Remembering When Paul McCartney Bulked up Wings for a Hit Album in 1975

It’s not necessarily considered the best Wings album. Nor is it the most successful. But Venus And Mars, released in 1975, arguably represented Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles band at their cultural peak.

The whole world was listening to see what the band would do at that moment. And, despite some lineup drama, they delivered a crowd-pleaser of an album that helped springboard them towards a massive tour.

Wanted: Guitarist and Drummer

No matter how much Paul McCartney tried to manage expectations, fans naturally looked for a lot out of a band started by an ex-Beatle. Wings struggled to meet those standards on their first few albums. Before they made their third album, two members left, making it look like Paul’s gambit could be a massive flop.

But McCartney flipped that narrative in a hurry. As a trio with wife Linda and Denny Laine, McCartney rallied Wings with the utterly brilliant Band On The Run in 1973. He answered his critics with an album that no one could deny.

It must have been tempting, considering the success of Band On The Run, for Macca to continue with a lean and mean band. But he always envisioned Wings as a touring outfit. That couldn’t happen with only three members. He’d have to fill in the gaps.

Back to Five

McCartney chose Jimmy McCulloch, a young Scottish gunslinger, to take over on lead guitar. Brit Geoff Britton was tabbed to play drums. But Britton clashed almost immediately with others in the band. Very little of his work ended up on the final version of Venus And Mars.

Instead, McCartney replaced him with the American Joe English, who managed to fit in with the others more seamlessly. After an initial stint laying down tracks at Abbey Road Studios in London, the group headed for a stop in New Orleans, a dream recording location for the former Beatle.

After a somewhat protracted recording process, Venus And Mars arrived in May 1975. McCartney gave it a big boost with the release of the lead single “Listen To What The Man Said”, a hit that continued the hot streak of Band On The Run.

‘Mars’ Attack

Venus And Mars featured McCartney in stylistic shapeshifter mode, bringing many different flavors to the album. Rock songs like “Letting Go” and “Medicine Jar” jostle for space with the soulful “Call Me Back Again” and the old-timey “You Gave Me The Answer”. McCartney even pulls an Abbey Road, seeming to finish with a sweeping song suite before surprising with another track at the end.

Most telling of all, Venus And Mars opens with the atmospheric title track before segueing into the thunderous “Rock Show”. McCartney was telegraphing his next move, which was a huge victory lap of a tour.

The Wings Over America tour not only included selections from Venus And Mars, but it also encompassed earlier Wings songs, McCartney’s solo material, and, most notably of all, songs from his time with The Beatles. At that point, it was hard to argue that there was a more impactful show on Earth than the one being delivered nightly by Paul McCartney’s “other” band.

(Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)