What John Lennon Thought of Paul McCartney’s ‘Band on the Run’
The former members of The Beatles never seemed to stop talking about their ex-bandmates. When George Harrison discussed his feelings about Wings, John Lennon responded by talking about Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run. That record produced three hit singles, but only two are still famous today.
George Harrison and John Lennon had strong feelings about Paul McCartney’s music
During a 1974 interview with Rolling Stone, George discussed his reluctance to play Beatles songs. “I certainly am going to control my own concept of me,” he said. “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.”
During a 1975 interview with Rolling Stone, John was asked about George’s comment. “I didn’t see what George said so I really don’t have any comment,” he replied. “Band on the Run is a great album.” In the same interview, John said he didn’t like any album all the way through.
John Lennon compared Paul McCartney’s ‘Band on the Run’ era to the Plastic Ono Band
John gave fans insight into his feelings about Wings. “Wings is almost as conceptual a group as Plastic Ono Band,” he said. “Plastic Ono was a conceptual group, meaning that whoever was playing was the band. And Wings keeps changing all the time.
“It’s conceptual,” he said. “I mean, they’re backup men for Paul. It doesn’t matter who’s playing, you can call them Wings, but it’s Paul McCartney music. And it’s good stuff. It’s good Paul music and I don’t really see the connection.” Considering John was willing to criticize Paul harshly, most famously in his song “How Do You Sleep?,” his remarks about Wings are a big deal.
‘Band on the Run’ and ‘Jet’ are famous, but another song from that album faded from view
Band on the Run became a huge hit for Wings. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for four weeks, remaining on the chart for 120 weeks in total. Band on the Run became, by far, Wings’ most successful release in the United States. The record produced three top 10 singles: “Helen Wheels,” which hit No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Band on the Run,” which topped the chart, and “Jet,” which hit No. 7.
According to The Official Charts Company, Band on the Run was big in the United Kingdom as well. There, it hit No. 1 for seven of its 130 weeks on the chart. In the U.K., “Helen Wheels” hit No. 12, “Band on the Run” hit No. 3, and “Jet” hit No. 7. The public loved Band on the Run even more than John did! It’s no wonder why “Band on the Run” and “Jet” are still classic rock radio staples after all these decades (although “Helen Wheels” is a forgotten gem).
John loved Band on the Run and it remains one of the most beloved and influential albums of the 1970s.
