S Poddar
Paul McCartney will offer a fresh take on his post-Beatles career, chronicling his experience with his second rock group, Wings, in a forthcoming book. Following the breakup of the Beatles at the end of the 1960s, the iconic artist, now 82, was left to face the intimidating realm of solo work. Having decided to continue producing music, he created Wings in 1971 and began a new phase of his career. Now, he looks back on those formative years in a book called Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run.
Wings’ meteoric success witnessed them churning out top-charting albums such as Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, and At the Speed of Sound. Their stadium tours selling out and musical success quieted critics who had questioned McCartney’s potential to achieve success outside the Beatles.
Talking about the new book, due to be released in November, McCartney expressed his enthusiasm: “I’m so very glad to be taken back in time to the period that was Wings and relive some of our madcap escapades through this book. Beginning again from scratch after the Beatles was mad at times. There were some very tough times, and I used to wonder if I’d made a mistake. But as we improved, I thought, ‘OK, this is really good.’ We established that Wings was a really good band. To play to gigantic crowds in the same way the Beatles did and have an effect in a different way. It was a big buzz.”
Wings was created by McCartney together with his now deceased wife, Linda, drummer Denny Seiwell, and guitarist Denny Laine. Theirs was far from being a standard approach. They reveal in the book the sudden aftermath of the breakdown of the Beatles and how it remapped the international music landscape. With changing music trends and a new culture in place, McCartney aimed to create a new image without abandoning his songwriting ardor.
The book tells the story of the band’s journey, from their initial struggles to their unplanned escapades—such as surviving a mugging in Nigeria, turning up uninvited to play at UK university halls, and touring in a ramshackle school bus while taking their children along. It also looks back at some of the most iconic songs of the time, such as Mull of Kintyre, Live and Let Die, Band on the Run, My Love, and Jet.
Throughout their existence from 1971 to 1981, Wings produced seven studio albums, some of which include London Town and Venus and Mars. Their music had a lasting impact on rock music, combining experimental themes with McCartney’s characteristic melodic skill.
With more than 100 photographs, some of them previously unpublished, the book is part of a larger resurgence of interest in Wings’ work. This new emphasis also encompasses the theatrical release of One Hand Clapping, an unusual live-in-studio concert movie, and the 50th-anniversary editions of Band on the Run and Venus and Mars.
Ted Widmer, who wrote the book in collaboration with McCartney, stressed the importance of Wings by saying, “Wings was about love, family, friendship, and artistic growth, often in the face of tremendous adversity.”
The publisher, Allen Lane, picked up the substance of the tale: “The story traces the different incarnations of the band as they are mugged in Nigeria, turn up unexpectedly at UK university halls, travel around in a sheared-off school bus with their kids, and create some of the most memorable and respected music of the decade.”
In August last year, McCartney treated fans to a glimpse of Wings’ history by posting unseen photographs as part of the release of a previously rare rockumentary. The documentary came with the launch of the lost One Hand Clapping album, presenting a new look at the band’s working process and spirit.
As the book is set for publication, McCartney’s musings are sure to provide a deeper understanding of a defining period of his life—a time that tested whether he could build a prosperous career outside the Beatles. His experience with Wings not only reaffirmed his place as a music legend but also illustrated his resiliency, innovation, and continued passion for creating music.
