Paul McCartney is set to release a new book about his time in Wings, the band he formed after The Beatles and with whome.he produced hits like “Band on the Run” and “Live and Let Die”.
Written by McCartney, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run draws from hundreds of thousands of words about the band taken from interviews with McCartney and other key band members, including co-founders Linda McCartney and Denny Laine.
The musician formed Wings with his then-wife Linda in 1971, a mere year after The Beatles' final album Let It Be. Denny Seiwell and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine comprised the band that went on to release seven albums, including Band on the Run (1973) and London Town (1978).
The band also collaborated with McCartney’s younger brother, Mike McGear, on his last solo album, McGear (1974) and Laine’s second album Holly Days (1977). The band broke up in 1981 and Laine left the group. A final live-in-studio album, One Hand Clapping, was released in 2024, more than 50 years after it was recorded.
The new book, edited by the prize-winning historian Ted Widmer, tells an oral history of the band and how they created some of the biggest songs of the 1970s, including “Mull of Kintyre” and “Jet”.
It also sheds light on the musical landscape of time following The Beatles’ breakup and the band’s many escapades ,such as surviving a mugging in Nigeria and touring in a school bus with their children
In a press release, McCartney said: “I’m so very happy to be transported back to the time that was Wings and relive some ofour 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.’ 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”
Featuring more than 100 black and white and colour photographs of the group, many of which have never been seen before, the book will reexamine the band’s influence on the music industry.
It will also include a look at a forthcoming documentary about McCartney’s solo career and his time in Wings from the Oscar-winning filmmaker, Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom, Piece by Piece).
Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run will be released on 4 November 2025.
