George Harrison Said Paul McCartney’s Band Wings Was a Beatles Copy

He might’ve been a hippie, but he didn’t pull punches. George Harrison dismissed Paul McCartney’s band Wings as a Beatles redux. Meanwhile, Paul said the group was underrated.

George Harrison said fans who wanted to hear The Beatles in the 1970s listen to Wings

During a 1974 interview with Rolling Stone, George said he didn’t just want to repeat what The Beatles did. “I certainly am going to control my own concept of me,” he explained. “Gandhi says ‘Create and preserve the image of your choice.’ The image of my choice is not Beatle George. If they want to do that they can go and see Wings, then. Why live in the past? Be here now and now, whether you like me or not, this is what I am.”

George then discussed his expectations of life and the expectations people had of him. “I don’t have control over anything,” he said. “I believe in God and he is the supreme controller even down to the rehearsal.” George explained why his voice on his then-recent song “Dark Horse” sounded so husky. “It’s more like I am right at this minute,” he revealed. “I’m talking about the emphasis that gets put on a thing.”

“People expect so much,” he added. “If you don’t expect anything, life is just one big bonus, but when you expect anything, then you can be let down. I don’t let anybody down.”

Paul McCartney said his Wings bandmates weren’t like his Beatles bandmates

During a 2021 interview with Bass Player, Paul said Wings was an underrated band. He felt that no other band was going to live up to The Beatles because that would be like living up to God. He also felt that the comparisons between The Beatles and Wings were always brutal.

Paul didn’t want fans to think his work with Wings was lesser than his work with The Beatles. However, he noted Wings was simply a different band. Paul said Wings’ Denny Laine wasn’t John Lennon and Wings’ Henry McCullough wasn’t George. Paul said he was the main driving force behind Wings while the Fab Four was a more collaborative effort.

George Harrison was great but he was wrong about Paul McCartney’s work with Wings

Underrated or not, Wings was very distinct from The Beatles. Look at some of their most renowned songs. “Live and Let Die.” “Band on the Run.” “Coming Up.” None of these songs sound like Beatles tunes. The world of music was far from stagnant in the years after the Fab Four disbanded and Paul was always keeping up with new trends like progressive rock, cod reggae, and new wave music.

Paul is probably right that Wings is underrated. If the group has sprung up on its own, I doubt many classic rock fans would have harsh words for it. It’s because the band was founded by a former Beatle that listeners have unreachable standards for the group.

George was commendable for not wanting to simply copy The Beatles’ work. With Wings, Paul took the same approach.