“I’m so very happy to be transported back to the time that was Wings and relive some of our madcap adventures through this book,” the singer says of book out Nov. 4
Paul McCartney will reflect on his time piloting Wings in an upcoming book that focuses on his post-Beatles band.
Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, due out November 4 via Liveright / W. W. Norton and Allen Lane / Penguin Press, culls from dozens of hours of interviews of McCartney, his Wings band mates, and other people in the group’s orbit. The 528-page book also features over 100 photographs from the Wings era, many of which have never been published.
Following the dissolution of the Beatles and a pair of solo albums — McCartney and Ram, the latter with Linda McCartney — Paul formed Wings in 1971 alongside Linda, former Moody Blues singer Denny Laine, and drummer Denny Seiwell. While Wings had some lineup changes over a decade-long run that yielded seven studio albums, the McCartneys and Laine remained core members until Wings dispersed in 1981.
“I’m so very happy to be transported back to the time that was Wings and relive some of our madcap adventures through this book,” McCartney said in a statement. “Starting from scratch after The Beatles felt crazy at times. There were some very difficult moments and I often questioned my decision. But as we got better I thought, ‘OK this is really good.’ We proved Wings could be a really good band. To play to huge audiences in the same way The Beatles had and have an impact in a different way. It was a huge buzz.”
Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run was edited by historian Tim Widmer, who added in a statement, “Wings was about love, family, friendship and artistic growth, often in the face of tremendous adversity. It was a joy to relive the madcap adventures of a special band, by listening to their stories, and compiling this oral history.”
Over the past year, McCartney has revisited his Wings catalog with a series of reissues, including the release of the band’s One Hand Clapping live-in-the-studio album. A Morgan Neville-directed documentary about McCartney’s solo and Wings years is also in the works.
