First unofficial Wings Fan Club newsletter published

PAUL McCARTNEY AND WINGS FAN CLUB

177 Mount Pleasant, Kingswinford, Staffs.

Dear friends,
Well hope you all had a merry Christmas and are now all tuned in for a good 73. The Macs spent a good Christmas at home with Paul’s family — generally having fun and forgetting business.

The first thing I must say this letter is a really big thank you to all of you who sent me Christmas cards. You really can’t know how much each single one meant to me – the first ones I received I was really so amazed and surprised by, – oh thank you so much, and it’s so nice to know you do feel are writing to a person and not a ‘thing’ ; to me the personaI bit means a lot, so hope we can keep it together, – and thank you to all of you who wrote complimentary and encouraging letters, — thanking me for all the time and effort I was putting in, – sure I do put a lot in, but when it’s for Wings, and when I get letters like that, it makes it so worth it. Let’s hope this letter is slightly more a success than the last. My apologies to those of you who did not receive full newsletters, or who found their copy very difficult to read. I tried to get them done cheaply but doesn’t look as tho’ it paid off. I am sorry I have got this letter out later than I had hoped, but I’ve been waiting until I could give you some definite details of the tour, — unfortunately it has now been postponed, and none of the March and April dates will now be played. It is possible that the gigs will now be played in May, but at present there are no further details. They’re gonna be worth seeing tho’ despite any length of waiting. Oooh and remember to wear your Wings badge when you go to the gig, then we can pick each other out! If you haven’t got yours yet there are still some left at 15p, including P+P. Blue with gold print, WINGS printed around the rim, and a bird symbolising Wings. Please remember — only one membership badge per member. I have also got a new order of pens. Sorry I could not send all of you the colours you wanted but these are the colours now available: dark green, yellow, orange, lilac, pink and black. Price 5p each plus 2 1/2p p+p for any number.

Because of numerous people writing and enquiring about T-shirts I am now getting some made up, – because at present any you might have seen are not on sale to the public, they are either ones made up especially for Wings; or given to the press for promotion purposes. They will be printed with a bird and Wings, (similar to the membership badge), and price is $1.25 plus 5p postage and packing. (For U.S. members, 3 dollars including postage and packing) . I am sorry if this seems a lot, but they are quite expensive to do when only a comparatively few are being made, – in fact they will cost just under a pound to be made, and I cannot guarantee to sell them all, so must add a little on. Anyway sizes are large chiIds, small, medium and large adults. They are printed in black on any of the following colours: white, red, purple, gold, sky, green, yellow, lilac and turquoise. I will do my best to send you exactly what you ask for, but please send second and third choice colours, just in case. I hope I will be able to send the size you ask for, but if by chance there are none left in your size please say whether you would do with a size smaller or bigger (state which) or whether you’d rather have your money back. Please be patient in receiving your T-shirt as I anticipate them taking a rather long time to come thru’ , – you can have as many as you want – $2.25 for 2, $3.25 for 3, etc.

Wings finished recording for the new album in early December, – there were enough tracks to easily make it a triple, but it’s now been cut down and mixing is finished, and will be a double. – Something to look forward to. It’s now planned release in Feb., but will probabIy end up as a March release. The album was recorded in a variety of studios, – mainly Abbey Road, but also Air London, while mixing at Air London studios. Richard Perry (producer) came in and told them Carly Simon was recording along the corridor and why not sing on a track ‘Night Owl’. Doris Troy and Bonnie Bramlet are also backing on this track, so it’s difficult to pick out Linda’s voice, but Paul can be heard especially on stereo head phones, he’s back there belting it out — beautiful, esp. on a few words ‘shining su-un’ and ‘Night Owl Honey’, – so if you were contemplating buying the album that’s another reason why you might.

Wings have now recorded the title track for ‘Live and Let Die’. They’re really very pleased with it, but we unfortunately won’t hear it for a while yet. I have heard that yet another magazine has said the Fun Club has already begun, but because the band have been so busy sorting out the tour and the album the Fun Club has been delayed a little, but I will let you know when anything else is settled.

The unfortunate and inane banning of Hi-Hi-Hi by the BBC meant the single didn’t climb quite so Hi into the charts as it most definitely would have done with sufficient air plays of both sides – of course C Moon was played, but it isn’t as instantly appealing as the good rock sound of Hi Hi Hi, since C Moon reached No.5 it’s certain it would have been No. 1 but the No. 1 slot just doesn’t seem to mean anything anymore, and with records that are currently reaching it, it seems almost an insult to be in the position now. – Incidentally, the recorded version of Hi Hi Hi is quite different from the one they played on tour. Take this: Paul was trying to sound like Slade ???!!! when he recorded Hi Hi Hi, he had tapes of Slade playing previous to the recording! – But look at it like this: Who are Slade’s biggest influence? so who are they trying to sound like? Think Paul is getting back to his roots – which you will no doubt notice on hearing the new album. After quitting the Beatles he seemed rather afraid to produce any music which slightly resembled the Beatles sound – even tho’ it may have been his sound, the sound he felt inclined to make. People were so ready to compare him to his work with the Beatles and to say it sounded like he was still trying to make a Beatles sound. Now he feels more secure with Wings and is just doing what he feels, he wants, – which not surprisingly has many similarities to what he has done previously. In recent interviews Paul (and John) have both said there’s no reason why all four of them shouldn’t get together for a blast sometime – and they may even session on each other’s albums. […]

Guess you all know by now the meaning of ‘C Moon’, – Paul’s interpretation: ‘Sam the Sham in one of his songs used the expression ‘L seven’… which is L, and a 7 – means square. So I – in one of my brighter moments – with my mathematical brain – thought C and a moon is like the opposite. So I just took that means cool. So then the whole song is like, she’s cool’. (C and a moon make a circle).

Wings are to stay in an hour long TV show on ATV. The musical production has already been sold to American networks, and we can expect to see it in the autumn. (Whoopee!!) Paul and Linda are also writing the theme music for Zoo Gang (Paul Gallico book, about four wartime Resistance fighters), this will also be shown on ATV in the autumn. […]

In Melody Maker quite a while back came this description of Wings instrumentation:

Paul: Rickenbacker bass guitar, Epiphone guitar, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Acoustic 360-watt bass amplifier, Marshall 100-watt stack.
Linda: RMI electric piano, Fender Twin Reverb amplifier.
Henry: Gibson 335 guitar, Fender 100-watt amplifier.
Denny L: Fender Jazz Bass, Fender Stractocaster, Sun 120 watt amplifier.
Denny S: Gretsch drum kit.
PA is 8000 watt Mavis JBL with Crown amplifiers, JBL speakers and horns and 15 assorted microphones. Everything is mixed through the PA. […]

Vincent Romeo has become Wings personal manager and moved from New York to London for the job. Hopefully he will be able to help the […] which Paul is now incutting because of his drugs bust, – stopping Wings from touring the US at present. There is a court hearing over Paul’s illegal pot(ted) plants on March 24th – Best o’ luck Paul. […]

Smile Away sweetly now, – cos baybe maybe Wings are on top.

CLAIRE.