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Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s
An illuminating look at the most tumultuous decade in the life of a rock icon—the only McCartney biography in decades based on firsthand interviews with the ex-Beatle himself.
Ìý
As the 1970s began, the Beatles ended, leaving Paul McCartney to face the new decade with only his wife Linda by his side. Holed up at his farmhouse in Scotland, he sank into a deep depression. To outsiders, McCartney seemed like a man adrift—intimidated by his own fame, paralyzed by the choices that lay before him, cut loose from his musical moorings. But what appeared to be the sad finale of a glorious career was just the start of a remarkable second act.
Ìý
The product of a long series of one-on-one interviews between McCartney and Scottish rock journalist Tom Doyle, Man on the Run chronicles Paul McCartney’s decadelong effort to escape the shadow of his past, outrace his critics, and defy the expectations of his fans. From the bitter and painful breakup of the Beatles to the sobering wake-up call of John Lennon’s murder, this is a deeply revealing look at a sometimes frightening, often exhilarating period in the life of the world’s most famous rock star.
Ìý
Sensing that he had nowhere to go but up, Paul McCartney started over from scratch. With emotional—and musical—backing from Linda, he released eccentric solo albums and embarked on a nomadic hippie lifestyle. He formed a new band, Wings, which first took flight on a ramshackle tour of British university towns and eventually returned Paul to the summit of arena rock superstardom.
Ìý
In Man on the Run, Doyle follows McCartney inside the recording sessions for Wings� classic album Band on the Run—and provides context for some of the baffling misfires in his discography. Doyle tracks the dizzying highs and exasperating lows of a life lived in the public spotlight: the richly excessive world tours, the Japanese drug bust that nearly ended McCartney’s career, his bitter public feuds with his erstwhile Beatle bandmates, and the aftermath of an infamous drug-and-alcohol-fueled jam session where McCartney helped reconcile the estranged John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Ìý
For Paul McCartney, the 1970s were a wild ride with some dark turns. Set against the backdrop of a turbulent decade, Man on the Run casts the “sunny Beatle� in an entirely new light.
Praise for Man on the Run
Ìý
““Tom Doyle’s detailed chronicle, which includes rare interviews with McCartney and former Wings members, portrays a band that was far more contentious than eager-to-please hits like 1976’s ‘Let ’Em In� had us believe, fronted by a legend who wanted to be both boss and buddy. The book is larded with tales of Seventies rock-star excess, Paul and Linda’s love of weed, docked paychecks, and grousing musicians.��Rolling Stone
Ìý
“Well-researched but still breezy and engaging, the book offers a comprehensive tour of the shaggy, bleary-eyed decade when the hardest-working ex-Beatle reached the zenith of his creative and commercial success. . . . Man on the Run makes an excellent contribution to the burgeoning literature devoted to McCartney’s post-Beatles career.��The Boston Globe
Ìý
“In the 1970s, a depressed, heavy-drinking Paul McCartney walked away from The Beatles and reinvented himself as the leader of another hitmaking rock ’n� roll band. A new book by longtime Q magazine contributing editor Tom Doyle about that turbulent period in the legendary rock star’s life, Man on the Run, catches him in mid-flight.��Billboard
Ìý
As the 1970s began, the Beatles ended, leaving Paul McCartney to face the new decade with only his wife Linda by his side. Holed up at his farmhouse in Scotland, he sank into a deep depression. To outsiders, McCartney seemed like a man adrift—intimidated by his own fame, paralyzed by the choices that lay before him, cut loose from his musical moorings. But what appeared to be the sad finale of a glorious career was just the start of a remarkable second act.
Ìý
The product of a long series of one-on-one interviews between McCartney and Scottish rock journalist Tom Doyle, Man on the Run chronicles Paul McCartney’s decadelong effort to escape the shadow of his past, outrace his critics, and defy the expectations of his fans. From the bitter and painful breakup of the Beatles to the sobering wake-up call of John Lennon’s murder, this is a deeply revealing look at a sometimes frightening, often exhilarating period in the life of the world’s most famous rock star.
Ìý
Sensing that he had nowhere to go but up, Paul McCartney started over from scratch. With emotional—and musical—backing from Linda, he released eccentric solo albums and embarked on a nomadic hippie lifestyle. He formed a new band, Wings, which first took flight on a ramshackle tour of British university towns and eventually returned Paul to the summit of arena rock superstardom.
Ìý
In Man on the Run, Doyle follows McCartney inside the recording sessions for Wings� classic album Band on the Run—and provides context for some of the baffling misfires in his discography. Doyle tracks the dizzying highs and exasperating lows of a life lived in the public spotlight: the richly excessive world tours, the Japanese drug bust that nearly ended McCartney’s career, his bitter public feuds with his erstwhile Beatle bandmates, and the aftermath of an infamous drug-and-alcohol-fueled jam session where McCartney helped reconcile the estranged John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Ìý
For Paul McCartney, the 1970s were a wild ride with some dark turns. Set against the backdrop of a turbulent decade, Man on the Run casts the “sunny Beatle� in an entirely new light.
Praise for Man on the Run
Ìý
““Tom Doyle’s detailed chronicle, which includes rare interviews with McCartney and former Wings members, portrays a band that was far more contentious than eager-to-please hits like 1976’s ‘Let ’Em In� had us believe, fronted by a legend who wanted to be both boss and buddy. The book is larded with tales of Seventies rock-star excess, Paul and Linda’s love of weed, docked paychecks, and grousing musicians.��Rolling Stone
Ìý
“Well-researched but still breezy and engaging, the book offers a comprehensive tour of the shaggy, bleary-eyed decade when the hardest-working ex-Beatle reached the zenith of his creative and commercial success. . . . Man on the Run makes an excellent contribution to the burgeoning literature devoted to McCartney’s post-Beatles career.��The Boston Globe
Ìý
“In the 1970s, a depressed, heavy-drinking Paul McCartney walked away from The Beatles and reinvented himself as the leader of another hitmaking rock ’n� roll band. A new book by longtime Q magazine contributing editor Tom Doyle about that turbulent period in the legendary rock star’s life, Man on the Run, catches him in mid-flight.��Billboard
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2013
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December 30, 2021
Man on the Run by Tom Doyle is a 2014 Ballantine publication.
Maybe I’m amazed�
Much has been written about the Fab Four, and as evidenced by the recent Disney Plus documentary, the group still draws mass audiences today. They seem endlessly fascinating, and I admit that every time I see a new book about the Beatles my ‘one-click� finger itches.
While, John, understandably has been the Beatle whose life has been examined every which way, I think we might be doing Paul a disservice on that front, especially after having read this book.
While the book is confined to the 70s decade where Paul was all over the place there for a while, I could see a fighting spirit in him that was smarter than people realized at the time. He stood alone against the crowd and now people are glad that he did, because in essence, he saved the Beatles legacy- though I’m not sure he ever got public credit for that.
The hippie lifestyle described in the book is almost un-relatable now, but it was a fun reminder of the past. Occasionally, I do have daydreams of living off grid like that, I must admit. It was probably cathartic though, for Paul, who was going through a deep depression coming down from the incredibly intense high of the Beatles success, to find it all coming to very ugly, contentious end.
This book chronicles Paul’s rise, with the help of his wife, and family, out of his depression and back to writing songs, to the formation of a new band, while he fought through the last days of the Beatles that ended in a nasty legal battle.
While the process wasn’t necessarily pretty, McCartney, managed to re-invent himself. 'Wings' went on to win numerous awards, including several Grammy Awards.
I didn’t know much about this time in Paul’s life and didn’t realize, despite having read so much about the Beatles over the years, how awful and messy dismantling the group was and how McCartney became the villain.
The book also touches on the aftermath of Wings, briefly, and the book gives Paul a chance to set the record straight about a few unfortunate decisions and remarks and defend poor Linda, who was often battered by critics due to her lack of natural musical talent- and I agree with Paul- it really was cruel.
He also gets a chance to reflect on this period in his life- the good, bad and ugly of it all, as well as make a few more contemporary remarks about John and Linda’s deaths.
Overall, a very interesting piece of history, with a big of nostalgia, and lots of insights into Paul’s life during this transitional period in his life.
While, of course, one can’t put Wings in the same category as the Beatles- I think this world could really use a lot more of those ‘silly love songs� right now!
Maybe I’m amazed�
Much has been written about the Fab Four, and as evidenced by the recent Disney Plus documentary, the group still draws mass audiences today. They seem endlessly fascinating, and I admit that every time I see a new book about the Beatles my ‘one-click� finger itches.
While, John, understandably has been the Beatle whose life has been examined every which way, I think we might be doing Paul a disservice on that front, especially after having read this book.
While the book is confined to the 70s decade where Paul was all over the place there for a while, I could see a fighting spirit in him that was smarter than people realized at the time. He stood alone against the crowd and now people are glad that he did, because in essence, he saved the Beatles legacy- though I’m not sure he ever got public credit for that.
The hippie lifestyle described in the book is almost un-relatable now, but it was a fun reminder of the past. Occasionally, I do have daydreams of living off grid like that, I must admit. It was probably cathartic though, for Paul, who was going through a deep depression coming down from the incredibly intense high of the Beatles success, to find it all coming to very ugly, contentious end.
This book chronicles Paul’s rise, with the help of his wife, and family, out of his depression and back to writing songs, to the formation of a new band, while he fought through the last days of the Beatles that ended in a nasty legal battle.
While the process wasn’t necessarily pretty, McCartney, managed to re-invent himself. 'Wings' went on to win numerous awards, including several Grammy Awards.
I didn’t know much about this time in Paul’s life and didn’t realize, despite having read so much about the Beatles over the years, how awful and messy dismantling the group was and how McCartney became the villain.
The book also touches on the aftermath of Wings, briefly, and the book gives Paul a chance to set the record straight about a few unfortunate decisions and remarks and defend poor Linda, who was often battered by critics due to her lack of natural musical talent- and I agree with Paul- it really was cruel.
He also gets a chance to reflect on this period in his life- the good, bad and ugly of it all, as well as make a few more contemporary remarks about John and Linda’s deaths.
Overall, a very interesting piece of history, with a big of nostalgia, and lots of insights into Paul’s life during this transitional period in his life.
While, of course, one can’t put Wings in the same category as the Beatles- I think this world could really use a lot more of those ‘silly love songs� right now!
December 31, 2013
For a book about a guy who is often portrayed as Mr Cheerful, this opens in depression bordering on nervous breakdown and ends with 10 days spent in jail.
So, the question, and it is an interesting one, is : what do you do when you’ve done it all before the age of 30? You’ve already made the greatest records, sold the most, you’re as famous as it’s possible to be, so now what? Well, it’s a strange story. I realised I only knew bits and pieces and this is a painless little book which tells the whole peculiar story.
In late 69 Paul McCartney was in a really bad space. Strange but true. Abbey Road was number one, followed by Let It Be a few months later, everyone still loved the Beatles, but here he was despised by the other three, thinking ³Ù³ó±ð²â’d gone mad and he was the only sane one, holed up in his remote Scottish farm, not seen in public for months on end, coming to the conclusion that he had to get a court order to legally wind up The Beatles, to be the one to put an end to the world’s favourite group, and, you know, sue his mates.
So, after some months he dragged himself out of bed and started doing something � anything, and there began to appear a series of strange records caused by whimsical notions of the kind no one in McCartney’s world could say no to.
After his solo album (okay-ish) and Ram (a minor masterpiece) he thought he wanted to be in a band again and so Wings was assembled (alternate names : Turpentine, The Dazzlers). Then came the first Wings album, which “was met with a colossal wave of disappointment�. Sample lyric:
Tomorrow, when we both abandon sorrow.
Oh, baby, don't you let me down tomorrow,
Through the week we beg and steal and borrow.
Followed by the first Wings single which was McCartney’s first and last political protest song � the cack-handed Give Ireland Back to the Irish. Not the kind of thing anyone was expecting from him. The BBC banned it. Next, Wings went on “tour� � they piled in a van and turned up randomly at English universities � “Er, scuse me, Paul McCartney and his band are outside � any chance of a gig this lunchtime?� "Wha?". After that came the infamous second Wings single Mary had a Little Lamb. Sample lyric :
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go
The explanation for why this was considered a good idea is simple � Paul and Linda were total stoners, and after an ounce or three of marijuana nursery rhymes can often be considered to be profound statements of universal truths. PM :
To me, that’s a heavy trip, those lyrics. It’s very spiritual when someone hangs around because it’s loved.
Henry McCullough, Wings lead guitarist :
Listen, how do you think I felt? I was coming off the road after three years in America with Joe Cocker and I end up playing Mary Had a Little Fucking Lamb.
The third Wings single was Hi Hi Hi and was also banned by the BBC because either it promoted drugs or it was very rude or both (“get ready for my polygon� was misheard as “get ready for my body gun� � this is what BBC employees did in those days, they morally vetted the lyrics of pop songs!)
After the weirdness of this early period the story becomes a lot more normal and a lot duller, but there are still quite a few laughs along the way.
Paul McCartney is truly a difficult artist to get any kind of handle on. It’s like he’s deliberately messing with my head, man. Being a Beatle fan I loftily dismissed all Beatle solo albums (exception made for All Things Must Pass), sneered at Band on the Run, detested Imagine and its vile title track. But then a few years ago I made myself listen to ALL of PM’s post-Beatles stuff, to see if I was right. And I was wrong. He’s all over the map. He does horrible shit like simply having a wonderful Christmastime or Mulla Kintyre or My lurve or Live and let die (this ever changing world IN which we live IN � noooo!) and Black & White, no Ebony & Ivory, whatever, � one might go on…but it's too grisly, you can't look. But if you peel away those encrustations and delve deeper, you find real gems like Letting Go, Let me Roll It, the primal screamy Call me Back Again, the lovely Distractions, and then the later nineties and 2000s albums like Driving Rain, Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard, - I’d never heard this and it was impressive; then there’s the Fireman albums which are well worth it too. So yeah, I wouldn’t like to admit this too freely, but on the quiet, in the privacy of my own home, I’m a bit of a closet McCartney fan.
This is a good book to pick up for a couple of quid in an Oxfam shop.
So, the question, and it is an interesting one, is : what do you do when you’ve done it all before the age of 30? You’ve already made the greatest records, sold the most, you’re as famous as it’s possible to be, so now what? Well, it’s a strange story. I realised I only knew bits and pieces and this is a painless little book which tells the whole peculiar story.
In late 69 Paul McCartney was in a really bad space. Strange but true. Abbey Road was number one, followed by Let It Be a few months later, everyone still loved the Beatles, but here he was despised by the other three, thinking ³Ù³ó±ð²â’d gone mad and he was the only sane one, holed up in his remote Scottish farm, not seen in public for months on end, coming to the conclusion that he had to get a court order to legally wind up The Beatles, to be the one to put an end to the world’s favourite group, and, you know, sue his mates.
So, after some months he dragged himself out of bed and started doing something � anything, and there began to appear a series of strange records caused by whimsical notions of the kind no one in McCartney’s world could say no to.
After his solo album (okay-ish) and Ram (a minor masterpiece) he thought he wanted to be in a band again and so Wings was assembled (alternate names : Turpentine, The Dazzlers). Then came the first Wings album, which “was met with a colossal wave of disappointment�. Sample lyric:
Tomorrow, when we both abandon sorrow.
Oh, baby, don't you let me down tomorrow,
Through the week we beg and steal and borrow.
Followed by the first Wings single which was McCartney’s first and last political protest song � the cack-handed Give Ireland Back to the Irish. Not the kind of thing anyone was expecting from him. The BBC banned it. Next, Wings went on “tour� � they piled in a van and turned up randomly at English universities � “Er, scuse me, Paul McCartney and his band are outside � any chance of a gig this lunchtime?� "Wha?". After that came the infamous second Wings single Mary had a Little Lamb. Sample lyric :
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go
The explanation for why this was considered a good idea is simple � Paul and Linda were total stoners, and after an ounce or three of marijuana nursery rhymes can often be considered to be profound statements of universal truths. PM :
To me, that’s a heavy trip, those lyrics. It’s very spiritual when someone hangs around because it’s loved.
Henry McCullough, Wings lead guitarist :
Listen, how do you think I felt? I was coming off the road after three years in America with Joe Cocker and I end up playing Mary Had a Little Fucking Lamb.
The third Wings single was Hi Hi Hi and was also banned by the BBC because either it promoted drugs or it was very rude or both (“get ready for my polygon� was misheard as “get ready for my body gun� � this is what BBC employees did in those days, they morally vetted the lyrics of pop songs!)
After the weirdness of this early period the story becomes a lot more normal and a lot duller, but there are still quite a few laughs along the way.
Paul McCartney is truly a difficult artist to get any kind of handle on. It’s like he’s deliberately messing with my head, man. Being a Beatle fan I loftily dismissed all Beatle solo albums (exception made for All Things Must Pass), sneered at Band on the Run, detested Imagine and its vile title track. But then a few years ago I made myself listen to ALL of PM’s post-Beatles stuff, to see if I was right. And I was wrong. He’s all over the map. He does horrible shit like simply having a wonderful Christmastime or Mulla Kintyre or My lurve or Live and let die (this ever changing world IN which we live IN � noooo!) and Black & White, no Ebony & Ivory, whatever, � one might go on…but it's too grisly, you can't look. But if you peel away those encrustations and delve deeper, you find real gems like Letting Go, Let me Roll It, the primal screamy Call me Back Again, the lovely Distractions, and then the later nineties and 2000s albums like Driving Rain, Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard, - I’d never heard this and it was impressive; then there’s the Fireman albums which are well worth it too. So yeah, I wouldn’t like to admit this too freely, but on the quiet, in the privacy of my own home, I’m a bit of a closet McCartney fan.
This is a good book to pick up for a couple of quid in an Oxfam shop.
May 18, 2014
I must state, right at the beginning, that I am an unabashed Beatles and Wings fan. This is the music with which I grew up, and there was a time in my life when I devoured every word that was written about either band, and Paul McCartney in particular. I thought I knew everything there was to know.
Except that I didn't ... and this book proves it.
McCartney speaks quite frankly to Scottish journalist Tom Doyle in this book, as do many of his former bandmates and friends. He opens up about his nervous breakdown and constant battles with depression, largely crediting the late Linda McCartney for helping him get through those dark and difficult times. There is a lot of discussion about his music, of course, and how the (largely press-manufactured) battles between McCartney and John Lennon affected his work ... but there is also a lot to learn about his decision to get out of the proverbial rat race and live on a farm in Scotland, and how the isolation had a healing effect on him as well.
McCartney is both jocular and more than a little foul-mouthed (as one might expect from a fellow who grew up in a rough town like Liverpool), and is likewise pretty frank about how he sees some of the mistakes he made over the years.
Some of the things that surprised me the most were learning about how lean the post-Beatles years really were, with so much of the band's money tied of in litigation. McCartney lived in a house with dirt floors, for example. Wings sideman Denny Laine, the former lead singer for the Moody Blues, was homeless and sleeping on a mattress in his manager's office when McCartney asked him to come to Scotland to work on a project. No one was rolling in the proverbial dough, and yet the creative impulse was still flowing strong.
This is the kind of book that I recommend not only for Beatles fans, but for those who tend to think of the recording industry as being way more glamorous than it really is. I feel like I gained a great deal of insight into McCartney via this book ... as well as an understanding that it is really only the tip of the iceberg.
Except that I didn't ... and this book proves it.
McCartney speaks quite frankly to Scottish journalist Tom Doyle in this book, as do many of his former bandmates and friends. He opens up about his nervous breakdown and constant battles with depression, largely crediting the late Linda McCartney for helping him get through those dark and difficult times. There is a lot of discussion about his music, of course, and how the (largely press-manufactured) battles between McCartney and John Lennon affected his work ... but there is also a lot to learn about his decision to get out of the proverbial rat race and live on a farm in Scotland, and how the isolation had a healing effect on him as well.
McCartney is both jocular and more than a little foul-mouthed (as one might expect from a fellow who grew up in a rough town like Liverpool), and is likewise pretty frank about how he sees some of the mistakes he made over the years.
Some of the things that surprised me the most were learning about how lean the post-Beatles years really were, with so much of the band's money tied of in litigation. McCartney lived in a house with dirt floors, for example. Wings sideman Denny Laine, the former lead singer for the Moody Blues, was homeless and sleeping on a mattress in his manager's office when McCartney asked him to come to Scotland to work on a project. No one was rolling in the proverbial dough, and yet the creative impulse was still flowing strong.
This is the kind of book that I recommend not only for Beatles fans, but for those who tend to think of the recording industry as being way more glamorous than it really is. I feel like I gained a great deal of insight into McCartney via this book ... as well as an understanding that it is really only the tip of the iceberg.
September 8, 2013
In the same way as, after the breakup of the Beatles, Paul McCartney turned away from performing any songs from that era; after the demise of Wings, he often seemed reluctant to discuss his post-Beatles band until recently. In this book, author Tom Doyle, takes an in-depth look at this period - from the first solo album, through to the Japanese drug bust and the murder of John Lennon, which effectively caused the end of Wings.
The book begins with the messy Beatles breakup, including the public feud with Lennon and Paul's decision to legally file to dissolve the Beatles. The legal ramifications led to financial problems, much soul searching over his decision and, if not a total breakdown, certainly depression and a loss of confidence in his abilities. It also led to the birth of Wings. It had been an idea Paul had touted within the Beatles - to go on the road and play small gigs again. Unable to get his former bandmates to agree (probably sensibly), Paul decided to form a new band and do it himself. Of course, one (if not THE) most contentious issue was Linda joining the band, but one thing that does stand out in this book is that, for all the troubles Paul faced during the decade of the 1970's, his problems were not marital ones. While John and Yoko seperated, and George and Ringo both got divorced, Paul and Linda were solidly a couple throughout their marriage - no rumour of any breakup or possibility of divorce, or even affairs, being mentioned. Linda seemed determined to keep temptation from Paul's door - banning other Wings members from bringing wives and girlfriends along; but Linda was in the band because Paul wanted her and he appreciated her commitment, when he knew she would rather be at home with the kids.
Although there was little that was actually new to me in this book, it is a good retelling and analysis of Paul's career in the 1970's. It take Wings from a fledgling group doing small university gigs, to the first European tour; through several lineups and onto success with the Wings Over America tour. It also highlights the drugs problems - busts, arrests and substance abuse within members of the band, which plagued them during this time. Every album is mentioned and appraised, including some huge hits, other misguided record choices and a few forgettable singles.
Of much interest to fans, of course, is Paul's relationship with John Lennon. The decade began with John's star in the ascendent - huge albums, such as "Plastic Ono Band" and "Imagine" and vicious verbal attacks on his former bandmate. Interestingly, though, is the way John essentially blew hot and cold throughout this decade - using intermediaries to send letters to Paul, both praising and damning him in interviews and, in later years, causing Paul to cut contact for a while after some admittedly 'frightening' phone calls. It was obvious that the press used one against the other and, also obvious, that John had some jealousy of Paul's success - both musically and financially. By the time the pair met up again in 1974, Lennon was living in La La Land with Ringo, Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon (not a great combination for a healthy lifestyle). Having split for a time with Yoko, John was living with May Pang. He was threatened with expulsion from the States, suffering lawsuits and financial problems, his marriage and his career in freefall. Although it looked at the beginning of the decade that Paul had been left behind by his bandmate's solo music, now he had "Band on the Run", "Live and Let Die" and a major US tour behind him. He was successful in his own right and, frankly, shocked when he visited Lennon and Nilsson at the "Pussycats" sessions. For anyone who has heard the jam recorded that day, "A toot and a snore in '74", it is obvious that musically nothing worth listening to came out of John and Paul playing together again. However, as Lennon said later, the others playing were more interested in watching, "me and Paul." To his credit, despite the arguments, Paul had spoken to Yoko and helped reunite John and Yoko; a fact which Yoko has also spoken about in interviews.
Overall, then, this book looks at a little documented era of Paul's life. A time when he reinvented himself; forging a new musical career from the shadow of the Beatles. Although all the former Beatles tired of reunion rumours and questions about each other, they only really came to terms with their legacy,it seems, after the death of John Lennon and the realisation that their Beatles past could never be put behind them. Many people forget that McCartney had a huge solo career - that he had massive World tours without playing more than one or two Beatles songs and that his Wings career would be enough to be proud of, if that was all he had done. Filled with interviews, revealing insights and unbiased analysis of the man and his music, this is a great addition to any fan's bookshelf.
The book begins with the messy Beatles breakup, including the public feud with Lennon and Paul's decision to legally file to dissolve the Beatles. The legal ramifications led to financial problems, much soul searching over his decision and, if not a total breakdown, certainly depression and a loss of confidence in his abilities. It also led to the birth of Wings. It had been an idea Paul had touted within the Beatles - to go on the road and play small gigs again. Unable to get his former bandmates to agree (probably sensibly), Paul decided to form a new band and do it himself. Of course, one (if not THE) most contentious issue was Linda joining the band, but one thing that does stand out in this book is that, for all the troubles Paul faced during the decade of the 1970's, his problems were not marital ones. While John and Yoko seperated, and George and Ringo both got divorced, Paul and Linda were solidly a couple throughout their marriage - no rumour of any breakup or possibility of divorce, or even affairs, being mentioned. Linda seemed determined to keep temptation from Paul's door - banning other Wings members from bringing wives and girlfriends along; but Linda was in the band because Paul wanted her and he appreciated her commitment, when he knew she would rather be at home with the kids.
Although there was little that was actually new to me in this book, it is a good retelling and analysis of Paul's career in the 1970's. It take Wings from a fledgling group doing small university gigs, to the first European tour; through several lineups and onto success with the Wings Over America tour. It also highlights the drugs problems - busts, arrests and substance abuse within members of the band, which plagued them during this time. Every album is mentioned and appraised, including some huge hits, other misguided record choices and a few forgettable singles.
Of much interest to fans, of course, is Paul's relationship with John Lennon. The decade began with John's star in the ascendent - huge albums, such as "Plastic Ono Band" and "Imagine" and vicious verbal attacks on his former bandmate. Interestingly, though, is the way John essentially blew hot and cold throughout this decade - using intermediaries to send letters to Paul, both praising and damning him in interviews and, in later years, causing Paul to cut contact for a while after some admittedly 'frightening' phone calls. It was obvious that the press used one against the other and, also obvious, that John had some jealousy of Paul's success - both musically and financially. By the time the pair met up again in 1974, Lennon was living in La La Land with Ringo, Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon (not a great combination for a healthy lifestyle). Having split for a time with Yoko, John was living with May Pang. He was threatened with expulsion from the States, suffering lawsuits and financial problems, his marriage and his career in freefall. Although it looked at the beginning of the decade that Paul had been left behind by his bandmate's solo music, now he had "Band on the Run", "Live and Let Die" and a major US tour behind him. He was successful in his own right and, frankly, shocked when he visited Lennon and Nilsson at the "Pussycats" sessions. For anyone who has heard the jam recorded that day, "A toot and a snore in '74", it is obvious that musically nothing worth listening to came out of John and Paul playing together again. However, as Lennon said later, the others playing were more interested in watching, "me and Paul." To his credit, despite the arguments, Paul had spoken to Yoko and helped reunite John and Yoko; a fact which Yoko has also spoken about in interviews.
Overall, then, this book looks at a little documented era of Paul's life. A time when he reinvented himself; forging a new musical career from the shadow of the Beatles. Although all the former Beatles tired of reunion rumours and questions about each other, they only really came to terms with their legacy,it seems, after the death of John Lennon and the realisation that their Beatles past could never be put behind them. Many people forget that McCartney had a huge solo career - that he had massive World tours without playing more than one or two Beatles songs and that his Wings career would be enough to be proud of, if that was all he had done. Filled with interviews, revealing insights and unbiased analysis of the man and his music, this is a great addition to any fan's bookshelf.
February 23, 2017
Interesting book about McCartney in the 70s. It was eye-opening about how bad the Beatles' break-up was and how disorganized the creation and work of the Wings was, as McCartney struggled with the idea of starting a new band while not dealing well with bandmates standing up to him ("some pigs are more equal than others"). Considering his success I expected a more uplifting read but found this somewhat of a downer.
December 20, 2016
I love Paul always forever, even if that wasn't the cool position to take when I was in high school, even amongst Beatles fans. As with most (all) of the values expressed by our peers when we are in high school, history is proving the in-crowd wrong, and Mr. McCartney is finally getting some respect. "So there!" I proclaim to my shortsighted peers of twenty years ago.
While each former Beatle's work within the group will, of course, overshadow their solo efforts, there's still plenty of interesting stuff to be said about the four in the 1970s. I enjoyed this book. Paul and Linda's hippie ethos in the very early days of Wings is charming, whether outfitting the upper level of a psychedelically-painted bus as a mobile crash pad or riding horseback to work. It was a different era of rock music celebrity that we sadly won't see again. However, McCartney seems to retain some of his 1960s loopiness that made Beatles interviews so humorous. I laughed out loud when he kept randomly and weirdly offering an interviewer a single slice of cheese while being questioned.
The obsessive way in which law enforcement pursued the McCartneys is absolutely infuriating. It seems that every few pages they're getting busted again for marijuana possession. FFS, it was the 1970s. Rock bands (and famous people in general) were imbibing far harder stuff! I couldn't help of think of the famous people who have emerged in decades since who have built their entire personas around being heavy pot smokers--Seth Rogen and the band Cypress Hill spring immediately to mind. I guess Paul was just ahead of his time.
While each former Beatle's work within the group will, of course, overshadow their solo efforts, there's still plenty of interesting stuff to be said about the four in the 1970s. I enjoyed this book. Paul and Linda's hippie ethos in the very early days of Wings is charming, whether outfitting the upper level of a psychedelically-painted bus as a mobile crash pad or riding horseback to work. It was a different era of rock music celebrity that we sadly won't see again. However, McCartney seems to retain some of his 1960s loopiness that made Beatles interviews so humorous. I laughed out loud when he kept randomly and weirdly offering an interviewer a single slice of cheese while being questioned.
The obsessive way in which law enforcement pursued the McCartneys is absolutely infuriating. It seems that every few pages they're getting busted again for marijuana possession. FFS, it was the 1970s. Rock bands (and famous people in general) were imbibing far harder stuff! I couldn't help of think of the famous people who have emerged in decades since who have built their entire personas around being heavy pot smokers--Seth Rogen and the band Cypress Hill spring immediately to mind. I guess Paul was just ahead of his time.
December 27, 2020
This biography gives us the inside scoop on Paul McCartney in the 70s. How do you possibly follow an act like the Beatles? What was his relationship really like with Lennon and co after the split?
I am too young to really be a big Beatles fan but I found this to be a highly interesting subject matter. I’d certainly recommend this to any fans.
I am too young to really be a big Beatles fan but I found this to be a highly interesting subject matter. I’d certainly recommend this to any fans.
October 24, 2016
I´ve read this before but yesterday was a Sunday and it rained all day so I picked it off the shelves, started at the start and ended up finishing it just before midnight. I´m a Beatles freak - I´m from Liverpool so I guess it´s in the blood - and this book documents an interesting time for Paul. Of course most of his 70s songs and Wings themselves are considered a big joke by those in the know, but as a child of 1973, I grew up with Wings and the McCartney solo albums and only got into the Beatles later. The Beatles revival of the 90s has been kind to Paul but, a bit like Phil Collins, the coolio London media crowd are way off the mark in thinking everyone thinks Wings and Genesis are crap. But that´s another whole subject...
This one starts with Paul, bearded and boozing, falling through the cracks of the Beatles messy break up. In the end, trying to protect the band from Allen Klein (Paul proven right in the end) he had to sue the others - a painful process; basically taking his best mates to court. He ended up licking his wounds on his Scottish farm, drinking and drugging and playing about with guitars, drums and machines. When he did emerge, thanks to Linda´s support, what was he going to do? He´s already been to the top of the mountain and seen the view. Was it worth doing it all again?
The one thing Paul had missed during the last years of his old group was touring, playing in front of an audience. Getting a group together with Denny Laine of the Moody Blues, and Linda, ended up with the nascent Wings touring - plus kids - in a double decker bus, stopping off at University towns and playing unnanounced gigs. They´d sometimes play songs twice as Paul didn´t want to play Beatles songs and left with bags of 50p coins which they divvied up as they ate fish and chip suppers in B&Bs at night.
Parallel to Paul´s career is his up and down relationship with always fascinating John Lennon. There are jibes and insults sent through songs but gradually the pair manage to talk - Paul meets John in New York and they patch things up. Once they are sitting at home watching TV when the host of Saturday Night Live offers them three thousand dollars if they´ll come down to the studio at that moment and play three Beatles song. They toy with the idea - imagine - but end up shrugging it off.
Paul´s own story is the slow rise of Wings, despite the odds and despite the self-combusting line ups. It´s Band on the Run, created against a backdrop of disasters both at home (two band members dropping out at the last minute) and in Lagos (where they recorded the beginnings of the album) which finally gives Paul 1970s lift-off. His James Bond theme does him no harm and by 1976 Wings are all-conquering. A triple-album documenting their Wings Over America tour hits the top of the charts and McCartney has done it again. Sold out stadiums. Top parties. Chart success. And once again, the only way to go is down.
After another crazy episode, recording on boats in the Caribbean, Paul´s story darkens at the end of the decade with his pot bust in Japan and the murder of his old mate Lennon in NYC. Both are well documented here and his reaction to both episodes give a good picture of the man´s character. As we know, he pulled himself up again from all this and went on to great solo success in the 1980s and onwards through the 90s and up to the present day.
This book is an easy, decent read. The writer is a journalist whom McCartney obviously trusts, as much as he trusts or opens up to anyone, and the writing is neat and precise. It can´t not read like a long article, which it is, but is none the worse for it.
To those who like this sort of thing, it´s a very pleasant way to spend a rainy day.
This one starts with Paul, bearded and boozing, falling through the cracks of the Beatles messy break up. In the end, trying to protect the band from Allen Klein (Paul proven right in the end) he had to sue the others - a painful process; basically taking his best mates to court. He ended up licking his wounds on his Scottish farm, drinking and drugging and playing about with guitars, drums and machines. When he did emerge, thanks to Linda´s support, what was he going to do? He´s already been to the top of the mountain and seen the view. Was it worth doing it all again?
The one thing Paul had missed during the last years of his old group was touring, playing in front of an audience. Getting a group together with Denny Laine of the Moody Blues, and Linda, ended up with the nascent Wings touring - plus kids - in a double decker bus, stopping off at University towns and playing unnanounced gigs. They´d sometimes play songs twice as Paul didn´t want to play Beatles songs and left with bags of 50p coins which they divvied up as they ate fish and chip suppers in B&Bs at night.
Parallel to Paul´s career is his up and down relationship with always fascinating John Lennon. There are jibes and insults sent through songs but gradually the pair manage to talk - Paul meets John in New York and they patch things up. Once they are sitting at home watching TV when the host of Saturday Night Live offers them three thousand dollars if they´ll come down to the studio at that moment and play three Beatles song. They toy with the idea - imagine - but end up shrugging it off.
Paul´s own story is the slow rise of Wings, despite the odds and despite the self-combusting line ups. It´s Band on the Run, created against a backdrop of disasters both at home (two band members dropping out at the last minute) and in Lagos (where they recorded the beginnings of the album) which finally gives Paul 1970s lift-off. His James Bond theme does him no harm and by 1976 Wings are all-conquering. A triple-album documenting their Wings Over America tour hits the top of the charts and McCartney has done it again. Sold out stadiums. Top parties. Chart success. And once again, the only way to go is down.
After another crazy episode, recording on boats in the Caribbean, Paul´s story darkens at the end of the decade with his pot bust in Japan and the murder of his old mate Lennon in NYC. Both are well documented here and his reaction to both episodes give a good picture of the man´s character. As we know, he pulled himself up again from all this and went on to great solo success in the 1980s and onwards through the 90s and up to the present day.
This book is an easy, decent read. The writer is a journalist whom McCartney obviously trusts, as much as he trusts or opens up to anyone, and the writing is neat and precise. It can´t not read like a long article, which it is, but is none the worse for it.
To those who like this sort of thing, it´s a very pleasant way to spend a rainy day.
June 22, 2014
Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s, is a book written with the quiet, knowing assurance of a biographer who illuminates with great empathy.
On the other hand, this bio is terrifically exciting, so do not expect to be bored just because the author has compassion. This is a ride with is filled with action, humor, and inside knowledge!
Even if you weren't around in the 1970's, and even if you are not a "Beatles" freak or a "Macca" freak, I predict that you will be enthralled by this book.
There is an intensity which threads its way through the story of Paul McCartney, which suits the man. McCartney is first seen (after the intro) at age 27. He is suffering a massive identity crisis; falling apart as he realizes that the Beatles are done for and are breaking up as a band. Interestingly, despite his lack of strength at this time, he ultimately must get it together to effectively and properly dissolve the wretched and unpleasant business side that is the Beatles, in order to survive. Reading about this is fascinating as he is almost destroying himself as Chapter One is beginning.
Typically of most Beatles fans of the era, I never liked Linda McCartney much at the time. However, after reading how she conducted herself in the early years of their marriage, I have changed my opinion of her. She never signed on to be his band mate and she certainly wasn't equipped to play that role terribly well, but she was the perfect partner for Paul,the last Beatle to remain single until he fell into her arms.
She was the ultimate hippie mother, and they truly were soul mates. As the author notes,this relationship possibly had more love and more depth than the other Beatles relationships with their partners. Paul never faltered in his devotion to Linda.
This book is refreshing and cleanly written. It is as if a bucket of water is being tossed in your face. Surprises unfold as you read.
The sorting out of the person Paul was (and is) and the explanations of why have great clarity.The convoluted "Paul is Dead" hoax,and the absurdities which followed, is untangled. The way the author describes Paul trying to "act alive" when he was feeling perfectly awful and dealing with other personal demons is compelling. The press did not help.
In Man on the Run, all the Beatles receive compassion from the author. An ardent fan,his professional viewpoint holds course. When he is writing about Lennon, Phil Spector, and Harry Nillsson out in LA you really get the real story, but not in a judgmental way. You are there! Then, all of sudden, so is Paul!
Follow closely as Doyle sets up his introduction so that you understand what an amazing thing he is going to attempt with this biography of the imperfect yet always remarkable "man on the run"...the Paul McCartney of the 1970s.
This young McCartney has a lot to prove to himself before he can stand up and once again believe in himself. Read as he finds a way to reinvent himself. The mantle of "great songwriter, musician and world famous figure", will suit him once again.
This is a story of rebirth.
This book which not only explains the man, it explains the times, the music, the frailties and the strengths which are a part of McCartney's story.
A fine bio of a worthy subject, written by a master of his craft, Tom Doyle.
On the other hand, this bio is terrifically exciting, so do not expect to be bored just because the author has compassion. This is a ride with is filled with action, humor, and inside knowledge!
Even if you weren't around in the 1970's, and even if you are not a "Beatles" freak or a "Macca" freak, I predict that you will be enthralled by this book.
There is an intensity which threads its way through the story of Paul McCartney, which suits the man. McCartney is first seen (after the intro) at age 27. He is suffering a massive identity crisis; falling apart as he realizes that the Beatles are done for and are breaking up as a band. Interestingly, despite his lack of strength at this time, he ultimately must get it together to effectively and properly dissolve the wretched and unpleasant business side that is the Beatles, in order to survive. Reading about this is fascinating as he is almost destroying himself as Chapter One is beginning.
Typically of most Beatles fans of the era, I never liked Linda McCartney much at the time. However, after reading how she conducted herself in the early years of their marriage, I have changed my opinion of her. She never signed on to be his band mate and she certainly wasn't equipped to play that role terribly well, but she was the perfect partner for Paul,the last Beatle to remain single until he fell into her arms.
She was the ultimate hippie mother, and they truly were soul mates. As the author notes,this relationship possibly had more love and more depth than the other Beatles relationships with their partners. Paul never faltered in his devotion to Linda.
This book is refreshing and cleanly written. It is as if a bucket of water is being tossed in your face. Surprises unfold as you read.
The sorting out of the person Paul was (and is) and the explanations of why have great clarity.The convoluted "Paul is Dead" hoax,and the absurdities which followed, is untangled. The way the author describes Paul trying to "act alive" when he was feeling perfectly awful and dealing with other personal demons is compelling. The press did not help.
In Man on the Run, all the Beatles receive compassion from the author. An ardent fan,his professional viewpoint holds course. When he is writing about Lennon, Phil Spector, and Harry Nillsson out in LA you really get the real story, but not in a judgmental way. You are there! Then, all of sudden, so is Paul!
Follow closely as Doyle sets up his introduction so that you understand what an amazing thing he is going to attempt with this biography of the imperfect yet always remarkable "man on the run"...the Paul McCartney of the 1970s.
This young McCartney has a lot to prove to himself before he can stand up and once again believe in himself. Read as he finds a way to reinvent himself. The mantle of "great songwriter, musician and world famous figure", will suit him once again.
This is a story of rebirth.
This book which not only explains the man, it explains the times, the music, the frailties and the strengths which are a part of McCartney's story.
A fine bio of a worthy subject, written by a master of his craft, Tom Doyle.
November 3, 2014
A sad and ultimately disappointing book.
What do you do when you are only twenty-nine and your best years are behind you? Years that saw you create and co-create the single greatest collection of rock and pop songs the world has ever seen. What do you do when you lose your musical home and then struggle to build a new one.
McCartney struggled through the 70s. He struggled in the only way he knew how -- working, working, working. He created some minor masterpieces and some major disasters. But he kept working. And, as you will learn in this book, he kept smoking, and smoking, and smoking.
This book is wildly uneven. Some events get in-depth treatment. I mean, IN DEPTH. Meanwhile, longer periods of time just get glossed over. The general storyline is so depressing, it came as a surprise when Doyle reminds us that Wings sold 100 million records. No chump change. Even for a former Beatle, but given the depressing slog through building, rebuilding, re-re-building the band, recording here, recording there, etc. this success is completely at odds with the story Doyle tells.
I am reminded of the advice I would give students when their research did not put align with the paper they had intended to write. "Write the paper you CAN write." Well, rather than write a chronological story of McCartney in the 70s, I think Doyle's research -- most significantly -- his interview, would have lent themselves better to a thematic book.
For those looking for a more insightful and less depressing account of the great man, I recommend Many Years From Now by Barry Miles.
What do you do when you are only twenty-nine and your best years are behind you? Years that saw you create and co-create the single greatest collection of rock and pop songs the world has ever seen. What do you do when you lose your musical home and then struggle to build a new one.
McCartney struggled through the 70s. He struggled in the only way he knew how -- working, working, working. He created some minor masterpieces and some major disasters. But he kept working. And, as you will learn in this book, he kept smoking, and smoking, and smoking.
This book is wildly uneven. Some events get in-depth treatment. I mean, IN DEPTH. Meanwhile, longer periods of time just get glossed over. The general storyline is so depressing, it came as a surprise when Doyle reminds us that Wings sold 100 million records. No chump change. Even for a former Beatle, but given the depressing slog through building, rebuilding, re-re-building the band, recording here, recording there, etc. this success is completely at odds with the story Doyle tells.
I am reminded of the advice I would give students when their research did not put align with the paper they had intended to write. "Write the paper you CAN write." Well, rather than write a chronological story of McCartney in the 70s, I think Doyle's research -- most significantly -- his interview, would have lent themselves better to a thematic book.
For those looking for a more insightful and less depressing account of the great man, I recommend Many Years From Now by Barry Miles.
November 27, 2016
Left a whole lot to be desired, must be why it took me ages to finish.
February 12, 2017
As a person who secretly sometimes enjoys Wings more than the Beatles and who is also total trash for Paul, this was right up my alley to read. Paul without all those pesky other band mates (I love you George) in the mix. However, I wasn't prepared for how much of a bummer parts of this book were going to be.
The first part of the book is about the deep depression Paul went into when the Beatles broke up. He basically exiled himself to his farm in Scotland (Man We Was Lonely indeed) I can see his dilemma...how does one go from the biggest band in the world with masterpiece albums/songs...to not having a clue what to do next. How do you top the Beatles?
Well, this book goes through the decade that Paul made a valiant effort to at least come close. I think without a doubt, Paul has some of the best solo material of all the Beatles. George has the best solo albums, but once you sift through some of the crap (and there is a lot of it), there are some fantastic Paul songs waiting to be heard and some great stories to be told...all which are chronicled in this book.
My favorite parts of the book were the first Wings tour when Paul refused to play any Beatles songs and the band basically hitchhiked (not really) around the UK. I'm sure it was really humbling for Paul. You see a bit of a dent in the Paul/Linda dynamic. I think it's amazing that Paul made a band with his not so talented wife, but stuck with it. That's love. Except in the beginning he was pretty mean to her about her skills. I'm sure Linda had a lot more respect for George after that...
Anyways, it was cool seeing family man Paul touring and living the nomad lifestyle for a bit. What was also great was reading about the making of Band on the Run (one of the greatest albums ever IMO). The whole thing was doomed to fail...what with most of the band quitting, almost getting killed by a mugger, and for some wild reason deciding to record it in Nigeria (GREAT IDEA FOR A VACATION SPOT PAUL YOU IDIOT). Yet at the end of the day it went on to be of the most successful albums of the year and one that stands up to ANY Beatles album (again, in my opinion).
The book also details Paul's post Beatle's relationship with John. I think a lot of people have this view that they were pretty hostile to each other for a long time, and while there were quite a few jabs (mostly through song, because of course there were) they seemed for the most part amiable, if not on the same page in there lives at times.
I only gave it three stars because it was kind of dull at times. I think that it falls into the same rut as any biography on him can fall into, because Paul can be a hard nut to crack and carefully PR's his image. I think there is a lot going on underneath the surface that we don't know about, and Paul will always keep it that way. Therefore, we will never have a true in depth bio on him.
Oh also, the author states that "Two of Us" is about Linda...and I know Paul accounts it that way too, but you must be blind/deaf if you don't realize it's about John. COME ON!
The first part of the book is about the deep depression Paul went into when the Beatles broke up. He basically exiled himself to his farm in Scotland (Man We Was Lonely indeed) I can see his dilemma...how does one go from the biggest band in the world with masterpiece albums/songs...to not having a clue what to do next. How do you top the Beatles?
Well, this book goes through the decade that Paul made a valiant effort to at least come close. I think without a doubt, Paul has some of the best solo material of all the Beatles. George has the best solo albums, but once you sift through some of the crap (and there is a lot of it), there are some fantastic Paul songs waiting to be heard and some great stories to be told...all which are chronicled in this book.
My favorite parts of the book were the first Wings tour when Paul refused to play any Beatles songs and the band basically hitchhiked (not really) around the UK. I'm sure it was really humbling for Paul. You see a bit of a dent in the Paul/Linda dynamic. I think it's amazing that Paul made a band with his not so talented wife, but stuck with it. That's love. Except in the beginning he was pretty mean to her about her skills. I'm sure Linda had a lot more respect for George after that...
Anyways, it was cool seeing family man Paul touring and living the nomad lifestyle for a bit. What was also great was reading about the making of Band on the Run (one of the greatest albums ever IMO). The whole thing was doomed to fail...what with most of the band quitting, almost getting killed by a mugger, and for some wild reason deciding to record it in Nigeria (GREAT IDEA FOR A VACATION SPOT PAUL YOU IDIOT). Yet at the end of the day it went on to be of the most successful albums of the year and one that stands up to ANY Beatles album (again, in my opinion).
The book also details Paul's post Beatle's relationship with John. I think a lot of people have this view that they were pretty hostile to each other for a long time, and while there were quite a few jabs (mostly through song, because of course there were) they seemed for the most part amiable, if not on the same page in there lives at times.
I only gave it three stars because it was kind of dull at times. I think that it falls into the same rut as any biography on him can fall into, because Paul can be a hard nut to crack and carefully PR's his image. I think there is a lot going on underneath the surface that we don't know about, and Paul will always keep it that way. Therefore, we will never have a true in depth bio on him.
Oh also, the author states that "Two of Us" is about Linda...and I know Paul accounts it that way too, but you must be blind/deaf if you don't realize it's about John. COME ON!
January 15, 2017
This biog cleverly concentrates on what was probably Macca's most difficult decade. Firstly, he had to learn how to not be a Beatle. Secondly, he had to prove to the world, & himself, that he could continue a creative life that would occasionally throw up a song or two that would hold muster with Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby or For No-one. He also had to survive, not to mention fund the musicians he wanted to work with & the recordings he wanted to make with them, with all of his money tied up in the bitter dispute that the demise of the greatest ever pop group provoked. I doubt that there's a convincing argument that either McCartney or Lennon ever topped what they came up with during the 60s but Macca managed to survive, & even prosper, in spite of revolving door musical partners & even skirmishes with the law. Doyle had plenty of access to his subject & McCartney comes across as a man far less sure of himself than we might previously have imagined. In these pages he is real & vulnerable. I was absorbed by the challenges presented to McCartney during his post-Beatles' years & his often fumbling attempts to deal with them. Presented with clarity & economy by the author. Highly recommended.
January 21, 2015
I'm an unabashed fan and consequently read whatever I can on Sir Paul, and yet I still learned a lot from this readable, informative book. Paul seemed to want to make it all look easy, as though it's all been a breeze, in contrast to John's "genius is pain" stance. And yet the 1970s were a painful struggle for him, and he worked very hard for all the commercial success he eventually enjoyed with Wings.
Got quite a few new insights into his relationship with Linda, including how she acted as his one woman Praetorian Guard, which is how he liked it. I found it very touching how, talking to Doyle and looking back on their years together, he clearly still misses her. Theirs seems to be a love story worthy of Jane Austen. Was also glad to see it reinforced here that the Paul/John friendship was ongoing. Now that he's in his 70s, it's easy to forget how young McCartney was -- just 27 -- when the wheels came off the Beatles. In this book, the harsh words between Lennon and McCartney seem more like understandable anger and fear than antipathy.
June 15, 2014
I received this book through Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads giveaway.
With the plethora of biographies out on Sir Paul, this one is a surprisingly insightful and entertaining read. Music journalist Tom Doyle has interviewed McCartney many times over the years and has a pretty good grasp of the man and myth. He presents a picture that neither deifies nor crucifies the legend, but gives us a particularly sensitive complete view of a man often satirized as shallow and lightweight. McCartney is neither.
Doyle doesn’t sugarcoat McCartney’s warts, though. No punches are pulled: the breakup of the Beatles was caused by many things and many personalities. Wings was indeed a revolving door, and that was as much the fault of McCartney’s as anyone coming into the situation. This book covers his most commercially successful (if critically panned) years, the Seventies. What a ride. Couldn't put it down. Only gripe was that I wished it was longer.
With the plethora of biographies out on Sir Paul, this one is a surprisingly insightful and entertaining read. Music journalist Tom Doyle has interviewed McCartney many times over the years and has a pretty good grasp of the man and myth. He presents a picture that neither deifies nor crucifies the legend, but gives us a particularly sensitive complete view of a man often satirized as shallow and lightweight. McCartney is neither.
Doyle doesn’t sugarcoat McCartney’s warts, though. No punches are pulled: the breakup of the Beatles was caused by many things and many personalities. Wings was indeed a revolving door, and that was as much the fault of McCartney’s as anyone coming into the situation. This book covers his most commercially successful (if critically panned) years, the Seventies. What a ride. Couldn't put it down. Only gripe was that I wished it was longer.
November 25, 2013
I have a couple of problems with this book and one of them is me. I've just read too much about Paul McCartney. It's hard to surprise me. So while I was looking forward to reading about Paul in the 70's, thinking I haven't read enough about this time, apparently I have. So...nothing much new learned. Also, this book reads a bit like a tabloid, a bit gossipy. Who needs to know that Jojo Laine thinks she didn't get invited to the Caribbean because Linda was pregnant and didn't want Jojo looking so great in her bikini? The most interesting parts of the book were the intro and the epilogue - both include quotes from a recent interview with Paul - stuff I hadn't read before.
August 24, 2014
Framed by the break-up of The Beatles in 1970 and the murder of John Lennon in 1980, Tom Doyle’s Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s is the story of Paul McCartney’s struggles with fame, music, family life, and finances as he tries to create an authentic life while shouldered with a weighty legacy. While the entire book is captivating, the surprises for me were the on-again-off-again relationships between John, Paul, George, and Ringo in the first post-Beatles decade, and Paul’s temper which occasionally boiled over into physical confrontations. He wasn’t as mellow as he seemed most of the time.
August 10, 2014
Insightful, compassionate, illuminating - it's one of the best music-related books I've read in ages, and the best book about McCartney. A must-read for any fan.
May 13, 2016
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. With John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide fame as the bassist of the Beatles. He was born in Liverpool on 18 June 1942. Paul was always my favourite Beatle. Like many young women at the time, I was sure he had made a mistake in choosing to marry Linda Eastman rather than me in 1969. I suppose 29 years together proved me wrong. So, when my sister gave me Man on the Run by Tom Doyle, I was interested to read about the period of Paul's life after the Beatles when he worked alone and also established the band Wings in the 1970s.
In Man on the Run, Doyle reveals Paul McCartney as a human being with the elements of self doubt that we all harbour. It is very enlightening when considering how much McCartney had achieved before he was even 30 years old. He was a man on the run. Trying to escape the shadow of the Beatles, he was based in his Scottish farmhouse on Kintyre before travelling the world with makeshift bands and barefoot children.
Man on the Run is a painless little book which tells the whole peculiar story of Paul McCartney from 1969, when he was in a really bad space to the early 1980s when, perhaps, he began to realise that he could not outrun a fact of life: he had been part of the most iconic pop band of all time.
The book begins with the messy Beatles breakup, including the public feud with Lennon and McCartney's decision to legally file to dissolve the Beatles. The legal ramifications led to financial problems, much soul searching over his decision and, if not a total breakdown, certainly depression and a loss of confidence in his abilities. It also led to the birth of Wings.
Wings was not a stable line-up having changed several times during its exisitence. Doyle makes clear that there were few musicians who could cope with being in the shadow of such a famous musician as Paul McCartney.
Doyle also emphasises the importance McCartney attributed to his late wife Linda for the love and support she gave him during his periods of self-doubt. Her father and brother, who were leading New York Attorneys also wisely counselled McCartney in his investments and saved his bacon on occassions when he ended up on the wrong side of the law. Family is shown to be very important to Paul McCartney.
Paul's relationship with John Lennon is fascinating and Doyle covers it in detail. Afer all, the 1970s began with John's star in the ascendent. He produced huge albums, such as "Plastic Ono Band" and "Imagine" and made vicious verbal attacks on his McCartney. Interestingly, though, John really blew hot and cold throughout this decade. He used intermediaries to send letters to Paul. He both praised and damned him in interviews and thus Paul cut contact for a while after some admittedly 'frightening' phone calls. Doyle makes clear that the press used one against the other too.
Although it looked at the beginning of the decade that Paul had been left behind by his bandmate's solo music, by 1974 he had "Band on the Run", "Live and Let Die" and a major US tour behind him. To his credit, despite the arguments, Paul had spoken to Yoko Ono during a time when she and John Lennon had separated. Paul helped reunite John and Yoko; a fact which Yoko has also spoken about in interviews.
Man on the Run looks at a little documented era of Paul's life. A time when he reinvented himself; forging a new musical career from the shadow of the Beatles. I found it really interesting and, if you are a Beatles, Wings or Paul McCartney fan, it is well worth reading.
Valerie Penny
In Man on the Run, Doyle reveals Paul McCartney as a human being with the elements of self doubt that we all harbour. It is very enlightening when considering how much McCartney had achieved before he was even 30 years old. He was a man on the run. Trying to escape the shadow of the Beatles, he was based in his Scottish farmhouse on Kintyre before travelling the world with makeshift bands and barefoot children.
Man on the Run is a painless little book which tells the whole peculiar story of Paul McCartney from 1969, when he was in a really bad space to the early 1980s when, perhaps, he began to realise that he could not outrun a fact of life: he had been part of the most iconic pop band of all time.
The book begins with the messy Beatles breakup, including the public feud with Lennon and McCartney's decision to legally file to dissolve the Beatles. The legal ramifications led to financial problems, much soul searching over his decision and, if not a total breakdown, certainly depression and a loss of confidence in his abilities. It also led to the birth of Wings.
Wings was not a stable line-up having changed several times during its exisitence. Doyle makes clear that there were few musicians who could cope with being in the shadow of such a famous musician as Paul McCartney.
Doyle also emphasises the importance McCartney attributed to his late wife Linda for the love and support she gave him during his periods of self-doubt. Her father and brother, who were leading New York Attorneys also wisely counselled McCartney in his investments and saved his bacon on occassions when he ended up on the wrong side of the law. Family is shown to be very important to Paul McCartney.
Paul's relationship with John Lennon is fascinating and Doyle covers it in detail. Afer all, the 1970s began with John's star in the ascendent. He produced huge albums, such as "Plastic Ono Band" and "Imagine" and made vicious verbal attacks on his McCartney. Interestingly, though, John really blew hot and cold throughout this decade. He used intermediaries to send letters to Paul. He both praised and damned him in interviews and thus Paul cut contact for a while after some admittedly 'frightening' phone calls. Doyle makes clear that the press used one against the other too.
Although it looked at the beginning of the decade that Paul had been left behind by his bandmate's solo music, by 1974 he had "Band on the Run", "Live and Let Die" and a major US tour behind him. To his credit, despite the arguments, Paul had spoken to Yoko Ono during a time when she and John Lennon had separated. Paul helped reunite John and Yoko; a fact which Yoko has also spoken about in interviews.
Man on the Run looks at a little documented era of Paul's life. A time when he reinvented himself; forging a new musical career from the shadow of the Beatles. I found it really interesting and, if you are a Beatles, Wings or Paul McCartney fan, it is well worth reading.
Valerie Penny
January 28, 2015
An interesting look at Paul McCartney in the 1970s--though really from 1969 to 1981. That is, from John Lennon's announcement to the other Beatles that he wanted "a divorce" to the aftermath of Lennon's murder.
His former collaborator still held a remarkable influence over him, and throughout the decade McCartney made overtures to Lennon, which were sometimes returned and sometimes rebuffed. His opinion still really mattered to McCartney, perhaps the only one to whom McCartney would ever defer. Which explains the odd dynamic where McCartney was the absolute leader of Wings while simultaneously being at times directionless.
It also explains McCartney's profound depression and feelings of worthlessness in the immediate aftermath of the Beatles' disbanding. After all, he had dominated their singles for the previous two years and also taken the lead in the studio. Their final album, Abbey Road, had been a huge success and largely his creation more than the other three. As traumatic as the breakup with his best friend and band mates must have been, one is surprised how lacking in confidence he was musically. This was the man who had written Yesterday and Hey Jude essentially unaided, but he needed his new bride Linda to convince him he could go on as a solo act.
Doyle strikes the right balance between being a sympathetic observer but not an uncritical one.
His former collaborator still held a remarkable influence over him, and throughout the decade McCartney made overtures to Lennon, which were sometimes returned and sometimes rebuffed. His opinion still really mattered to McCartney, perhaps the only one to whom McCartney would ever defer. Which explains the odd dynamic where McCartney was the absolute leader of Wings while simultaneously being at times directionless.
It also explains McCartney's profound depression and feelings of worthlessness in the immediate aftermath of the Beatles' disbanding. After all, he had dominated their singles for the previous two years and also taken the lead in the studio. Their final album, Abbey Road, had been a huge success and largely his creation more than the other three. As traumatic as the breakup with his best friend and band mates must have been, one is surprised how lacking in confidence he was musically. This was the man who had written Yesterday and Hey Jude essentially unaided, but he needed his new bride Linda to convince him he could go on as a solo act.
Doyle strikes the right balance between being a sympathetic observer but not an uncritical one.
July 8, 2020
Paul McCartney is a strange character. From the moment The Beatles took off, he was in motion, rarely having time to rest and, dare we see it, grow up. By his mid 20s he was the most famous musician in the world and would never be able to live up to what he'd already done.
He was also completely broke and reviled by his ex-bandmates.
This book is the story of how the most famous musician in the world started his career again.
Erratic, charming, foolish and brilliant... McCartney is a riveting child desperately trying to grow-up in public.
Doyle's book is hard to put down. I read it in three days.
He was also completely broke and reviled by his ex-bandmates.
This book is the story of how the most famous musician in the world started his career again.
Erratic, charming, foolish and brilliant... McCartney is a riveting child desperately trying to grow-up in public.
Doyle's book is hard to put down. I read it in three days.
August 30, 2015
Thank you to the blogger "The new southern gentleman" for posting
about this book. I love that Denny Laine gets lots of ink and comments
about Wings. I saw him a few months back at the soon to
be closed Johnny D's. Very funny and great show.
I love Denny Laine for the early Moodies(my fav band) song "Go Now"
and for leaving the band to be replaced by Justin(Knights is my
favorite song) Hayward!!!!! I saw Sir Paul at Fenway Park a couple
of years ago....or was it Yesterday....
about this book. I love that Denny Laine gets lots of ink and comments
about Wings. I saw him a few months back at the soon to
be closed Johnny D's. Very funny and great show.
I love Denny Laine for the early Moodies(my fav band) song "Go Now"
and for leaving the band to be replaced by Justin(Knights is my
favorite song) Hayward!!!!! I saw Sir Paul at Fenway Park a couple
of years ago....or was it Yesterday....
July 23, 2014
I received a copy of this book through Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads Giveaway.
As a huge Beatles fan, I was thrilled to win a copy of this book and I was not disappointed! This is a great book that gives the reader insight not only in to Paul McCartney's life but also the 70's.
As a huge Beatles fan, I was thrilled to win a copy of this book and I was not disappointed! This is a great book that gives the reader insight not only in to Paul McCartney's life but also the 70's.
August 3, 2016
Man on the Run is an interesting biography of Paul McCartney and his family during the 1970s, as well as his band, Wings (one of my favorite bands of that decade). It is a long, thorough look at the good, bad, and ugly and pulls no punches, even while it clearly sympathizes with McCartney.
The book begins with the messy breakup of the Beatles, centering around the very public feud between Paul and John, which was part of the impetus for Paul’s decision to legally file to dissolve the Beatles. However, the legal ramifications showed that there were financial problems for the group and led to even more, thus sending Paul into a spiral of depression that led to he and his wife, Linda, to move to a farm in Scotland, out of the spotlight. During this period, he also lost a great deal of his confidence he had had in his abilities as a musician, as well as his own identity. Thankfully, Linda helped him through this crisis. Without her devoted love, who knows what would have happened to Paul?
The McCartney family became hippies and lived the hippy lifestyle, but Paul missed being in a band and missed touring, something he had tried to talk the Beatles into doing again and which they had refused to do. So he decided to start his own band � Wings. I didn’t know this, but there were actually three incarnations of Wings, three different bands over the years, all with Paul and Linda in them. And they were all comprised largely of studio musicians, mostly unknown. In my opinion, it’s frankly amazing Wings achieved the success and prominence they did with such an unassuming group of musicians. They obviously did this only with Paul’s leadership and drive.
However, first Paul put out a couple of solo albums, although one was credited to both he and his wife. They were all largely critical failures. The first Wings group met, practiced, and put out Wild Life in 1971. I don’t actually recall how it initially did, but ultimately it reached number 11 in the UK and number 10 in the US. Indeed, Paul’s first “hit� was a political song called “Give Ireland Back to the Irish,� a song that was banned by the BBC. A 1972 non-hit was actually “Mary Had a Little Lamb, literally, which left both his band and the critics confused. Not Paul’s best decision. In 1973, Red Rose Speedway was released. It ultimately hit number 5 in the UK and number 1 in the US. In late 1973, the band got its first big break with Band on the Run, which immediately hit number 1 in both the UK and the US (the previous two albums achieved high chart status over time, not immediately). Band on the Run turned Wings into instant stars. 1973-4 hits include “Jet,� “Let Me Roll It, � “My Love,� a major song that hit number one in the US, “Helen Wheels,� “Junior’s Farm,� “Band on the Run,� a huge hit that got to number three in the UK and number one in the US, and “Live and Let Die,� a theme song to a new James Bond movie and one that hit number two in the US.
And on it continued. After starting its career playing impromptu college student union tours for something like 50 pounds, Wings were now doing international stadium tours. And Paul could finally gloat over John, who had been taunting Paul publicly for years, basically calling him a giant failure while John, of course, was a musical genius. Not anymore. While John turned out the occasional hit, Paul McCartney and Wings were international stars selling out stadiums with superstar hit albums, something John couldn’t say. Paul could, temporarily, put his demons behind him.
However, there was a problem. Pot. He and Linda loved their pot. They smoked a lot of it. And they got it shipped to whatever country they were visiting on their tours. And in one country, Finland?, they were caught and it made international headlines. Of course, it was hugely embarrassing, but the couple actually embraced the moment and came out in favor of pot use and said they were in favor of legalizing it. Later in his career, Paul would be arrested in Japan for possession and it could have been a very serious situation. You should read the book to find out what happened.
Meanwhile, there were band personnel changes. Paul was a cheapskate and while he raked in millions, he paid his band members practically nothing at all. Finally, these session musicians would get fed up and state that they could make more doing session work back in New York or London, so ³Ù³ó±ð²â’d leave. Paul never really got the hint. It’s a shame. Still, he continued to put out good albums and tour with his new musicians.
In 1975, Venus and Mars was released and would ultimately hit number one in both the UK and US. 1975 hits included “Venus and Mars/Rock Show� and “Listen to What the Man Said, � which would hit number one in the US. In 1976, Wings released two albums: Wings at the Speed of Sound and a live album, Wings over America. Both hit number two in America. They contained “Silly Love Songs,� which hit number two in the UK and number one in the US and “Let ‘Em In,� which hit number two in the UK and number three in the US. In 1977, “Mull of Kintyre� was released, instantly a huge hit in the UK, remaining at number one longer than any other song in British history until that time, I believe. However, in America, it didn’t fare so well, just getting to number 33.
It was at this time that Wings peaked. Already there was a third group of musicians and maybe it was chemistry, maybe Paul was burned out from the nonstop, frantic pace of the decade, I don’t know, but the following two albums weren’t nearly as good as the preceding albums by most accounts. In 1978, London Town was released. It didn’t do as well. Only Paul, Linda, and the lead guitarist were on the album cover because those were the only people in the band. It actually happens to be one of my favorite albums of all time, because I was a youngish kid when it came out and it was one of the first albums I had and my best friend and I listened to it over and over while building model planes. I love that album, but most critics do not. It’s not considered one of the better Wings albums, but it did hit number four in the UK and number two in the US. There were three singles released from this album, but the only one that really charted high was “With a Little Luck,� one of my all time favorite songs, which hit number five in the UK and number one in the US. Wings� last gasp in the studio came in 1979 with Back to the Egg. It hit number eight in the UK and number three in the US. Its� biggest single was “Getting Closer,� which made it to number 60 in the UK and number 20 in the US. And aside from some more solo work over the years, Paul was done and Wings were definitely done as a group. It was the end of an era. A highly successful era, a great decade of music, one of my favorite groups, as I said. And while the rest of the Beatles went on to do solo work and while John achieved some success, clearly Paul McCartney ended up the most successful Beatle of them all, post-Beatles. The best musician, the one who taught John and George how to play, ended up teaching Linda and helping his studio musicians put out a series of commercially successful albums and successful world tours, something the other Beatles rarely, if ever, achieved.
John sniped at Paul throughout most of their post-Beatles lives and Paul, on occasion, sniped back. Paul never really understood where John’s hostility came from, his utter hatred. Paul tried to make peace a number of times. There were a few times John seemed to accept the olive branch, only to blindside Paul later with public attacks that hurt Paul deeply. Fortunately, some time before John’s premature death, they buried the hatchet and reconnected, so that’s a very good thing and even though the author implies John was the major one to start things between the two, he treats all of the Beatles with reasonable respect and points out Paul’s faults when necessary.
The author stresses certain things that are important to Paul, such as family. He brought his family on the road with him, kids included. This sometimes made his band members uncomfortable, as it limited their abilities to lead the stereotypical 1970s rock and roll lifestyle (i.e., groupies), and it led to tension, but Paul was dedicated to his wife and kids and that’s generally a good thing. He was the only Beatle to have a 100% successful marriage/relationship. That’s impressive. He was also committed to financial honesty, at least in his dealings with the Beatles and in management’s dealings with the band. He figured out quite quickly that the manager the other three had hired had been screwing the band out of millions while paying the band crap, so he sued � and won � and was vindicated in doing so. The only difficulty with his financial honesty was in his dealings with his band because he stuck with his commitment to pay his band members their agreed upon wages, but when they struck it rich with their new number one hits and their world tours, he wouldn’t share the riches and it was truly rather greedy of him, unfortunately. A McCartney wart.
This hardback I read isn’t long, just over 250 pages. However, it’s packed with so much information and trivia, it takes longer to get through than your average 250 page book. Still, it’s informative and exciting and exactly what I’ve been looking for. I know a lot about the Beatles. I know a lot about John during the 1970s. What I didn’t know was what happened to Paul during the 1970s and the story of Wings and I didn’t know a book like this existed. So I’m elated to have discovered it and read it. I learned a ton of new information, some good, some bad, but all fascinating, and it answers a lot of questions I had about these people, that band, and that decade. For anyone who’s a fan of McCartney and Wings, this is a must read for you. Even if you’re just a Beatles fan or a 1970s music buff, this will be a good read for you. Four stars and definitely recommended.
The book begins with the messy breakup of the Beatles, centering around the very public feud between Paul and John, which was part of the impetus for Paul’s decision to legally file to dissolve the Beatles. However, the legal ramifications showed that there were financial problems for the group and led to even more, thus sending Paul into a spiral of depression that led to he and his wife, Linda, to move to a farm in Scotland, out of the spotlight. During this period, he also lost a great deal of his confidence he had had in his abilities as a musician, as well as his own identity. Thankfully, Linda helped him through this crisis. Without her devoted love, who knows what would have happened to Paul?
The McCartney family became hippies and lived the hippy lifestyle, but Paul missed being in a band and missed touring, something he had tried to talk the Beatles into doing again and which they had refused to do. So he decided to start his own band � Wings. I didn’t know this, but there were actually three incarnations of Wings, three different bands over the years, all with Paul and Linda in them. And they were all comprised largely of studio musicians, mostly unknown. In my opinion, it’s frankly amazing Wings achieved the success and prominence they did with such an unassuming group of musicians. They obviously did this only with Paul’s leadership and drive.
However, first Paul put out a couple of solo albums, although one was credited to both he and his wife. They were all largely critical failures. The first Wings group met, practiced, and put out Wild Life in 1971. I don’t actually recall how it initially did, but ultimately it reached number 11 in the UK and number 10 in the US. Indeed, Paul’s first “hit� was a political song called “Give Ireland Back to the Irish,� a song that was banned by the BBC. A 1972 non-hit was actually “Mary Had a Little Lamb, literally, which left both his band and the critics confused. Not Paul’s best decision. In 1973, Red Rose Speedway was released. It ultimately hit number 5 in the UK and number 1 in the US. In late 1973, the band got its first big break with Band on the Run, which immediately hit number 1 in both the UK and the US (the previous two albums achieved high chart status over time, not immediately). Band on the Run turned Wings into instant stars. 1973-4 hits include “Jet,� “Let Me Roll It, � “My Love,� a major song that hit number one in the US, “Helen Wheels,� “Junior’s Farm,� “Band on the Run,� a huge hit that got to number three in the UK and number one in the US, and “Live and Let Die,� a theme song to a new James Bond movie and one that hit number two in the US.
And on it continued. After starting its career playing impromptu college student union tours for something like 50 pounds, Wings were now doing international stadium tours. And Paul could finally gloat over John, who had been taunting Paul publicly for years, basically calling him a giant failure while John, of course, was a musical genius. Not anymore. While John turned out the occasional hit, Paul McCartney and Wings were international stars selling out stadiums with superstar hit albums, something John couldn’t say. Paul could, temporarily, put his demons behind him.
However, there was a problem. Pot. He and Linda loved their pot. They smoked a lot of it. And they got it shipped to whatever country they were visiting on their tours. And in one country, Finland?, they were caught and it made international headlines. Of course, it was hugely embarrassing, but the couple actually embraced the moment and came out in favor of pot use and said they were in favor of legalizing it. Later in his career, Paul would be arrested in Japan for possession and it could have been a very serious situation. You should read the book to find out what happened.
Meanwhile, there were band personnel changes. Paul was a cheapskate and while he raked in millions, he paid his band members practically nothing at all. Finally, these session musicians would get fed up and state that they could make more doing session work back in New York or London, so ³Ù³ó±ð²â’d leave. Paul never really got the hint. It’s a shame. Still, he continued to put out good albums and tour with his new musicians.
In 1975, Venus and Mars was released and would ultimately hit number one in both the UK and US. 1975 hits included “Venus and Mars/Rock Show� and “Listen to What the Man Said, � which would hit number one in the US. In 1976, Wings released two albums: Wings at the Speed of Sound and a live album, Wings over America. Both hit number two in America. They contained “Silly Love Songs,� which hit number two in the UK and number one in the US and “Let ‘Em In,� which hit number two in the UK and number three in the US. In 1977, “Mull of Kintyre� was released, instantly a huge hit in the UK, remaining at number one longer than any other song in British history until that time, I believe. However, in America, it didn’t fare so well, just getting to number 33.
It was at this time that Wings peaked. Already there was a third group of musicians and maybe it was chemistry, maybe Paul was burned out from the nonstop, frantic pace of the decade, I don’t know, but the following two albums weren’t nearly as good as the preceding albums by most accounts. In 1978, London Town was released. It didn’t do as well. Only Paul, Linda, and the lead guitarist were on the album cover because those were the only people in the band. It actually happens to be one of my favorite albums of all time, because I was a youngish kid when it came out and it was one of the first albums I had and my best friend and I listened to it over and over while building model planes. I love that album, but most critics do not. It’s not considered one of the better Wings albums, but it did hit number four in the UK and number two in the US. There were three singles released from this album, but the only one that really charted high was “With a Little Luck,� one of my all time favorite songs, which hit number five in the UK and number one in the US. Wings� last gasp in the studio came in 1979 with Back to the Egg. It hit number eight in the UK and number three in the US. Its� biggest single was “Getting Closer,� which made it to number 60 in the UK and number 20 in the US. And aside from some more solo work over the years, Paul was done and Wings were definitely done as a group. It was the end of an era. A highly successful era, a great decade of music, one of my favorite groups, as I said. And while the rest of the Beatles went on to do solo work and while John achieved some success, clearly Paul McCartney ended up the most successful Beatle of them all, post-Beatles. The best musician, the one who taught John and George how to play, ended up teaching Linda and helping his studio musicians put out a series of commercially successful albums and successful world tours, something the other Beatles rarely, if ever, achieved.
John sniped at Paul throughout most of their post-Beatles lives and Paul, on occasion, sniped back. Paul never really understood where John’s hostility came from, his utter hatred. Paul tried to make peace a number of times. There were a few times John seemed to accept the olive branch, only to blindside Paul later with public attacks that hurt Paul deeply. Fortunately, some time before John’s premature death, they buried the hatchet and reconnected, so that’s a very good thing and even though the author implies John was the major one to start things between the two, he treats all of the Beatles with reasonable respect and points out Paul’s faults when necessary.
The author stresses certain things that are important to Paul, such as family. He brought his family on the road with him, kids included. This sometimes made his band members uncomfortable, as it limited their abilities to lead the stereotypical 1970s rock and roll lifestyle (i.e., groupies), and it led to tension, but Paul was dedicated to his wife and kids and that’s generally a good thing. He was the only Beatle to have a 100% successful marriage/relationship. That’s impressive. He was also committed to financial honesty, at least in his dealings with the Beatles and in management’s dealings with the band. He figured out quite quickly that the manager the other three had hired had been screwing the band out of millions while paying the band crap, so he sued � and won � and was vindicated in doing so. The only difficulty with his financial honesty was in his dealings with his band because he stuck with his commitment to pay his band members their agreed upon wages, but when they struck it rich with their new number one hits and their world tours, he wouldn’t share the riches and it was truly rather greedy of him, unfortunately. A McCartney wart.
This hardback I read isn’t long, just over 250 pages. However, it’s packed with so much information and trivia, it takes longer to get through than your average 250 page book. Still, it’s informative and exciting and exactly what I’ve been looking for. I know a lot about the Beatles. I know a lot about John during the 1970s. What I didn’t know was what happened to Paul during the 1970s and the story of Wings and I didn’t know a book like this existed. So I’m elated to have discovered it and read it. I learned a ton of new information, some good, some bad, but all fascinating, and it answers a lot of questions I had about these people, that band, and that decade. For anyone who’s a fan of McCartney and Wings, this is a must read for you. Even if you’re just a Beatles fan or a 1970s music buff, this will be a good read for you. Four stars and definitely recommended.
March 19, 2020
This book was a fascinating one in that it discusses a key decade in the life and career of Paul McCartney.Ìý If the author is not quite as sympathetic to Paul as he wants to present himself as, he is still someone who was given a relatively close look at a famously reserved man and wrote a book that manages to balance several different perspectives while never letting the reader lose sight of the fact that he is still a journo.Ìý For better or worse, journos gotta journo, and this book is clear evidence of that.Ìý Could this book have been better had it been written by someone with a personal stake in writing both kindly and honestly about McCartney and Wings?Ìý Possibly, but as Macca himself is not a very emotionally open person, the best that can be done is for someone else to do the task and the book is not entirely unpleasant even if it is somewhat troublingly gossipy about McCartney's personal life and the drama of Wings and its revolving door lineup which never really gelled together despite the best hopes of the core three members of the band.
This book is a bit more than 200 pages long and it is divided into 15 chapters.Ìý The author begins with an introduction that seeks to show himself as being simultaneously close to McCartney while making it plain that McCartney is not a man who appreciates opening up to anyone.Ìý After that the author talks about McCartney's depression in the aftermath of the Beatles' breakup (1) and his move to America and efforts to get himself away from the management of Klein (2).Ìý This is followed by a discussion of his early solo efforts and the genesis of Wings (3), his efforts to get a band together and record some (4) and their first painful tours as a new act (5).Ìý After this comes a discussion of the Band on the Run sessions in Lagos (6), Paul McCartney's experience in Los Angeles (7), and the need to put the band back together again (8) and go on tour to support more music (9).Ìý The author discusses the successful Wings Over America tour (10), the personal difficulties and band drama that continued to dog the band (11), the struggles with Back to the Egg (12), and Paul's time in prison in Japan for his folly in bringing massive amounts of marijuana to the country (13).Ìý Finally, the book ends with Paul McCartney getting a wake-up call to change his life (14) and the final breakup of wings (15) as well as an epilogue, acknowledgements, selected discography and gigography, as well as a bibliography and index.
In reading this book, one gets the feeling that McCartney still had a lot of growing up to do after the end of the Beatles.Ìý He still needed to sow some wild oats and smoke some weed and make a lot of music and be a part of a band while also trying to remain in charge of how that band operated.Ìý There is a lot of self-sabotage here, and that is made all the more difficult because when he wasn't being mugged or involved in lawsuits or engaging in sniping with his former bandmates he was going on tour with now very well-paid musicians who resented his artistic control and running into trouble with the law because of his open and frequent drug and alcohol abuse even as he struggled with the drug and alcohol use of his bandmates.Ìý On top of that, McCartney had to deal with the loss of his father.Ìý One gets a sense that after his arrest in Japan and the resulting breakup of Wings that something changed about McCartney and he was no longer so young and carefree and no longer needed to tour so much and prove himself as he entered the third decade of his career as a professional musician.Ìý To be sure, a book about the McCartney of the 1980's would be far less exciting and action-packed than this book was.
This book is a bit more than 200 pages long and it is divided into 15 chapters.Ìý The author begins with an introduction that seeks to show himself as being simultaneously close to McCartney while making it plain that McCartney is not a man who appreciates opening up to anyone.Ìý After that the author talks about McCartney's depression in the aftermath of the Beatles' breakup (1) and his move to America and efforts to get himself away from the management of Klein (2).Ìý This is followed by a discussion of his early solo efforts and the genesis of Wings (3), his efforts to get a band together and record some (4) and their first painful tours as a new act (5).Ìý After this comes a discussion of the Band on the Run sessions in Lagos (6), Paul McCartney's experience in Los Angeles (7), and the need to put the band back together again (8) and go on tour to support more music (9).Ìý The author discusses the successful Wings Over America tour (10), the personal difficulties and band drama that continued to dog the band (11), the struggles with Back to the Egg (12), and Paul's time in prison in Japan for his folly in bringing massive amounts of marijuana to the country (13).Ìý Finally, the book ends with Paul McCartney getting a wake-up call to change his life (14) and the final breakup of wings (15) as well as an epilogue, acknowledgements, selected discography and gigography, as well as a bibliography and index.
In reading this book, one gets the feeling that McCartney still had a lot of growing up to do after the end of the Beatles.Ìý He still needed to sow some wild oats and smoke some weed and make a lot of music and be a part of a band while also trying to remain in charge of how that band operated.Ìý There is a lot of self-sabotage here, and that is made all the more difficult because when he wasn't being mugged or involved in lawsuits or engaging in sniping with his former bandmates he was going on tour with now very well-paid musicians who resented his artistic control and running into trouble with the law because of his open and frequent drug and alcohol abuse even as he struggled with the drug and alcohol use of his bandmates.Ìý On top of that, McCartney had to deal with the loss of his father.Ìý One gets a sense that after his arrest in Japan and the resulting breakup of Wings that something changed about McCartney and he was no longer so young and carefree and no longer needed to tour so much and prove himself as he entered the third decade of his career as a professional musician.Ìý To be sure, a book about the McCartney of the 1980's would be far less exciting and action-packed than this book was.
November 1, 2017
By now, every word imaginable has been written of, by and for the Fabs. Tom Doyle, though, puts those words in a fascinating and engaging order. Whether you are a Beatlemaniac or not, a John-guy not a Paul-guy ... this book will help to provide interesting context to the pretty remarkable feat McCartney undertook of shaping a ragtag group of not-all-of-them professional musicians on a stage at a small polytechnic into the biggest band in the world (again).
March 2, 2024
I love this book and I love Paul
I only deducted one star because Tom Doyle insists on using the phrase “_______-cum-______� and inexplicable amount of times in this book. “Record release-cum-party, mother-cum-wife�
I only deducted one star because Tom Doyle insists on using the phrase “_______-cum-______� and inexplicable amount of times in this book. “Record release-cum-party, mother-cum-wife�
January 21, 2025
A somewhat glossy overview of McCartney's work in the 70s.
May 5, 2014
As a culture we tend to focus on the high points of achievement, the deeds that make a person’s reputation. We rarely reflect enough on what comes next, the fallout from those events, how people cope with the consequences. We get ‘where are they now� articles 20-30 years later and express astonishment about what’s happened since. But if you’re interested in the people at the heart of events, rather than the abstraction of the events themselves, what happens next is always more fascinating. Because you tend to learn more about people by how they cope in the aftermath of crisis points than you do about how they react in the moment.
There are few bands as well documented as The Beatles � band biographies tend to the ludicrously comprehensive (the official biography by Hunter Davies clocks in at a mere 500 pages and the first volume of Mark Lewisohn’s All These Years comes in at a lean 900 pages or in a 1700 page extended version). Beatles books are clearly the prog rock of band biographies. It’s such well-covered territory that major revelations are unlikely, even the diligent biographer being limited to shading in unknown and/or peripheral details. How much is there left to say about such scrutinised events fifty years on, with so many of the participants now dead too? What’s left to learn?
The answer to that question comes in the post-Fab decades. Lennon’s time is almost as well documented as his time in the Beatles � his emigration to New York, confessional albums, bile spewing interviews with Rolling Stone, the Lost Weekend� his assassination in December 1980 means books could be closed and his life assessed. McCartney made that harder by always carrying on. Man On The Run is the story of Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles decade. It begins in the acrimony and bile of the last days of the Beatles, McCartney becoming increasingly isolated from his bandmates over business matters, and it ends with his extended reaction to Lennon’s assassination. It takes in his early solo efforts, his time in Wings and ends with him solo once more, this time permanently. It takes in their retreat to the country, the post-Beatles relations of the Fabs and doesn’t shy away from the recreational use of drugs, including his infamous drugs bust in Japan. It’s a breezily chronological approach, the story shaped by time and events rather than dramatic licence.
Where it scores above normal rock chronologies is in the input it has � as the fore and afterwords make clear, Doyle has built up a rapport with McCartney and the interviews with him provide crucial inside perspective on his motivations. There’s also a wealth of key personnel interviewed to provide alternate views, so hagiography is neatly sidestepped. What emerges is the human being at the heart of events, we don’t get the parodic wacky thumbs-aloft McCartney persona. The revelation is how much of McCartney’s career is shaped on the fly, on spur of the moment actions. What might be widely read as calculating moves are just something he fancied doing. Consciously or subconsciously, it’s clear the decade was essentially spent casting around for a post-Beatles direction.
The other thing that comes across is McCartney’s musical tendency that marks him out from fellow musicians. His instinctive populism and openness to all musical forms provides the creative tension in his two major bands, neatly balancing Lennon’s acid tongue and later experimental leanings and playing against the professional musicians who passed through the various incarnations of Wings. It’s difficult to think of another musician who’d move from the acme of cool that was the Beatles to releasing a version of Mary Had A Little Lamb, a Bond theme and (eventually) The Frog Chorus whilst also being open to modern musical trends (the synth of McCartney II, even the penning of a punk parody). That family entertainer streak might keep him from ever being regarded as cool as Lennon, but does mean he’s been able to sustain his popularity over the decades. Cool’s a temporary glory, a common touch means sustainable success.
A welcome retelling of a great rock story that’s always been lost in the shadows of the achievements of his previous decade.
There are few bands as well documented as The Beatles � band biographies tend to the ludicrously comprehensive (the official biography by Hunter Davies clocks in at a mere 500 pages and the first volume of Mark Lewisohn’s All These Years comes in at a lean 900 pages or in a 1700 page extended version). Beatles books are clearly the prog rock of band biographies. It’s such well-covered territory that major revelations are unlikely, even the diligent biographer being limited to shading in unknown and/or peripheral details. How much is there left to say about such scrutinised events fifty years on, with so many of the participants now dead too? What’s left to learn?
The answer to that question comes in the post-Fab decades. Lennon’s time is almost as well documented as his time in the Beatles � his emigration to New York, confessional albums, bile spewing interviews with Rolling Stone, the Lost Weekend� his assassination in December 1980 means books could be closed and his life assessed. McCartney made that harder by always carrying on. Man On The Run is the story of Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles decade. It begins in the acrimony and bile of the last days of the Beatles, McCartney becoming increasingly isolated from his bandmates over business matters, and it ends with his extended reaction to Lennon’s assassination. It takes in his early solo efforts, his time in Wings and ends with him solo once more, this time permanently. It takes in their retreat to the country, the post-Beatles relations of the Fabs and doesn’t shy away from the recreational use of drugs, including his infamous drugs bust in Japan. It’s a breezily chronological approach, the story shaped by time and events rather than dramatic licence.
Where it scores above normal rock chronologies is in the input it has � as the fore and afterwords make clear, Doyle has built up a rapport with McCartney and the interviews with him provide crucial inside perspective on his motivations. There’s also a wealth of key personnel interviewed to provide alternate views, so hagiography is neatly sidestepped. What emerges is the human being at the heart of events, we don’t get the parodic wacky thumbs-aloft McCartney persona. The revelation is how much of McCartney’s career is shaped on the fly, on spur of the moment actions. What might be widely read as calculating moves are just something he fancied doing. Consciously or subconsciously, it’s clear the decade was essentially spent casting around for a post-Beatles direction.
The other thing that comes across is McCartney’s musical tendency that marks him out from fellow musicians. His instinctive populism and openness to all musical forms provides the creative tension in his two major bands, neatly balancing Lennon’s acid tongue and later experimental leanings and playing against the professional musicians who passed through the various incarnations of Wings. It’s difficult to think of another musician who’d move from the acme of cool that was the Beatles to releasing a version of Mary Had A Little Lamb, a Bond theme and (eventually) The Frog Chorus whilst also being open to modern musical trends (the synth of McCartney II, even the penning of a punk parody). That family entertainer streak might keep him from ever being regarded as cool as Lennon, but does mean he’s been able to sustain his popularity over the decades. Cool’s a temporary glory, a common touch means sustainable success.
A welcome retelling of a great rock story that’s always been lost in the shadows of the achievements of his previous decade.
September 25, 2014
Ever since the demise of The Beatles in 1970 much of the blame unfairly fell on Paul McCartney. Many critics championed John Lennon as the sole creative force behind the band. Tom Doyle's new book, Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s is a sympathetic account of McCartney's struggle to win respect and regain his identity as a solo artist.
Doyle's portrait of McCartney is that of a level headed person in manic pursuit of new creative challenges. After the Beatles broke up he nearly suffered a nervous breakdown and rarely left his farm in Scotland, "For the first time in his life, he felt utterly worthless . . . He was 27 and suddenly of no use to anyone anymore" (3). Days and nights were spent drinking to relieve his depression. Eventually he snapped out of it and returned to songwriting, starting his own band Wings.
Ian MacDonald's epic history of The Beatles Revolution in the Head concluded all the ex-Beatles failed as solo artists. That's a harsh conclusion and one in need of reevaluation. McCartney released nine albums of varying quality in the 1970s, with many hit singles in between (far more than his old bandmates). After a string of mediocre albums, which critics joyously ripped apart, Band on the Run (1973) proved a critical and commercial breakthrough.
Doyle's colorful account of the Band on the Run sessions, an album produced in Lagos, Niger, are a high point in the book. Paul, Linda, their children spent seven weeks in a war torn region of Africa making the album. One day Paul and Linda ventured out and were robbed at knife point. They also lost their demo tapes and had to rewrite the songs from memory. One day in the studio, Paul had a panic attack and had to be rushed to a hospital (possibly brought on by excessive marijuana use). Also, local musicians resented Westerners making music in their country. Ever the diplomat, Paul diffused the situation by inviting them to the studio and convincing them he had no intention to rip them off.
Band on the Run produced the hit singles "Band on the Run," "Jet", "Helen Wheels", and "Bluebird" which all became staples of FM radio. Now over forty years old, the album manages to recapture the spirit of a Beatles record.
Paul found stability in his marriage to photographer Linda Eastman and their five children. In 1976, Wings embarked on a triumphant arena tour of America, performing before 67,000 at the Seattle Kingdome. The tour produced a massive live album, Wings Over America.
As the decade came to a close, the momentum of Wings screeched to a halt. Their 1978 LP London Town, a collection of soft rock tunes recorded on a yacht, made them sound completely out of touch. Punk and New Wave were reinventing popular music. Nevertheless, they scored yet another hit with the folkie, "Mull of Kintyre."
A major portion of the biography covers the parallel course of John Lennon. That's the sad part of the story. Doyle believes the two of them never achieved a reconciliation following their bitter break up. On Lennon's Imagine album he chided McCartney on "How do you Sleep" with digs like "a pretty face may last a year or two/pretty soon they'll see what you can do." In interviews, Lennon was less than kind to his old partner.
In 1974, John and Paul hung out in L.A. and played together in a drunken jam session and did consider working together again. In 1976, Saturday Night Live offered The Beatles $500 to perform live on the show. Coincidentally, Paul was visiting John and Yoko that night and they briefly considered taking up the offer (a night fictionalized in the TV movie Two of Us). Alas, Lennon-McCartney, never wrote another song, much to Paul's regret.
The death of Lennon left him devastated. A flood of death threats forced McCartney and his family to avoid public appearances for a time. In 1981 Wings disbanded, and Paul released the inventive solo record McCartney II. In 1982 he wrote his own tribute to Lennon, "Here Today."
Man on the Run fills a much needed gap in the ever increasing catalog of Beatles literature. After finishing, you may want to dust off those old Wings records and give them another chance.
Doyle's portrait of McCartney is that of a level headed person in manic pursuit of new creative challenges. After the Beatles broke up he nearly suffered a nervous breakdown and rarely left his farm in Scotland, "For the first time in his life, he felt utterly worthless . . . He was 27 and suddenly of no use to anyone anymore" (3). Days and nights were spent drinking to relieve his depression. Eventually he snapped out of it and returned to songwriting, starting his own band Wings.
Ian MacDonald's epic history of The Beatles Revolution in the Head concluded all the ex-Beatles failed as solo artists. That's a harsh conclusion and one in need of reevaluation. McCartney released nine albums of varying quality in the 1970s, with many hit singles in between (far more than his old bandmates). After a string of mediocre albums, which critics joyously ripped apart, Band on the Run (1973) proved a critical and commercial breakthrough.
Doyle's colorful account of the Band on the Run sessions, an album produced in Lagos, Niger, are a high point in the book. Paul, Linda, their children spent seven weeks in a war torn region of Africa making the album. One day Paul and Linda ventured out and were robbed at knife point. They also lost their demo tapes and had to rewrite the songs from memory. One day in the studio, Paul had a panic attack and had to be rushed to a hospital (possibly brought on by excessive marijuana use). Also, local musicians resented Westerners making music in their country. Ever the diplomat, Paul diffused the situation by inviting them to the studio and convincing them he had no intention to rip them off.
Band on the Run produced the hit singles "Band on the Run," "Jet", "Helen Wheels", and "Bluebird" which all became staples of FM radio. Now over forty years old, the album manages to recapture the spirit of a Beatles record.
Paul found stability in his marriage to photographer Linda Eastman and their five children. In 1976, Wings embarked on a triumphant arena tour of America, performing before 67,000 at the Seattle Kingdome. The tour produced a massive live album, Wings Over America.
As the decade came to a close, the momentum of Wings screeched to a halt. Their 1978 LP London Town, a collection of soft rock tunes recorded on a yacht, made them sound completely out of touch. Punk and New Wave were reinventing popular music. Nevertheless, they scored yet another hit with the folkie, "Mull of Kintyre."
A major portion of the biography covers the parallel course of John Lennon. That's the sad part of the story. Doyle believes the two of them never achieved a reconciliation following their bitter break up. On Lennon's Imagine album he chided McCartney on "How do you Sleep" with digs like "a pretty face may last a year or two/pretty soon they'll see what you can do." In interviews, Lennon was less than kind to his old partner.
In 1974, John and Paul hung out in L.A. and played together in a drunken jam session and did consider working together again. In 1976, Saturday Night Live offered The Beatles $500 to perform live on the show. Coincidentally, Paul was visiting John and Yoko that night and they briefly considered taking up the offer (a night fictionalized in the TV movie Two of Us). Alas, Lennon-McCartney, never wrote another song, much to Paul's regret.
The death of Lennon left him devastated. A flood of death threats forced McCartney and his family to avoid public appearances for a time. In 1981 Wings disbanded, and Paul released the inventive solo record McCartney II. In 1982 he wrote his own tribute to Lennon, "Here Today."
Man on the Run fills a much needed gap in the ever increasing catalog of Beatles literature. After finishing, you may want to dust off those old Wings records and give them another chance.
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