Paul McCartney and Wings discography | |
---|---|
Studio albums | 7 |
Live albums | 1 |
Compilation albums | 2 |
Video albums | 1 |
Music videos | 19 |
Singles | 29 |
The discography of the British-American rock band Wings, also known as Paul McCartney and Wings, consisted of seven studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, 29 singles and 19 music videos. Founded in 1971 by former Beatle Paul McCartney, his wife Linda McCartney, Denny Laine and Denny Seiwell after the release of the McCartneys' album Ram , the band made their debut with Wild Life , released in December that year. [1] The album garnered minimal commercial success and received generally poor reviews. [2] In 1972, the band added Henry McCullough to the lineup and released several non-album singles, [3] including "Give Ireland Back to the Irish", "Mary Had a Little Lamb", and "Hi, Hi, Hi", [2] before releasing their second album, Red Rose Speedway , in 1973. [4] While receiving mixed reviews, [2] the album and its lead single, "My Love" were huge commercial successes, both reaching number one in the US charts. [5] Wings' continued their commercial success with the title track to the James Bond film Live and Let Die . [2] At the beginning of the recording sessions for their next album, McCullough and Seiwell left the band prompting the McCartneys and Laine to record their next album as a trio. [6] [7] Backed by the successful singles, "Jet" and the title track, [8] [9] the album, Band on the Run , became Wings' most successful album, reaching number one in both the US and the UK. [10] The album also garnered highly positive reviews from critics and significantly restored McCartney's tarnished post-Beatles reputation. [2] [11] [12]
Following Band on the Run, Scottish musician Jimmy McCulloch and English drummer Geoff Britton joined the band and recorded their next single, "Junior's Farm". [2] During the sessions for their follow-up album, Britton left the band and was replaced by American musician Joe English. [13] Backed by the number one single "Listen to What the Man Said", the album, Venus and Mars , wasn't as well-received as Band on the Run, but was nevertheless a commercial success, reaching number one. After Venus and Mars, the band embarked on a highly successful world tour in 1975. Their fifth album, Wings at the Speed of Sound , was recorded and released in between legs of the tour. The album saw the first time a Wings' album featured every member on lead vocals at least once. [14] While the album received lukewarm reviews, [14] it was a commercial success, supported by the number one singles, "Silly Love Songs" and "Let 'Em In". [15] [16] The live album Wings over America was released after the tour's end and was a huge commercial success, becoming the band's fifth number one album. [17]
In late 1977, Wings' released "Mull of Kintyre" as a double A-side with "Girls' School". [2] The single reached number one in the UK and remains one of the best selling UK singles of all time. [18] [19] After "Mull of Kintyre", the band released their next studio album, London Town , in 1978. [2] Preceded by the successful hit, "With a Little Luck", [20] the album was another commercial success for the group, [2] and received positive reviews from critics. [21] Despite strong album sales, the post-album singles, "I've Had Enough" and "London Town", were not as successful. [20] After the album's release, McCulloch and English both left the group. [2] [21] The band followed London Town with the successful single "Goodnight Tonight" in 1979. [20] The band's next album, Back to the Egg , saw the addition of Laurence Juber and Steve Holley to the lineup. [22] Released in 1979, Back to the Egg was a major failure, received very negative reviews from critics and failed to produce any hits. [23] [24] After the band toured the UK, McCartney was arrested in Japan for possession of marijuana, cancelling a planned tour in 1980.[ citation needed ] After McCartney released his second solo album, McCartney II , Wings officially disbanded in 1981. [2]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [25] | AUS [26] | CAN [27] | GER [28] | ITA [29] | JPN [30] | NLD [31] [32] | NOR [33] [34] | US [35] | |||
Wild Life |
| 11 | 3 | 5 | 47 | 25 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 10 | |
Red Rose Speedway (Paul McCartney & Wings) |
| 5 | 1 | 2 | 56 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 1 | |
Band on the Run (Paul McCartney & Wings) |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 18 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 1 | |
Venus and Mars |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | |
Wings at the Speed of Sound |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 32 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
London Town |
| 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Back to the Egg |
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 8 |
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [25] | AUS [26] | AUT [52] | CAN [27] | GER [28] | JPN [30] | NLD [31] | NOR [33] | NZL [53] | US [35] | |||
Wings over America |
| 8 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
Title | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [25] | AUS [26] [55] | CAN [27] | GER [28] | JPN [30] | NLD [31] | NOR [33] | NZL [53] | SWE [56] | US [35] | |||
Wings Greatest |
| 5 | 8 | 25 | 18 | 24 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 32 | 29 | |
Wingspan: Hits and History (Paul McCartney) |
| 5 | 14 | 4 | 20 | 13 | 32 | 5 | 13 | 49 | 2 | |
One Hand Clapping (Paul McCartney & Wings) |
| To be released |
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK | US | US AC | CAN RPM 100/AC | NLD | NOR | GER | NZ | AUS | JPN | ||||
1972 | "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" (instrumental) | 16 | 21 | — | 46 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 31 | non-album single | |
"Mary Had a Little Lamb" "Little Woman Love" | 9 | 28 | 29 | 41 | 13 | — | — | 13 | 17 | 41 | non-album single | ||
"Hi, Hi, Hi" "C Moon" | 5 | 10 | — | 5 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 29 | 26 | non-album single | ||
1973 | "My Love" "The Mess" (live) | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 43 | 3 | 5 | 39 |
| Red Rose Speedway |
"Live and Let Die" "I Lie Around" | 9 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 29 | 4 | 31 | 20 | 5 | 25 | Live and Let Die | ||
"Helen Wheels" "Country Dreamer" | 12 | 10 | — | 4 | 23 | — | 33 | 14 | 17 | 56 | Band on the Run (US only) | ||
"Jet" "Let Me Roll It" (UK & 2nd pressings of US) "Mamunia" (US 1st pressings only) | 7 | 7 | — | 5 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 2 | — | 39 |
| Band on the Run | |
"Mrs Vandebilt" (Not a US/UK single) "Bluebird" | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 33 | 9 | 41 | — | |||
1974 | "Band on the Run" "Zoo Gang" (UK) "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" (US) | 3 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 7 | — | 22 | 1 | — | 58 | ||
"Junior's Farm" "Sally G" | 16 | 3 | — | 10 | — | 9 | — | 3 | 12 | 77 | non-album single | ||
"Walking in the Park with Eloise" "Bridge On the River Suite" (both sides credited to The Country Hams) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
1975 | "Listen to What the Man Said" "Love in Song" | 6 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 42 | 7 | 14 | 46 |
| Venus and Mars |
"Letting Go" "You Gave Me the Answer" | 41 | 39 | — | 62 | — | — | — | — | 34 | 64 | |||
"Venus and Mars/Rock Show" "Magneto and Titanium Man" | — | 12 | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | 34 | 99 | |||
1976 | "Silly Love Songs" "Cook of the House" | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 66 | Wings at the Speed of Sound | |
"Let 'Em In" "Beware My Love" | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 25 | — | 29 | 13 | 65 | — | |||
1977 | "Maybe I'm Amazed" (live) "Soily" (live) | 28 | 10 | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 61 | Wings over America | |
"Seaside Woman" "B Side to Seaside" (both sides credited to Suzy and the Red Stripes) | — | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
"Mull of Kintyre" "Girls' School" | 1 | — 33 | 45 — | 44 34 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 69 | non-album single | ||
1978 | "With a Little Luck" "Backwards Traveller/Cuff Link" | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 14 | 11 | — |
| London Town |
"I've Had Enough" "Deliver Your Children" | 42 | 25 | — | 24 | 13 | — | — | — | 99 | — | |||
"London Town" "I'm Carrying" | 60 | 39 | 17 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
1979 | "Goodnight Tonight" "Daytime Nighttime Suffering" | 5 | 5 | 30 | 2 | 24 | — | 34 | 6 | 6 | 77 | non-album single | |
"Old Siam, Sir" (UK/Europe single only) "Spin It On" | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Back to the Egg | ||
"Getting Closer" "Baby's Request" (UK) "Spin It On" (US) | 60 | 20 | — | 18 | 29 | — | — | — | 57 | — | |||
"Arrow Through Me" (US/Canada single only) "Old Siam, Sir" | — | 29 | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
1980 | "Coming Up" (Paul McCartney) "Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)" (Paul McCartney & Wings) "Lunchbox/Odd Sox" (Paul McCartney & Wings) | 2 | 1 | 48 | 1 | 20 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 66 | McCartney II | |
1985 | "Spies Like Us" (Paul McCartney) "My Carnival" (Paul McCartney & Wings) | 13 | 7 | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | 55 | — | non-album single | |
1990 | "Put It There" (Paul McCartney) "Mama's Little Girl" "Same Time Next Year" (12" single only) (Paul McCartney & Wings) | 32 | — | 11 | 9 | 82 | — | 60 | — | — | — | Flowers in the Dirt | |
2016 | "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" remix (Wings vs. Timo Maas and James Teej) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | |
"—" denotes singles that did not chart or were not released in respective region |
Year | Album | Artist | Comment |
---|---|---|---|
1973 | Live and Let Die | George Martin | The soundtrack album from the James Bond film includes the title song performed by Paul McCartney & Wings. |
1974 | McGear | Mike McGear | Paul McCartney's brother Michael (then known as Mike McGear of The Scaffold) album that featured him on lead vocals and as co-lyricist with Wings being a backing band. |
1975 | Sold Out | The Scaffold | Paul McCartney produced and Wings was the uncredited backing band on "Liverpool Lou" and the non-album B-side "Ten Years After on Strawberry Jam". |
1977 | Holly Days | Denny Laine | An album of Buddy Holly covers recorded by the core Wings threesome (Paul, Linda McCartney and Denny Laine), with Laine on lead vocals. |
1980 | Japanese Tears | Three songs on the album, "Send Me The Heart", "I Would Only Smile" and "Weep For Love", were recorded by different incarnations of Wings, with Denny Laine on lead vocals. | |
1981 | Concerts for the People of Kampuchea | Various Artists | A live album recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon, London in December 1979 to benefit Cambodian refugees, the album includes three songs performed by Wings ("Got to Get You into My Life", "Every Night", "Coming Up") and three songs performed by supergroup Rockestra ("Lucille", "Let It Be", "Rockestra Theme") |
1982 | Standard Time | Laurence Juber | The song "Maisie" is performed by Wings. |
1998 | Wide Prairie | Linda McCartney | Eight of the tracks featured different versions of Wings: previously unreleased "Wide Prairie", "New Orleans", "Love's Full Glory", "I Got Up" and "Oriental Nightfish", two tracks that were originally attributed to and released under Suzy and the Red Stripes, "Seaside Woman" and "B-Side to Seaside", and "Cook of the House" from Wings at the Speed of Sound |
2003 | Music from the Motion Picture The In-Laws | Various Artists | The soundtrack to the 2003 re-make of the film, The In-Laws includes three songs performed by Wings: previously unreleased "A Love for You", an alternate version of "Live and Let Die", and "I'm Carrying" from London Town album. |
Title | Album details | Notes |
---|---|---|
Rockshow (Paul McCartney & Wings) |
| Concert/Documentary of the 1976 "Wings Over America" tour. |
Year | Title | Director |
---|---|---|
1972 | "Hi, Hi, Hi" | Steven Turner |
"C Moon" | ||
1973 | "My Love" | Mick Rock |
"Helen Wheels" | Michael Lindsay-Hogg | |
1974 | "Mamunia" | Jim Quick |
"Band on the Run" | Michael Coulson | |
1976 | "Silly Love Songs" | Gordon Bennett |
1977 | "Mull of Kintyre" | Michael Lindsay-Hogg |
1978 | "With a Little Luck" | |
"I've Had Enough" | Keith "Keef" MacMillan | |
"London Town" | Michael Lindsay-Hogg | |
1979 | "Getting Closer" | Keith "Keef" MacMillan |
"Baby's Request" | ||
"Old Siam, Sir" | ||
"Winter Rose/Love Awake" | ||
"Spin It On" | ||
"Again and Again and Again" | ||
"Arrow Through Me" | ||
"Goodnight Tonight" | ||
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1979 | Wings Over the World
| Documentary |
1980 | Concert for Kampuchea
| Concert film that covers the concerts in Hammersmith Odeon to raise money for Cambodia. |
1981 | Back to the Egg
| TV special |
2001 | Wingspan – An Intimate Portrait
| Documentary about Paul McCartney's musical career. It covers the period after the Beatles' split up until the disbanding of Wings. |
Paul McCartney and Wings, often billed simply as Wings, were an English-American rock band formed in 1971 in London by former Beatles songwriter, bassist, guitarist; and singer Paul McCartney; his wife Linda McCartney on keyboards; session drummer Denny Seiwell; and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine. They were noted for their commercial successes, musical eclecticism, and frequent personnel changes. They went through three lead guitarists and four drummers. The core trio of the McCartneys and Laine, however, remained intact throughout the group's existence.
Band on the Run is the third studio album by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released by Apple on 30 November 1973. It was McCartney's fifth album after leaving the Beatles in April 1970. Although sales were modest initially, its commercial performance was aided by two hit singles – "Jet" and "Band on the Run" – such that it became the top-selling studio album of 1974 in the United Kingdom and Australia, in addition to revitalising McCartney's critical standing. It remains McCartney's most successful album and the most celebrated of his post-Beatles works.
Anthology 3 is a compilation album by the Beatles, released on 28 October 1996 by Apple Records as part of The Beatles Anthology series. The album includes rarities and alternative tracks from the final two years of the band's career, ranging from the initial sessions for The Beatles to the last sessions for Let It Be and Abbey Road in 1969 and early 1970. It is the last in a trilogy of albums with Anthology 1 and Anthology 2, all of which tie in with the televised special The Beatles Anthology.
The discography of British musician Paul McCartney consists of 26 studio albums, four compilation albums, nine live albums, 37 video albums, two extended plays, 111 singles, seven classical albums, five electronica albums, 17 box sets, and 79 music videos. Before his career as a solo artist, McCartney enjoyed success as a member of the rock band the Beatles.
Wingspan: Hits and History is a compilation album by English musician Paul McCartney, featuring material spanning his first solo album McCartney in 1970 to the 1984 Give My Regards to Broad Street movie soundtrack. It features songs recorded with Wings in addition to solo material.
Wings over America is a triple live album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in December 1976. The album was recorded during the American leg of the band's 1975–76 Wings Over the World tour. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart and reached number 1 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart.
Back in the U.S. is a double live album by Paul McCartney from his spring 2002 Driving USA Tour in the US in support of his 2001 release Driving Rain. It was released with an accompanying DVD to commemorate his first set of concerts in almost ten years.
London Town is the sixth studio album by the British–American rock group Wings. It was released in March 1978, two years after its predecessor, Wings at the Speed of Sound. The album had a long and tumultuous gestation during which the band's tour plans for 1977 were cancelled, due to Linda McCartney becoming pregnant with her and Paul McCartney's fourth child and two members of Wings having departed, leaving the band as a trio comprising Paul, Linda and Denny Laine. Recording sessions were held intermittently over a period of a year, mainly at Abbey Road Studios in London and aboard a luxury yacht in the Virgin Islands.
Wings Greatest is a compilation album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in the U.K. December 1, 1978. It was the band's last release through Capitol in the US. The album is notable as being the first official retrospective release from Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career.
Tripping the Live Fantastic is Paul McCartney's first official solo live album and his first release of concert material since Wings' 1976 Wings over America live package. It was released in early November 1990 as triple LP, double cassette and double CD. Tripping the Live Fantastic reached number 17 in the UK and number 26 in the US. An abridged version of the album, entitled Tripping the Live Fantastic: Highlights!, was released in the end of November.
Tug of War is the third solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 26 April 1982. It is his 11th album overall following the break up of the Beatles in 1970, his first album released after the dissolution of his band Wings the previous year, and his first album following the murder of his former songwriting partner John Lennon. The cover features an abstract oil painting by the artist Brian Clarke, a frequent McCartney collaborator, incorporating an overpainted transparency of a portrait of Paul taken by Linda McCartney.
"Silly Love Songs" is a song by the British–American rock band Wings that was written by Paul and Linda McCartney. The song first appeared in March 1976 on the album Wings at the Speed of Sound, then it was released as a single backed with "Cook of the House" on 1 April in the US, and 30 April in the UK. The song, which features disco overtones, was seen as being written in response to music critics accusing McCartney of predominantly writing "silly love songs" and "sentimental slush"; however, McCartney has since clarified that the song was actually directed to John Lennon who accused him of writing such songs.
"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is a song by Paul and Linda McCartney from the album Ram. Released in the United States as a single on 2 August 1971, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on 4 September 1971, making it the first of a string of post-Beatles, Paul McCartney-penned singles to top the US pop chart during the 1970s and 1980s. Billboard ranked the song as number 22 on its Top Pop Singles of 1971 year-end chart. It became McCartney's first gold record after the breakup of the Beatles.
"Live and Let Die" is the theme song of the 1973 James Bond film of the same name, performed by the British–American rock band Wings. Written by English musician Paul McCartney and his wife Linda McCartney, it reunited McCartney with former Beatles producer George Martin, who produced the song and arranged the orchestra. McCartney was contacted to write the song by the film's producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli before the screenplay was finished. Wings recorded "Live and Let Die" during the sessions for Red Rose Speedway in October 1972 at AIR Studios. It was also the first rock song to open a Bond film. Another version by B. J. Arnau also appears in the film.
"Band on the Run" is a song by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, the title track to their 1973 album Band on the Run.
"Listen to What the Man Said" is a hit single from Wings' 1975 album Venus and Mars. The song featured new member Joe English on drums, with guest musicians Dave Mason on guitar and Tom Scott on soprano saxophone. It was a number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US the week of July 19, 1975 and reached number 1 in Canada on the RPM National Top Singles Chart. It also reached number 6 in the UK, and reached the top ten in Norway and New Zealand and the top twenty in the Netherlands. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies.
"Let 'Em In" is a song by Wings from their 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and reached the top 3 in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. It was a No. 2 hit in the UK; in the U.S. it was a No. 3 pop hit and No. 1 easy listening hit. In Canada, the song was No. 3 for three weeks on the pop chart and No. 1 for three weeks on the MOR chart of RPM magazine. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies. It can also be found on McCartney's 1987 compilation album, All the Best! A demo of the song, featuring Denny Laine on lead vocal, was included as a bonus track on the Archive Collection reissue of Wings at the Speed of Sound.
"Goodnight Tonight" is a song by the British–American rock band Wings. Written and produced by Paul McCartney, it was released as a non-album single on 23 March 1979 by Parlophone in the UK and Columbia Records in the US. It was recorded during the sessions for the band's 1979 album Back to the Egg and is notable for its disco-inflected sound and spirited flamenco guitar break.
Memory Almost Full is the fourteenth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney. It was released in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2007 and in the United States a day later. The album was the first release on Starbucks' Hear Music label. It was produced by David Kahne and recorded at Abbey Road Studios, Henson Recording Studios, AIR Studios, Hog Hill Mill Studios and RAK Studios between October 2003, and from 2006 to February 2007. In between the 2003 and 2006 sessions, McCartney was working on another studio album, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (2005), with producer Nigel Godrich.
Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre–rock and roll pop to classical, ballads, and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most successful in modern music history.