical capabilities go. And this is tragic, since he is so great at what he does.

     Tucson was the strangest concert I've ever been to in my whole life. To this day, I still cannot understand what the hell happened in there. First of all, I hated the concert hall. There are bright lights blazing on us for the whole show. Since the outside walk around (where you go to the bathroom, get food, and find your gate) was not separated by a wall from the actual rotunda, it was a drag for anyone who was not on the floor. This made everything seem pretty impersonal, and it really bothered me.

     When Paul came on, though all seemed to change. Everything was all right, and we were all set for the show. I've been wondering what would happen here, because it was his birthday, and Paul put an end to all my anxieties. As soon as he finished "Jet", he stepped up to the mic, said "hello and welcome", and then said "and happy birthday too". I collapsed. What a typical McCartney statement, not making really much sense, but everybody knew what he meant. And a big cheer went up. Denny stepped up then and said a big happy birthday to him, and started to sing it, at which point we all joined in. The song never got finished, though.  Paul was too excited, and he started right on to "Let Me Roll It". He was so cute. 

    Later on, Denny declared "Time to Hide" as Paul's birthday song, and another huge cheer went up in the crowd. It was so much fun, I felt like I was sharing his party with him, and what a feeling to spend his birthday with him.

     Now comes the strange part. After "Band On the Run", quite a few people got up to leave. I was just staring at them in total bewilderment. And by a few people, I mean several 100. I couldn't believe it. I heard one guy say that he really thought the show was great. "Oh boy, what a show!"  Didn't he know? I thought. And then when they all came back, there was a crush of people running to get back in to hear the encore. It was just too much. Then after "Hi Hi Hi" many more started to leave. Really, a lot of people started leaving. Several 1000, I would say, they just didn't think there was any chance of him coming back. It was so weird at this point, and no offense intended to the people of Tucson, I started thinking, "Well, no wonder JoJo left this place. Where the hell are these people going?"  And then they came back, and everyone started to scream and run back again. What a comedy! It was too funny to believe, but it really happened, and I was stunned.

     It was a great show, though, and it was so special because it was Paul's birthday, and there was just a really good feeling in the air.

     LA was next, and the Englewood Forum really outdid themselves. When we got there, the news teams were already there, interviewing people. The tickets were going for unbelievable prices, and the newsmen were freaking out about it. I was going to tell the guy that I came all the way from New York to see Paul, but I knew that would get me on TV, and I'd had experience with that at the first New York Beatlefest, and it scared the hell right out of me. You don't realize your true idiotic potential until something like that happens. (Why did you come here today? Uhhhhh?) It was awful, and I stayed as far away from cameras as possible. 

    They had a giant balloon on top of the Forum to welcome Wings, and they had marching bands there who circled the arena many times for each show. They even had huge spotlights that, when it got dark, were positioned so that they made a W. It was really very nice. 

    There were tons of famous people there, too. They had a big star entrance and everything. It got rather sickening, though, the cops put up a blockade so that we, the fans, couldn't get by. And they made us go through a couple of side entrances where the lines stretched and stretched. Several people missed the first songs because the lines were so long that they couldn't get everyone in on time, and they were already going to be starting well after showtime. And this even includes the half hour that Paul provides for his typical lateness. 

    Also, most of these stars, most of whom no one recognized, were rather rude and crass and turned me right off. Then there were the real recognizables, Sally Struthers, Michael Douglas, Rod Stewart, David Jansen, Leslie Uggams, Jack Nicholson, to name but a few. The real treat came inside. The first night, Kim and I, and don't ask me about my luck, managed to get David Bowie's seat right next to where Paul was. What luck! It seems that David Bowie either had to leave town or never got back, and so he never picked up his tickets. And some guy from the Forum came by and asked us if we needed tickets. And it was as simple as that. He took us by the star entrance, and we laughed at the drunk women and their minks trying to stumble out of rented limos. We paid him cost, and then we were led right in. So we got past the mobs.

      When we got in, Kim went to get us a beer, and as I looked around, there were several 1000 people starting to descend upon one little area. After a few seconds, this little man comes bounding out. It was Ringo!!  I don't know what happened. I started to scream, but it didn't matter. Everyone else was too. It was fantastic. He sat right across from us. I was just standing there, stunned, and no one was there for me to grab. Poor Kim, when she came back, I stood up for the longest time. Everyone else had already settled down a bit. I just kept waving to him. And finally, the girl he was with saw me and nudged him. He looked over to me, smiled, and gave me a great big wave. That was it. For me, I was totally satisfied. I had really gotten just about everything, and couldn't have been happier. 

    Next, right next to us, came Elton John, looking disgusting. He was shorter than you would imagine, fat, and very pale-looking. And guess who was with him? It was Cher! We just laughed and laughed. What a scene. The whole place was jumping around at the sight of someone. Paul must have heard it. He came dashing out. No one was going to steal his show. I really think he might have felt that way. He's so insecure sometimes, even after his fabulous reception.

     I should say here that at the San Francisco show, no one sat behind the stage because it was general admission, and so everyone was crowded down on the floor. Paul, when he went to the piano and sang "Maybe I'm Amazed," looked up and seemed a little sad for a minute because he saw no one there, like there was a mass exodus or something. But then a big smile came across his face, like he knew where they all were. It was so sweet. It's one of the cutest moments of the whole tour. I kept wanting to tell him he'd sold out the place. What are you worrying about? Everyone is here anyway.

     So many memories are getting in the way of the story here. At the end of the first show, Rich got up on stage, to Paul's surprise, and gave him a giant bunch of flowers. They hugged and then walked out arm in arm. It was a high point for me.

     Strangely enough, that was to be the last show for us. The tickets were just too expensive, and we still had to get home. I was very, very sad that I didn't get into the finale, extremely sad. Then I thought about all the good luck I had and how selfish I was becoming.

     We hung out both nights, got smashed out of our brains trying to rationalize it all. It's okay. We saw the best shows anyway, and then we left. We were on our way back home. It was the best trip of my whole life, and I won't forget one single minute of it, not ever. Paul's supposed to be putting out a live album of this tour by Christmas. But knowing Paul, I have to ask him, which Christmas is it going to be? 

So Easy to Get High On Wings (Glasgow 1975)

 So Easy to Get High on Wings

By Douglas Graham

Daily Record

September 22, 1975

    Kilted Wings blasted out their encore of "High, High, High" at Glasgow's Apollo last night, and how the fans loved it. They were left on a musical high after two hours of the magnificent Paul McCartney road show. What a difference even since they were last here. They're so much together, so gut full of talent, and incredibly, they sound just the same as on their albums. So often, working bands are only a watered-down version of their records. McCartney plays piano, guitar, and sings all the time, urging the band on, yet he still finds time to spotlight Denny Laine and little Scot Jimmy McCulloch. But you should have heard the cheers when Paul was left alone on stage and sang the wistful " Blackbird " and "Yesterday." McCartney, the magician, has achieved a superb musical mix.

Yesterday-- Great ---Today--- Brilliant (Wings over Bristol 1975)

 

Yesterday --  Great -- Today -- Brilliant

No Writer Listed

Torbay Express

September 13, 1975

    The Beatles might be dead, but they are not forgotten -- at least not by Paul McCartney. Those Torbay fans who, like me, are loyal made the trip to Bristol's Hippodrome this week to catch Wings only West Country gig as part of their first British tour in two and a half years, must agree that McCartney was everything and more a former Beatle should be.

     Looking ageless, his timing, singing, guitar, and keyboard playing were faultless, and the numbers he gave us during the two-hour performance were well chosen. McCartney took us into the Beatles' glory days with "Long and Winding Road", "Lady Madonna," and "Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night," and "I've just seen a face" which all came over in that unmistakable style of his. But you couldn't help but wish George, John, and Ringo were up there playing as well. The highlight of his trip down memory lane was when McCartney took up an acoustic guitar and, with the stage to himself, sang "Yesterday".

     But, although it was nice to hear those old sounds, McCartney has shown himself to be a wealth of talent since the breakup of the Beatles in 1970, and it was his music with Wings that he wanted to play most. And what we wanted to hear most.

     The Band on the Run album featured prominently throughout the act with the live sounds of "Jet", "Let Me Roll It", and the title track, which brought the concert to a climax, receiving rapturous applause and cheering from 3000 strong fans.

     Despite its personal problems over the past few years, Wings seems to have found where it's at with founder member and former Moody Blue Denny Laine and young Jimmy McCulloch (Thunderclap Newman) on guitars. drummer Joe English and Linda McCartney, showing that she can play keyboards and sing despite what the critics have said, each had a share of the limelight. With Laine again, taking us back a few years with "Go Now" and McCullouch's "Medicine Jar" from the latest Wings album, Venus and Mars, illustrated the amazing ability he has to make a guitar work.

     The new album also got an airing, and a few of the Wings hit singles. By the end of the session, the fans just wanted to rock in the aisles, and so when the end came, it was something many found difficult to come to terms with. 

    After five minutes of chanting for more, McCartney looking far from exhausted, returned for an encore with "Hi Hi Hi."

     For one young American girl, though, it was just another of his concerts to be crossed off the list. She had come all the way to Britain just to follow his tour, as she had done in 1973, which made the pilgrimage from Torbay look like a short bus ride.

A Rare Conversation with Joe English (1979)

 

Joe with fan, Larry in 1976

Wings fans know that Joe English is not someone who talks to the press.  He doesn't give interviews.  He will never appear at a Beatles convention, and he leads a quiet life, being involved in the World of Faith Christian movement.  In the 1980s, he recorded some Christian music.   He has distanced himself from his time in Wings and rarely (if ever) talks about it.   

In 1979, Bill King was able to speak to him about his time in Wings.  This might be Joe's only post-Wings interview.  It was published in the very first issue of Beatlefan magazine.   

(We learned in McCartney Legacy II that Joe's homesickness was part of the reason he left Wings, but the other part had to do with his wife, Dale, being in a terrible accident.)

    Just a little over two years ago, the longest-lasting and most consistent lineup of Wings, which Paul McCartney has ever been able to put together, fell apart when first guitarist Jimmy McCullough and then drummer Joe English left the band Wings.

     Fans around Rochester, New York and Macon, Georgia, who knew English as one of their own were probably shocked more than others. After all, on May 18 and 19th in 1976 when McCartney had introduced English at Atlanta's Omni as being from "just down the road in Juliet, Georgia"(near Forsyth, if that means anything) everyone marveled at how fortunate the longtime Georgia resident was to be playing with Wings the band on the tour.

    That Wings Over America tour, the Rock event of 1976, was a marvelous experience. English recalled in an exclusive interview with Beatlefan, "With the large, professional McCartney organization taking care of almost everything we all had to do. All we had to do was show up and play decently, and the people would go berserk", he said. 

        As a member of Wings, its name has become known worldwide, he even got to do a lead vocal on one of the songs, ("Must Do Something About It" )on the platinum selling Wings at the Speed of Sound album, Not bad for an unknown drummer whose previous claim to fame was playing in a pickup band around Macon with Butch Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band.

    And on his trips home to Georgia, English had seemed happy with his lot and Wings. When Beatlefan first met him at the annual Capricorn Records barbecue in Macon in August 1977, he was very enthused about what turned out to be the London Town recording sessions. "It's going to be another Band on the Run," he said. "We spent a month recording in the Virgin Islands, and we have about 30 cuts from which Paul will pick the best."

     A couple of weeks later, he was off to London to pick up work on the unfinished album. Then word hit in September that McCullough was leaving. English's wife told Beatlefan that Joe had not known it was going to happen, but she wasn't that surprised. "I think he felt kind of constricted, because Paul does run the band the way he wants it, without a doubt," But she indicated that Joe and the rest of Wings would go on without Jimmy. "Joe hopes Paul won't hire another guitarist, but will get someone really good and big to tour with them. It will give them a kick in the ass musically and make them stretch, which they need. But right now, they're just all excited about the new baby, James Louis McCartney."

     Within two months, however, the low-key announcement came in the Wings Club Sandwich that not only had Jimmy left to join Small Faces (which, of course, didn't last) but that Joe English had decided recently to return full-time to his family in America. "Joe feels that his roots are there, and he was not too happy spending the necessary time in Britain." 

 Everyone asked, 'Why would English give up such a good deal?'   "I just had to have a change of musical scene," he told Beatlefan in an interview in an Atlanta recording studio. At the time, he was playing with the jazz-rock band Tall Dogs as percussionist and co-lead vocalist. Tall Dogs is a group that he and Butch Trucks had started. But not long after that, he joined Sea Level, an excellent Macon band which grew out of the Allman Brothers Band.

     He continued, "I enjoyed being in Wings. I learned a lot during the months and months of sitting in recording studios. I wanted to come home and see if I could make it as Joe English and not off Paul McCartney."

     English, a native of Syracuse, New York, had first come to Georgia in the early 1970s but wasn't doing much except living on a farm with no money. "Until I got the call to go record with Paul in New Orleans on Venus and Mars. Tony Dorsey, the leader of the Wings horn section, was from Macon, and he told Paul about me after interim drummer Geoff Britton had been canned."

     English said he approached joining Wings with some trepidation, but "It was easier than I thought. They were all very nice. And coming from doing nothing to playing before 67,000 at the Seattle Kingdome was a real buzz.

     "Contrary to what some people think", he said, "Wings is a real band. In the studio, Paul made it so that if you wanted to come every day and be part of the recording, mixing, ideas, and putting the show together, you could. He really gave everyone a lot of freedom. Of course, if he thought something should be played a certain way, he'd tell you to do it, and 99% of the time, I'd go along, because it was usually the right thing. But if I came up with something better, I'd tell him, and he'd go for it. 

    "That Wing's lineup probably would have stayed together," English said,  "If there had been more gigs, but it was really a hassle going on the road with Paul. It was like taking the whole Shrine Circus on tour. "

    Still, he got a lot out of the many recording sessions. "I feel like I went to school for three years learning about the studio from Paul, and I think I could produce an album now, because I've worked for three years with someone who's one of the top producers in the business. Paul definitely is the hardest working person I've ever encountered. I told him before I left that he had nothing to worry about, and he had a great future ahead of him," English added with a smile. 

    English did have some gripes about his tenure with Wings, however. "For one thing", he said. On stage, the burden rested mostly on his and Paul's shoulders. "Most nights, his bass and my drums had to carry the show", he said, "and that went for harmonies too. Linda's a nice chick, and I really like her, but let's face it, she can't play and she can't sing.. And Denny Laine can sing, but he tends to sing off-key. It took us forever to get those Wings Over America tapes ready for the live album. We had to go into the studio and overdub most of the backing vocals."

     Another thing which bothered him was that "I was continually promised to share the record royalties, but I never received any." He admitted, though, that he was "very well paid and I never had to do anything. It was all taken care of for me."

"But," he added, the lack of responsibility is one reason he decided to leave Wings. It's like, can he make it on his own? Can he rise to the top again? "I want to find out."

     Of course, going from one of the world's supergroups to nine months on his own and then a much smaller group, which still has a long way to go, is a big change. He said, "I keep wondering why I haven't gone into shock, but it's only money, and you can't get hung up on that, because when you only want more and you forget about things like going fishing and having fun and growing old and being happy. That's one reason," he said, "why I live in the south, I refuse to go to Los Angeles and get into all that. When Wings played Atlanta, I took Paul to my home and showed him, and he fell in love with it. Paul has a very strong sense of home, and so he understood why I wanted to come back here."

McCartney Legacy Volume 2: A Book Review

 

It took me two months to read McCartney Legacy Volume 2.  The reason why it took me so long is 1.  It is a huge book  2.  After reading each section, I had to go to my computer and research further, updating my photo files. 

Adrian Sinclair and Allen Kozin have done it again -- McCartney Legacy Volume 2 is just as detailed and fascinating as Volume 1.   It starts with McCartney at the start of 1974 and goes through all of the details of the Wings years in amazing detail:  Tennessee, One Hand Clapping, New Orleans, Joe English taking over as the drummer,  all of the "Wings over...." tours, recording on the boat in the Virgin Islands, Mull of Kintyre, Jimmy is out and Laurence and Steve join the group,  James' birth,  Back to the Egg, the last Wings concerts and ends with Paul in a jail cell in Japan.   It is quite a story, and the book didn't leave any stone unturned. 

I learned all sorts of little nuggets of information, such as the song "Let 'em in" was originally written with Ringo in mind.  I also read more about the dynamics of the various band members and what it was like to work for Paul McCartney.  Paul has very high expectations and is a perfectionist, which did not always align with those around him. It makes an interesting dynamic. 

I recommend this book for all fans of Paul McCartney and Wings.  It is also interesting how the book weaves the continuing story of the Beatles' break-up and the friendship between Paul and the other three Beatles into what was happening with Wings. 

If you haven't read Volume 1, please do so before starting Volume 2.  But these are must reads.  Volume 3 is currently in the works, and I am ready for it!

Clicking on the book will take you to the Amazon Affiliate Page.  I earn a tiny percentage of the money (pennies on the dollar) for any purchase made through the link.  The money earned from Amazon is used to cover the annual fee for keeping this site online.  I thank you for your support. 

Wings...The New World for Paul McCartney

 Wings...The New World for Paul McCartney

By Tony Jasper

Black County Evening Mail

March 30, 1976

        Paul McCartney sat there. Perhaps he was uncertain to which era he belonged. Was he still a Beatle? After all, here in 1976 "Yesterday", is in the top 20 with "Hey Jude", "Paperback Writer", and "Get Back"  struggling for a fresh chart life.

     In America, promoters talk of sums ranging from 25 million to $100 million as a fee if the four will come together right now.

    "I'm not disappointed", he says, with disarming simplicity "that a lot of people have never heard of The Beatles."

 No more words, but he seemed pleased.

     However, he has other concerns, and if he wonders for a moment, which world he lives in, the sheer reality of a European and American tour for Wings makes the answer definite. Paul is now a Wings man. There is, though, still Beatle blood in him. There could be a come-together for a few dates.

     Paul is with Linda, Jimmy, Joe, and Denny. On this occasion, Jimmy does most of the talking. After all, as he says, "We've much more of a group now. I'm writing so is Linda and Denny is getting things together."

     Their get-together is a launch of the new Wings album, Wings at the Speed of Sound, the successor of Band on the Run and Venus and Mars. Obviously, the album must be good. It can't be anything else with such pedigree. 

    Jimmy says it's got variety. "It's good, good songs. Linda here has a five minute song, "Cook of the House", and I got one called "Wino Junko", a warning for those who want to get messed up. Paul has a beaut called "Warm and Beautiful". It will be a big, big one.

     "I think the album takes off much more than previous ones because Wings is really flowing as a group. We stayed together and have now established a real basic feel. And our coming tours of Europe, Scandinavia, and 32 32-date trip through the States will be playing stuff from all our albums and right back to Paul's own beginning days after he left the Beatles, he will be singing "Lady Madonna" and "The Long and Winding Road"

    . The group says Britain should see them in the autumn, but if that seems ages, then Jimmy and company, not unnaturally, say take time and hear Wings at the Speed of Sound.  And for Jimmy, "This latest album is the peak moment of my career. It's that good."

Paul Needs Love to Stay a Star

 

Paul needs Love to Stay a Star

By Alasdair Buchan

Sunday Mirror

May 23, 1976

    After 15 years of music, Paul McCartney knows better than most how to cope with the pressure of a two-month tour of the United States. At the end of each grueling two-and-a-half-hour concert, he and Linda relax in their dressing room, sipping whiskey and coke and chatting to friends. After a while, they may drop into the press hospitality room with patience and professionalism, they fend off the same Beatles questions they've been answering for seven years, then a quick drive in a hired Cadillac on a Police Motorcycle escort to the airport and onto the privacy of one of the three houses they have rented in the States for the tour.

    Not for them nightly parties and hotel rooms until dawn and bleary lunchtime breakfast, which suits Linda well.  "Our job is playing music and recording," she says, "but I don't believe that means you have to live the part every hour of the day. The reason so many groups split up is that they try too hard to live up to the role others decide they should play."

     Getting away from it all is easier for Paul and Linda, thanks to their healthy bank balance. They own a home in St John's Wood, London, and a farm in Campbelltown, Scotland. There are Picasso and Magritte paintings on their walls, gifts from Linda's father, who was a lawyer, to both artists and was paid in paintings rather than dollars. But the McCartney lifestyle is not opulent.

     In London, Linda spends her time looking after a collection of pets and attending her vegetable plot. There are dogs, chickens, ducks, and a goose in the back garden. Linda's sponge cake made with goose eggs, is a family favorite. 

    "I love cooking," she says, "But I hate cleaning up. I get my daughter Heather to do that." Heather is Linda's 13-year-old from her first marriage. 

    Linda sings her first solo, "Cook of the House," on Wings, a new album; the chorus runs: "No matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like the kitchen best."  In a sense, the McCartneys regard all their activities as an extension of family life

    . A witty and pleasant bonhomie stemming from the relaxed confidence of Paul and Linda surrounds Wings, a big touring company; the McCartney children, Heather, Mary, six, and Stella, four, go along with their nanny-cum- auntie Rose, a Cockney whose refreshing earthliness would shock Christopher Robbin's Alice.

     Then there's a manager, his assistant, a road manager, an accountant, a wardrobe girl, two Greyhound bus loads of sound and tech technicians, a stage designer, two press officers, a tour photographer, and a bodyguard. 

    Paul and Linda also like to relax with friends who are not directly involved in making music. While I was with Wings, I felt I was part of the family rather than an observer. One gets the impression that Linda tries to lighten the public burden her husband endures as an ex-Beatle. 

    "A lot of people think you can knock a good star like Paul McCartney, and he'll still go on writing good stuff," she says. "People don't realize that at times, you almost have to put a star on a pedestal and say, 'hey, that's great. Well done'. People can criticize so much that they take the inspiration out of an artist," Linda says.

     "George Best was a victim of critics. What he really needed was someone to put an arm around him and say, 'Hey, love, what's wrong?'  You need someone to say 'you're a good guy. We love you'. But no one did. "

    Similar pressure in the music world, or the desire to avoid them, makes social life difficult for the McCartneys. "Most of the time, we visit other people's homes, or they come around to us," says Linda. They like the idea of popping down to the local for a pint, but they never do because of their famous faces. "We haven't figured out the answer to that one yet,"says Linda. 

    "I remember Eric Morecambe says he likes to go in and have a drink, but people keep digging him in the ribs with their spectacles on sideways, that he's got to smile, even if all he feels like doing is melting into the background after a hard day's work."

     But despite the built in defenses, Paul and Linda are generous and expansive with friends. The party they threw for close friends on the Queen Mary in California cost 40,000 pounds. Stars like Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr and Dean Martin came along. 

    Every day, the band gets presents of some kind, Wings, silver pennants, satin embroidered Wings, jackets, hand-dyed Wings T-shirts. 

    The presence you feel springs from Linda's desire to share her beautiful and comfortable life with her friends; the ease you feel in their company is a measure of the successful compromise Linda McCartney has made between her own quiet, gentle character and the raucous, often unbending pressures of her public life. When I left Linda and Paul in Houston, Texas, she kissed me and handed me a note saying, thanks for being so a part of us, and thanks to you, Linda. 

Venus and Mars Sessions

 February 1975 - New Orleans 

Way to go Wings

 

New Guitars

 

The Family Tour

 

Wings rehearsals

 

Wings over Yugoslavia