Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recently purchased (on Amazon for around $15 U.S.) and read "Band on the Run," a history of Wings by Garry McGee. I did a search and didn't find another mention of it before starting this topic.

I highly recommend the book. The reviewers on Amazon thought that it was probably the best history of Wings out there. It has the good and bad, and seems to be pretty well balanced. At times, Paul doesn't come out very good, especially in his dealings with the various Wings members over the years and especially the loyal Denny. There were a lot of verbal promises to Denny and the others, but he never saw much of what he was promised. There is no doubt that Paul McCartney was and is a frugal fellow, and much of why people left was due to the small retainers he paid.
Also, Wings did limp along for a bit after the Japan pot bust. Denny was on a handful of "Tug of War" tracks for instance. The popular view is that they pretty much disbanded after the Japan bust, but that wasn't what happened. Denny's wedding gift from Paul and Linda (and how it was packaged) is revealing, but I will let you read the book for that.

As I've read books on the various Beatles over the years, it has produced mixed feelings. No one can be a saint 100% of the time, but at times it seems that people were used for a bit by all four, then discarded when they weren't of use anymore. I've read the book on Badfinger "Without You" (great book BTW, and very tragic) which reinforces that feeling. Both Paul then George worked with them for a bit, then moved on.
I know I may get beat up a bit over this, but I'm also a diehard fan since I was a kid. I bought all the old "American" LP's back in the mid to late 70's when you still could. I also started the "McCartney Rare 4001S Image" thread from an old magazine picture I'd saved, and bought my 4001S under the McCartney influence.

Reading this book has gotten me more serious about trying to get "Wings Over America" if it is out there. It was apparently a very successful worldwide concert tour.

That does sound interesting. I've read and know a lot about the Beatles but I know relatively nothing about Wings. I might have to pick this one up with my Barnes & Noble gift card.

The video "Rockshow," if you can still find it, was made on the Wings Over America tour. Parts are on "The McCartney Years" 3-CD set that came out last year. The CD set is still available as an import from Amazon. The lighting on "Rockshow" is quite dim, but the band sounds great. Of course I have no idea what anyone who played in Wings was promised, but it's my opinion that none of the members, including Denny Laine, would have made nearly as much money on their own as they did with Wings. Maybe Paul is and was cheap, but I think that any but the largest egos would have been proud to play with him for any salary. I say that, of course, never having been offered a gig with McCartney or anyone of note. Maybe I wouldn't be happy to play for scale. Without Wings, I doubt that Denny would have had much of a career after the Moody Blues on the strength of "Go Now,"especially since the Moodies didn't really get big until after he left

Look at the exposer these less-known names got just to play with a Beatle. What did he need to do? Give them millions? Alot of musicians are cheap (business savy) and Macca is no execption. It wasn't Paul Simon, it was Denny Laine. It wasn't Eric Clapton, it was Lawrence Juber. So on and so forth.

The book also refers to "Mull of Kintyre" and the millions that Laine could have made from co-writing that song alone. It sold more than 10,000,000 copies worldwide. McCartney apparently paid 90,000 pounds to Denny for all of the songs he wrote or co-wrote while in Wings, which included that song. You could argue that Laine certainly wasn't business savy (an understatement), but it appears that McCartney was perpetuating the same thing done to many song writers since the music business has been around. His relationship with Laine was very Berry Gordy-like, if you know about the history of Motown. Again, try to read that Badfinger book as well. Badfinger was also caught up in the Apple lawsuit mess, which just added to it. It has its "Spinal Tap" elements, but also has to be one of the most tragic rock band stories around.

The Wings book is a quick read and is well researched. You can then draw your own conclusions.

One of the central dichotomies of Wings is that Paul wanted to be in a 'band' - to recreate the gang mentality of the Beatles - yet he never could let go of the idea that the band should be a vehicle for his vision. It seems to me that if he'd been more generous to Henry and both of the Dennies (both financially and creatively) they might have repaid Paul with the kind of loyalty and comaraderie that he was looking for. As is was, Denny stuck in there with them, but the original Wings could have made some great music if they'd continued together.

There's that old story that Paul wanted Henry to play the solo in 'My Love' just so (sound familiar?) but Henry managed to persuade Paul to let him try his own solo just once, during the strings overdub - and Henry's (live and improvised) guitar solo in 'My Love' ending up being the best thing about the song.

Paul didn't really seem to trust the hired members of Wings (they were just hired, after all, and he'd been a Beatle) and I can understand that it might be difficult to stand up to THE Paul McCartney and say 'hey how about MY idea, then?' It must have seemed like a bit of a bait-and-switch to the other members of Wings - 'wait, I thought you wanted to be in a band...'

beefandbones wrote:One of the central dichotomies of Wings is that Paul wanted to be in a 'band' - to recreate the gang mentality of the Beatles - yet he never could let go of the idea that the band should be a vehicle for his vision....'

That "gang mentality" is, I believe, difficult, if not impossible to manufacture. I think it can only arise organically; that is from years and years,and miles and miles of playing together with one's bandmates. I think we have it in the Euphoria String Band, even though we've changed personnel several times over the years. But it seems that we each have a large pool of talented friends and acquaintances to draw from when some one might leave the band.
So that makes it easier to include a new person into the gang, as it were.

JimK

Whoa, wait---you mean Paul McCartney was in Wings??

Wow, now I REALLY like that band!

So true. Perhaps it's an insight into Paul's feelings about himself and the other Beatles at the time that he thought he could replace them with hired hands, and still keep that community spirit.

I own that Wings book too and it's pretty good. It's pretty breezy, but it does have some good information. I'm surprised though that there hasn't been a longer, more in-depth book written about Wings.

rickboy88 wrote:The book also refers to "Mull of Kintyre" and the millions that Laine could have made from co-writing that song alone. It sold more than 10,000,000 copies worldwide. McCartney apparently paid 90,000 pounds to Denny for all of the songs he wrote or co-wrote while in Wings, which included that song. You could argue that Laine certainly wasn't business savy (an understatement),

If that's true, I have to blame both Denny and Paul. If I had roughly 500 million pounds lying around, I think I would have been kind enough to give Denny at least a million of it for his songs. Some of it sounds like sour grapes, though. In any transaction, what you own is worth only what someone is willing to pay you for it. Paul failed to outbid Michael Jackson for his own songs, proving that there's a limit to everything. And is not Denny now making a living by playing McCartney songs he received no credit for writing?

I just ordered it.
Was this book just republished?
It was originally published in 2003, but this is the first I have heard of it.

Thanks for posting Rickboy88.

For about 10 years I wondered how good Macca and McGuinn might have been writing and recording a few song together...and oh what a pity the Whilbury's never had RM..........sorry for gettin off thread.

Si.......