Gerry McGee:Also in the spring of 1973, Wings completed the Red Rose Speedway album. The record was not composed of entirely new songs, as a snip of "Big Barn Bed" had been heard on the Ram album, and 'Get on the Right Thing" was left over from the Ram sessions. Although Paul felt his vocals on the latter were not up to par, Denny Laine told him they were and convinced Paul to include it on the new album. It was perhaps the first time Paul did not dismiss a band member's suggestion.
"I think I've been accused of treating people just like sidemen, which I never meant to do. But if you're in a session, and you want a song to go a particular kind of way and you start ordering people around, they can get a bit shirty about it-'Oh you're treating me like sidemen,'"' Paul recalled years later. '"With Wings I was a bit conscious about that. I tried to let people be themselves. It worked out on a few occasions."
McCullough and Seiwell also felt that the band was becoming a stronger unit. "The band has really progressed as a team," McCullough said in early 1973.
"Everybody wants to make it as a band, whereas before it was just Paul. Wings has all the makings of a great group, but our battle is to keep it as a band and not let it fall apart as it could so easily do. It's worth going at it. I'm there 100 percent, I know I've got a lot to offer."
Red Rose Speedway was planned as a two-record set ("we had about 30 finished songs," Linda recalled), but EMI asked Paul to trim it down to a strong, single disc. But even as a single record, the album did little to fully redeem Wings. "I thought Red Rose was a disaster and so did everyone connected with it," remarked Joe Stevens. "Except Paul." (...) In 1977, Paul admitted, 'Every time I make a record it takes me about three months before I can listen to it... after Wild Life... I thought, 'Hell. We really have blown it here.' And the next one after that, Red Rose Speedway, I couldn't stand." Although she was in Wings, Linda McCartney was able to view each piece optimistically and conclude the reasons for its success or failure. Red Rose Speedway, she felt, "was such a non-confident record. There were some beautiful songs... there was 'My Love,' but something was missing. We needed a heavier sound. It was a terribly unsure period."
Red Rose Speedway was released in spring 1973, and it shot to the top of the charts, buoyed by the massive success of ""My Love." After knocking The Beatles 1967-1970 (a compilation album) from the top of the U.S. album charts, Red Rose Speedway spent a month at number one. In turn, it was displaced by George Harrison's latest album offering, Living in the Material World.
Some fans assumed that the title was a homage to Paul and Linda's devoted housekeeper Rose Martin, but Paul later verified that wasn't the case. The disc was contained in a gatefold sleeve that included a twelve-page booklet featuring drawings by Eduard Paolozzi and photographs by Linda McCartney and Joe Stevens. On the back cover was a message in Braille: "We Love You," which was intended for Stevie Wonder. The album featured Paul alone on the cover and was credited to "Paul McCartney and Wings." Although Paul initially vetoed the idea of putting his name before the group's, it's been said that Linda suggested that the group's releases should be credited as such. Other sources believe it was the heads at EMI who made the suggestion. The reasoning was that the record-buying public didn't know who Wings were, but they did know Paul McCartney. Regardless, the sales of the LP demonstrated the public's growing acceptance of Paul and Wings
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
