Getting Closer / Baby's Request

Track list

Side 1

1. Getting Closer

   Written by Paul McCartney

   Studio version • A1

   Paul McCartney : Bass, Electric guitar, Mellotron, Producer, Vocals Linda McCartney : Backing vocals, Keyboards Denny Laine : Backing vocals, Electric guitar Laurence Juber : Electric guitar Steve Holley : Drums Mark Vigars : Assistant engineer Phil McDonald : Recording engineer Chris Thomas : Producer

   Session Recording: October 1978 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road

   • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road

   Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon

Side 2

1. Baby's Request

   Written by Paul McCartney

   2:51 • Studio version • A

   Paul McCartney : Double-bass, Moog, Producer, Vocal harmonies, Vocals Linda McCartney : Backing vocals Denny Laine : Backing vocals, Piano Laurence Juber : Electric guitar Steve Holley : Brushes Mark Vigars : Assistant engineer Phil McDonald : Recording engineer Chris Thomas : Producer

   Session Recording: October 16-17, 1978 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road

   Session Mixing: Monday, February 26, 1979 • Studio Replica Studio, Soho Square, London

   Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon

From jpgr.co.uk:

[…] The LAST Wings single, and therefore the last release to feature the above line-up was declared as a double A-side.
Both tracks were taken from “Back To The Egg” which was dropping down the chart,
unfortunately this release did nothing to boost album sales, failing miserably in the chart.

The single was released in a picture sleeve.
The front cover featured a picture NOT designed with this record in mind …
It was taken from a 1978 book entitled Work of Hipgnosis – Walk Away Renee, and was listed under “Unsold Ideas”.
The rear picture was a still from the promotional film for “Baby’s Request”.
The label is once again a “fried egg”, with no apparent record label name … except a reference to MPL, and the Parlophone “R” type number. […]

From Hipgnosis: the rock stars of album cover design (telegraph.co.uk), July 13, 2023:

This was a time when Paul McCartney could use an image of a lobster being walked on a lead along the pavement and it made, well, some sort of sense. “It’s one of mine?” he says, initially struggling to remember the Hipgnosis sleeve of 1979 Wings single Getting Closer. “Hmmm… Well, now, ha ha! I think I’ll have to talk to someone about that…. Wait a minute… Lobster, yeah, OK, it’s coming back now…” “