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If you ever have the privilege of seeing Paul McCartney live, one of the highlights is always his Wings hit, “Band on the Run.”
That's because when the second half of the song finally kicks in, eight-string guitar strums and all, a euphoric energy arises. The five-minute song is the opener of the Wings album Band on the Run.
While most look back at McCartney and Wings' time fondly, they were struggling prior to the Band on the Run album. This was Wings' third album after Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway, which both had some highlights. But the band was without its signature hit.
“Hi, Hi, Hi” and “My Love” are great, but they don't reach the soaring heights of “Band on the Run,” “Jet,” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five.”
And Wings would go on to have continued success for years to come until their dissolution in 1981. Would Paul McCartney and Wings have continued if Band on the Run had flopped? We'll never know, but it's appropriate to look back at the album that saved their career on this day a half-century ago.
“Well the rain exploded with a mighty crash”
As noted, it's Band on the Run's titular opening track that sets the stage for this masterpiece of an album. “Band on the Run” is a five-minute song, but it's really three songs combined into one. The slow opening begins building by the second verse that's driven by the lyric, “If we ever get out of here.”
Then comes the joyous second half of the song. The trio of McCartney, his wife Linda, and Denny Laine (rest in peace) composed such a wonderful song that would become Wings' signature hit.
It's a song that McCartney still uses as a show-stopper during concerts.
Other live staples
Next on the album is another one of McCartney and Wings' greatest creations, “Jet.” Whether it's about McCartney's dog or about meeting Linda's father, “Jet” is a stellar song. All three members of the band collaborate on the choruses' harmonies, which is one of the band's best.
Silly? Absolutely, but that's McCartney's signature. Perhaps there is no greater example from the very same album than “Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me).” It's a fun drinking song that incorporates refrains from other songs “Jet,” “Mrs. Vanderbilt,” and “Band on the Run.”
“Let Me Roll It” has continued to be a staple of McCartney's setlists. Nowadays, McCartney attaches an extended snippet of “Foxy Lady” to the end of it. Amazingly, the blend of the Wings song and Henrix's works to the point you forget they're separate tracks. The simple, but thumping bass line is one of McCartney's more subtle works. It also makes an appearance in Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza.
Band on the Run's closing track, “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five,” is one of their most intense. It reaches a crashing crescendo much like “A Day in the Life” from the Beatles. Once again, the lyrics are silly, but the song's driving force is McCartney's piano playing and his vocals.
The lesser-known hits
Not to be confused with the Beatles' “Blackbird,” “Bluebird” is a Wings song.
The second half of Band on the Run opens with the one-two punch of “Mamunia” — a song with a chorus that's undoubtedly an ear worm — and “No Words.”
They aren't as good as Wings' best, or even this album's best, but they lead into the final two tracks: “Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five.”
The North American release of Band on the Run includes “Helen Wheels.” After “Hi, Hi, Hi,” this felt like the band's obligatory rocker.
While many artists don't release their cut tracks — short of Taylor Swift emptying her vault — McCartney (and Wings) clearly writes more than he needs. “Helen Wheels” could have made it on any other albums (perhaps except Wild Life), but that speaks to the strength of Band on the Run.
Band on the Run's legacy
Band on the Run, both the album and the song, are vital parts of Wings' legacy. It's not just because it's a live staple — McCartney's “My Valentine” is also a recent live staple — but the album is exactly the hit-filled collection of songs they needed.
Paul McCartney and Wings are a legendary band. We're fortunate that they found their footing and released their first masterpiece of an album 50 years ago.
Rest in peace, Denny Laine. His contributions to Wings can't go unnoticed, as his guitar licks were integral to Band on the Run and the band's other hits.
