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Song facts
“Mumbo” is the opening track of Wings’ debut album, “Wild Life”, released in December 1971.
Paul McCartney in "Conversations With McCartney", by Paul Du Noyer:
Mumbo is just a big scream of no words. A wacky idea, cos it was just ‘Whuurrrgghh A-hurrgghhh!’ and we mixed it back so it was like ‘Louie Louie’. Everyone’s going, What are the words of that? Just hope they don’t ask for the sheet music. Which no one ever did, luckily.
From paulmccartney.com, October 29, 2018:
PM.com: And while you’ve been sitting here remastering the album, are there songs that you’d forgotten about?
Paul: Yeah, absolutely! Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t listen to my old albums much, you know. I just don’t. So, I mean, to me it’s very strange that I would dare to do a track like ‘Mumbo’. To open an album with a track that hasn’t got any lyrics! It’s like, ‘Whoah!’ I mean, I think it’s kind of cool now. Like, ‘Wow, okay…!’
PM.com: It’s a very spontaneous way of making music – just getting in a room and playing.
Paul: Yeah. And, you know, this was following The Beatles. I’m not trying very hard, you know! [Jokingly sings the opening line of ‘Mumbo’, ‘Welllllllllllllllll….!!!’]
[…] I mentioned earlier about ‘Mumbo’ being quite experimental, especially to finish off the record with the shorter “link” version. I think that song came from, you know, the band would just get an idea of a chord, or something. We’d just jam on it. And, it would be just, ‘Okay, this is in F’, or whatever key it’s in. And we’d just play. And I’d sort of shout stuff over the top. It’s all part of becoming a band. You know, you learn that I’m gonna be goofy and sing some goofy things, and you – for example – as the drummer have got to come along with it and do your own thing. And Denny Seiwell, I think, is really brilliant on all this stuff.
Last updated on October 30, 2018
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1971
3:58 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney:
- Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney:
- Organ, Piano
- Denny Laine:
- Electric guitar
- Denny Seiwell:
- Drums, Tambourine (?)
- Tony Clark:
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Alan Parsons:
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Session Recording:
- Jul 26, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 08, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
3:58 • Studio version • R1993
- Paul McCartney:
- Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney:
- Organ, Piano
- Denny Laine:
- Electric guitar
- Denny Seiwell:
- Drums, Tambourine (?)
- Tony Clark:
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Alan Parsons:
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Peter Mew:
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Jul 26, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 08, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2005
5:24 • Studio version
- Paul McCartney:
- Executive producer
- Clive Goddard:
- Mixing engineer
- Freelance Hellraiser:
- Producer
- Session Recording:
- Circa 2004
- Studio:
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Official album • Released in 2018
3:55 • Studio version • R2018 • 2018 Remaster
- Paul McCartney:
- Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney:
- Organ, Piano
- Denny Laine:
- Electric guitar
- Denny Seiwell:
- Drums, Tambourine (?)
- Tony Clark:
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Alan Parsons:
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Alex Wharton:
- Remastering
- Steve Orchard:
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Jul 26, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 08, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2018
3:53 • Rough mix • C
- Paul McCartney:
- Bass, Electric guitar, Producer, Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney:
- Organ, Piano
- Denny Laine:
- Electric guitar
- Denny Seiwell:
- Drums, Tambourine (?)
- Tony Clark:
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Alan Parsons:
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Alex Wharton:
- Remastering
- Steve Orchard:
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Jul 26, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Aug 06, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2018
3:41 • Live • L1
- Performed by:
- Paul McCartney • Linda McCartney • Denny Laine • Henry McCullough • Denny Seiwell
- Paul McCartney:
- Producer
- Alan Parsons:
- Recording engineer
- Alex Wharton:
- Mastering
- Steve Orchard:
- Mixing
- Jeremy Gee:
- Recording engineer assistant
- Graham Fleming:
- Recording engineer assistant
Concert From the concert in Antwerp, Belgium on Aug 22, 1972
Bootlegs
Unofficial live • Released in 2001
4:43 • Live
Concert From the concert in Arles, France on Jul 13, 1972
Unofficial live • Released in 2001
3:19 • Live
Concert From the concert in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Aug 20, 1972
Live In Groningen - August 19, 1972
Unofficial live • Released in 2001
3:56 • Live
Concert From the concert in Groningen, Netherlands on Aug 19, 1972
Live performances
“Mumbo” has been played in 17 concerts.
Latest concerts where “Mumbo” has been played
Aug 24, 1972 • Part of Wings Over Europe Tour
Aug 22, 1972 • Part of Wings Over Europe Tour
Aug 21, 1972 • Part of Wings Over Europe Tour
Aug 20, 1972 • Part of Wings Over Europe Tour
Groningen • Evenementenhal Martinihal
Aug 19, 1972 • Part of Wings Over Europe Tour
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