In the final days of The Beatles, tensions and uncertainty loomed large. Amidst this, Paul McCartney suggested a bold, albeit desperate, idea: why not return to playing small independent music venues? McCartney hoped a grassroots approach could revive the band’s spirit.
However, John Lennon’s response was unforgivingly blunt. Recalling the moment in an interview with The i newspaper, McCartney said John simply looked him in the eye and said, “You’re daft.”
Shortly thereafter, Paul abandoned attempts to revive The Beatles and formed Wings, including his wife Linda, drummer Denny Seiwell, and bassist Denny Laine. Freed from the creative conflicts that had plagued The Beatles, Wings embraced smaller venues, exchanging vast stadiums for intimate student union gigs.
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Their first UK tour in 1972 was a humble beginning: loading two vans, bringing their families along, and securing an impromptu performance at Nottingham University Students’ Union on February 9, simply by asking the union secretary. Over the course of the tour, Wings performed ten unplanned shows, drawing attention and growing their fanbase. By the time they hit York, the band found a queue stretching nearly a quarter of a mile.
Linda McCartney understood the challenge of escaping the shadow of The Beatles. She astutely noted, “We’ll always be compared to The Beatles and measured accordingly.”
Despite this, Wings carved out an impressive place in music history, selling over 50 million records worldwide and scoring five No.1 albums in America in just five years. Their song “Mull of Kintyre” even surpassed every Beatles single on the UK charts.
Wings’ debut single, “Give Ireland Back to the Irish,” took a politically charged stance after Bloody Sunday, resulting in a BBC broadcasting ban. The band’s rise continued with acclaimed albums like Band on the Run and Venus and Mars, eventually transforming into a stadium-filling phenomenon.
However, their momentum stalled after Paul’s 1980 arrest in Japan for cannabis possession, forcing the cancellation of their Japanese tour. A year later, tragedy struck with John Lennon’s assassination in New York.
Looking back, Paul McCartney admitted he grew bored of Wings, explaining, “Wings didn’t actually fold, we sort of dissolved, like sugar in tea.” Linda reflected on the strain of the project, saying, “Paul felt very frustrated. We just picked the wrong people. He needed the best to work with, but he had to carry almost all the weight.”
The Beatles’ breakup marked the end of an era, but also the start of new chapters for its members—each facing their own challenges and triumphs.