Garage Sale Vinyl: Paul McCartney & Wings
Wings Over America / Capitol Records / December 1976
by Christopher Long
Back in 2018, I was contracted to co-author the autobiography of a former famous rock star. Living up to his infamous reputation, he flaked, PDQ. In hindsight, I recognize how that short-term disappointment actually was a long-term blessing in disguise. Throughout the course of that ill-fated project, I worked with a passionate, prominent publishing agent. Whenever she spoke to me about well-written, high-quality literary works, she always referred to them as, “beautiful books.” In terms of classic albums, that description certainly applies to Wings Over America.
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For kids like me, music-crazed little freaks coming of age during the shagadelic ‘70s, Wings was Paul McCartney’s white-hot “modern” band, after that “old-timey” band he was in during the psychedelic ‘60s. Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper, The White Album — those albums belonged to our older siblings. Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, Wings at the Speed of Sound — THOSE albums belonged to US!
In the span of six years, Paul McCartney had ascended fully into the stratosphere; from an unimaginable place of prominence as one of the defunct Fab Four to the undisputed, unchallenged El Jefe of the intergalactic music scene — brandishing a slew of Top Ten LPs and a string of chart-busting singles as the patriarch of his own band.
Paul McCartney & Wings was my gateway drug — a sort of cosmic vessel that transported me and my like-minded compadres from adolescent pop to adult rock. I’d bought and become subsequently obsessed with the band’s Wings at the Speed of Sound album (on 8-track) during the summer of 1976. Six months later, all I wanted for Christmas was the combo’s newly-released, chart-topping Wings Over America album. With her patience wearing noticeably thin, my mom indicated with considerable disdain that I wasn’t likely to find the triple-record treasure tucked under the tree. Keep it up, little man, and you’ll get NOTHING!
Recorded live at various locales during the band’s well-publicized, wildly successful recent US concert tour, the 30-song collection was plain cool, not to mention, exhaustive. Along with the cavalcade of established Wings hits, the deeper album cuts also suddenly felt more magical than ever. The 1976 live version of the 1970 studio track, “Maybe I’m Amazed” assumed a whole new life as it soared into the Top Ten on Casey’s Countdown. I rushed out and bought the single, just to hold me over until I’d saved up enough allowance and lunch money to get the entire LP. Even the album’s Beatles classics felt fresh, as if those songs now belonged to “us” too.
With soon-to-be “Sir” Paul leading the charge in this live concert setting, Wings finally seemed like an actual “band.” Musically speaking, Linda McCartney was no Yoko Ono. And I don’t believe that up until then, she’d received her rightful props for what she brought to the table. But with this record, she definitely earned her “wings.” Co-founding member, former Moody Blues guitarist; singer-songwriter, Denny Laine, delivered additional authenticity to the album, along with the uncompromised street cred of newer recruits: blues-inspired Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and American meat-and-potatoes drummer Joe English.
Another beautiful aspect of Wings Over America is that it was a live album recorded during the prehistoric era when live bands played — live — a truly wacky concept in today’s super-tech-savvy music world. ATTENTION ALL TOUR STAFF: Tonight’s show is canceled! Ronnie lost his laptop! While some overdubbing may have occurred, the numerous crash-and-stomp song endings were pretty reliable indicators that this was, indeed an authentic live album. For my money, English’s sack-cracking snare, chest-popping kick, and overall rock-ribbed style alone was well-worth the price of admission.
Wings Over America has been released (and re-released) several times, in various configurations, over the years. I’ve owned it personally on LP, 8-track, and CD. I even bought it digitally from iTunes in 2018. I located a $3 vinyl copy at a local rummage sale in 2014. Quite selflessly, I allowed it to live at the GF’s. However, in 2023, I scored my very own well-loved vinyl copy for just $8 at a nearby beachside Florida thrift joint. While that’s WAY more than I’m usually willing to pay for pre-owned vinyl, it was a TRIPLE record. PLUS, it was fairly clean and it only skipped once. Also, it came with the original, full-color pull-out poster that didn’t appear to ever have been touched. SCORE!
After nearly 50 years, Wings Over America still stands up, really well. In short, it remains a “beautiful record!”
(5/5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wings Over America Track List
SIDE ONE
1. Venus and Mars / Rock Show / Jet (McCartney) – 9:56
2. Let Me Roll It (McCartney) – 3:51
3. Spirits of Ancient Egypt (McCartney) – 4:04
4. Medicine Jar (McCulloch, Allen) – 4:02
SIDE TWO
1. Maybe I’m Amazed (McCartney) – 5:10
2. Call Me Back Again (McCartney) – 5:04
3. Lady Madonna (McCartney, Lennon) – 2:19
4. The Long and Winding Road (McCartney, Lennon) – 4:13
5. Live and Let Die (McCartney) – 3:07
SIDE THREE
1. Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me) (McCartney) – 1:55
2. Richard Cory (Simon) – 2:50
3. Bluebird (McCartney) – 3:37
4. I’ve Just Seen a Face (McCartney, Lennon) – 1:49
5. Blackbird (McCartney, Lennon) – 2:23
6. Yesterday (McCartney, Lennon) – 1:43
SIDE FOUR
1. You Gave Me the Answer (McCartney) – 1:47
2. Magneto and Titanium Man (McCartney) – 3:11
3. Go Now (Banks, Bennett) – 3:27
4. My Love (McCartney) – 4:07
5. Listen to What the Man Said (McCartney) – 3:18
SIDE FIVE
1. Let ‘Em In (McCartney) – 4:02
2. Time to Hide (Laine) – 4:46
3. Silly Love Songs (McCartney) – 5:46
4. Beware My Love (McCartney) – 4:49
SIDE SIX
1. Letting Go (McCartney) – 4:25
2. Band on the Run (McCartney) – 5:03
3. Hi, Hi, Hi (McCartney) – 2:57
4. Soily (McCartney) – 5:10
