October 18, 2021

1974 - April: Paul McCartney and Wings ”Band On the Run”

39 minutes

Band on the Run would be the turning point for Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career. After completing two solo albums, McCarney formed Paul McCartney and Wings, with the Wings name being inspired by a time of prayer at the hospital while his wife Linda was having serious complications delivering their second child.

Wings had already produced two albums which had met with mixed reviews. McCartney had picked an exotic locale of Lagos, Nigeria as the recording spot for "Band on the Run," and just before heading out, guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Selwell left the band. That left Paul, his wife Linda, and former Moody Blues alum Denny Laine to complete the album.

Nigeria might have been exotic, but it was a horrible choice as a recording location. The country was run by a corrupt military dictatorship, was in the midst of a cholera epidemic, and the studio was in very poor shape. Despite all these problems,the band would turn in a spectacular critical and commercial success.

The album has a theme of escape and freedom. It was being put together at the same time as George Harrison, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr all were in litigation against Allen Klein, a hardnosed business manager appointed to run Apple Records in 1969. McCartney had strongly opposed Klein's appointment at the time, and some of the confidence that comes through in the album may come from a sense of being proven right about Klein.

McCartney insisted on recording with Linda despite her lack of previous experience as a musician because he didn't want them to be apart while he was on tour. Linda McCartney would be a part of the band from the beginning of Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career.

Band on the Run

The opening track and title song is a medley of three songs that all reflect freedom and escape. The lyric, "if we ever get out of here" was inspired by George Harrison in one of the Beatles' business meetings. The original demo recording for "Band on the Run" was stolen at knife-point in Lagos, and the band had to basically re-record it from memory.

Mamunia

This deep cut, gets its name from the Mamounia Hotel where the McCartneys stayed in Marrakesh, Morocco in 1973. Mamounia means "safe haven" in Arabic, and McCartney considered it a metaphor for rebirth, continuing the "freedom" theme that would permeate the album. It was the first song recorded for the album.

Helen Wheels

This song was not intended to be a part of the album, and does not appear on the British release. Capitol Records convinced Paul McCartney to include it on the American release of the album. The track is a road trip song, and takes its name from the nickname of the McCartney's Land Rover, "hell on wheels."

Jet

The first single from the album was actually preceded by Helen Wheels as a non-album single released separately. It went to number 7 on both the British and American charts at the end of March. The name is supposedly inspired by the name of the McCartney's Labrador Retriever, though Paul McCartney has also indicated that it was also the name of a pony he owned.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Daybreak by Harry Nilsson (from the motion picture Son of Dracula)

A cult classic movie starring Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson with Peter Frampton, John Bonham, Keith Moon, and other rock stars.

STAFF PICKS:

Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo by Rick Derringer

Wayne features a rock anthem based off a seductive dance from the 1880's. Derringer originally wrote the song for Johnny Winter, but re-recorded it when he went solo. In addition to working with Johnny Winter, he also played in Edgar Winter's group on both "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride." Derringer also plays guitar on Weird Al Yankovic's parody, "Eat It."

Jungle Boogie by Kool & the Gang

Rob cranks up the funk with an early Kool & the Gang hit off their fourth album. The band got their start 10 years prior to this in 1964 after high school. The scat sound is from a roadie for the band.

The Loco-Motion by Grand Funk Railroad

Brian's pick this week is a cover originally performed by Little Eva in 1962. The song was surprisingly successful despite the unusual choice of a 60's dance song being remade by a hard rock band.

Already Gone by The Eagles

Bruce brings us the first single from the third Eagle's album "On the Border." This song penned by Jack Tempchin and Rob Strandlund is the relational equivalent of a "you can't fire me, I quit" song.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) by MFSB

Almost entirely an instrumental, this disco track will take us out of this week's podcast. MFSB stands for "Mother, Father, Sister, Brother."

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By Rob Marbury, Wayne Rowan, Bruce Fricks, John Lynch

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