Wings (band)
Wings is the name of a music group of Paul McCartney with his first wife Linda and Denny Laine.
History
After the end of the Beatles Paul McCartney released his solo album McCartney in 1970 and 1971 along with his wife Linda McCartney album Ram. In the same year they founded the group Wings. In addition to Paul and Linda McCartney was the English guitarist Denny Laine (ex - Moody Blues ) is the only constant member of the band until its dissolution in 1981. Still original line-up to the US-based studio musician Denny Seiwell was on drums. The first album of the group entitled Wild Life was published in 1971. In February 1972, the group went ( amplified by the Irish guitarist Henry McCullough ) (ex - Grease Band ) on their first tour in the UK, where they played unannounced mainly in various universities. More concerts in Europe followed in the summer.
Initially, the band was unable to repeat the success of the Beatles commercially. Only in 1973 the breakthrough came with the single Live And Let Die, the title song of the James Bond film Live and Let Die, and the album Band on the Run. Until then, the publications of the Wings, especially with the critics were unpopular. In general, the group was not perceived as such, but merely seen as a companion volume McCartney. However, this made clear again and again in interviews that the Wings actually had a "real" band. Nevertheless, published 1973 and 1974, various singles and albums under the name " Paul McCartney & Wings".
The mid-1970s, the Wings were on the peak of the career. In the years 1975 and 1976, the group went on several tours. In Seattle, they played to over 60,000 people. The tour was documented in the film Rock Show in 1976 on the triple - LP Wings Over America and 1981.
In 1977, the song Mull of Kintyre appeared. It was the first single from the UK more than two million copies were sold, there remained the best-selling single by the year 1984 and is second on the bestseller list until now only by various charity projects.
In 1979 the last Wings album Back to the Egg with the new guitarist Laurence Juber and drummer Steve Holly. On the last tour of the UK, initiated by McCartney and UNICEF "Concert for the People of Kampuchea " was held in December 1979. A Wings tour of Japan in 1980 did not materialize, because Paul McCartney was arrested upon arrival in Tokyo for drug possession. 1981, the end of the band was officially announced.
Wings is the most successful project of an ex-Beatle. Despite initially harsh criticism and frequently changing cast succeeded Paul McCartney, weld the group into a single unit, although the majority of the songs composed by him and sung. Wings is one of 14 top- ten singles in the UK and twelve top - ten singles in the United States of the most successful groups of the 1970s.
Discography
Studio albums
Other albums
Albums with participation of Wings
- Live and Let Die - Original Soundtrack ( only the title song ), 1973
- McGear, Wings production with Mike McCartney, 1974
- Holly Days, Wings Denny Laine with production in 1977
- Japanese Tears, Wings Denny Laine with production in 1980
- Concert for the People of Kampuchea, 1981
- Wide Prairie, Linda McCartney, eight titles with Wings participation, 1998