Band on the Run: A History of Paul McCartney and Wings

After the breakup of the Beatles in 1971, Paul McCartney formed Wings with his wife Linda on keyboards, ex-Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine, and American session drummer Denny Seiwell. For ten dramatic and turbulent years, the band weathered the critics, endured pot busts, survived a harrowing recording stint in Nigeria, changed drummers constantly, and produced a great deal of remarkable music. McGee's tale of one of the most successful bands of the seventies―the first book to focus exclusively on Paul's post-Beatles years-tells the stories behind the #1 hits "Listen To What the Man Said," "My Love," "Band on the Run," "Jet," "With a Little Luck," and "Coming Up." McGee reveals the band's inner dynamics and its relationship with the press and public, examining Paul's determination to pursue a new sound, the criticisms Linda initially got from fans and bandmates, and the character conflicts that kept the lineup changing. Appendices include interviews with former Wings guitarist Henry McCullough, a complete discography, a list of singles with Paul's comments on each, and rankings from the sales charts. Band on the Run also includes a trove of rare Wings promotional material―album covers, posters, ads, and candid photos of the band on tour. From Booklist Just as Disney fans are either "Mouse" or "Duck" people, Beatlemaniacs are either John or Paul people. Although perhaps not without interest to both camps, McGee's book aims at Paul people who are also Wings fans, which raises some special challenges, such as evaluating Linda McCartney's contribution to the band and Paul's willingness to share credit and remuneration for Wings' commercial success. McGee is frank about the latter. For instance, he cites Denny Laine's situation vis-a-vis "Mull of Kintyre," for which he should have been paid millions but, as a contractual collaborator, got very little. Such was doing business within Wings. As for Linda's musicianship, while no one lauds her keyboard virtuosity, and some disdain her singing, Wings guitarist Henry McCullough says, "it didn't make any difference because she was playing a part"-- rather like hired hand Sid Vicious in the Sex Pistols, eh? McCartney says he doesn't regret Wings or think it was "that much of a mess." High praise. As a book-length exploration of McCartney's first post-Beatles band, this is the stuff. Mike Tribby Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Review As a book-length exploration of McCartney's first post-Beatles band, this is the stuff. ― Booklist Band On The Run successfully strives to present an accurate portrait of Paul McCartney, the Wings band, and their musical contirbution to popular culture in the twentieth century. ― Bookwatch McGee's done his homework, and he has a vast, amazing array of memorabilia... A fun look at a talented (but not always loved) musician. -- Joseph Kyle ― Mundane Sounds About the Author Garry McGee was born and raised in Iowa and is a 1992 graduate of Iowa State University with a BA in Telecommunicative Arts. While there he took classes under such luminaries as Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley and Lee Hadley of the Hadley Irwin writing team. He worked in the Los Angeles film industry for several years and is currently producing a documentary on the last surviving hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. He lives in Mason City, Iowa.