Band on the Run is an album by Wings, released in 1973. McCartney's fifth album since the breakup of The Beatles (and Wings' third), it became Wings' most successful album and remains the most celebrated of McCartney's post-Beatles albums. It was 1974's top-selling album, and revitalized McCartney's critical standing.

In 2000 Q magazine placed Band on the Run at number 75 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. A contemporary review by Jon Landau in Rolling Stone (issue #153) described the album as "the finest record yet released by any of the four musicians who were once called The Beatles".

Background

After the success of Red Rose Speedway and "Live And Let Die" - the new James Bond theme song - Wings began contemplating its next album. Paul and Linda McCartney, bored with recording in the UK, wanted to go to an exotic locale. After asking EMI to send him a listing of all its international recording studios, Paul happened upon Lagos in Nigeria and was instantly taken with the idea of recording in Africa. Alongside the McCartneys, guitarist and pianist Denny Laine, lead guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Seiwell also were set to go. However, a few weeks before departing in late August, McCullough quit Wings in Scotland; Seiwell followed suit the night before the departure. This left just the core of the band -- Paul, Linda and Denny Laine -- to venture to Lagos, along with former Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, who was needed to record the basic tracks due to the primitive state of the Lagos studios, which Wings had failed to realize prior to planning the trip.

While there, both the McCartneys were mugged at knifepoint, were accosted in the studio by legendary musician Fela Kuti for fear that Paul was plagiarizing African music (fears which McCartney quickly assuaged by playing Kuti the recorded music), and were persuaded to record at Ginger Baker's studio in Lagos (where he lived at the time) by Baker himself once he heard that the McCartneys were in town. During this time, only the recording of the ensuing album's backing tracks, which generally featured Paul on lead guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, bass and drums and Denny on rhythm guitar, keyboards and bass, took place, as Emerick came to realize that EMI Lagos lacked such basic features as high-end vocal microphones.

In October, after the band's return to London, final overdubs and orchestral tracks were added and the album was finished. "Helen Wheels" was released as a non-album single at the end of the month, becoming a worldwide Top 10 by the end of the year. As Band On The Run was being prepared for release, Capitol Records, which distributed the Apple Records label in the United States, slotted "Helen Wheels" into the album - although it was never McCartney's intention to do so. The 1993 international CD reissue of the album - without the single interrupting the album's line-up - confirms this. Although "Helen Wheels" was not included on British versions of the Band on the Run CD (except as a bonus cut on the 1993 "The Paul McCartney Collection" edition of the CD), it has always been included on American editions of the CD (starting with the Columbia Records release of 1984).

Release

Band on the Run was issued that December to glowing reviews. The commercial reaction was slow, with the album gradually inching its way up the charts, but by the spring of 1974, bolstered by the hits "Jet" and the title track "Band on the Run", Band On The Run was a large success. It reached #1 in the US on three separate occasions, a first, and eventually went triple platinum. In the UK, it spent seven weeks at the summit that summer, becoming the top selling British album of 1974. Its lingering success was also beneficial in allowing Wings the time to locate a new guitarist and drummer, and to integrate them into the band before beginning new recordings.

In early 1975, Band on the Run won the Grammy award for "Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Duo, Group or Chorus."

The lead track, "Band on the Run" generally set the pace for the rest of the album. To tie back in with the album's title, the final track, "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" (also known as "1985"), fades into the "Band on the Run" chorus, to close off the album.

The 8-track tape version of this album has the distinction of being one of the few 8-tracks that is arranged just like the record album. The song "Bluebird" is divided in two parts, but the rest of the songs are complete.

In 1993, Band on the Run was remastered and reissued on CD as part of "The Paul McCartney Collection" series with "Helen Wheels" and its b-side "Country Dreamer" as bonus tracks.

In 1999, a special 25th Anniversary Edition was released.

In May 2007, the album was made available through the iTunes Store.

LP copies came with a poster of pictures of the band.

Cover

The cover of Band on the Run is also noteworthy. The cover photo was taken on 28 October 1973 against a garden wall in Osterley Park, Brentford. It depicts the now well-known shot of Paul, Linda, and Denny plus six other celebrities dressed as convicts caught in the spotlight of a prison searchlight. They are:

• Michael Parkinson (Chat-show host and journalist)
• Kenny Lynch (Actor, comedian and singer)
• James Coburn (Actor)
• Clement Freud (Columnist, gourmet, raconteur, Member of Parliament, Just a Minute panellist and grandson of Sigmund)
• Christopher Lee (Actor, best known for roles, particularly as Dracula, in Hammer Horror films and as Saruman in the Lord Of The Rings film trilogy)
• John Conteh (Liverpool boxer who later became World Light-Heavyweight champion)

References to the cover were to be made later by McCartney himself (in the video for "Spies Like Us", along with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd) as well as others (such as the movie poster for the Dreamworks' animated film Madagascar, which depicts the main characters standing against a wall in a pose similar to the original "Band on the Run" photo).

Track listing

All tracks written by Paul and Linda McCartney, except where noted.

Side one

1. "Band on the Run" – 5:10
2. "Jet" – 4:06
3. "Bluebird" – 3:22
4. "Mrs. Vandebilt" – 4:38
5. "Let Me Roll It" – 4:47

Side two

1. "Mamunia" – 4:50
2. "No Words" (Paul McCartney, Denny Laine) – 2:33
3. "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)" – 5:50
4. "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" – 5:27

Bonus tracks (in The Paul McCartney Collection)

1. "Helen Wheels" - 3:34 (also featured in the U.S. album)
2. "Country Dreamer" - 3:08

Personnel

• Paul McCartney – lead, rhythm and bass guitars, drums, piano, keyboards, percussion, vocals
• Linda McCartney – organ, keyboards, percussion, vocals
• Denny Laine – rhythm, lead and bass guitars, keyboards, percussion, vocals

Additional personnel

• Howie Casey – saxophone
• Ginger Baker – percussion
• Remi Kabaka – percussion
• Tony Visconti – orchestrations
• Ian and Trevor – backing vocals
• Geoff Emerick – Producer and Sound Engineer

Chart positions

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1974	Billboard Pop Albums	1
1974	UK Albums Chart	1
1974	Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart	1

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1974	"Band on the Run"	Billboard Pop Singles	1
1974	"Helen Wheels"	Billboard Pop Singles	10
1974	"Jet"	Billboard Pop Singles	7

Certifications

Organization	Level	Date
RIAA – USA	Gold	December 20 1973
BPI – UK	Gold	January 1 1974
RIAA – USA	Platinum	June 4 1974
BPI – UK	Platinum	May 1 1975
RIAA – USA	Platinum	November 27 1991
RIAA – USA	Double Platinum	November 27 1991
RIAA – USA	Triple Platinum	November 27 1991

Re-release

Band on the Run: 25th Anniversary Edition is a special extended edition of the 1973 landmark album, which was released in 1999.

Released to coincide exactly twenty-five after the album began to take off in March 1974 after a slow start, the package includes an extra disc of live renditions of songs throughout the years, as well as brief new renditions by McCartney. Spoken testimonials are also included from such luminaries as McCartney himself, late wife Linda (to whom this restrospective release is dedicated), Denny Laine, Dustin Hoffman (the inspiration behind "Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)"), and some of the celebrity faces on the cover, namely, Christopher Lee and James Coburn.

For this one occasion, McCartney released the package according to the original US release, with "Helen Wheels" in the line-up. It was left out of most editions of Band on the Run.

Upon its release, Band on the Run: 25th Anniversary Edition reached the summit of Billboard's Top Pop Catalog chart, while reaching #69 in the UK.

Track listing

All tracks written by Paul and Linda McCartney, except where noted.

Disc 1: US edition of original album

1. "Band On The Run" - 5:11
2. "Jet" - 4:07
3. "Bluebird" - 3:21
4. "Mrs. Vandebilt" - 4:39
5. "Let Me Roll It" - 4:47
6. "Mamunia" - 4:50
• An Arabic word for "safe haven" which McCartney happened upon while on holiday in Marrakesh
7. "No Words" (Paul McCartney/Denny Laine) - 2:33
• This song was begun by Denny Laine and finished by McCartney
8. "Helen Wheels" - 3:44
• "Helen Wheels" was only included on the US edition of Band on the Run in 1973
9. "Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)" - 5:46
• Inspired by actor Dustin Hoffman's suggestion to McCartney to compose a song on Pablo Picasso's recent passing
• Features Ginger Baker on shakers
10. "Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five" - 5:29

Disc 2: Bonus Materials

1. "PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Intro) /Band On The Run (Nicely Toasted Mix)" - 1:12
2. "Band On The Run (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 1) - 2:17
3. "Band On The Run (Barn Rehearsal - 21 July 1989)" - 4:59
4. "PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 2) /Mamunia (Original)/DENNY LAINE (Dialogue)/Mamunia (Original)/LINDA McCARTNEY (Dialogue)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 3)" - 4:23
5. "Bluebird (Live version - Australia 1975)" - 0:55
6. "Bluebird (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 4)" - 0:23
7. "PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 5) /NO WORDS (Original)/GEOFF EMERICK (Dialogue)" (Paul McCartney/Denny Laine) - 1:24
8. "No Words (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 6) /TONY VISCONTI (Dialogue)/Band On The Run (original)/TONY VISCONTI (Dialogue)" (Paul McCartney/Denny Laine) / (Paul and Linda McCartney) - 1:47
9. "Jet (Original from Picasso's Last Words) /PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 7) /Jet (Original from Picasso's Last Words) /AL COURY (Dialogue)" - 2:55
10. "Jet (Berlin Soundcheck - 3 September 1993)" - 3:52
11. "PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 8) /CLIVE ARROWSMITH (Dialogue)" - 1:44
12. "Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 9) /JAMES COBURN (Dialogue)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 10) /JOHN CONTEH (Dialogue)" - 3:24
13. "Mrs. Vandebilt (original) / PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 11) / KENNY LYNCH (Dialogue)" - 2:10
14. "Let Me Roll It (Cardington Rehearsal - 5 February 1993)"/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 12)" - 3:52
15. "PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 13) /Mrs. Vandebilt (Background)/MICHAEL PARKINSON (Dialogue)/LINDA McCARTNEY (Band On The Run Photo Shoot) (Dialogue)/MICHAEL PARKINSON (Dialogue)" - 2:25
16. "Helen Wheels (Crazed)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 14) /CHRISTOPHER LEE (Dialogue)" - 5:32
17. "Band On The Run (Strum Bit) /PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 15) /CLEMENT FREUD (Dialogue)" - 1:01
18. "Picasso's Last Words (Original)/PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue link 16) /DUSTIN HOFFMAN (Dialogue)" - 4:22
19. "Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me) (Acoustic version)" - 1:11
20. "Band On The Run (Nicely Toasted Mix) /PAUL McCARTNEY (Dialogue Link 17)" - 0:42
21. "Band On The Run (Northern Comic Version)" - 0:37

Notes

References

• McGee, Garry “Band on the Run: A History of Paul McCartney and Wings", Taylor Trade Publishing, 28 April 2003, ISBN 0-87833-304-5