Paul McCartney & Wings, the #50 Artist of the Rock Era, Part One

"Some of the best music ever."

"So many great Wings tunes."

"The Wings era was a phenomenal period."

"Amazing how much of this music was the soundtrack to my childhood."

"Inspirational music."

"Pure genius."

"Wings were a great band!"

"The music from Paul McCartney and Wings will continue to entertain us, try to make us happy, and make us feel good for many many years to come."

"They were on fire!"

"Forty years later and people are still on YouTube listening to their music."

"Thank you Paul and Wings, you are formidable!"

"They were one of the top acts of the '70s."

"Wings forever."

"Wings' music is shear genius."

"The wonder of it all, baby."

After the official breakup of the Beatles in 1970, Paul McCartney recorded the album McCartney and teamed up with wife Linda on keyboards for the 1971 album Ram.  McCartney had already been part of the most successful group the world had ever known, but in a bold step, began auditioning musicians in London and New York City with designs of forming another group.  

McCartney founded Wings with Linda, drummer Denny Seiwell (who had played on the Ram sessions) and guitarist Denny Laine, formerly with the Moody Blues.  The Moodies had opened for the Beatles on several occasions and Denny and Paul knew each other well.  Laine, who had gone on to lead the Incredible String Band and Ginger Baker's Air Force, was working on a solo album at the time, but dropped those plans to join the group.  Importantly, in addition to his vocal and guitar abilities, Laine brought his songwriting talent as well, as since 1957, McCartney was used to working with a strong musical partner.

Thus, the band began rehearsing in Paul's Rude Studio, which it certainly was (a small shed on a hillside in Kintyre), but it gave the four a chance to get to know each other musically with a minimum of outside interference.  "We started with old rock 'n' roll numbers, Buddy Holly, Elvis and them, and it all just felt right," Laine recalled in Phillip Norman's book The Life.  "Nobody knew we were there, and no one around there knew who we were.  There was no publicity...no pressure."

Although the group had no name at this point, they quickly recorded eight tracks, five of them in one take.  Paul asked Seiwell to teach Linda how to play keyboards.  On September 13, Linda went onto labor with the couple's second child and was taken to King's College Hospital in London.  She had to undergo an emergency Caesarian section because of a condition known as placenta previa, where the placenta is too close to the uterus.  Paul later said he had "prayed like mad" and was answered by a vision of angels above Mother Mary, with McCartney seeing a host of golden, spreading...wings.  This is how the group got their name.

Wings released their debut album Wild Life later in the year.  Just as they had done on the album Ram, critics blasted the inclusion of Linda on keyboards and backing vocals, with her possessing no prior musical experience.  Paul insisted on having her in the band, so that he wouldn't have to leave her when he went on the road.  Wild Life has been certified Gold.

Shortly after the album's release, Wings hired guitarist Henry McCullough and the band drove around the United Kingdom in an impromptu tour of universities.  The typical process for this tour was that McCartney and the group would show up at a university and politely ask if they could play there!  There was minimal preparation, just two roadies to help with equipment, a 12-seat van and a white trailer.  No route was planned and no hotels were reserved in advance.

 

McCartney was deeply affected by the events of Bloody Sunday and wrote "Give Ireland Back To The Irish" as a response.  The song reached #16 in the U.K. despite a significant ban by the BBC and #21 in the U.S.

 

Later in the year, Wings released another non-album single, "Hi, Hi, Hi", which this time was banned by some radio stations in the United States because of feelings that it advocated drug use.  It nonetheless hit #10 in the U.S., #5 in both the U.K. and Canada.  

 

In 1973, the group renamed themselves Paul McCartney and Wings to emphasize their famous leader, and released the album Red Rose Speedway.  "My Love" established itself as one of the top songs of the year, jumping to #1 on both the Popular (#1 for 4 weeks) and Adult chart (#1 for 3 weeks) in the United States, #2 in Canada, #3 in New Zealand, #5 in Australia and #9 in the U.K.  The single sold over one million copies.

Red Rose Speedway has followed suit and also went Gold.  The group was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group at the American Music Awards.

Wings recorded the theme song for the James Bond movie Live and Let Die, which brought together McCartney with the Beatles' producer and arranger George Martin.  The single raced to #2 in both the U.S. and Canada, #4 in Norway, #5 in Australia and #7 in the United Kingdom and also was certified Gold.  McCartney and Wings were nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus and Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture at the Grammy Awards and Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.

 

The group starred in the television special James Paul McCartney, which featured the group performing in concert and before a studio audience.  The band toured Great Britain to much success and got set to record their next album in the summer to take advantage of the Christmas market.  

Paul searched for an EMI recording studio that would provide a different and unique atmosphere.  He booked the month of September in Lagos, Nigeria.  The band rehearsed throughout August in Scotland, where they had gotten their start.   However, McCullough and Seiwell both quit prior to recording sessions.  

The relationship between McCartney and McCullough and soured in recent months as Henry's drinking led to problems.  During a performance of "My Love" on the BBC program Top of the Pops, McCullough threw up.  The demanding McCartney and the free-lance McCullough also clashed on Henry's guitar playing.  Paul insisted that the guitar parts should be planned in advance while McCullough preferred to improvise.  Two weeks before the group was due to depart to Nigeria, the two got in a heated argument as Paul wanted Henry to play a certain way and McCullough resisted.  Paul stormed out, got on his horse and rode home.  McCullough reacted by getting in his car and never returning.

Sewell, for his part, didn't feel he was getting a share of profits, as he was still earning 70 British pounds per week two years after the group began.  There was also the disagreement about how the situation with McCullough was handled.  The night before the plane ride to Nigeria, Sewell left as well.

Even with the last-minute defections, Paul was determined to forge ahead.  The McCartneys and Laine carried on as a trio and Paul brought Geoff Emerick, the engineer on the Beatles' Abbey Road, to oversee the project. 

Nigeria wasn't the glamorous location Paul had envisioned.  It was monsoon season in Lagos, with horrendous rainstorms every afternoon.  Nigeria at the time was under the repressive rule of President Yakubu Gowon, who had caused a million deaths from genocide and famine just three years prior when residents of Biafra dared to break away on their own.

The studio had a bare minimum of equipment and no soundproof booth, so brining Emerick along was a good move.  Emerick insisted on making the studio soundproof and not only hired carpenters, but picked up a hammer and worked on the building project himself.

One night, Paul and Linda walked back to their villa from a brainstorming session with Denny and Emerick.  A car pulled up beside them.  After a brief exchange, the car moved ahead and parked.  Five men got out, one with a knife.  After Paul handed over the bag he was carrying, they were allowed to leave, about the best result the McCartneys could have had.

The bag held lyric sheets and cassettes of the songs rehearsed in Scotland.  But since Paul had long ago made it a habit to memorize everything he wrote, the effect on the album's recording was minimal.

Wings released the album Band on the Run in 1974.  "Helen Wheels" was the lead single, a #4 smash in Canada that also hit #10 in the U.S.

 

"Jet" was a Top 10 hit in seven countries, including a peak of #2 in New Zealand, #5 in Canada and #7 in both the United States and the U.K.

 

The album has sold over three million copies in the United States alone.  Wings saved the best song for last, as the title song catapulted up the charts to #1 in the United States, Canada and New Zealand and #3 in the United Kingdom.  "Band On The Run" has also sold over one million singles. 

 

Wings won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus and were nominated for Album of the Year.  The album was later tabbed in 2012 for Historical Album of the Year.  "1985" is another solid song on Band on the Run.

 

"Let Me Roll It" is also a fan favorite.

 

Lead guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, formerly with Thunderclap Newman, joined the band, and drummer Geoff Britton joined shortly afterward.  The band traveled to Nashville, Tennessee and recorded while staying at the farm of songwriter Curly Putman, Jr.  The song "Junior's Farm" is the story of that experience, and it became another big hit, #3 in the U.S. and New Zealand, #10 in Canada.

 

The flip side also received considerable airplay.

Join us for Part II of the Wings story!

Queen, The #51 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Three

 

(Continued from Part Two)

 Queen released the album The Game in 1980, which featured another huge hit, "Another One Bites The Dust".  It gave the group another #1 hit of three weeks and helped The Game go to #1 on the Album chart for five weeks.

The song won an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single and Queen was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group.  Queen also earned Grammy nominations for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Producer of the Year.

"Dragon Attack" was a Top Track*.  Another one penned by May, it is about a love for music, written at a time when fans wanted more songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody" (the "dragon on my back") and the group wanted to evolve and grow.

 

May wrote and played piano on this song after he was witness to the painful breakup of a friend's marriage--"Save Me".

 

The Game has now sold over four million copies.  "Play The Game" was a hit in some countries and is a worthy track.  The dominant sounds in the instrumental section are from an Oberheim OB-X synthesizer.

Queen expanded their 1981 tour to include South America, playing before 300,000 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  They then recorded the single "Under Pressure" with David Bowie, which was a Top 10 hit in some European countries but success did not spread, falling far short at #29 in the United States.  

No less than 26 consecutive singles failed to reach the Top 10 in the U.S. until the re-release of "Bohemian Rhapsody".  Eighteen singles have failed since then.

The band released their compilation album Greatest Hits, now the best-selling album in the history of the U.K. charts.  It has sold over eight million copies in the U.S. and over 25 million worldwide.

In 1982, Queen released the album Hot Space which was a giant letdown.  The band had to cut an American tour short due to lack of interest.  After the tour, they switched from Elektra Records to EMI/Capitol.

Unable to fill venues, Queen took a year off from touring.  May and Taylor released solo projects before the group released the album The Works in 1984.  Once again, it failed in the U.S. but was a successful seller in the U.K.  Europe loved "Radio Ga Ga" but it stopped at #11 in Canada and #16 in the U.S.

May wrote this one about the trigger-happy leaders of the world.  "Hammer To Fall".

Similarly, "I Want To Break Free" reached the Top 10 everywhere except North America.  Session musician Fred Mandel played the famous solo on a Roland synthesizer keyboard.

Queen's tour included dates in South Africa, a violation of the cultural boycott of the apartheid country.  When they returned, the group was placed on the United Nation's blacklisted artists.

In 1985, Queen played before 300,000 people on consecutive nights at the Rock in Rio Festival in Rio de Janeiro.  They then played at Live Aid in London's Wembley Stadium later in the year and released the boxed set The Complete Works.

In 1986, Queen released the album A Kind of Magic before going on tour.  They played before one million people, including a then-record 400,000 in the U.K.

 

"One Vision" is a great rocker from the album, inspired by their experience at Live Aid, where the world really could come together.

Contrast that song with the haunting ballad "Who Wants To Live Forever" and fans are treated to the versatility of this amazing group.  May wrote this for the movie Highlander.

 

The band released the album The Miracle in 1989.  The single "I Want It All" reached the Top 10 everywhere except Austria (where it was #11) and the United States, with a peak of #50.

"Breakthru", the union of the song "A New Life Is Born" (an unreleased song by Mercury) and a song written mostly by Taylor with contributions from the rest of the group, is a Top Track*.

Meanwhile, Mercury was diagnosed as being HIV positive back in 1987, although he denied to the media that anything was wrong.  Mercury and Queen continued to record and perform as if that was the case, releasing the album Innuendo, now on Hollywood Records, in 1991.  The last great Mercury-penned song is "The Show Must Go On".  May was worried Freddie wouldn't be able to sing it, but he came through in flying colors.

Later in the year, the band released the compilation Greatest Hits II, which has sold over 16 million copies around the world.  

Finally, Mercury admitted that he had AIDS on November 23.  Within 24 hours, he died.  

In 1992, "Bohemian Rhapsody" was included on the soundtrack to Wayne's World and renewed popularity led to the re-release of the single.  This time, it rocketed up to #2 for five weeks in the United States and Queen earned an MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a movie.  The compilation Classic Queen reached #4 and sold over three million copies.

 

In 1995, Queen released the album Made in Heaven, which contained work done by Mercury prior to his death.  The single "Heaven For Everyone" did not generate significant worldwide interest, but it is still a worthy track.

 

May wrote "Too Much Love Will Kill You" between the albums A Kind of Magic and the Miracle while he was going through marital problems.  Of all the songs he has written, he is proudest of this one.

 

"I Was Born To Love You" was originally a solo Mercury song.

After performing "The Show Must Go On" with Elton John in Paris, Elton encouraged Queen to go out on tour again.  In 1999, the group released the album Greatest Hits III.  Queen were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.  

In 2002, Queen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6358 Hollywood Boulevard and "Bohemian Rhapsody" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.  

May and Taylor announced a reunion and that they would tour with Paul Rodgers, lead singer of Bad Company and Free, replacing Mercury as lead vocalist.  Deacon decided to stay in retirement.  Queen performed in the U.S., Europe and Japan.  

The arrangement with Rodgers worked out well and the new lineup released the album The Cosmos Rocks in 2008.  In 2011, Queen received the BMI Icon Award.  

Queen then hired Adam Lambert to sing lead onstage and they played in England, Russia, the Ukraine and Poland in 2012. Queen performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and with Lambert aboard, toured the U.S. in 2014.

The band released the album Queen Forever with three new tracks.  They toured Europe and Asia in 2016.

Queen collected 24 career hits, with four of those reaching the Top 10 and two going to #1.

Estimates of Queen sales range from 100 million to 300 million.  

The group won one American Music Award out of two nominations, was nominated for five Grammy Awards and won one MTV Video Music Award.

Queen, The #51 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

(Continued from Part One)

 

In 1976, Queen released the album A Day at the Races, which went to #1 in the U.K. and Japan and #5 in the United States.  The album was similar to its predecessor, as evident on the single "Somebody To Love".  Mercury, May and Taylor recorded their voices on multiple tracks to serve as a 100-voice gospel choir.  It climbed to #2 in Canada, #3 in Ireland, #6 in the Netherlands, #7 in the U.K. and #16 in the United States.

 

We think "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" is an example of their best work.  Written by May, it includes two choruses written in Japanese.  May played both plastic piano and harmonium, and Queen brought in a local choir to add to the vocals at the end.

 

This was one of the group's best early rockers.  May wrote the song in Tenerife while he was studying for his Ph.D. in astronomy.  He wrote the riff on a Spanish guitar and then woke up early one morning and played it while singing "tie your mother down".  May considered it a joke, but in the world of Freddie Mercury, it is a Queen song--"Tie Your Mother Down".

Queen shows off their layered harmony and May's unique sound achieved from using a six pence as a guitar pick on "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy".

 Inspired by Queen's first tour of Japan, this song uses the Japanese Pentatonic scale for its melody and is written by Mercury about his partner David Minns.  With more of those amazing Queen harmonies, "You Take My Breath Away".

  

"It did literally take my breath away when I first heard it," said The Struts' Luke Spiller. "The opening sequence, the vocal stacking, the notes Freddie hit. I remember specifically learning how to go into my falsetto range from that song – it showed me things I could do with my voice that I didn’t know I could do."

Queen toured the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan and played before 150,000 at a free concert in Hyde Park of London.  They returned the following year with the album News of the World.  The first single "We Are The Champions" was often preceded on the radio by "We Will Rock You", and both became sports anthems played throughout the world in the 40 years since.  It hit the Top 5 in the U.K., Canada, the Netherlands and the U.S.

 

News of the World has now sold over four million copies in the U.S. alone.  In 1978, Queen returned with the album Jazz.  However, the double single "Fat Bottomed Girls" and "Bicycle Race" paled compared to previous efforts from the group.  It raced to #5 in the Netherlands and #10 in Ireland, but stalled at #24 in the United States.

"Spread Your Wings" is a fan favorite written by Deacon.

 

"Don't Stop Me Now" was a Top 10 hit in the U.K. and ended up selling over one million copies in the United States.  While May loved the song, there was the undercurrent of danger and the other members of the group were very concerned about Freddie at this time who was using lots of drugs and having sex with any man who would have him.  As we all know now, those concerns were validated. 

 

After a tour, Queen released the album Live Killers in 1979, which has sold over two million copies.  Later in the year, they released the eclectic single "Crazy Little Thing Called Love".  It rose to #1 in Australia for seven weeks and #1 in the United States for four weeks and also topped charts in Canada and the Netherlands.  

Queen performed in London at the Concert for the People of Kampuchea, organized by Paul McCartney.

 

The busy group also recorded the music for the soundtrack to the movie Flash Gordon.

Join us for Part Three!