Red Rose Speedway

Red Rose Speedway is Paul McCartney's fourth album release and second Wings album, officially credited to "Paul McCartney & Wings" upon its 1973 release, after the relatively weak commercial performance of the band's debut Wild Life, which had been credited only to the then-unknown Wings. The album was engineered by Alan Parsons.

Production
In early 1972, McCartney decided to expand Wings to a five-piece band by adding an additional guitarist, and to begin touring with the group. The group spent many months on the road across Europe, beginning with a tour of British universities, and continuing in the summer in bigger European venues - where Paul and wife Linda McCartney would encounter their first of several marijuana busts over the ensuing years. Both tours were bookended by Red Rose Speedway's long string of studio sessions, which started that March in Los Angeles and finished in London that October. Initially planned as a double album, Red Rose Speedway was held up a further six months before finally appearing as a single record. It featured a 12 page booklet stapled into the gatefold featuring pictures from the tour.

Despite not releasing an album in 1972, the first year of his professional career that McCartney had failed to do so, Wings managed to release three singles: "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" (banned by the BBC for political reasons), "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (an updated rendition of the nursery rhyme) and "Hi, Hi, Hi" (banned by the BBC for alleged sexual references, whereby B-Side "C Moon" received exposure).

In March 1973 "My Love", the only single release from Red Rose Speedway, was released. It became a UK Top 10 hit and McCartney's second US #1, as well as an enduring love song (written for Linda). It raised expectations for the album, which shot to #5 in the UK when it appeared and went to #1 in the US. Still, the critical reception was mixed.

Its cover design - with the cover shot by Linda McCartney - was by Eduardo Paolozzi, while the back cover of the album contains a Braille message of "We love ya baby" for Stevie Wonder.

The original CD version contained three bonus tracks: "I Lie Around", "Country Dreamer", and "The Mess". In 1993, Red Rose Speedway was remastered and reissued on CD as part of "The Paul McCartney Collection" series with "C Moon", "Hi, Hi, Hi", "The Mess" ("My Love"'s B-side) and "I Lie Around" ("Live and Let Die"'s B-side) as bonus tracks.

It is an interesting fact that there is a song by Paul McCartney called Hold Me Tight as part of a medley. In 1963 there was another song called Hold Me Tight by John Lennon and Paul McCartney on The Beatles' second LP album With The Beatles. That song was also mainly sung by Paul McCartney, who probably also wrote it.

Track listing
All songs by Paul McCartney.


 * 1) "Big Barn Bed" – 3:48
 * 2) * Originally introduced on Ram in 1971
 * 3) *Paul McCartney - Bass, Piano, Vocals
 * 4) *Linda McCartney - Backing Vocals
 * 5) *Denny Laine - Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
 * 6) *Denny Seiwell - Drums
 * 7) *Henry McCullough - Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
 * 8) "My Love" – 4:07
 * 9) *Paul McCartney - Piano, Vocals
 * 10) *Linda McCartney - Electric Piano, Backing Vocals
 * 11) *Denny Laine - Bass, Backing Vocals
 * 12) *Denny Seiwell - Drums
 * 13) *Henry McCullough - Electric Guitar
 * 14) "Get on the Right Thing" – 4:17
 * 15) *Paul McCartney - Bass, Piano, Vocals
 * 16) *Linda McCartney - Backing Vocals
 * 17) *David Spinozza - Guitar
 * 18) *Hugh McCracken - Guitar
 * 19) *Denny Seiwell - Drums
 * 20) "One More Kiss" – 2:28
 * 21) *Paul McCartney - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
 * 22) *Linda McCartney - Electric Harpsichord
 * 23) *Denny Laine - Bass
 * 24) *Denny Seiwell - Drums
 * 25) *Henry McCullough - Electric Guitar
 * 26) "Little Lamb Dragonfly" – 6:20
 * 27) * Tracks 3 and 5 were recorded in late 1970 during the Ram sessions
 * 28) *Paul McCartney - Bass, Vocals
 * 29) *Linda McCartney - Backing Vocals
 * 30) *David Spinozza - Guitar
 * 31) *Hugh McCracken - Guitar
 * 32) *Denny Seiwell - Drums
 * 33) *The New York Philharmonic Orchestra
 * 34) "Single Pigeon" – 1:52
 * 35) *Paul McCartney - Piano, Vocals
 * 36) *Linda McCartney - Vocals
 * 37) *Denny Laine - Bass
 * 38) *Denny Seiwell - Drums
 * 39) *Henry McCullough - Acoustic Guitar
 * 40) "When the Night" – 3:38
 * 41) *Paul McCartney - Piano, Vocals
 * 42) *Linda McCartney - Electric Bass Piano, Harmonies
 * 43) *Denny Laine - Acoustic Guitar, Harmonies
 * 44) *Denny Seiwell - Drums, Harmonies
 * 45) *Henry McCullough - Acoustic Guitar, Harmonies
 * 46) "Loup (1st Indian on the Moon)" – 4:23
 * 47) *Paul McCartney - Bass, Guitar, Moog, Chant
 * 48) *Linda McCartney - Organ, Chant
 * 49) *Denny Laine - Electric Guitar, Chant
 * 50) *Denny Seiwell - Drums, Chant
 * 51) *Henry McCullough - Electric Guitar, Chant
 * 52) Medley ["Hold Me Tight/Lazy Dynamite/Hands of Love/Power Cut"] – 11:16
 * 53) "Hold Me Tight"
 * 54) *Paul McCartney - Vocals, Piano, Bass
 * 55) *Linda McCartney - Backing Vocals
 * 56) *Denny Laine - Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
 * 57) *Denny Seiwell - Drums, Backing Vocals
 * 58) *Henry McCullough - Electric Guitar, Harmonies
 * 59) "Lazy Dynamite"
 * 60) *Paul McCartney - Vocals, Piano, Bass, Mellotron
 * 61) *Linda McCartney - Backing Vocals
 * 62) *Denny Laine - Harmonica
 * 63) *Henry McCullough - Electric Guitar
 * 64) "Hands of Love"
 * 65) *Paul McCartney - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
 * 66) *Linda McCartney - Vocals
 * 67) *Denny Laine - Electric Guitar
 * 68) *Denny Seiwell - Drums, Percussion
 * 69) *Henry McCullough - Percussion
 * 70) "Power Cut"
 * 71) *Paul McCartney - Vocals, Piano, Celeste, Mellotron
 * 72) *Linda McCartney - Electric Piano
 * 73) *Denny Laine - Electric Guitar, Vocals
 * 74) *Denny Seiwell - Drums
 * 75) *Henry McCullough - Electric Guitar, Vocals
 * 1) *Henry McCullough - Electric Guitar, Vocals

"Double LP" Tracklisting
This is the tracklisting from the Acetates of the early incarnation of Red Rose Speedway. Most tracks left off the released version ended up on B-sides but some are still unreleased (except on bootlegs).


 * 1) "Big Barn Bed"
 * 2) "My Love"
 * 3) "When the Night"
 * 4) "Single Pigeon"
 * 5) "Tragedy"
 * 6) *Unreleased
 * 7) "Mama's Little Girl"
 * 8) *Later released as the B-side of the January 1990 "Put It There" CD single
 * 9) "Loup (1st Indian on the Moon)"
 * 10) "Country Dreamer"
 * 11) *Issued as the B-side of "Helen Wheels" in 1973
 * 12) "Night Out"
 * 13) *Unreleased
 * 14) "One More Kiss"
 * 15) "Jazz Street"
 * 16) *An 8 minute unreleased instrumental
 * 17) "I Lie Around"
 * 18) *Issued as the B-side of "Live and Let Die"
 * 19) "Little Lamb Dragonfly"
 * 20) "Get on the Right Thing"
 * 21) "The Mess"
 * 22) *Originally a studio recording - a live recording was taken from the 1972 "Wings Over Europe" tour and was issued as the B-side of "My Love" in 1973

Wings

 * Paul McCartney: Vocals, Piano, Bass, Guitar, Mellotron, Electric Piano, Celeste, Moog Synthesizer
 * Linda McCartney: Vocals, Electric Piano, Organ, Harpsichord, Percussion
 * Denny Laine: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Harmonica
 * Henry McCullough: Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
 * Denny Seiwell: Drums, Vocals, Percussion
 * Alan Parsons: Engineer

Additional musicians

 * Hugh McCracken: Guitar
 * David Spinozza: Guitar