Sir Paul McCartney has said he felt “so very happy” to relive some of his “madcap adventures” with band Wings as he announced the publication of a new book about the group. Following his success with The Beatles, the Livepool-born musician co-founded Wings in 1971, with his late wife Linda one of the members.
Based on dozens of hours of interviews with Sir Paul, Wings: The Story Of A Band On The Run, edited by historian Edward “Ted” Widmer, details the journey of the band, from its inception to the group’s dissolution in 1981. Sir Paul said: “I’m so very happy to be transported back to the time that was Wings and relive some of our madcap adventures through this book. Starting from scratch after The Beatles felt crazy at times.
“There were some very difficult moments and I often questioned my decision. But as we got better I thought, ‘OK this is really good’. We proved Wings could be a really good band. “To play to huge audiences in the same way The Beatles had and have an impact in a different way. It was a huge buzz.”.
The singer, songwriter and Beatles legend, 82, has had a career spanning more than six decades as one of the most famous stars the UK music industry has produced. In July 1971 Sir Paul and Linda teamed up with Moody Blues’ Denny Laine and drummer Denny Seiwell to start working on a Wings debut album.
Titled Wild Life, it took just two weeks, according to Sir Paul’s official website, with opening track Mumbo recorded in one take. The next year, in 1972, Sir Paul embarked on a Wings tour with the University of Nottingham the first venue on February 9.
That same year, Wings did a concert tour of Europe, notable for the eye-catching double-decker bus which was used, with its psychedelic colour scheme ensuring nobody missed it along its travels. Wings went on to have hits with songs including Mull Of Kintyre, James Bond film theme Live And Let Die, Band on the Run and more, before they disbanded in 1981.
In 2022, Sir Paul, then aged 80, delivered a history-making Glastonbury headline set as he became the festival’s oldest solo headliner. In December 2024 he played songs by Wings and The Beatles to a packed crowd at London’s O2 Arena in a performance that saw him welcome his former Beatles bandmate Sir Ringo Starr to the stage.
