Wings is an American-English group formed in 1971 by ex Beatles Paul McCartney, who will be surrounded originally by his wife Linda McCartney, Denny Seiwell and Denny Laine (ex Moody Blues).
The name Wings is said to have come to McCartney while he was in the maternity hospital for the birth of his second child, namely his daughter Stella. Childbirth which would have gone very badly and which would have seen the singer praying that his wife and the unborn child survive. It was during this prayer that he would have seen wings appear in his mind, hence the name Wings ...
The band released his first album "Wild life" the year they were formed and for a debut album it was particularly successful. The album hit the shelves and launched the group onto the international stage in a resounding fashion. Paradoxically, no title will be classified ...
In 1972, 3 new Singles were released outside the album, "Give Ireland back to the Irish" (in response to the tragic events of Bloody Sunday), "Mary had a little lamb" and "Hi, Hi, Hi". Three titles that will not go unnoticed this time, far from it. The 3 are huge global successes and confirm the spectacular rise of the group.
New album "Red Rose speedaway" in 1973 this time under the group name Paul McCartney & Wings. Album which will be even stronger than its predecessor, in particular thanks to the enormous Single "My love", Single which will undoubtedly remain as the flagship title of the album.
The year 1973 saw the group walk on water with the release of the title "Live and let die", a title that we will find on the soundtrack of the 8th James Bond opus which bears the same name. The title is a huge global success and remains to this day one of the most significant titles in the Bond saga.
A year 1973 which does not end with the release of a new album "Band on the run". And unbelievably, this second album of the year is going to become quite simply the highest ranked album of all the band's discography, just that. Album carried at arm's length by the Singles "Helen wheels", "Jet" but also, and above all, by the flagship Single "Band on the run".
It was the turn of the album "Venus and Mars" to be released in 1975, an album that once again confirmed the band's heavyweight status. Even if its level of success could not match that achieved by the previous album, it allows the group to maintain its position at the head of the leading pack, notably thanks to titles like "Letting go", "Venus and Mars" as well as "Listen to what the man said”, title which will remain indisputably as the reference title of the album.
At this stage, nothing is able to thwart their grip on the international music scene with the release of a new hit album "Wings at the speed of sound" in 1976. Album from which will be extracted one of their most emblematic titles, namely "Silly love songs", Single which will offer McCartney the supreme distinction of being one of the very rare artists to have obtained two titles ranked No.1 in the American Billboard with 2 different groups, a real feat ! Album from which will be extracted another Single of very high caliber namely "Let 'em in".
An incredible success which is confirmed the following year in 1977 with the release of a new jewel namely the title "Mull of Kyntire", title written in homage to the Scottish region where McCartney had taken up residence in the early 1970s. Shortly before Christmas at that time, the title will become a huge success and remains to this day one of the artist's flagship titles.
And the adventure continued in 1978 with the release of the album "London town", an album which saw the group evolve towards a more peaceful level of sound, particularly at the synthesizer level. Album whose flagship Single will be "With a little luck" and to a lesser extent "I've had enough" and "London town".
The end of the decade saw the group change label, with a McCartney who left Capitol (label with which he had worked since his beginnings...) to move to Columbia Records. A change of label that will allow them to tackle new goals.
On the positive side, this change will definitively consecrate the group with the non-album release in 1979 of the Single "Goodnight tonight", a Single which will undoubtedly remain as their biggest success on the Dancefloor side. The band proves in a big way with this Single that they excel in all possible musical fields and that they are unquestionably one of the major groups of the decade.
On the negative side, the album "Back to the egg" which came out the same year was not going to reach the expected levels of success and shows for the first time that the group may have reached the maximum of what it was able to do. Album that will save the furniture only with the title "Getting closer".
An adventure that unfortunately took a much darker turn when McCartney was arrested in Japan in 1980 in possession of 220 grams of marijuana while preparing to start an 11-date tour there with the Wings. Immediate consequences, the whole tour is canceled and the singer is even jailed for 10 days before being expelled from the country.
Not to mention more and more differences within the group on the musical direction to be given to future productions of the group, differences that will seriously affect the atmosphere within the group. With the consequence of an inevitable disappearance which will take place rather quickly and this in spite of the later production of some titles which will not change anything unfortunately the situation.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
70s Decade :
Love is strange 1971
Wild life 1971
Some people never know 1971
Dear friend 1971
Give Ireland back to the Irish 1972
Mary had a little lamb 1972
Hi, Hi, Hi 1972
My love 1973
Live and let die 1973
Helen wheels 1973
Jet 1973
Let me roll it 1973
Bluebird 1973
Band on the run 1974
Junior’s farm 1974
Listen to what the man said 1975
Letting go 1975
Venus and Mars 1975
Silly love songs 1976
Let ‘Em in 1976
Maybe I’m amazed 1977
Mull of Kintyre 1977
With a little luck 1978
I’ve had enough 1978
London town 1978
Goodnight tonight 1979
Getting closer 1979
80s Decade :
Coming up 1980
Spies like us 1985
90s Decade :
Put it there 1990
Tracks :
1971 ... the enormous Beatles adventure closed, Paul McCartney embarks on a new adventure this time solo. Who will not be solo for very long since he launches in the wake this new group called Wings ...
1971 ... paradoxically, the group's first album is a hit, but not the Singles it contains. Sometimes you don't have to try to understand ...
1971 ... anyway, the Wings adventure is well and truly launched. And the artist will show in a dazzling way in the years to come that he can largely exist outside the Beatles ...
1971 ... the shepherd's response to the shepherdess. Paul McCartney who responds with finesse to John Lennon and especially to his Single 'How do you sleep ?', A Single full of harsh criticisms that directly target McCartney ...
1972 ... a title in response to the tragic events of Bloody Sunday. Tragic event which will take place on Sunday January 30, 1972 and which will oppose pacifist demonstrators and the English army, which will open fire and kill 14 people ...
1972 ... Paul McCartney who makes songs for children, who would have believed him...? And yet, it will be the case with this title. And my faith, even in this register, he ensures !
1972 ... a third title outside the album in this year 1972 and like the two previous ones, this will not prevent it from achieving enormous global success. A feat all the more to salute as this title will be squarely censored by the BBC for its supposedly outrageous and openly pro-drug lyrics ...
1973 ... the year of the big takeoff. After having signed several titles of very high caliber, the group will succeed in passing an additional level thanks to a year 1973 which will prove to be exceptional in all respects. Starting with this title ...
1973 ... after having signed an absolutely sumptuous Intimist title to start the year, the group will have the extreme privilege of signing one of the flagship titles of the soundtrack of the 8th opus of the James Bond saga. When you look at the others in history to have had this privilege, each time, they were the best of the moment, quite simply. This explains that...
1973 ... third Single and third mega hit of the year ! The group has reached a level of recognition and fame such that each title that comes out now is an event in itself ...
1973 ... as if that were not enough, they put a fourth behind. And it too will experience a most flattering career in the Charts. When it wants, it wants !
1973 ... you want more, no problem, just ask ! The band is literally walking on water and everything that comes out immediately turns to solid gold. Bluffing !
1973 ... what further increases their power is that they are good at everything. From the fastest tempo to the slowest, from the most classic style to the most exotic, nothing is to be thrown away. A real feat !
1974 ... of course, 1974 will not be able to equal the incredible year 1973 but what they will deliver here is once again up to the task! An incredible inspiration which is constantly renewed and which shows once again that Paul McCartney is really a totally extraordinary artist ...
1974 ... they still happen to be easygoing and easy. They will do little, but when it does, it shows. At least it can be heard ...
1975 ... a slight weakness of inspiration that won't last long. Business resumed spectacularly the following year with this new title, with a new mega hit to add to an already incredible prize list ...
1975 ... another title that will only work moderately. Decidedly, history is starting to repeat itself. But on the other hand, a lot of groups would like to achieve this kind of 'underperformance' given the level of success achieved by this title ...
1975 ... this one will do even less well. We begin to seriously wonder about the future of the group and its ability to bounce back. Given what is on the horizon, no worries about them ...
1976 ... 1973 was an exceptional year and here is another one ! Certainly, the year 1976 will produce fewer titles but the group will quite simply obtain the biggest success of all its Singles discography with THIS title ! A well-deserved consecration which rewards one of the most gifted groups of the decade, it is clear. MAS-TER-FUL !
1976 ... the group will only produce 2 titles that year but what titles ! The group is at the height of its art and unrolls with an ease that would make more than one pale, that's clear ...
1977 ... a start to the year 1977 which is nothing like the start of the year before. The years go by but no longer necessarily look alike for the group. End of the state of grace ..?
1977 ... a title bordering on folklore and which nevertheless will bring the group one of its biggest global successes. A title that pays tribute to Scotland and more particularly to the Kintyre peninsula, part of Scotland where the singer has owned the High Park Farm estate since 1966 ...
1978 ... speaking of mega successes, here's another one ! The end of the 1970s saw them mastering their subject perfectly and above all showing that we will have to count on them in the months and years to come ...
1978 ... hardly any title of the group will pass under the radar but some will succeed less than others. The proof with this one ...
1978 ... anyway, whether there is a mega hit or not, the level of success is more than enough to keep the group in the front row without too much difficulty. Still for a long time ...?
1979 ... for now, no need to worry about them. They will deliver here one of the biggest dance hits of the end of the decade and show in a brilliant way that they do not intend to let go. Good to hear, hi !
1979 ... as always, the songs from the middle or the end of the year do not have the same impact on the general public. The proof once again with this title. Surprising no ...?
1980 ... unfortunately, all the best adventures come to an end. The group is living its last moments, undermined by strong internal dissension from which he will unfortunately not recover ...
1985 ... several titles will be released thereafter but which will be more to the credit of Paul McCartney than anything else. But how beautiful the adventure was !
1990 ... an incredible adventure which made this group one of the major groups of the end of the 20th century. All thanks to the extraordinary talent of its leader once again ...
Wiki :
Official Website :
https://www.paulmccartney.com/ Greatest Hits :
Discography :