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Paul McCartney announces new book ‘Wings: The Story Of A Band On The Run’
It features over 100 photographs, many of which have never been shared before
By Liberty Dunworth
NME
26th February 2025
Paul McCartney has announced details of a new book titled Wings: The Story Of A Band On The Run. Check out the details below.
Set to arrive on November 4, the new book comes as an oral history of the iconic band, which was formed by Paul, his wife Linda, and Denny Laine back in 1971, following the huge global success of The Beatles.
Described as “a rousing, stereophonic celebration of the songs, collaborations and performances that would shape the soundtrack of the late 20th century”, the book is drawn from over half a million words and countless hours of interviews from McCartney and other key players in the band’s orbit.
It explores the impact of the band across their albums and follows various incarnations of the line-up through their career. Anecdotes include the time they were mugged in Nigeria, their surprise appearances at university halls in the UK, and how they came to write hits including ‘Let ‘Em In’, ‘Live And Let Die’, ‘Band On The Run’ and more.
Over 100 photographs are featured in Wings: The Story Of A Band On The Run – many of which have never been seen before. The book is also set to “shed new light on the immediate aftermath and seismic global impact of The Beatles’ break-up, as the musical landscape and tastes began to splinter and diverge along with societal views.”
Speaking about the new book, McCartney said: “I’m so very happy to be transported back to the time that was Wings and relive some of our madcap adventures through this book.”
“Starting from scratch after The Beatles felt crazy at times. There were some very difficult moments and I often questioned my decision. But as we got better I thought, ‘OK this is really good’,” he added. “We proved Wings could be a really good band. To play to huge audiences in the same way The Beatles had and have an impact in a different way. It was a huge buzz.”
Wings: The Story Of A Band On The Run will be available to pre-order at a later date.
News of the book arrives just weeks after it was confirmed that the band’s classic album ‘Venus And Mars’ is set to be reissued to mark its 50th anniversary. Set for release on March 21, the new version of Wings’ 1975 fourth studio record is set to arrive in the form of a special half-speed master edition.
Both the book and the album reissue are part of a larger celebration of the band, who made a massive global impact on the music scene before their dissolution in 1981.
Other new releases around the band have included a theatrical release of the film One Hand Clapping, as well as its accompanying 1974 live-in-studio album. Both arrived in 2024.
Earlier that year, the band also shared a five-decade edition of their 1973 third album, ‘Band On The Run’.
In other news, Paul McCartney has recently teased that he hopes to finish a new solo album this year. “I’ve been working on a lot of songs, and have had to put it to the side because of the tour,” he said. “So, I’m hoping to get back into that and finish up a lot of these songs. So, how’s about that? ‘My New Year’s resolution is to finish a new album!’”
Meanwhile, the musician has played three surprise intimate gigs in New York City, and also said that proposed changes to copyright law would allow AI to rip off artists and result in a “loss of creativity”.
www.paulmccartney.com
'Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run' - Coming 4 November 2025
25.02.2025
Drawn from over 500,000 words, based on dozens of hours of interviews with Paul and numerous key players in the band’s orbit, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run weaves together the improbable trajectory of Paul McCartney and his newly formed band (featuring co-founding members Linda McCartney and Denny Laine) across the technicolor 1970s until their dissolution in 1981.
Edited by the prize-winning historian Ted Widmer and organized around nine Wings albums, the oral history sheds new light on the immediate aftermath of the seismic global impact of The Beatles’ break-up, as the musical landscape and tastes began to splinter and diverge along with societal views. The narrative follows the various incarnations of the band as they survive a mugging in Nigeria, appear unannounced at UK university halls, tour in a sheared-off school bus with their children, while producing some of the most indelible and acclaimed music of the decade, including: “Mull of Kintyre,” “Live and Let Die,” “Band on the Run,” “My Love,” “Jet,” “With a Little Luck,” “Silly Love Songs,” “Let ‘Em In,” “Junior’s Farm” and more.
With more than 100 black-and-white and color photographs, many never seen before, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run is part of a larger reexamination and appreciation of the group and their catalog, including the 2024 theatrical release of the rare Wings live-in-studio performance film One Hand Clapping and its accompanying album; 50th anniversary editions of the Wings albums Band on the Run (released February 2024) and Venus and Mars (releasing March 2025); and a forthcoming documentary on Paul McCartney’s solo and Wings-related musical work of the 1970s from Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Morgan Neville.
"Wings was about love, family, friendship and artistic growth, often in the face of tremendous adversity. It was a joy to relive the madcap adventures of a special band, by listening to their stories, and compiling this oral history."—Ted Widmer
Pre-order your copy of Wings:The Story of a Band on the Run here.
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