Paul McCartney’s Wings: One Hand Clapping Movie Adaptation

Paul McCartney is set to delight fans with the cinematic release of Wings’ live studio album, One Hand Clapping. The “rare” documentary will make its theater debut on September 26, as announced by McCartney on August 7. This film promises an intimate glimpse into the 1974 Abbey Road recording sessions.

The footage slated for the documentary includes previously unreleased material such as a solo acoustic performance by Paul in the “Backyard Sessions,” a new exclusive introduction by McCartney himself, and unseen Polaroids. Reflecting on this era, McCartney shared his enthusiasm, “It’s so great to look back on that period and see the little live show we did. We made a pretty good noise actually! It was a great time for the band, we started to have success with Wings, which had been a long time coming.”

Directed by David Litchfield, the One Hand Clapping movie will also feature the Backyard Sessions, whose audio was recently released by McCartney. These sessions include the previously unreleased track “Blackpool” and an acoustic cover of “Twenty Flight Rock.”

McCartney’s previous venture into concert films with Wings was the Rockshow documentary, which captured their Wings Over the World Tour and had a re-release in 2013. Tickets for One Hand Clapping will be available for purchase starting on August 16.

One Hand Clapping highlights a transformational period for Wings. Despite previous hits like “My Love,” “Hi, Hi, Hi,” and “Live and Let Die,” the band had yet to solidify its reputation. The landmark came with the release of Band on the Run in 1973. The live performances in One Hand Clapping feature debut renditions of tracks like “Band on the Run” and “Jet,” along with McCartney’s first performance of Beatles songs like “Let It Be,” “The Long and Winding Road,” and “Lady Madonna.”

Following the success of Band on the Run and One Hand Clapping, Wings went on to release four more albums: Venus and Mars, Wings at the Speed of Sound, London Town, and Back to the Egg. The band’s lineup included Paul and Linda McCartney and Denny Laine, with Denny Seiwell, Joe English, and Geoff Britton also contributing.

Paul McCartney first rose to fame as a member of the Beatles, where he penned timeless classics like “Yesterday” and “Hey Jude.” After the Beatles disbanded in 1970, McCartney launched a solo career, releasing his self-titled debut album. In 1971, he debuted with Wings through the album Wild Life. Over his illustrious career, McCartney has released 19 solo albums, eight albums with Wings, and a few classical albums.

McCartney has continued producing music and performing live. Since 1989, he has been a regular on the touring circuit. His ongoing Got Back Tour is set to resume soon. The tour, which started on April 28, 2022, included a North American leg and a headlining performance at Glastonbury. Although it appeared to end in 2022, it resumed with shows in Australia, Mexico, and Brazil in the fall.

Next, McCartney plans to perform in Uruguay on October 1, 2024, followed by concerts in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. After these, the tour will move back to Mexico before concluding with a European leg. McCartney will bring the Got Back Tour to a close with performances in France, Spain, and England in December.

Source: Clutchpoints, USA TODAY