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Released in 1979

Rockestra Theme

Written by Paul McCartney

Last updated on October 3, 2019


Album This song officially appears on the Back To The Egg Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1979

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

From Wikipedia:

“Rockestra Theme” is the fourth and final single on Wings’ final studio album Back to the Egg.

It was recorded on 3 October 1978 at Abbey Road Studios by an all-star collection of musicians dubbed “Rockestra”, although the song is technically credited to Wings. It was recorded as part of Wings’ 1979 album Back to the Egg and released as a single in France.

Musicians who performed on this song (and on “So Glad To See You Here”, also on Back to the Egg) included: Denny Laine, Laurence Juber, David Gilmour, Hank Marvin, Pete Townshend (guitars), Steve Holley, John Bonham, Kenney Jones (drums), Paul McCartney (piano), John Paul Jones, Ronnie Lane, Bruce Thomas (bass), Gary Brooker, Linda McCartney, Tony Ashton (keyboards), Speedy Acquaye, Tony Carr, Ray Cooper, Morris Pert (percussion), Howie Casey, Tony Dorsey, Steve Howard, Thaddeus Richard (horns).

One person taken out of the Rockestra Supergroup was Jeff Beck. After being asked to join by McCartney, Beck wanted to be able to have veto power over his own guitar parts, subsequently, McCartney withdrew his invitation.

In a 2001 interview on VH1, McCartney said Keith Moon was to have taken part in “Rockestra” but died one month before the recording sessions took place. Kenney Jones, who replaced Moon on drums within The Who, appeared instead. In the book Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) Wings’ drummer Steve Holley recalled the session in an interview, saying “it was daunting”.

The song was performed again at the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea and released on the album and EP of the same name. This was a series of concerts featuring Queen, The Clash, the Pretenders, The Who, Elvis Costello, Wings, and many more artists which took place at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, England during December 1979 to raise money for the victims of war-torn Cambodia. The event was organized by McCartney and Kurt Waldheim, and it involved older artists such as McCartney and The Who as well as younger new wave acts like The Clash and the Pretenders. The last of the concerts was the last concert of Wings.

Most of the Rockestra wore silver suits for this performance. On the Concerts for Kampuchea home video, McCartney can be heard making a comment about Townshend before playing the song, making reference to Townshend being a “poof” (gay in British slang). “Thank you, Peter. Only lousy sod who wouldn’t wear the silver suit. Cuz he’s a poof.” Townshend made comment about it in several interviews following the performance.

Juber can be seen walking up behind Townshend after McCartney’s comment, and placing a silver top hat on his head. Townshend quickly grabs the hat and flings it into the audience.

“Rockestra Theme” won the first Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. The song was used as under the opening credits of the California Go! rad BMX sports show on ESPN.

Paul McCartney in "Conversations With McCartney", by Paul Du Noyer:

The ‘Rockestra Theme’ has good memories for me, of John Bonham in particular on drums, cos he’s the powerhouse behind the rhythm section. And all the great guys who showed up, (Pete) Townshend, Hank Marvin, a lot of really cool people. The idea was funny, but we were thinking recently of trying to revitalise it; every city has millions of people who play guitar, loads of drummers, and they only ever get together in really small units. Every city’s got millions of people who can play violin, viola and cello, and percussion, but they get together in large units. It was like an us-and-them thing. Why don’t we get together in large units?

That was the idea I was trying to float. I was hoping it would take off so much that people in Cleveland and people in Carlisle, kids would all get together and form rockestras, and do things like ‘Lucille’. Imagine twenty bass players — dum-dum-dum — ten drummers — bash bash bash — it would be a great scene, man, so someone’s still gotta do that. I may not get round to it but someone will, and I want inviting to it, please.

I got this little tune as an instrumental. I thought, it is a nice and easy melody line and it might be a good thing to try a lot of guitars on the melody line and, whereas most people use orchestra’s, normal orchestra’s, I thought the idea might be good to use rock instruments instead. And have what you would call a rockestra instead of on orchestra. 

Paul McCartney

I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and talking about it with various people. And you meet people in the business and you find other people saying ‘yeah, I was thinking of doing something like that’. So by the time I heard other people saying, ‘yeah, I’m gonna do that’, I thought, I’d better gonna do it, if ever I’m gonna do it, and just try to get it together. (…) So I rang up a lot of people, I thought it might be good to do it. And some of them couldn’t make it, and some of them could come. I just decided, whoever shows up, if only three of them show up, then that will be the rockestra and we’ll just see what we could do.

Paul McCartney
From Facebook – Rockestra recording session with John Bonham at Abbey Road Studios 1978. Photo by Linda McCartney

Lyrics

*Oh

Yeah

We all right yeah

Yeah

Yeah

Well we might have

Not had any winter (or dinner?) no no no


Repeat*

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Rockestra Theme

Related film

Live performances

Rockestra Theme” has been played in 2 concerts.

Latest concerts where “Rockestra Theme” has been played


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.

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Paul McCartney writing

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Notice any inaccuracies on this page? Have additional insights or ideas for new content? Or just want to share your thoughts? We value your feedback! Please use the form below to get in touch with us.

clem865 • 7 years ago

*Oh

Yeah

We all right yeah

Yeah

Yeah

Well we might have

Not had any dinner no no no

Repeat*


The PaulMcCartney Project • 7 years ago

Thanks Clem865 ! Will fix ! :)


The PaulMcCartney Project • 7 years ago

Hi Clem865,

All lyrics sites mention "dinner", but https://www.paulmccartney.com/albums/songs/rockestra-theme mentions "winter"... Interesting !


[…] John Paul Jones? Bonham’s last live UK performance took place at Paul McCartney’s all-star “Rockestra” charity concert for the people of Kampuchea prior to his death today, on September 24, […]


[…] John Paul Jones? Bonham’s last live UK performance took place at Paul McCartney’s all-star “Rockestra” charity concert for the people of Kampuchea before his death today, on September 24, […]


briern4f3a836c45 • 1 year ago

I was there at the AR recording session, what an exciting day. The atmosphere was electric! It's a shame Jeff Beck didn't make it too. But apparently he wouldn't play ball....


The PaulMcCartney Project • 1 year ago

WOW briern4f3a836c45, must have been awesome to be among those great players !


briern4f3a836c45 • 1 year ago

Yes Abbey Road Studios is indeed an awesome place, I spent 27 years there...


The PaulMcCartney Project • 1 year ago

Wow, you surely have many stories to tell !


Rachel • 8 months ago

Hello!

At last here's confirmation, from Paul, about the lyric. :)

In this video, at about 17:45, Paul says that the line is definitely: "Why haven't I had any dinner".

https://youtu.be/S79QvQ2QqFs?si=sbccbU1nzMA9ZR5k


The PaulMcCartney Project • 8 months ago

Oh, nice interview ! I didn't know it, thanks for sharing Rachel !


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