LONDON – On June 14th one of the most coveted bootlegs of all time will be published, namely “One Hand Clapping”, the forbidden dream of every good memorabilia collector, also for a brochure of the documentary which was unreleased at the time. In August 1974, while “Band on the Run” spent seven consecutive weeks at the top of the UK album charts, Paul McCartney and Wings were busy at Abbey Road Studios filming a video documentary and of a possible live studio album (“One Hand Clapping”, in fact). Despite the pressing demand for new material recorded by the biggest band in the world at the time, “One Hand Clapping” was never officially released. Filmed and recorded in four days and directed by David Litchfield, the release of One Hand Clapping represents a historic moment for Paul McCartney fans. Over the years, several bootlegs have circulated, achieving more or less success. Some of the material also appeared in some of McCartney's official publications.
However, with the June 14 release, which features the original artwork designed for the project, including a brochure for the then-unreleased documentary, it is the first time that audio from the footage, as well as some recorded songs, have been officially released with cameras off. “One Hand Clapping” introduced the new Wings lineup, returning from Nashville, where they recorded the single “Junior's Farm.” After the sudden passing of Denny Seiwell and Henry McCullough the year before, just on the eve of the recording of the masterpiece “Band on the Run”, Paul, Linda and Denny Lain were joined by guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton, together to Del Newman (arranger) and Howie Casey (saxophonist), who had previously played with Paul in Hamburg.
The album opens with an instrumental jam that would become the theme of “One Hand Clapping” and contains live studio renditions of Wings hits “Live and Let Die,” “Band on the Run,” “Jet,” “My Love”, “Hi, Hi, Hi”, “Junior's Farm”, “Maybe I'm Amazed”, revised songs from Beatles classics such as “Let It Be”, “The Long and Winding Road” and “Lady Madonna ,” the Moody Blues hit “Go Now” with Denny Laine singing and Paul's piano version of the Harry Akst/Benny Davis classic Tin Pan Alley, Baby Face. “One Hand Clapping” will be released in several formats, including a 2LP + 7” edition featuring previously unreleased solo performances recorded on the final day of the sessions in the Abbey Road studio courtyard.
Sessions include the previously unreleased “Blackpool,” the Beatles' iconic “Blackbird,” the B-side of Wings Country Dreamer and covers of Eddie Cochran's Twenty Flight Rock (the first song Paul played to John Lennon when they met in 1957), Peggy Sue and I'm Gonna Love You Too by Buddy Holly. “One Hand Clapping” celebrates the legacy of Paul McCartney and Wings. The album captured a historical moment in which Wings had found and defined their signature sound. Just as Paul had shaped popular culture ten years earlier with the Beatles, he was doing so once again in the 1970s with Wings. This recording offers an insight into the inner workings of the band during their studio work. It also highlights Paul's incredible talent as a live performer: fifty years later McCartney is still performing many of these songs to packed stadiums around the world.