Wings (band) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul McCartney and Wings
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Wings, 1975. L–R: Joe English, Denny Laine, Linda McCartney, Jimmy McCulloch and Paul McCartney.
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Suzy and the Red Stripes The Country Hams |
| Origin | England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1971–1981 |
| Labels | |
| Past members |
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Paul McCartney and Wings, often called simply Wings, was a British-American rock band. It was started in 1971 by Paul McCartney, who was a member of the famous band The Beatles. He formed Wings with his wife Linda (who played keyboards), drummer Denny Seiwell, and guitarist Denny Laine from The Moody Blues. Wings was known for changing its members often, with three different lead guitarists and four drummers. However, Paul, Linda, and Denny Laine were always part of the band.
Contents
The Band's Journey: How Wings Took Flight
After Paul and Linda McCartney released their album Ram in 1971, they formed Wings. The band's first two albums, Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway, didn't get as much praise as Paul's work with the Beatles. Guitarist Henry McCullough joined for Red Rose Speedway.
Big Hits and New Members
Things changed when Wings released the song "Live and Let Die" for the James Bond movie of the same name. This song became a big hit! After this, McCullough and Seiwell left the band. Paul, Linda, and Denny Laine then released the album Band on the Run in 1973. This album was a huge success with both fans and critics. It had two popular songs, "Jet" and "Band on the Run".
After Band on the Run, the band welcomed guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton. But Britton left soon after and Joe English became the new drummer. With this new group, Wings released Venus and Mars. This album included the number one hit song "Listen to What the Man Said". Wings then went on a very successful world tour in 1975–76. During this tour, they released another album, Wings at the Speed of Sound, which featured the popular songs "Silly Love Songs" and "Let 'Em In".
Changing Line-ups and Final Albums
In 1977, Wings had their only number one song in the UK, "Mull of Kintyre". This song became the best-selling UK single at that time. However, the band changed members again, with McCulloch and English leaving. Paul, Linda, and Denny Laine then released the album London Town in 1978. They brought in new members: guitarist Laurence Juber and drummer Steve Holley. Their last album, Back to the Egg, didn't do as well, and its songs weren't as popular.
In April 1981, Denny Laine announced he was leaving Wings because there were no plans for more tours. This effectively ended the band, even though Paul McCartney didn't officially say it was over until 1982.
Wings' Lasting Impact
Wings had many successful songs and albums. They had twelve songs reach the top 10 in the UK and fourteen songs in the top 10 in the US. Five of their albums reached number one in the US charts. Paul McCartney was the main creative force behind Wings, but other members like Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, and Linda McCartney also helped write songs and sang lead vocals on some tracks.
The success of Wings was important for Paul McCartney. After the Beatles, some critics didn't think his new music was as good. But by the mid-1970s, while other former Beatles were less active in music, Wings continued to tour and have many hits. This showed that Paul could still create popular music.
Some people criticized Wings, saying that the other members were just "sidemen" (musicians who support a main artist) for Paul McCartney. For example, guitarist Henry McCullough left because he felt Paul told him exactly what to play, and he didn't think Wings felt like a "real band."
Wings also recorded other songs that were released separately. Their 1977 song "Mull of Kintyre" is still one of the best-selling non-charity singles in the UK. In 2001, a collection of their hits and history, called Wingspan: Hits and History, was released.
Meet the Band: Wings' Members Over Time
Wings had several different groups of musicians during its time. Here's how the band's members changed:
| 1971–1972 |
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| 1972–1973 |
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| 1973–1974 |
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| 1974–1975 |
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| 1975–1977 |
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| 1977–1978 |
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| 1978–1981 |
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Albums and Songs: Wings' Discography
Wings released several studio albums and live albums:
- Wild Life (1971)
- Red Rose Speedway (1973)
- Band on the Run (1973)
- Venus and Mars (1975)
- Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976)
- London Town (1978)
- Back to the Egg (1979)
Live Albums
- Wings over America (1976)
- Wings over Europe (2018)
Touring the World: Wings' Concerts
Wings performed five concert tours during their ten years together:
- Wings University Tour – 11 shows in the UK, 1972
- Wings Over Europe Tour – 25 shows, 1972
- Wings 1973 United Kingdom Tour – 21 shows, 1973
- Wings Over the World Tour – 66 shows, 1975–1976
- Wings 1979 United Kingdom Tour – 20 shows, 1979
Awards and Recognition
Wings and its members received many awards for their music.
- Music Week Award
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
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| 1977 | Music Week's top single | "Mull of Kintyre" | Wings | Won |
- Yugoton Award
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
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| 1976 | Gold LP For successful sales of their albums in Yugoslavia | McCartney, Ram, Wild Life, Red Rose Speedway, Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, Wings at the Speed of Sound | Paul McCartney and Wings | Won |
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The BRITs Hits 30 | "Live and Let Die" | Paul McCartney and Wings | Nominated |
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
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| 1974 | Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group | "Live and Let Die" | Paul McCartney and Wings | Nominated |
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Best Original Song | "Live and Let Die" | Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney | Nominated |
- Million-Air Award
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
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| 2012 | over 4 million performances | "Live and Let Die" | Paul McCartney | Won |
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
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| 1979 | Most successful and honoured composer and musician in popular music history | – | Paul McCartney | Won |
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
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| 2010 | A Classic Album | Band on the Run | Paul McCartney and Wings | Won |
- RIAA award
| Year | Award | Recipient | Result |
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| 1976 | Top Male Vocalist of the Year | Paul McCartney | Won |
| Year | Award | Recipient | Result |
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| 1974 | Best bass guitarist | Paul McCartney | Won |
| 1976 | Best bass guitarist | Paul McCartney | Won |
- Capitol Radio music Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Best Single | "Mull of Kintyre" | Wings | Won |
| Best Live Show in London | 1976 Wembley performances | Paul McCartney and Wings | Won |
- Daily Mirror Readers Awards
| Year | Award | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Best Male Group Singer | Paul McCartney | Won |
| Best Rock Group | Paul McCartney and Wings | Won | |
| Best Pop Group | Paul McCartney and Wings | Won | |
| 1979 | Outstanding Music Personality | Paul McCartney | Won |
- Ivor Novello Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
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| 1978 | Best Pop Song | "Mull of Kintyre" | Wings | Nominated |
| Best Selling A Side | "Mull of Kintyre" | Wings | Won | |
| 1980 | Outstanding Services to British Music | – | Paul McCartney | Won |
- Juno Awards (Canadian Music awards) and Nominations
| Year | Award | Work | Recipient | Result |
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| 1975 | International Album of the Year | Band on the Run | Paul McCartney and Wings | Won |
| Best Selling Single | "Band on the Run" | Paul McCartney and Wings | Nominated | |
| 1976 | International Album of the Year | Venus and Mars | Wings | Nominated |
| 1977 | International Album of the Year | Wings over America | Wings | Nominated |
- Grammy Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Work | With | Result |
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| 1974 | Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) | "Live and Let Die" | George Martin | Won |
| Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture | "Live and Let Die" | Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, George Martin | Nominated | |
| Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus | "Live and Let Die" | Paul McCartney and Wings | Nominated | |
| 1975 | Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus | "Band on the Run" | Paul McCartney and Wings | Won |
| Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical | Band on the Run | Geoff E. Emerick | Won | |
| Album of the Year | Band on the Run | Paul McCartney and Wings | Nominated | |
| 1977 | Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) | "Let 'Em In" | Wings | Nominated |
| 1978 | Best Album Package | Wings over America | Wings | Nominated |
| 1980 | Best Rock Instrumental Performance | "Rockestra Theme" | Wings | Won |
| 1981 | Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male | "Coming Up" | Paul McCartney | Nominated |
| 2012 | Best Historical Album | Band on the Run | Paul McCartney, Sam Okell, Steve Rooke | Won |
| 2013 | Grammy Hall of Fame Award | Band on the Run | Paul McCartney and Wings | Inducted |
| 2014 | Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package | Wings over America | Simon Earith, James Musgrave | Won |
Images for kids
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Paul and Linda McCartney at the Academy Awards, April 1974
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Paul McCartney with Linda McCartney in 1976
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Denny Laine during the 1976 tour
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Steve Holley, the group's last drummer
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Jimmy McCulloch (left) and Paul McCartney during the 1976 Wings Over the World tour
See also
In Spanish: Wings (banda) para niños
