My 10th nominee in the Beatles Solo Project is Band on the Run, Paul McCartney’s third album with Wings. Released at the end of 1973, it became the group’s most successful album and Paul’s biggest post-Beatles work. The title track and “Jet” are from this album. Paul and wife Linda, and Denny Laine comprised the group after two of its founding members left (i.e. drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCullough). The trio had written and recorded many of the songs while in Lagos, Nigeria. Just as they were wrapping up, Paul and Linda were robbed at knife-point. Having lost their demos, they quickly re-recorded songs for the album. Putting that extra time may have contributed to the album’s enduring quality. I like all the songs, apart from one weak track (“Picasso’s Last Words”). It is interesting to note that Paul wrote the “Band on the Run” song about his early years in The Beatles, and not about Wings. (It was George Harrison who inspired the lyric, “if we ever get out of here” said during a business meeting.) For years I was confused as to what “Jet” is about. Apparently, Paul wrote it about his dog! Thankfully, the album is no dog. It is the best album Wings ever made.
Trivia: a few notable celebrities appear on the album cover with Wings, including Muhammad Ali!
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