The Story of the Band on the Run by Paul McCartney and Wings: Recording, Tracks, Inspiration

By 1973. Paul McCartney released four studio albums and several singles after the breakup of the Beatles, but few took him seriously. Critics came down on him, as did many fans... And while his first two albums were not deserving of scorn, the next two were frankly not up to the standards of a songwriter of his caliber. On the other hand, in terms of sales, George Harrison was the most successful ex-Beatle, and John Lennon earned critical respect with his first two solo albums. Everything was playing against Paul, who seems to have already began to be written off…

Moreover, the general public had the feeling that the bassist was responsible for the split of the Liverpool Four, since it was he who announced it and was alone against three of his former bandmates who had joined To Allen Klein! However, much changed after Lennon, Harrison and Ringo Starr eventually sued Klein.

It allowed McCartney to feel a moral victory after years of confronting his three best friends. It also gave him strength, and Paul felt it was time to get back in the game. He felt that if he didn't do it now, he would never do it again... So he rather boldly but confidently declared to his wife Linde:

"Either I give up and die forever as a creator, or I get my magic back. It's now or never!"

If this had been a science fiction movie, stars and colored lightning would have been coming from McCartney at that moment, but since it wasn't a movie, it soon started coming out some of the best songs his solo work... And it was the real magic that got the ex-beatle back on track!

An exotic journey in search of inner magic...

When Paul, Linda, and the rest of their group Wings set to work, McCartney found his ambition restored. In his own words, he felt that something global was happening-something that should turn his entire career upside down, whether for bad or for good (which, of course, was wishful thinking). Feeling the incredible a burst of ideas and energyPaul decided to go on an exotic journey to continue working on what would later become his fateful record...

McCartney decided to go to an exotic place to record and chose Lagos, Nigeriawithout a second thought! However, when he and his team arrived there, they found a country that had just emerged from a civil war and was ruled by a military regime... To put it mildly, it was not a very inspiring environment (although that depends on who is inspiring what). Worse, the studio was not in the best condition, and some areas were better left out.

For Paul, this journey almost ended... death! As a true wanderer, interested in every corner around, he still wandered into one of the hazardous areaswhere he was robbed at knifepoint under threats! In addition, several written lyrics and song demos were lost...

As if that weren't enough, Paul's anger soon descended on him Fela Kuti - Nigerian multi-instrumentalist. Kuti literally stormed into Wings' studio in a fury, believing that a white rock star was about to do what white music stars had long been doing: APPROVE music made by musicians of color, and reveal to the world their irresistible "afrobeat.".

Very quickly, however, Kuti was reassured: McCartney played him some of his demos, and Fela realized that Paul wasn't going to steal his style. This led to the two finding common ground and becoming quite good mates! Kuti even invited Paul and Linda to one of his performances at the Temple in Lagos, which McCartney still remembers with excitement...

Songs from the album

Kuti really had nothing to worry about, since for "Band on the Run" McCartney decided to draw inspiration from his later work with the Beatles. Now that the hatchet was finally buried with his ex-colleagues, Paul decided to pick up where he left off: with the glorious second "Abbey Road."...Indeed: The "A" side reminds me of the old glory days of the Liverpool Four. But not the second side of "Band on the Run". Actually, a little bit about the songs...

Title track - one of the best songs of McCartney's solo career! The title was taken from a phrase Harrison uttered at one of the Beatles' business meetings in 1969, another hint of their glorious past. From the moment the guitar riff opened the song, it was clear that the magic was back! The same magic that McCartney was so good at...

The rest of the first side is a clean and bright spark of melodic intertwining! The sound jumps from power pop to the irresistible glam rock! One of the most infectious compositions is undoubtedly "Bluebird."which can easily be put on a par with his great acoustic tracks. A true gem...

The blue bird follows Mrs Vandebilt, a track endowed with one of his signature infectious bass lines! Closes out the side "Let Me Roll It", a song with a sharp guitar riff and a hoarse echoing voice, which many critics compared to Lennon's solo work. Somewhere in the beginning of this side is also lost "Jet".

As for the "B" side, it's a little less hit than the "A" side. However, it is beautiful in its own way... The song "Mamunia." serves as a kind of Afro-soul track with a dazzling lightness in its sound. "No Words" and "Helen Wheels" are also worthy of the listener's attention. However, the most interesting track is "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)"! It was written by Paul in Jamaica in less than 20 minutes after the actor Dustin Hoffman told him that he didn't believe McCartney could write a song "about anything. Apparently he was very wrong...

"The great old painter died that night,
Leaving the paintings on the wall.
Before he left, he wished us well.
And good night to us all.
"Drink to me, drink to my health,
You know, I can't drink anymore..."

The story goes that Hoffman handed Paul a newspaper with the news of the death of Pablo Picasso and the last words he spoke were: "Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can't drink anymore." In addition to winning the bet, the song serves as a link between the two sides thanks to a great orchestral arrangement and brief performances of two songs from the "A" side, "Jet" and "Mrs. Vandebilt."

The album closes with a spectacular song "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" with a strong piano, an adrenaline-pumping melody, and an impressive ending with a guitar solo (courtesy of McCartney himself), joined by full orchestra!

Long-awaited success

He succeeded: critics and the public loved the albumand Paul was named "the most successful Beatle. That same year there was a final reconciliation with Lennon, and things became rosy again for the most optimistic Beatle, but McCartney would never again feel that jab of ambition and rivalry for the rest of his career. Great songs continued to emerge, but no album would ever again reach the level of this or of the underappreciated "Ram"…