Paul McCartney Came Up With His Band Name Wings After a Traumatic Life Event
Paul McCartney has had a long and successful solo career after leaving The Beatles. For a short time, McCartney was backed by the band Wings. The former Beatle came up with the name Wings following a traumatic and impactful life event.
Paul McCartney began his solo career after splitting from The Beatles
The Beatles dominated the 1960s, but the band would only have a decade of success before splitting up in 1970. Each member was going off on their own solo careers, and Paul McCartney was set to debut his first solo album only weeks before The Beatles’ final album, Let it Be. According to Billboard, McCartney was given a letter from John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, asking him to push the album until after Let it Be debuted.
McCartney refused, which became one of the many factors leading to the breakup of The Beatles. Following the release of his second album Ram, the British artist formed Paul McCartney and the Wings, a band featuring his then-wife Linda McCartney on keyboards, Denny Seiwell on drums, and Denny Laine on guitar. Guitarist Henry McCullough later joined the band.
McCartney came up with the name after a traumatic event
No, Wings is not based on the food. Paul McCartney discovered the name after dealing with a stressful event that caused him to pray. According to Billboard, Linda went into labor and required a cesarean section. Alone in the waiting room, McCartney began to pray for his wife and unborn child. He imagined an “angel’s wings, striking him with its simple, calming beauty.”
After the birth of his second biological daughter, McCartney decided to name the band Wings in honor of the imaginary angel who came to him in his time of need. Unfortunately, the band’s first album Wild Life was a massive disappointment as many were still recovering from The Beatles’ breakup. However, Paul McCartney and the Wings would later succeed with 1973’s Band on the Run.
Is Paul McCartney still in Wings?
No, the band officially dissolved in 1981. However, the beginning of the end began in 1973 after McCullough and Seiwell left the band after the release of “Live and Let Die.” According to Ultimate Classic Rock, a rift developed in the band while recording the album Red Rose Speedway, specifically the song “My Love.” McCartney had his own idea for the guitar solo, but McCullough wanted to try something different.
“We had an interesting moment on the session where we were going to cut it live at Abbey Road Studios, and the guitar player came over to me right before the take – we knew what we were going to do as a band, and the orchestra was arranged – and he said, ‘Do you mind if I try something different on the solo?'” McCartney once said. “It was one of those moments where I could have said, ‘I’d rather you didn’t; stick to the script,’ but I thought he sounded like he’s got an idea, and I said, ‘Sure.’ He came out with the really good guitar solo on the record; it’s one of the best things he played. So, that was like, ‘Wow.'”
This reportedly led to a fallout within the band as their upcoming works became more about showcasing the members and less about backing McCartney. The band lost its identity, and everyone would eventually go their separate ways.
