Paul McCartney needed a ringing success after the first few years of his post-Beatles career were dogged by poor reviews. He and his suddenly truncated band Wings came through in a major way with the 1973 album Band On The Run.
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The album now stands as Wings’ most lauded effort and a true rock masterpiece. Here are some little-known tidbits behind the making of the record.
By George
Many people credit the circumstances behind the making of the Band On The Run album with the inspiration for the wondrous title track. The fact that the album was recorded in Nigeria certainly had something to do with it. But Paul McCartney also remembered being in meetings about The Beatles’ Apple company. These meetings seemed to go on forever while legal wranglings were ongoing. At some point, George Harrison made a comment likening The Beatles to prisoners of these proceedings. That thought stuck with Macca.
A Dog and Pony Show
Because the lyrics to “Jet” are so off-the-wall, with McCartney doing all kinds of free-associating, many people have wondered about the title character. Macca has only confused matters over the years with his comments. He originally claimed that “Jet” was the name of a puppy he owned. However, in later years, he said that he also had a pony with that name. Maybe it was both. In any case, we doubt that either of those animals had any clue while they were being lumped in with a “major” and a “lady suffragette.”
A Trio… and Then Some
Wings recorded Band On The Run under all kinds of adverse conditions. One of the problems that they had was that two members of what was once a quintet left shortly before recording was set to begin. They pressed on as a trio (McCartney, wife Linda, and Denny Laine). And since McCartney and Laine were skilled in many instruments, they mostly handled everything themselves. But a few session musicians eventually contributed. That included Howie Casey, who delivers the slinky saxophone solo on “Mrs. Vandebilt”.
The US Wins Out
In the United Kingdom, standalone singles that weren’t included on any LPs were common practice. The Beatles recorded several of them, and Wings continued that practice. As such, “Helen Wheels” arrived as a single in 1973 in Great Britain before Band On The Run was released. And it wasn’t on the running order of the UK album. But since America went about things differently, McCartney included it on the US version. That version has since become accepted as definitive. Now, it’s difficult to imagine Band On The Run without “Helen Wheels”.
Ginger and Dustin
A couple of wild facts about this song. Ginger Baker, the famous Cream drummer, owned a studio in Nigeria, where Band On The Run was recorded. “Drink To Me (Picasso’s Last Words)” was the only song recorded at that studio, and Baker added percussion by banging on a gravel-filled can. As for the inspiration, it came from, of all places, actor Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman challenged McCartney to write a song out of thin air based on some random prompt. When given the title by Hoffman, he did just that, putting together a demo on the spot.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
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