Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run by Paul McCartney, edited by Ted Widmer

 

Reviewed by Kristin

How many books have been written about The Beatles, individually or collectively, and/or about their post-Beatle musical collaborations? A quick Google search (scroll past the AI overview, because that is likely to be generalized and somewhat inaccurate…) tells me that it is at least thousands, and possibly tens of thousands.

I believe it, because I have read quite a few. Not a thousand, but I have at least 20 on a bookshelf at home. In fact, a friend just gave me a vintage book containing letters written to each Beatle in their heyday, appropriately titled Dear Beatles and compiled by Bill Adler. One I must count among my favorites is Mark Lewisohn’s first volume in his comprehensive trilogy, The Beatles: All These Years: Tune In, published in 2013. We’re still waiting for volume two. Since it took him over a decade to publish the first one, I’m holding out hope. Tune In is worth the read, all 932 pages.

The book I’ve just finished reading is a much shorter 550 pages; Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run is told through a variety of voices as an oral history. Paul McCartney is prominent, of course, but every member of Wings and various people who knew them also have their words recorded. Linda McCartney, Paul’s late wife and Wings member, is quoted many times. Right after Ted Widmer’s editorial introduction, the “cast in alphabetical order” is listed. From photographers to sound engineers to other musicians to family and more, their thoughts are woven together to create a narrative about a band, well, in the famous words of Paul himself, a band on the run.

Interspersed between these voices are descriptions of projects and timelines placing Wings’ work amongst other major world events. Black and white photos are included throughout with a glossy color photo section in the middle. Appendices include band biographies, Wings’ discography, Wings’ gigography (a term I’d never heard, but loved seeing every public appearance Wings made from 1972-1979), and finally a Paul/Wings specific timeline from 1969-1981.

As you may have guessed, I really enjoyed this book. Another amusing thing that ran through my head while reading was my then two-year-old child singing “Band on the RUG” . . . repeatedly. At least we influence our kids’ musical tastes for a while.