Rumors about Wings splitting

“In the last two months Wings put in six weeks of rehearsals and recordings in Nashville. During this time there were various discussions, the outcome of which had become a more stable band and a more equal position all round. In one sense the band has more strength – in another more fluidity, since it was agreed that McCartney can bring in any other artists he chooses without causing any bruised egos among the resident musicians. Otherwise relations couldn’t be better.

Also it seems a turnabout from the early days of Wings, and perhaps even a turnabout in McCartney band-running philosophy. Previously Wings have always been notable for a certain casual, free-wheeling attitude initiated right back on their first tour of Europe – undertaken aboard a double decker bus. Now Laine says he’d like to see Wings move towards the tour-album-tour-album ritual undertaken by the more average, run of the mill bands. It appears some of the earlier light-heartedness has been exchanged for what one might hesitantly call professionalism.”

Denny Laine – From New Musical Express, August 17, 1974

“We went to Nashville with the idea that we’d get this group together and we’d all sign contracts and be Wings, as a business thing. All going out under the same roof… but then it all seemed as if it was being a bit rushed. I thought, ‘hang on – let’s make sure that this is the right group’. Then I started thinking about contracts, and I decided that I could be in any group without signing contracts – I never did it with the Moody Blues, never a piece of paper to say I’d stay with them for so many years, so why should it be that way with Wings? I think if you don’t like what’s going on, you should just be able to leave — pick up your money, clock out, and that’s it, just like anybody else is able to do in their job.

“It just didn’t seem necessary to me, and the minute I said this to Paul he said ‘great, that’s the way I want it too’, and then I realised that we were only going through this thing with contracts because we’d all been advised to do it. It wasn’t what we wanted. Mind you, I’d always known that to a point, but I feel l had to say it then because I could see myself suddenly having to become a worker in Paul’s group, and I just thought no — no way. And I wasn’t the only one saying it, believe me.

“Contracts tend to make you lazy, I think. Anyway — we sorted that out.”

Denny Laine – From Sounds, August 31, 1974

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