It’s been a great few years to be a Beatles fan. Peter Jackson’s Get Back was followed by the “final” track “Now And Then,” which was followed by the expanded and remixed Red and Blue albums, followed by the newly restored Let It Be documentary. All this good fortune now extends to the greater Beatles universe with One Hand Clapping, the legendary 1974 recording session by Paul McCartney and Wings. Never before released in any official capacity, fans will be able to own the jam-packed live album beginning June 14.
Described as “one of the most bootlegged live albums in musical history,” One Hand Clapping was recorded as McCartney and his post-Beatles outfit were enjoying the blockbuster success of their album Band On The Run. Recorded at Abbey Road, the One Hand Clapping session was intended to be put out as a live album and a video documentary (directed by David Litchfield), but the audio was never officially released. Some of the tracks found their way onto other releases over the years (like the 2010 Band On The Run reissue), but several have never been heard through official channels. That includes renditions of Beatles songs like “Let It Be,” “Lady Madonna,” and “The Long And Winding Road,” The Moody Blues’ “Go Now” sung by Denny Laine, and the live studio version of Wings single “Hi Hi Hi” (which you can listen to below). Physical formats of One Hand Clapping further include songs recorded off-camera during the same session, including the unreleased track “Blackpool” and a cover of “Twenty Flight Rock” (famous for being the first song McCartney played for John Lennon when they first met).
“One Hand Clapping serves as a celebration of the enduring legacy of Paul McCartney and Wings,” reads a press release for the new album. “It captured a moment when Wings had found and defined their signature sound—just as Paul had shaped popular culture the decade before with The Beatles, he was doing it once again in the 70s with Wings. This recording gives an insight into the inner workings of the band as they work and play together in the studio. It also underscores Paul’s incredible talent as a live performer: Fifty years on, Paul is still performing many of these songs in packed stadiums across the world.”
The tracklist for the digital album can be found below; the album is being released on vinyl and CD, including an exclusive 2LP + 7” with the aforementioned unreleased songs. These will be available in full beginning in June.
1. One Hand Clapping
2. Jet
3. Soily
4. C Moon/Little Woman Love
5. Maybe I’m Amazed
6. My Love
7. Bluebird
8. Let’s Love
9. All of You
10. I’ll Give You a Ring
11. Band on the Run
12 Live and Let Die
13 Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
14. Baby Face
15. Let Me Roll It
16. Blue Moon of Kentucky
17. Power Cut
18. Love My Baby
19. Let It Be
20. The Long and Winding Road/Lady Madonna
21. Junior’s Farm
22. Sally G
23. Tomorrow
24. Go Now
25. Wild Life
27. Hi, Hi, Hi