- Album This song officially appears on the Venus and Mars Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Recording "Magneto And Titanium Man"
Feb 14, 1975
Recording "Magneto And Titanium Man"
Feb 17, 1975
Mixing "Magneto And Titanium Man", "Letting Go"
Mar 15, 1975 ?
Spread the love! If you like what you are seeing, share it on social networks and let others know about The Paul McCartney Project.
Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Magneto and Titanium Man” is the B-side song to Wings’ single, “Venus and Mars/Rock Show” in 1975.
The song is in narrative form, and includes the Marvel Comics characters Magneto, Titanium Man, and the Crimson Dynamo in its story. When asked his opinion of the song decades after its release, Stan Lee (who co-created all three characters) said he thought it was “terrific”.
The song was included in the setlist for the band’s 1975/1976 world tours. While it was performed, comic art of the characters created by Jack Kirby were projected onto the large screen behind the band. McCartney, a Marvel Comics fan and comic book fan in general, contacted Marvel Comics to hire Kirby for the backdrop art. On the L.A. leg of the tour, McCartney gave Kirby front row seats and back stage passes (his daughter was a big Wings and Beatles fan), and Kirby backstage gave Paul and Linda an original comic drawing he did of them.
The song can be heard coming from a radio, creating an argument during a scene in the 1976 Mike Leigh play Nuts in May.
Last updated on December 14, 2020
The book "The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present", published in 2021, covers Paul McCartney's early Liverpool days, the Beatles, Wings, and solo careers, by pairing the lyrics of 154 of his songs with first-person commentaries of the circumstances in which they were written, the people and places that inspired them, and what he thinks of them now.
"Magneto And Titanium Man" is one of the 154 songs covered.
Lyrics
Well I was talking last night
Magneto and Titanium Man…
We were talking about you, babe
Oo–They said–
You was involved in a robbery
That was due to happen
At a quarter to three
In the main street.
I didn't believe them
Magneto and Titanium Man…
But when the Crimson Dynamo
Finally assured me, well, I knew
You was involved in a robbery
That was due to happen
At a quarter to three
In the main street
So we went out
Magneto and Titanium Man…
And the Crimson Dynamo
Came along for the ride
We went to town with the library
and we swung all over that
long tall bank in the main street.
Well there she were and to my despair
She's a five-star criminal
Breaking the code
Magneto said “Now the time has come”
“To gather our forces and RUN!!!”
Oh no…..
This can't be so…..
And then it occurred to me!
You couldn't be bad...
Magneto was mad!
Titanium too!
And the Crimson Dynamo
Just couldn't cut it no more
YOU WERE THE LAW…
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1975
3:21 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Electric guitar, Moog, Piano, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Clarinet
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Drums
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Session Recording:
- Jan 27, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 14, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 17, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 15, 1975 ?
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Venus And Mars / Rock Show / Magneto And Titanium Man
7" Single • Released in 1975
3:21 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Electric guitar, Moog, Piano, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Clarinet
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Drums
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Session Recording:
- Jan 27, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 14, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 17, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 15, 1975 ?
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Official live • Released in 1976
3:21 • Live • L1
- Paul McCartney :
- Keyboard, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Keyboard, Vocals
- Denny Laine :
- Bass, Vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar, Vocals
- Joe English :
- Drums, Vocals
- Mark Vigars :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer, Overdubs recording
- Jack Maxson :
- Recording engineer
- Tom Walsh :
- Assistant recording engineer
Concert From the concert in Boston, USA on May 22, 1976
Official album • Released in 1993
3:21 • Studio version • A1993 • 1993 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Electric guitar, Moog, Piano, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Clarinet
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Drums
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Jan 27, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 14, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 17, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 15, 1975 ?
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Wings Over America - Archive Collection
Official live • Released in 2013
3:22 • Live • L1.2013 • 2013 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Keyboard, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Keyboard, Vocals
- Denny Laine :
- Bass, Vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar, Vocals
- Joe English :
- Drums, Vocals
- Mark Vigars :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer, Overdubs recording
- Jack Maxson :
- Recording engineer
- Tom Walsh :
- Assistant recording engineer
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Steve Rooke :
- Remastering
- Simon Gibson :
- Remastering
Concert From the concert in Boston, USA on May 22, 1976
Venus And Mars - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2014
3:21 • Studio version • A2014
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Electric guitar, Moog, Piano, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Clarinet
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Drums
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Session Recording:
- Jan 27, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 14, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 17, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 15, 1975 ?
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Venus And Mars (Limited Red & Yellow LP)
Official album • Released in 2017
3:21 • Studio version • A2014
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Electric guitar, Moog, Piano, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Clarinet
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Drums
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Session Recording:
- Jan 27, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 14, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 17, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 15, 1975 ?
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
7" Single • Released in 2022
3:21 • Studio version • A2014
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Electric guitar, Moog, Piano, Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Clarinet
- Denny Laine :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar
- Jimmy McCulloch :
- Electric guitar
- Joe English :
- Drums
- Alan O'Duffy :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Biff Dawes :
- Assistant mixing engineer
- Session Recording:
- Jan 27, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 14, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Recording:
- Feb 17, 1975
- Studio :
- Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, USA
- Session Mixing:
- Mar 15, 1975 ?
- Studio :
- Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Live performances
“Magneto And Titanium Man” has been played in 60 concerts.
Latest concerts where Magneto And Titanium Man has been played
London • Empire Pool • United Kingdom
Oct 21, 1976 • Part of Wings Over the World tour
London • Empire Pool • United Kingdom
Oct 20, 1976 • Part of Wings Over the World tour
London • Empire Pool • United Kingdom
Oct 19, 1976 • Part of Wings Over the World tour
Munich • Olympiahalle • Germany
Sep 27, 1976 • Part of Wings Over the World tour
Venice • Piazza San Marco • Italy
Sep 25, 1976 • Part of Wings Over the World tour
Going further
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989
With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.
Contribute!
Have you spotted an error on the page? Do you want to suggest new content? Or do you simply want to leave a comment ? Please use the form below!
During the Wings Over America version, Paul sings something between « She’s a five-star criminal Breaking the code » and
« Magneto said Now the time has come ». Is it just gibberish or is he saying words we can’t make out.