Mix Variation - Wings - Helen Wheels - 1973

[Uni]

More like overdubbed mix variation. Had hoped for something more
interesting, but this is the best I could do for now!...

http://www.angelfire.com/empire/abpsp/images/helen.mp3

Uni

[Ron Fowler]

There's an alternate mix on the BOTR 25th anniversary edition - check it
out.

[Uni]

Ron Fowler wrote:
> There's an alternate mix on the BOTR 25th anniversary edition - check it
> out.

That's what this is. Most everything else is later recordings, not bad
though. But, I guess since most everything is overdubbed, that's why
there's no "true" alternate versions.

Thanks.

Uni

>

[Ron Fowler]

Yeah, I was disappointed with all the later recordings on that disc -
they weren't even Wings recordings. If they had included versions from
Wings tours, it would've been okay. They did a lot of those songs on
their world tour in 75-76.

[Uni]

Not really sure how many members in Wings, shows (9) on cover, but think
only a few went on tour, created what they could, copied the 8 track
recordings to 16 track tape, and finalized the overdubbing in the US.
Probably why no real interesting stuff.

Thanks.

Uni

[Ron Fowler]

Just three Wings on Band on the Run - Paul, Denny and Linda. The other
faces on the cover are actors and such. Look closely, you might
recognize a few of them.

[Robbie]

3 were actors, the others were a TV chart show host, a boxer and a
British politician. Quite a motley crew of people!

[Uni]

Ha! Thanks, Robbie and Ron! But other musicians did participate in the
BOTR recordings, just not part of the band, correct?

Uni

[Robbie]

According to Wiki, just the three of them as the other two members of
Wings in 1973 quit just before the album was recorded. The basics of the
album was recorded with just those three plus an ex Beatles studio
engineer in Lagos, Nigeria but upon returning to London there were
overdubs and orchestral tracks added.

By the way, I posted that one of the people on the cover was a TV chart
show host - this was a typo, I meant TV chat show host! This was Michael
Parkinson who was the top British chat show host at the time. Parkinson
wanted McCartney to appear on his chat show and McCartney agreed on the
condition that Parkinson appear on the cover of his album! Not a bad
trade off, though it took until 1999 for Paul to stick to his side of
the bargain! I'm not sure how some of the others got to appear on the
album, especially Sir Christopher Lee and Sir Clement Freud (the latter
being a British politician and also the grandson of Sigmund Freud). The
latter also appears on the album itself.

Band On The Run is probably the best, and certainly the most consistent,
studio album released by any of the ex-Beatles. It's certainly Paul
McCartney's best studio album, by far.

[Uni]

From the dialog, it appears Paul was phoning everyone for help. I sort
of thought that was James Coburn in the back!

Thanks, Robbie!

Uni

[Uni]

I should have listened to the dialog about the cover photo!

Uni

>

[Ron Fowler]

Howie Casey played sax on a few songs - Bluebird, Mrs. Vandebilt come to
mind. Someone plays clarinet on Picasso's Last Words. I think Ginger
Baker did percussion on one track. The rest, other than orchestral
overdubs, is just Paul, Denny and Linda. Well, mostly Paul and Denny,
with Linda doing keyboard bits here and there. Paul's a pretty good
drummer - I used to play along to this record, when I had a drum set.
Moved into an apartment, and had to get rid of it. I've always regretted
that.

http://community.webtv.net/lonelysummer/RONFOWLERSLONELY