Wings

The Profile

Wings were a British rock/pop band formed by Paul McCartney after the Beatles, featuring Linda McCartney and longtime collaborator Denny Laine among a frequently changing lineup. The group released a run of major 1970s albums and toured extensively, including arena-scale shows documented on live releases and films.

Publicly verifiable: Wings were formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney and Denny Seiwell; Denny Laine joined early and became a core member. The band’s active period is commonly given as 1971–1981.

Across these reviews, Wings come off as far more than a Paul McCartney side project: a touring machine with shifting lineups and big ambitions. Highlights repeatedly mentioned include Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, Wings Over America, and late-era Back to the Egg. There’s also fascination with unreleased/bootleg material (Rupert the Bear, One Hand Clapping) and with singles that got censored or sidelined. Critiques tend to target uneven albums/compilations and label decisions, rather than the band’s musicianship.