A 1974 recording session from Paul McCartney & Wings entitled One Hand Clapping is finally seeing the light of day after 50 years.
Filmed as a "rockumentary" and recorded over four days in August 1974 at EMI Studios, One Hand Clapping found the McCartneys, Denny Laine and new Wings members including guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton just back from their time at Sound Shop Studios in Nashville, where they recorded the standalone single "Junior's Farm" and "Sally G." Director David Litchfield filmed the sessions.
With orchestral arranger Del Newman and saxophonist Howie Casey (who had previously played with the Beatles in Hamburg and joined Wings for their world tour in 1976), the sessions were ostensibly a follow-up to the chart-topping Band On The Run with an accompanying in-studio look at the group performing for a possible live album.
As stated in the press release: "Over the years, various parts of One Hand Clapping have been bootlegged with varying degrees of success. Some of the material has also appeared on official McCartney releases." However this project (which will also be available to stream in a Dolby Atmos mix by Giles Martin and Steve Orchard), "features the original artwork, including a TV sales brochure for the unreleased film at the time, and will be the first time the audio for the film—plus several additional songs recorded off-camera — have been officially issued."
Never miss a story — sign up for the Q newsletter for the latest music news on all your favorite artists, all in one place.
One Hand Clapping will be released in multiple formats, including an online exclusive 2LP + 7" package featuring an exclusive vinyl single of previously unreleased solo performances recorded on the final day of the sessions in the backyard of EMI Studios. These include the unreleased track "Blackpool," the Beatles' iconic "Blackbird," Wings B-side "Country Dreamer," and cover versions of Eddie Cochran’s "Twenty Flight Rock" (the first song McCartney played to John Lennon when they met in 1957) and Buddy Holly’'s "Peggy Sue" and "I'm Gonna Love You Too."
Wings' commercial peak Band on the Run recently returned to the Billboard charts thanks to a deluxe reissue, which included a special "underdubbed" mix.
One Hand Clapping 2LP + 7"
*previously released 2010 Band on the Run Archive Collection DVD
**previously released as bonus audio on Archive Collection releases
Disc 1
SIDE ONE
One Hand Clapping* 02:15
Jet* 03:59
Soily* 03:55
C Moon/Little Woman Love* 03:19
Maybe I’m Amazed* 04:52
My Love* 04:15
SIDE TWO
Bluebird* 03:27
Let’s Love* 01:09
All of You* 02:04
I’ll Give You a Ring* 02:03
Band on the Run* 05:20
Live and Let Die* 03:26
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five* 05:50
Baby Face* 01:56
Disc 2
SIDE ONE
Let Me Roll It** 04:28
Blue Moon of Kentucky 03:05
Power Cut 01:33
Love My Baby 01:13
Let It Be 01:02
The Long and Winding Road/Lady Madonna 02:10
SIDE TWO
Junior’s Farm 04:17
Sally G 03:28
Tomorrow 02:12
Go Now 03:35
Wild Life 04:30
Hi, Hi, Hi 03:57
Disc 3 (7")
SIDE ONE
Blackpool 01:43
Blackbird 02:27
Country Dreamer** 02:17
SIDE TWO
Twenty Flight Rock 02:08
Peggy Sue 01:24
I’m Gonna Love You Too 01:10