With a Little Luck

Last updated

"With a Little Luck"
With a Little Luck cover.jpg
Single by Wings
from the album London Town
B-side "Backwards Traveller"/"Cuff Link"
Released20 March 1978
Recorded10 May – November 1977 [1]
Genre Synth-pop, yacht rock [2] [3]
Length5:45 (full-length version)
3:13 (radio edit version)
Label Parlophone (UK)
Capitol (US)
Songwriter(s) Paul McCartney
Producer(s) Paul McCartney
Wings singles chronology
"Mull of Kintyre"
(1977)		"With a Little Luck"
(1978)		"I've Had Enough"
(1978)

"With a Little Luck" is a single by the band Wings from their 1978 album London Town . It reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1978.

Contents

Writing, recording and release

"With a Little Luck" was written in Scotland and was Wings' follow-up single to the then best-selling UK single of all time, "Mull of Kintyre." It was recorded in May 1977 in the Virgin Islands aboard the boat Fair Carol, which had been fitted with a 24-track studio, for the album London Town . The album, which had the working title Water Wings was released in March 1978 as the band's seventh album. [4] During these recordings, Wings' lead guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Joe English had recorded tracks but had left, returning the band to the three-piece line-up which had recorded Band on the Run in 1973. McCartney played electric piano, bass and synthesiser in the song; English was likely on drums, while Denny Laine and Linda McCartney helped with some keyboards. [5]

"With a Little Luck" was released in March 1978 as the first single from the album and reached No. 1 in the United States [6] and Canada, [7] and No. 5 in the UK. [6] [8] While it was at the top of the charts in the US, McCartney announced the new Wings line-up featuring lead guitarist Laurence Juber and drummer Steve Holley.

The single's b-side consists of the segue of two short tracks, "Backward Traveller"/"Cuff Link", also on the album, the first of which is a song and the second an instrumental that features a heavily synthesised guitar theme.

Reception

Billboard described "With a Little Luck" as an "optimistic and celebrative" midtempo pop song that it expected to be one of McCartney's most commercially successful songs. [9] Cash Box said that "the lead vocals and harmonies are smooth and soothing" and praised the hooks. [10] Record World called it "a light, whimsical song about life's mysteries." [11] Chris Ingham praised the song as one of the best on the album, stating it was "full of the most sensitive pop synthesizer touches." [12] Tom Waseleski of the Beaver County Times regarded "With a Little Luck" as having "more substance" than McCartney's other soft rock tracks. [13]

Music video

The song's music video, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, aired in the UK on 9 May 1978, as part of Granada Television's Paul, a music show hosted by Paul Nicholas. [14]

Personnel

Chart performance

Later release

"With a Little Luck" was included on the compilation album Wings Greatest (1978) and the Paul McCartney compilation albums All the Best! (1987), Wingspan: Hits and History (2001) and Pure McCartney (2016). There are two versions of the song: the full-length version, which runs 5:45, and a promotional radio edit version, which runs 3:13 (as it cuts out, among other things, the entire instrumental interlude). The full-length version is included on Wings Greatest and the UK & Canada version of All the Best!, while the radio edit version appears on Wingspan, Pure McCartney and the US version of All the Best!

The song was featured in the closing credits of the 1979 film Sunburn starring Farrah Fawcett, Charles Grodin and Art Carney.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Those Years Ago</span> 1981 single by George Harrison

"All Those Years Ago" is a song by the English rock musician George Harrison, released in May 1981 as a single from his ninth studio album Somewhere in England. Having previously recorded the music for the song, Harrison tailored the lyrics to serve as a personal tribute to his former Beatles bandmate John Lennon, following the latter's murder in 1980. Ringo Starr is featured on drums, and Paul McCartney overdubbed backing vocals onto the basic track. The single spent three weeks at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, behind "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes, and it peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. It also topped Canada's RPM singles chart and spent one week at number 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary listings.

<i>London Town</i> (Wings album) 1978 studio album by Wings

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coming Up (song)</span> 1980 single by Paul McCartney

"Coming Up" is a song written and performed by the English rock musician Paul McCartney, released as the opening track on his second solo studio album McCartney II (1980). Like other songs on the album, the song has a synthesised sound, featuring sped-up vocals created by using a vari-speed tape machine. McCartney played all instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mull of Kintyre (song)</span> 1977 single by Wings

"Mull of Kintyre" is a song by the British-American rock band Wings. It was written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine in tribute to the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll and Bute in the south-west of Scotland and its headland, the Mull of Kintyre, where McCartney has owned High Park Farm since 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silly Love Songs</span> 1976 Paul & Linda McCartney/Wings song

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Live and Let Die (song)</span> 1973 song by Paul McCartney and Wings

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jet (song)</span> 1973 single by Paul McCartney and Wings

"Jet" is a song by Paul McCartney and Wings from their third studio album Band on the Run (1973). It was the first British and American single to be released from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Band on the Run (song)</span> 1974 single by Paul McCartney and Wings

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior's Farm</span> 1974 single by Paul McCartney and Wings

"Junior's Farm" is a song written by Paul McCartney and performed by Paul McCartney and Wings. It was issued as a non-album single by Apple Records in November 1974; it peaked at No. 3 in the United States and No. 16 in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Listen to What the Man Said</span> 1975 single by Wings

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Letting Go (Wings song)</span> 1975 single by Wings

"Letting Go" is a song credited to Paul and Linda McCartney and originally released by Wings on their 1975 album Venus and Mars. The song was remixed and released as a single on 4 October 1975 in the United States, and on 18 October 1975 in the United Kingdom. The song peaked at number 41 in the UK, 41 on the Cash Box Top 100 and number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let 'Em In</span> 1976 single by Wings

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I've Had Enough (Wings song)</span> 1978 single by Wings

"I've Had Enough" is a song by the British–American rock band Wings, released as a single from their 1978 album London Town. It reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, No. 24 in Canada and No. 42 in the UK as well as reached No. 11 in Ireland. In the Netherlands, the 2-sided single "I've Had Enough" combined with its B-side "Deliver Your Children" reached No. 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Town (Wings song)</span> 1978 single by Wings

"London Town" is a song by the British-American rock band Wings. The title and opening track of their 1978 album London Town, it was the third of three single releases from the album, reaching No. 39 in the US, No. 43 in Canada and No. 60 in the UK. It also reached No. 17 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodnight Tonight</span> 1979 single by Wings

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arrow Through Me</span> 1979 single by Wings

"Arrow Through Me" is a song by the British–American rock band Wings, released on their 1979 album Back to the Egg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Getting Closer (song)</span> 1979 single by Wings

"Getting Closer" is a rock song from the British rock band Wings, Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band. The song was released on the album Back to the Egg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterfalls (Paul McCartney song)</span> 1980 single by Paul McCartney

"Waterfalls" is a Paul McCartney ballad from his first solo album after Wings, McCartney II. The song has a minimalist sound, with McCartney only playing a Fender Rhodes electric piano and a synthesizer and singing, and a short solo performed on acoustic guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Brave Face</span> 1989 single by Paul McCartney

"My Brave Face" is a song by the English musician Paul McCartney, released as a single from his 1989 album, Flowers in the Dirt. Written by McCartney and Elvis Costello, "My Brave Face" is one of the most popular songs from Flowers in the Dirt. It peaked at number 18 in the United Kingdom and at number 25 in the United States. It was McCartney's last top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 until his 2014 collaboration with Kanye West, "Only One", and was the last Billboard top 40 hit by any former Beatle as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Got to Get You into My Life</span> 1966 song by The Beatles

"Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, first released in 1966 on their album Revolver. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is a homage to the Motown Sound, with colourful brass instrumentation and lyrics that suggest a psychedelic experience. "It's actually an ode to pot," McCartney explained.

References

  1. ↑ "With a Little Luck (song)". The Paul McCartney Project.
  2. ↑ "How Paul McCartney Found Hope Amid Second Wings Split". 20 March 2023.
  3. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (6 March 2024). "The 100 Best Beatles Solo Songs". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 25 April 2024. ..."With a Little Luck" is the rare yacht-rock hit that was recorded on an actual yacht...
  4. ↑ Bowen, Mark (2009). McCartney Solo: See You Next Time (1st ed.). Lulu.com. p. 83. ISBN   978-140-929879-3.
  5. ↑ Luca Perasi, Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013), L.I.L.Y. Publishing, 2013, ISBN   978-88-909122-1-4, pp.157–158.
  6. 1 2 "Paul McCartney singles". AllMusic . Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 3 June 1978. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  8. ↑ "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  9. ↑ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 1 April 1978. p. 87. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  10. ↑ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 1 April 1978. p. 22. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  11. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 1 April 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  12. ↑ Ingham, C. (2009). The Rough Guide to the Beatles (3rd ed.). Penguin. p. 117. ISBN   978-1-4053-8445-2.
  13. ↑ Waseleski, T. (12 April 1978). "Paul McCartney: His Return to Basics is Perfect". Beaver County Times . p. B-14. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  14. ↑ Miles, Barry; Badman, Keith, eds. (2001). The Beatles Diary After the Break-Up: 1970-2001 (reprint ed.). London: Music Sales Group. ISBN   9780711983076.
  15. 1 2 "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report . Retrieved 8 January 2022– via Imgur.com.
  16. ↑ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 17 June 1978. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  17. ↑ "Wings Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  18. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Music Chart". Billboard. 27 May 1978. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  19. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending May 20, 1978". Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Cash Box magazine.
  20. ↑ "Image : RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  21. ↑ "Top 100 1978 – UK Music Charts". uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  22. ↑ "Pop Singles" Billboard 23 December 1978: TIA-18
  23. ↑ "Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles". Cash Box. 30 December 1978. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.