Paul McCartney Looks Back on Launching Wings with Linda: ‘Felt Like a Fresh Start’
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Paul McCartney’s band after the Beatles is the focus of his latest book, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run.
Paul McCartney Reflects on Launching Wings with Wife Linda: ‘Like Starting Over’
Paul McCartney is reminiscing about the early days of his career after the Beatles.
The 83-year-old musician, who released the oral history Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run this year, discussed the formation of his post-Beatles band during an interview with A Martínez on NPR’s Book of the Day podcast on December 19.
Following the Beatles’ breakup in 1970, McCartney described himself as being in a “freer state of mind.” While he acknowledged that the group’s dynamics—with John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—were evolving, he admitted that the split still came as a “shock” at the time.
“I wanted us to start fresh, to go back to square one,” he said. “In reality, that’s exactly what I did with Wings.”
McCartney, along with his wife Linda and guitarist Denny Laine, formed Wings in 1971. The band went through several lineup changes over the years, achieving worldwide success with over 20 million records sold before disbanding in 1981. Memorable hits included “Band on the Run,” “Silly Love Songs,” and “Live and Let Die.”
“It truly felt like a rebirth,” McCartney reflected. He fondly recalled his wife’s early involvement: “The craziest part was my lovely wife, Linda. We would sing around the house, and I kept thinking, ‘Wow, she’s really got something, but she’s completely inexperienced.’ She was so cute. When I asked if she wanted to join the band, she said, ‘Uh, yeah.’”
He also recalled the challenge of separating Wings from the Beatles’ shadow. “I was trying to make a new band, create something different. Promoters would ask, ‘Could you just play “Yesterday”?’ and we’d say, ‘No, we’re not doing that.’ We were focused on building Wings’ own identity,” he said.
After the release of the 1973 album Band on the Run, McCartney felt the band had established a recognizable repertoire of their own. “Once that foundation was set, it became easier to mix in Beatles songs during performances,” he added.
Published on November 4, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run draws from extensive interviews with McCartney, members of Wings, and key figures in the band’s orbit, including George Martin and Sean Ono Lennon.
“I’m thrilled to revisit the Wings era and relive some of our wild adventures through this book,” McCartney said in a statement. “Starting from scratch after The Beatles was daunting at times. There were difficult moments, and I often questioned my decision, but as we improved, I realized, ‘Okay, this is really good.’”