Posts Tagged ‘Wild Life’

WINGS – ” Wild Life ” Remastered

Posted: December 11, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Like the rest of The Beatles, Paul McCartney had fallen out of love with the idea of being in a band by the end of the 1960s. But one of the effects of making two excellent, essentially solo albums in the wake of their split in “McCartney” and “Ram” — albeit with the close involvement of his wife Linda — was to remind Paul that there was still much to be said for the collaborative approach.

So it was that, less seven months after the release of “Ram”, McCartney was back in a band setting. In their first formation, with Paul and Linda joined by Denny Seiwell (the drummer who had played on Ram) and former Moody Blue Denny Laine, Wings made their UK chart debut on 18th December 1971 with the “Wild Life” album.

The quartet recorded the LP, with its notably live and stripped-down feel, in the summer, in Paul’s old stamping ground of Abbey Road Studios, with engineering by Tony Clark and Alan Parsons. This was a new type of album for the former Beatle, with no UK single releases nor any particular attempt to write for the charts. The name of the band wasn’t even on the front cover, nor was the album title.

Five of the eight tracks were recorded in one take, most of the record in three days, and the whole thing was completed inside a fortnight. There was one cover, a slowed-down version of Mickey & Sylvia’s early 1957 US hit ‘Love Is Strange.’ But, on an album of simple pleasures, there were also such underrated compositions as ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Some People Never Know.’ and the hauntingly sparse “Dear Friend.”

What was also unusual for any McCartney project was that the relatively low-profile album never made the UK top ten. It peaked at its No.11 debut and was out of the chart, in its initial run, in just six weeks. It went gold and reached No. 10 in an 18-week run in the US, and was comfortably top ten in many European countries, and No. 3 in Australia. But the chart rankings were far less important than the new mood that “Wild Life” created for McCartney’s future.

On November 8th, McCartney launched the new project in light-hearted style with a ball for 800 invited guests at the Empire Ballroom in London’s Leicester Square. There was musical accompaniment by nostalgic dance band Ray McVay & his Band of the Day, and the dance formation outfit Frank & Peggy Spencer Formation Team, as well as tracks from Wild Life itself.

The 2018 deluxe reissues of Wild Life 

Wings Wild Life back cover

PAUL McCARTNEY WINGS – ” Dear Freind “

Posted: November 17, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Paul McCartney And Wings Wild Life press photo web optimised 1000 CREDIT - MPL Communicatons Ltd

Paul McCartney has said that he wrote over 300 songs with his John Lennon and the immense influence their friendship had on McCartney is evident on two new unreleased versions of the Lennon-inspired track ‘Dear Friend’.

‘Dear Friend’ first appeared as the closing track on Paul McCartney And Wings’ debut album Wild Life in 1971, and now both a remastered version, and an intimate unreleased home recording are available as part of expansive deluxe reissue of the album (along with 1973’s Red Rose Speedway) out on 7th December.

McCartney reflected on the origins of the track in a statement, saying:

“With ‘Dear Friend’, that’s sort of me talking to John after we’d had all the sort of disputes about The Beatles break up. I find it very emotional when I listen to it now. I have to sort of choke it back. I remember when I heard the song recently, listening to the roughs [remastering works-in-progress] in the car.

And I thought, ‘Oh God’. That lyric: ‘Really truly, young and newly wed’. Listening to that was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s true!’ I’m trying to say to John, ‘Look, you know, it’s all cool. Have a glass of wine. Let’s be cool.’ And luckily, we did get it back together, which was like a great source of joy because it would have been terrible if he’d been killed as things were at that point and I’d never got to straighten it out with him. This was me reaching out. So, I think it’s very powerful in some very simple way. But it was certainly heartfelt.”

Recorded during McCartney’s sessions for Ram, ‘Dear Friend’ was a musical olive branch, extended to his once closest collaborator. The stripped-down track features only piano and vocals and reveals a beautifully vulnerable side of McCartney.

The recently unearthed track is just one of 25 bonus tracks that can be found on the newly expanded package of Wild Life. Along with the remastered album, it also features rough mixes, original single edits, B-sides, home recordings by McCartney and his wife Linda and other previously unreleased material. The DVD in the deluxe Wild Life package also includes rare footage of acoustic, home-video performances, rehearsals and more.

The deluxe reissues of Wild LifeandRed Rose Speedway are released on 7th December

PAUL McCARTNEY WINGS – ” Wild Life and Red Rose The Speedway “

Posted: October 19, 2018 in MUSIC
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Paul McCartney / Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway

Paul McCartney announced the latest installments of his ongoing Archive Collections, with a pair of deluxe reissues dedicated to the Wings-era LPs 1971’s Wild Life and 1973’s Red Rose Speedway. Both reissues arrive December 7th. For the 3CD/1DVD limited deluxe edition of Wild Life, the newly remastered original album will be paired with two discs worth of rough mixes, home recordings, b-sides, single edits and other unreleased material, including a minute-long home recording of “Indeed I Do.” The DVD for the set boasts rare footage of acoustic home videos, rehearsals and more.

With 1970’s McCartney a solo album and the following year’s RAM credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, WildLife (an album I have always called ‘Wings Wildlife’!) was effectively the long-playing debut from Wings. It was released only seven months after RAM in December ’71. There were no singles at all from this album, although in 1972 a series of non-album 45s were released: ‘Give Ireland Back To The Irish’, ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ and ‘Hi Hi Hi’ / ‘C-Moon’. All are included as bonus tracks (with their respective B-sides) on these new reissues.

“The Wild Life deluxe package includes a 128-page book written by David Fricke telling the story behind the album  including track-by-track information and new interviews with Paul and key album personnel, a 48-page scrapbook of tour diaries, lyrics and set lists, unpublished Polaroids, lyrics, notes and memorabilia from the MPL archives,” MPL/Capitol/UMe said of the reissue.

Red Rose Speedway‘s massive 3CD/2DVD/1Blu-ray set enjoins the remastered 1973 LP with a reconstructed version of its originally conceived (but ultimately nixed) “double album,” as well as b-sides, alternate mixes and previously unreleased tracks from the era. The album reached number one on the US charts and is best known for its one and only single ‘My Love’, a UK top ten hit just before the release of the album. As many die hard fans will know, Red Rose Speedway was originally conceived as a double, but ultimately edited down to a single album for release. The reissue’s DVDs include the James Paul McCartney TV Special, interviews and music videos, and the never-before-seen film The Bruce McMouse Show.

“The package includes a folio containing 14 replica hand-drawn original character sketches by Paul and facsimile dialogue sheets for the film, a 128-page book containing many previously unpublished images by Linda McCartney, expanded album and single artwork from the archives and story behind the album – including new interviews with Paul McCartney, and key album personnel – and track-by-track information, written by Amanda Petrusich, five replica handwritten lyric sheets and photo print, a 64-page ‘Wings In Morocco’ photo book, all housed in a numbered outer slipcase,” MPL/Capitol/UMe said.

While both reissues will be sold separately and in double-CD and double-vinyl formats, the mammoth Wings 1971 – 1973box set pairs the super deluxe versions of Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway along with an exclusive new live album titled Wings Over Europe, a collection of 20 songs from the band’s European tours during the era.

“Every release in the on-going Paul McCartney Archive Collection is supervised by Paul himself, who oversees all aspects of each and every title from remastering to the curation of lost tracks, outtakes, artwork, photographs and video from his personal vaults, and much more,” McCartney’s site added of the reissues, the 10th and 11th installment in the ongoing series. “The result is one of the most ambitious and personal undertakings of its kind, one that encompasses more than 40 years of cherished, classic material from the most successful songwriter and recording artist in music history.”

Wild Life, Red Rose Speedway and Wings 1971-1973