Listen to What the Man Said

Listen to What the Man Said was recorded in 1975 during Wings' stop in New Orleans.  The song featured the newest member of Wings Joe English on drums.  Geoff Britton, who had been Wings drummer, was let go for various reasons.  He did not get along well with Jimmy McCulloch or Denny Laine, allegedly he was involved in an altercation with McCulloch that did not set well with the McCartney's.  Britton also gave an interview where he stated that he was the only health nut in the group that didn't take drugs, bad idea.  McCartney gave him the sack during the Venus and Mars sessions. 
            Listen to What the Man Said was the first single taken from the soon to be released album Venus and Mars.  Guest musicians on the song were Dave Mason on guitar and Tom Scott on saxophone. 
           The B-side of the single was Love in Song.  The single was released on May 16, 1975.  Both songs were written and produced by Paul McCartney.  The song went to number 6 on the British Charts and number 1 in America.  The song was included on the compilation albums: All the Best! and Wingspan: Hits and History.

Walking in the Park with Eloise

Walking in the Park with Eloise was written by Paul McCartney's father during the 1950's.  The song was recorded while Wings were in Nashville,Tennessee in June and July of 1974.  The new Wings line up of Paul, Linda, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch and Geoff Britton are featured on the recording, along with Nashville legends Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer.  The song was issued as a single backed with the McCartney instrumental Bridge on the River Suite.  The song was not credited to McCartney or Wings and sales were poor.  The song was credited to The Country Hams. 

Junior's Farm

Junior's Farm is a song written by Paul McCartney and recorded by Wings.  The song was released in October of 1974.  The recording for this song was done in Nashville Tennessee.  The band was staying at the farm of Curly Putnam Jr. in Nashville when Paul wrote the song. 

The song is a strong rocker, with a great guitar solo provided by Wings new lead guitarist, young Jimmy McCulloch.  The band also had a new drummer, Geoff Britton.  Britton didn't last long, conflicts with McCulloch and founding member Denny Laine eventually drove him out, but at the time the band was flying high.  They were fresh from the success of their album Band on the Run and Junior's Farm would climb the charts all over the world making it to number 3 in the US.  Even the flipside Sally G made it to number 17 on the charts.

Sally G, was also recorded in Nashville and has a definite country feel, compete with violins and steel guitar.  The lyrics are about a love gone wrong in Nashville Tennessee.

Band on the Run (Single)

The single Band on the Run was issued in America on April 8, 1974.  It was the fourth and bestselling single from the album of the same name.  In the US the B-side was Nineteen hundred and eighty-five, but in other parts of the world the band opted to put an unreleased track called Zoo gang as the B-side.

McCartney told DJ Paul Gambaccini that the song started with the line "if we ever get out of here".  A line which Paul attributes to George Harrison.  Apparently George uttered the line while sitting through a particularly long and boring meeting at Apple.  McCartney says that George was saying something like 'we are all prisoners in some way'.  Paul thought "that would be a good way to start an album".

Mrs. Vanderbilt

This single was released in January 1974.  Both the A-side and B-side were tracks from the album Band on the Run.  The songs were only released as a single in Continental Europe. The song "Mrs. Vanderbilt" was recorded in Lagos, Nigeria with additional sound being added in London.  "Bluebird" is an acoustic number that Wings used to perform during their acoustic breaks during their Wings Over the World Tour. The musicians who played on these songs were:
                                      Paul McCartney-Drums, Guitar, Bass & Vocals
                                      Linda McCartney-keyboards and backings vocals
                                      Denny Laine-Guitar and backing vocals
                                      Howey Casey-Saxophone

Jet

Jet is a single that was released in late 1973.  The song was taken from the 1973 album, Band on the Run.  When it was first released the song Mamunia was the b-side, but on later pressings it had been changed to the song Let Me Roll It.  McCartney's dog "Jet" is said to have been the original inspiration for the song.  The song rose to the number 7 spot on the charts in both the US and the UK.  The Australian band Jet, took their name from this song.  Paul McCartney, after more than 35 years, still includes both Jet and Let me Roll it in  his live shows.

Band on the Run

Band on the Run was released in December of 1973 and quickly climbed the charts in countries all around the world. This album, Wings' third, was the band's first triumph. Paul has said many times that this is his favorite Wings album. The album won a grammy and stayed on the charts for three years. Everything Paul has recorded since Band on the Run inevitably gets compared to it.

The album was not an easy one to make however. Paul's first choice to record was famed Abbey Road studios, but they were booked solid and Paul was forced to choose another venue for his band to work in. He asked EMI for a list of studios they owned or had access to around the world and after considering different parts of the world he decided on Nigeria. Paul and Linda both loved African music and thought it would be great to record in "the rhythm capital of the world".

Five days before they were to leave for Africa, lead guitarist Henry McCullough quit the band. Then, only three hours before departure, Denny Seiwell informed Paul that he wouldn't make the trip. So, two of the five five members of Wings quit just before the making of this album. Band on the Run is essentially a Paul McCartney/Denny Laine album. Linda added some back-up vocals here and there, but Paul and Denny played all the instruments and worked out the arrangements for the songs. Denny even co-wrote the song No Words with Paul.

Before they left, Paul and Linda thought Africa would be great. Lagos, Nigeria was near the coast. They thought they would lay around on the beach all day and record at leisure during the evening. Unfortunately it was the rainy season.

Other problems arose once they got there as well. The studio wasn't finished being built. They had to ask for glass to be put in the windows. Also, the African Musicians thought they were trying to steal their sounds, so there was tension there. Paul and Linda were mugged one evening when they ignored the rules about going out alone after dark. They were picked up by a roving band of criminals and taken to the beach where they were robbed and lucky to have escaped with their lives. Paul collapsed during recording and upon being taken to the hospital was informed he was smoking far too much. Through all of this they managed to create a masterpiece.

Paul played the bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, piano, organ and Denny Laine played guitar, percussion and bass guitar. Paul sang lead and Denny and Linda added backing vocals. The songs they recorded for the album were: Band on the Run, Jet, Bluebird, Mrs. Vanderbilt, Let me Roll it, Mamunia, No Words, Helen Wheels, Picasso's Last Words and Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five. The album was produced by Paul, with the assistance of engineer Geoff Emerick (Emerick worked with George Martin on a number of Beatle albums and is regarded very highly in the recording industry). There were a number of hit singles that were taken from the album as well. The song Picasso's last words was based on an article Dustin Hoffman had been reading that described Picasso's last words, "Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can't drink anymore." Paul was in Jamaica vacationing and met Dustin Hoffman there and they were spending some time together, when Hoffman asked him if he could write a song about anything, Paul said it depended on the topic, so Hoffman showed him the article and Paul started playing his guitar and singing right there in front of him. (That's the story I heard anyway). It's a great album, even the cover attracts attention for the group Paul organized to be the "Band on the Run". In the cover photo were Talk show host Michael Parkinson, Actor/comedian Kenny Lynch, Actor Jame Coburn, Member of parliament and grandson of Sigmund Clement Freud, Actor Christopher Lee, Liverpool boxer John Conteh, and Paul, Linda and Denny. The album went Platinum three times over in the US and platinum in the UK. It went to number one in countries all over the world. It was a major triumph for Wings.