Back to the Egg
Encyclopedia
Back to the Egg is the seventh and final studio album by Wings
, released in 1979. It is also Wings' first album for Columbia Records
after leaving long-time United States distributor Capitol Records
in 1978. When McCartney returned to international distribution by EMI
in 1985, Back to the Egg and the rest of McCartney's Columbia-era releases moved to Capitol/EMI in the US.
and drummer Joe English, McCartney hired two new members with a view to recording a raw rock and roll album after the soft rock of London Town and getting Wings back on the road. Laurence Juber
became the band's final lead guitarist and Steve Holley Wings' last drummer. McCartney also decided to join forces in the studio with Chris Thomas
(who had trained as a producer during the recording of The Beatles
' 1968 double album The Beatles
) for Back to the Egg.
By the end of June 1978, this last incarnation of Wings settled into Spirit of Ranachan Studios on McCartney's farm in Scotland
, then moved onto Lympne Castle
near Hythe in Kent
(not far from McCartney's new home in Peasmarsh, near Rye, Sussex) in September and Abbey Road Studios
in October, where McCartney organised a special one-off session. On 3 October, Wings recorded two tracks, "Rockestra Theme
" and "So Glad To See You Here" with many celebrity guests under the heading of Rockestra. James Honeyman-Scott of the Pretenders, Hank Marvin
of The Shadows
, The Who
's Pete Townshend
, Pink Floyd
's David Gilmour
, Led Zeppelin
's John Paul Jones
, John Bonham
and The Attractions
's Bruce Thomas
all took part.
Eager to release new material, Wings issued a non-album dance single "Goodnight Tonight
" b/w "Daytime Nighttime Suffering
" in late March 1979. It became a worldwide Top 5 hit and set the stage for Back to the Eggs release that June (the song would later appear as a bonus track on the CD reissue of McCartney II
). With the title a McCartney-ism for getting back to basics, the band considered Back to the Egg the beginning of a new era in their career. It was certainly not intended as their swan song, as the members continued to record together until January 1981.
Back to the Egg reached #6 in the UK and #8 in the US. Its first single: "Old Siam, Sir
", was released only in the UK where it hit #35; the second single: "Getting Closer
", reached #20 in the US and #60 in the UK; and the final single: "Arrow Through Me
," was a US-only release and hit #29.
In 1993, Back to the Egg was remastered and reissued on CD as part of "The Paul McCartney Collection" series with "Daytime Nighttime Suffering
" ("Goodnight Tonight
"'s B-Side) and Paul McCartney's solo 1979 Christmas
single "Wonderful Christmastime
" b/w "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reggae" as bonus tracks.
shot for them (an uncommon thing for an artist to do in the pre-MTV
era).
These included:
These videos plus the promo for "Goodnight Tonight
" were compiled for a television special
, which aired on US television in 1979—and in June 1981 on BBC1 - two years after the album was released.
Also shot around the time of recording the album, the sessions for "Rockestra Theme
" and "So Glad To See You Here" were filmed using several Panavision
cameras. However this footage didn't see the light of day until the DVD
release of Wingspan
. In 2007 more outtakes were used for the menu screen on The McCartney Years
DVD.
| style="width:35px; text-align:center;"|1980 || "Rockestra Theme" || Best Rock Instrumental Performance ||
|-
}
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
, released in 1979. It is also Wings' first album for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
after leaving long-time United States distributor Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in 1978. When McCartney returned to international distribution by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in 1985, Back to the Egg and the rest of McCartney's Columbia-era releases moved to Capitol/EMI in the US.
History
After the release of London Town, following the exit of both guitarist Jimmy McCullochJimmy McCulloch
James 'Jimmy' McCulloch was a Scottish musician and songwriter, born in Dumbarton and raised in Clydebank and Cumbernauld, Scotland, who was best known for playing lead guitar in Paul McCartney's Wings from 1974 to 1977...
and drummer Joe English, McCartney hired two new members with a view to recording a raw rock and roll album after the soft rock of London Town and getting Wings back on the road. Laurence Juber
Laurence Juber
Laurence Juber is an English-born guitarist who currently lives in California. Born 12 November 1952 in Stepney, East London, he was raised and went to school in North London...
became the band's final lead guitarist and Steve Holley Wings' last drummer. McCartney also decided to join forces in the studio with Chris Thomas
Chris Thomas (record producer)
Chris Thomas is an English record producer who has worked extensively with The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Badfinger, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Pulp and The Pretenders. He has also produced breakthrough albums for The Sex Pistols and INXS.Thomas is quoted as saying -Early life:Thomas was...
(who had trained as a producer during the recording of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' 1968 double album The Beatles
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
) for Back to the Egg.
By the end of June 1978, this last incarnation of Wings settled into Spirit of Ranachan Studios on McCartney's farm in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, then moved onto Lympne Castle
Lympne Castle
Lympne Castle is a mediaeval castle near the village of Lympne, Kent, above Romney Marsh.Today, it is used primarily as a venue for corporate events and weddings. It is generally not open to the public. The Estate Manager is Rod Aspinall....
near Hythe in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
(not far from McCartney's new home in Peasmarsh, near Rye, Sussex) in September and Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
in October, where McCartney organised a special one-off session. On 3 October, Wings recorded two tracks, "Rockestra Theme
Rockestra Theme
"Rockestra Theme", one of Paul McCartney's harder-rocking songs, was recorded on October 3, 1978, at Abbey Road Studios by an all-star collection of musicians dubbed "Rockestra", although the song is technically credited to Wings...
" and "So Glad To See You Here" with many celebrity guests under the heading of Rockestra. James Honeyman-Scott of the Pretenders, Hank Marvin
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
of The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
, John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
and The Attractions
The Attractions
The Attractions were best known as the backing band for Elvis Costello between 1978 and 1986, and again from 1994 through 1996. They also released one album as an independent entity in 1980.-History:...
's Bruce Thomas
Bruce Thomas
Bruce Thomas is best known as bassist for The Attractions; the band formed in 1977 to back Elvis Costello in concert and on record....
all took part.
Eager to release new material, Wings issued a non-album dance single "Goodnight Tonight
Goodnight Tonight
"Goodnight Tonight" is Wings' disco-inflected single which included a spirited flamenco guitar break. It peaked at number five in both the United Kingdom and United States during 1979. The track did not appear on Wings' then-current LP Back to the Egg , however it was included on the 1987 McCartney...
" b/w "Daytime Nighttime Suffering
Daytime Nighttime Suffering
"Daytime Nighttime Suffering" is a song written by Paul McCartney and recorded by Wings. It was the B-side to the 1979 single "Goodnight Tonight," which was a top-five hit in both the UK and USA. It was released on CD in 1993 as part of the release of The Paul McCartney Collection, and can be...
" in late March 1979. It became a worldwide Top 5 hit and set the stage for Back to the Eggs release that June (the song would later appear as a bonus track on the CD reissue of McCartney II
McCartney II
McCartney II is the third album by Paul McCartney, and the first since the formation of Wings in 1971. It was released in 1980, a year before the band's dissolution and while their future lay in limbo...
). With the title a McCartney-ism for getting back to basics, the band considered Back to the Egg the beginning of a new era in their career. It was certainly not intended as their swan song, as the members continued to record together until January 1981.
Back to the Egg reached #6 in the UK and #8 in the US. Its first single: "Old Siam, Sir
Old Siam, Sir
"Old Siam, Sir" is a hard rock single from Wings' 1979 album, Back to the Egg. It was the A-side of the UK version of the single, reaching No. 35. The B-side in the UK was also a track from the album, "Spin it On". "Old Siam, Sir" was also the B-side of the US single "Arrow Through Me".Linda...
", was released only in the UK where it hit #35; the second single: "Getting Closer
Getting Closer (song)
Getting Closer is a rock song from the Wings album Back to the Egg. It was released in the US in June 1979 as the first single from the album and hit #20, then was released in the UK in August 1979 as the second single and reached #60...
", reached #20 in the US and #60 in the UK; and the final single: "Arrow Through Me
Arrow Through Me
"Arrow Through Me" is an R&B/soft rock song by Wings. The song with its Fender Rhodes bassline is reminiscent of Stevie Wonder music. It was the A-side of the third US single released from Back to the Egg and peaked at #29. The B-side was "Old Siam, Sir", which was the A-side of the first UK single...
," was a US-only release and hit #29.
In 1993, Back to the Egg was remastered and reissued on CD as part of "The Paul McCartney Collection" series with "Daytime Nighttime Suffering
Daytime Nighttime Suffering
"Daytime Nighttime Suffering" is a song written by Paul McCartney and recorded by Wings. It was the B-side to the 1979 single "Goodnight Tonight," which was a top-five hit in both the UK and USA. It was released on CD in 1993 as part of the release of The Paul McCartney Collection, and can be...
" ("Goodnight Tonight
Goodnight Tonight
"Goodnight Tonight" is Wings' disco-inflected single which included a spirited flamenco guitar break. It peaked at number five in both the United Kingdom and United States during 1979. The track did not appear on Wings' then-current LP Back to the Egg , however it was included on the 1987 McCartney...
"'s B-Side) and Paul McCartney's solo 1979 Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
single "Wonderful Christmastime
Wonderful Christmastime
"Wonderful Christmastime" is a 1979 Christmas song by Paul McCartney. It enjoys significant Christmas time popularity around the world. The notable synthesiser riff was played on a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5. The song was later added as a bonus track on the CD reissue of Wings' Back to the Egg...
" b/w "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reggae" as bonus tracks.
Track listing
Additional tracks
Music videos
Most of the songs for the album had a music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
shot for them (an uncommon thing for an artist to do in the pre-MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
era).
These included:
- "Getting Closer"
- "Spin It On"
- "Again And Again And Again"
- "Old Siam Sir"
- "Arrow Through Me"
- "Winter Rose/Love Awake"
- "Baby's Request"
These videos plus the promo for "Goodnight Tonight
Goodnight Tonight
"Goodnight Tonight" is Wings' disco-inflected single which included a spirited flamenco guitar break. It peaked at number five in both the United Kingdom and United States during 1979. The track did not appear on Wings' then-current LP Back to the Egg , however it was included on the 1987 McCartney...
" were compiled for a television special
Back to the Egg (TV special)
The Back to the Egg TV special was a program containing music videos from the Wings album Back to the Egg. It was first broadcast on BBC1 on June 10, 1981, two years after the album had been released. Two of the videos were released on The McCartney Years DVD boxset in 2007...
, which aired on US television in 1979—and in June 1981 on BBC1 - two years after the album was released.
Also shot around the time of recording the album, the sessions for "Rockestra Theme
Rockestra Theme
"Rockestra Theme", one of Paul McCartney's harder-rocking songs, was recorded on October 3, 1978, at Abbey Road Studios by an all-star collection of musicians dubbed "Rockestra", although the song is technically credited to Wings...
" and "So Glad To See You Here" were filmed using several Panavision
Panavision
Panavision is an American motion picture equipment company specializing in cameras and lenses, based in Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk as a small partnership to create anamorphic projection lenses during the widescreen boom in the 1950s, Panavision expanded its product...
cameras. However this footage didn't see the light of day until the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release of Wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
. In 2007 more outtakes were used for the menu screen on The McCartney Years
The McCartney Years
The McCartney Years is a three-DVD set featuring music videos, live performances and other rare footage from Paul McCartney's solo career and Wings. The set spans the years 1970 to 2005...
DVD.
Personnel
- Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
: Bass guitar, guitars, piano, keyboards, recorder, synthesizer, vocals. - Linda McCartneyLinda McCartneyLinda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....
: Keyboards, percussion, mini-moog, vocals. - Denny LaineDenny LaineDenny Laine is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, and lead singer of The Moody Blues' 1965 debut album "The Magnificent Moodies"; and, later, best known for his role as co-founder of Wings...
: Guitars, piano, keyboards, flute, vocals. - Laurence JuberLaurence JuberLaurence Juber is an English-born guitarist who currently lives in California. Born 12 November 1952 in Stepney, East London, he was raised and went to school in North London...
: Guitars, vocals. - Steve Holly: Drums, percussion, vocals.
Rockestra line-up (tracks 8 & 13)
- Guitars: Denny Laine, Laurence Juber, David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
, Hank MarvinHank MarvinHank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
, Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career... - Drums: Steve Holly, John BonhamJohn BonhamJohn Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
, Kenney JonesKenney JonesKenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:... - Basses: Paul McCartney, John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
, Ronnie LaneRonnie LaneRonald Frederick "Ronnie" Lane was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands; the Small Faces where he was nicknamed "Plonk", – and, after losing the band's frontman, Faces, with two new...
, Bruce Thomas - Pianos: Paul McCartney, Gary BrookerGary BrookerGary Brooker, MBE, is an English singer, songwriter, pianist and founder of the rock band Procol Harum. Brooker was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours on 14 June 2003, in recognition of his charitable services.-Early life:Brooker was born in...
, John Paul Jones - Keyboards: Linda McCartney, Tony AshtonTony AshtonTony Ashton was an English rock pianist, keyboardist, singer, composer, producer and artist.-Biography:...
- Percussion: Speedy Acquaye, Tony Carr, Ray CooperRay CooperRay Cooper is an English musician. He is a session and road-tour percussionist, and occasional actor, who has worked with several musically diverse bands and artists including George Harrison, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, and Elton John. Cooper is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow...
, Morris PertMorris PertMorris David Brough Pert was a Scottish composer, drummer/percussionist, and pianist who composed in the fields of both contemporary classical and jazz-rock music... - Horns: Howie CaseyHowie CaseyHoward William "Howie" Casey is a British rhythm and blues and rock saxophonist. He first came to prominence in the early 1960s as a member of Derry and the Seniors, the first rock and roll band from Liverpool to play clubs in Germany, and later, as leader of the renamed Howie Casey and the...
, Tony Dorsey, Steve Howard, Thaddeus Richard
Grammy Awards
|-| style="width:35px; text-align:center;"|1980 || "Rockestra Theme" || Best Rock Instrumental Performance ||
|-
Chart positions
| Chart (1979) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report Chart Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... |
3 |
| Austrian Albums Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
12 |
| Canadian RPM Albums Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
2 |
| Dutch Mega Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
11 |
| French SNEP Albums Chart | 11 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 10 |
| Japanese Oricon LP Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
7 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 9 |
| Norwegian Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... VG-lista Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
5 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
5 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
8 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
6 |
| West German Media Control Albums Chart | 16 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1979) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 22 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 20 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 37 |
| UK Albums Chart | 74 |
Certifications
}}