50 Years Ago Today First Wings Album Was Released On 12/07/71

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50 Years Ago Today the first Paul McCartney & Wings album was released entitled Wild Life. Although at the time, the band was just called Wings. It’s hard to believe that it has been fifty years ago. It’s also hard to fathom that it’s been 50 years since it was 1971. I can still remember hearing Three Dog Night’s “Joy To The World,” playing every ten minutes on the radio. The Partridge Family had become one of the biggest television shows on TV, the voting age was lowered to eighteen years old and Walt Disney World opened their doors for the first time. In the rock and roll world we saw the release of Led Zeppelin IV, The Who’s Whos Next, The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers and Paul’s ex bandmate John Lennon’s Imagine album. 1971 was a good year for everyone…to a point.

The first Wings album was not a groundbreaking earth shattering event. Yet for fans of Paul McCartney’s Wings period it is a significant moment as it’s the first album Paul McCartney album released under the Wings name. It also feels even more strange than ever to actually remember Paul McCartney calling Wing his second band after watching the incredible Get Back special that came out on Thanksgiving day.

Paul McCartney’s Wings at the time in 1971 consisted of Paul McCartney singing lead vocals and playing just about every instrument on the recording including bass, guitar, piano, keyboards, recorder and percussion. Also in the band Wings were Paul McCartney’s wife Linda McCartney singing co-lead vocals on the songs “Love Is Strange,” “Some People Never Know,” and “I Am Your Singer.”Linda McCartney was also credited with playing keyboards on the record. Wing’s Wild Life would also be the fist album that Wings member Denny Laine would appear on. Denny Laine would become the longest running member of Wings along with Paul and Linda. He was with the band from 1971 to 1981 when the Wings were dissolved. Denny Laine appeared on every Wings album. Denny Seiwell would be the other musician who was a part of Wings at the start and played drums in the band.

Paul McCartney’s Wings‘ Wild Life album was not met originally with much critical praise. Even fans were not as enthralled with the album at the time. Wild Life was Paul McCartney’s third album he had released since the break up of the Beatles. Unlike every other Wings or Paul McCartney’s Wings album, the Wild Life album spawned no big hit singles. In fact, there were no singles even released from the album. Paul McCartney had a big hit with the non album track single “Another Day,” that was released about eight months before Wild Life was released. He would then celebrate many more hit singles from 1972 and on.

Wild Life was an album that was recorded very quickly. Paul McCartney spent about a week in the recording studio recording most of the albums songs in just one take. Seven of the eight songs were original compositions credited to Paul and Linda McCartney as the composers. The album’s lone cover song was entitled “Love Is Strange.”

There has not really been any changes in the way the album have been viewed by fans over the past fifty years, unlike Ram which has gained in stature over time. Wild Life is a historical album for the mere fact that it was the first Wings album. Fior many music fans, anything Paul MCcartney has done is pretty much historic.

Wild Life Track Listing

Side one

Mumbo

Bip Bop

Love Is Strange -written by (Mickey Baker, Sylvia Vanderpool and Ethel Smith

Wild Life

Side two

Some People Never Know

I Am Your Singer

Tomorrow

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