Wings – Wings At The Speed Of Sound

Wings – Wings At The Speed Of Sound

Wings At The Speed Of Sound is the fifth studio album from Wings, released in March 1976 and produced by Paul McCartney. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, it followed the hugely successful Venus And Mars and was made while the band were developing into a particularly tight live unit after months on the road. The result is one of the defining albums of Wings' mid-1970s period, combining melodic pop-rock, classic rock, soft rock and McCartney's unmistakable songwriting.

The album opens with the instantly recognisable "Let 'Em In", a warm, gently orchestrated pop song built around its distinctive rhythmic opening and memorable chorus. It was released as a single later in 1976 and became another enduring Wings favourite. Alongside it, "Beware My Love" provides a much harder-edged rock performance, while "San Ferry Anne" and "Warm And Beautiful" showcase McCartney's softer, more melodic side.

The album's other major highlight is "Silly Love Songs", one of Wings' biggest commercial successes. Written partly as a response to critics who dismissed McCartney's more sentimental songwriting, the song became a huge international hit and spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its sophisticated bass line, layered vocals and polished production give the track a surprisingly substantial groove beneath its deliberately simple title.

One of the album's distinguishing features is that every member of Wings contributes a lead vocal. Denny Laine sings "The Note You Never Wrote" and "Time To Hide", Jimmy McCulloch takes lead on "Wino Junko", Linda McCartney sings "Cook Of The House", and Joe English takes the vocal on "Must Do Something About It". This gives the album a genuine band feel rather than presenting it simply as another Paul McCartney solo project.

The core Wings line-up here features Paul and Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English, with additional horn players contributing to the arrangements. McCulloch and Colin Allen co-wrote "Wino Junko", while Denny Laine wrote "Time To Hide". The album therefore captures Wings at a particularly collaborative point in their career, shortly before the enormous Wings Over America tour and live album later that year.

Commercially, Wings At The Speed Of Sound was another major success for McCartney's post-Beatles band. It reached No. 2 in the UK and topped the US album chart, where it spent seven consecutive weeks at No. 1. With "Let 'Em In", "Silly Love Songs", "Beware My Love", "San Ferry Anne" and "Warm And Beautiful", the album remains an essential piece of the Wings catalogue and an attractive addition to any collection of 1970s rock and classic pop vinyl.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Let 'Em In
2. The Note You Never Wrote
3. She's My Baby
4. Beware My Love
5. Wino Junko

Side B

1. Silly Love Songs
2. Cook Of The House
3. Time To Hide
4. Must Do Something About It
5. San Ferry Anne
6. Warm And Beautiful