Band on the Run

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Band on the Run is an album by Paul McCartney & Wings, released in 1973. McCartney's fifth album (or "Wings" third), it became his most successful album since the demise of The Beatles and the most celebrated of his solo albums. It was 1974's top-selling album, and revitalized McCartney's critical standing.

1 Background
2 Release
3 Cover
4 25th Anniversary Edition
5 Track listing

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Background

After the success of Red Rose Speedway, "Live And Let Die" - the new James Bond theme song, was released as the next "Wings" single (without McCartney's name in the artist credit) and became a worldwide smash. It was at this juncture that Paul and wife Linda McCartney began contemplating their next album. Bored with recording in the UK, they really wanted to challenge themselves and "Wings" by going to some exotic locale. Asking EMI to send him a listing of all its international recording studios, Paul happened upon Lagos in Nigeria and was instantly taken with the idea of recording in Africa. Alongside the McCartneys, guitarist Denny Laine was set to go, as well as lead guitarist Henry McCullough, and drummer Denny Seiwell. Sadly, the night before departing in late August, both McCullough and Seiwell quit "Wings", leaving the remaining core of the band, Paul, Linda and Denny, to venture to Lagos alone.

While there, both the McCartneys were mugged at knifepoint, and were accosted in the studio by legendary musician Fela Kuti for fear that Paul was plagiarizing African music (fears which McCartney quickly assuaged by playing Kuti the recorded music), and were persuaded to record at Ginger Baker's studio in Lagos (where he lived at the time) by the man himself, once he heard that the McCartneys were in town. It was a most action-packed time, clearly, and one which only saw the recording of the ensuing album's backing tracks.

In October, after the band's return to London, final overdubs and orchestral tracks were overdubbed and the album was finished. "Helen Wheels" was released as a non-album single at the end of the month, becoming a worldwide Top 10 by the end of the year. As Band On The Run was being prepared for release, Capitol Records, who distributed The Beatles' Apple Records label there, slotted "Helen Wheels" into the album - although it was never McCartney's intention to do so. The 1993 international CD reissue of the album - without the single interrupting the album's line-up - confirms this.

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Release

Band On The Run was issued that December to positively glowing reviews, with even the staunchest McCartney detractor calling it stellar. The songs were instantaneous, fresh, and vital, and they were instrumental in making McCartney the most successful ex-Beatle. The commercial reaction was slow, with the album gradually inching its way up the charts, but by the spring of 1974, bolstered by the hits "Jet", and its title track, Band On The Run, was a large success. It reached #1 in the US on three separate occasions - a first, and eventually went triple platinum. In the UK, it spent seven weeks at the summit that summer, becoming the top selling British album of 1974. Its lingering success was also beneficial in allowing "Wings" the time to locate a new guitarist and drummer, and to integrate them into the band before beginning new recordings.

The lead track, "Band on the Run" generally set the pace for the rest of the album. Uniquely to tie back in with the album's title, the final track, "Nineteen hundred and eighty-five" (also known as "1985"), fades into the "Band on the Run"'s chorus, to close off the album.

The album also contains answer songs to "How Do You Sleep?", John Lennon's previous scathing attack on McCartney.

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Cover

The cover of Band On The Run is also noteworthy. Shot on 28 October 1973, it depicts the now well-known shot of Paul, Linda, and Denny plus six other celebrities dressed as convicts caught in the spotlight of a prison searchlight. They are: Michael Parkinson, journalist and UK chat-show host, Kenny Lynch, singer, actor and comedian, James Coburn, Hollywood actor, Clement Freud, gourmet, raconteur and later UK politician, Christopher Lee, UK actor, best known for roles in horror films, and John Conteh, Liverpool boxer who later became World Light-Heavyweight champion. The picture was taken against a garden wall in Osterley Park, Brentford. References to the cover were to be made later by McCartney himself (in the video for "Spies Like Us", along with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd) as well as others (such as the movie poster for the Dreamworks' animated film Madagascar (film), which depicts the main characters standing against a wall in a pose similar to the original "Band on the Run" photo.)

In early 1975, Band On The Run won the "Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Duo, Group or Chorus" Grammy.

In 1993, Band On The Run was remastered and reissued on CD as part of "The Paul McCartney Collection" series with "Helen Wheels" and its B-Side "Country Dreamer" as bonus tracks.

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25th Anniversary Edition

Image:BOTR25.jpg In 1999, a special extended edition of Band on the Run was issued to coincide with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the album's original 1974 release. Entitled Band on the Run: 25th Anniversary Edition, the package includes an extra disc of live renditions of songs throughout the years, as well as brief new rendtions by McCartney. Spoken testimonials are also included from McCartney himself, his late wife Linda (to whom this restrospective release is dedicated), Denny Laine, Dustin Hoffman (the inspiration behind "Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)"), and some of the celebrity faces on the cover, namely, Christopher Lee and James Coburn.

For this one occasion, McCartney released the package according to the original US release, with "Helen Wheels" in the line-up. It was left out of most editions of Band on the Run.

Upon its release, Band on the Run: 25th Anniversary Edition reached the summit of Billboard's Top Pop Catalog chart, while reaching #69 in the UK.

In 2002, the original Band On The Run was placed at #418 in the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

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Track listing

All tracks written by Paul and Linda McCartney, except where noted.

"Band On The Run" - 5:10
"Jet" - 4:06
"Bluebird" - 3:22
"Mrs. Vanderbilt" - 4:38
"Let Me Roll It" - 4:47
- The first answer song on this album to John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?".
"Mamunia" - 4:50
- An Arabic word for "safe haven" which McCartney happened upon while on holiday in Marrakesh
"No Words" (Paul McCartney/Denny Laine) - 2:33
- This song was begun by Denny Laine and finished by McCartney
- "Helen Wheels" was slotted in after "No Words" for the 1973 US vinyl relese of Band On The Run, against McCartney's intentions
"Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)" - 5:50
- Inspired by actor Dustin Hoffman's suggestion to McCartney to compose a song on Pablo Picasso's recent passing
- Features Ginger Baker on shakers
"Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five (1985)" - 5:27
- The second answer song on this album to "How Do You Sleep?".

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Bonus Materials (25th Anniversary Edition only)

"PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Intro) /Band On The Run (Nicely Toasted Mix)" - 1:12
"Band On The Run (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 1) - 2:17
"Band On The Run (Barn Rehearsal - 21st July 1989)" - 4:59
"PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 2) /Mamunia (Original)/DENNY LAINE (Dialogue)/Mamunia (Original)/LINDA McCARTNEY (Dialogue)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 3)" - 4:23
"Bluebird (Live Version - Australia 1975)" - 0:55
"Bluebird (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 4)" - 0:23
"PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 5) /NO WORDS (Original)/GEOFF EMERICK (Dialogue)" (Paul McCartney/Denny Laine) - 1:24
"No Words (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 6) /TONY VISCONTI (Dialogue)/Band On The Run (Original)/TONY VISCONTI (Dialogue)" (Paul McCartney/Denny Laine) / (Paul and Linda McCartney) - 1:47
"Jet (Original from Picasso's Last Words) /PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 7) /Jet (Original from Picasso's Last Words) /AL COURY (Dialogue)" - 2:55
"Jet (Berlin Soundcheck - 3rd September 1993)" - 3:52
"PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 8) /CLIVE ARROWSMITH (Dialogue)" - 1:44
"Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 9) /JAMES COBURN (Dialogue)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 10) /JOHN CONTEH (Dialogue)" - 3:24
"Mrs. Vandebilt (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 11) /KENNY LYNCH (Dialogue)" - 2:10
"Let Me Roll It (Cardington Rehearsal - 5th February 1993)"/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 12)" - 3:52
"PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 13) /Mrs. Vandebilt (Background)/MICHAEL PARKINSON (Dialogue)/LINDA McCARTNEY (Band On The Run Photo Shoot) (Dialogue)/MICHAEL PARKINSON (Dialogue)" - 2:25
"Helen Wheels (Crazed)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 14) /CHRISTOPHER LEE (Dialogue)" - 5:32
"Band On The Run (Strum Bit) /PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 15) /CLEMENT FREUD (Dialogue)" - 1:01
"Picasso's Last Words (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 16) /DUSTIN HOFFMAN (Dialogue)" - 4:22
"Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me) (Acoustic Version)" - 1:11
"Band On The Run (Nicely Toasted Mix) /PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 17)" - 0:42
"Band On The Run (Northern Comic Version)" - 0:37