Paul McCartney & Wings, Band On The Run (1973)

I still have my folks’ copy of this album – I’ve had CD reissues but the original LP still sounds fine to me. And it’s got Helen Wheels (which the CD version didn’t have). Helen Wheels might not be the greatest song but it was my introduction to the album. My mum liked the floor-tom part in it – she suggested it would be a good song to learn when I was first learning to play the drums. I had a go at everything on side one – working through Band On The Run and Jet – and my favourite was Mrs Vanderbilt. I never made it to side two. So never tried Helen Wheels – but that was the first song I heard from the album. And a reason to investigate. This and Abbey Road are probably the albums I’ve listened to the most (well, certainly the albums that I’ve listened to side one of the most). Same deal with Abbey Road. For playing along with. This and Abbey Road were my tutors. Good, simple stuff. I once auditioned for a covers band and they were playing a medley of Jet and Band On The Run. Those songs were so ingrained I think that’s why I got the gig. We played them a couple of times – at parties. And then I quit the band. One of the members of the band rang me up and abused the shit out of me for quitting, for letting them down. I remember it well; I was listening to Band On The Run when he rang. No, really. I was.

Sample Track: Let Me Roll It

The Vinyl Countdown is a document of every LP I listen to, brand new discoveries and old-old favourites; extremely pre-loved, previously abandoned or with the shrink-wrap having just been removed it’s all here at The Vinyl Countdown