1) Paul McCart… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist sharing the name Wings;
1) Paul McCartney and Wings (also known by their original name Wings) were a British–American rock band formed in 1971 by former Beatle Paul McCartney, his wife Linda McCartney on keyboards, session drummer Denny Seiwell, and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine. Wings were noted for frequent personnel changes along with their commercial successes, going through three lead guitarists and four drummers. However, the core trio of the McCartneys and Laine remained intact throughout the group's existence.
Created following the McCartneys' 1971 album Ram, the band's first two albums, Wild Life (1971) and Red Rose Speedway (1973) (the latter featuring guitarist Henry McCullough), were viewed as artistic disappointments beside Paul's work with the Beatles. After the release of the title track of the James Bond movie Live and Let Die, McCullough and Seiwell resigned from the band. The McCartneys and Laine then released 1973's Band on the Run, a commercial and critical success that spawned two top ten singles in "Jet" and the title track. Following that album, the band recruited guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton, only for Britton to quit shortly afterwards and be replaced by Joe English. With the new line-up, Wings released 1975's Venus and Mars, which included the US number one single "Listen to What the Man Said", and undertook a highly successful world tour over 1975–76. Intended as more of a group effort, Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976) was issued midway through the tour and featured the hit singles "Silly Love Songs" and "Let 'Em In".
In 1977, the band earned their only UK number one single, with "Mull of Kintyre", which became the then-best-selling UK single in history. Wings experienced another line-up shuffle, however, with both McCulloch and English departing before the release of the group's 1978 album London Town. The McCartneys and Laine again added new members, recruiting guitarist Laurence Juber and drummer Steve Holley. The resulting album, Back to the Egg, was a relative flop, with its singles under-performing and the critical reception negative. During the supporting tour, Paul was arrested in Japan for cannabis possession, putting the band on hold. Despite a final US number one with a live-recorded version of "Coming Up" (1979), after Laine departed from the band, Wings discontinued in 1981.
Wings had twelve top-10 singles (including one number one) in the UK and fourteen top 10 singles (including six number ones) in the US. All 23 singles released by Wings reached the US top 40, and one two-sided hit, "Junior's Farm"/"Sally G", reached the top 40 with each side. Of the nine albums released by Wings, all went top 10 in either the UK or the US, with five consecutive albums topping the US charts. Paul McCartney was unquestionably Wings' leader and dominant creative force, but Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, and Linda McCartney all contributed in songwriting, and Laine, McCulloch, Joe English, and Linda McCartney all performed lead vocals.
The success of Wings was a vindication for McCartney. His first few post-Beatles albums were highly criticized and often dismissed by critics as "lightweight" next to the more serious nature of his former bandmates' solo output. But by the mid-1970s, the solo careers of the other three former Beatles were in varying degrees of decline, with John Lennon putting his career on hold in 1975 for the first five years of his son Sean's life. A year later, George Harrison had all but retired from live performances, with his new releases failing to match the success of his initial solo output. Ringo Starr was living in Los Angeles and was writing and recording, but as a solo artist had not been performing onstage other than rare guest appearances. Meanwhile, Wings continued to tour regularly and enjoy much commercial success. According to author Robert Rosen, by 1980, Lennon was envious enough of McCartney's continuing success to make his re-emergence on the music scene.
One of the criticisms of Wings was that the other members were little more than sidemen backing up a solo McCartney. Guitarist Henry McCullough quit the band because he grew tired of being told by McCartney exactly what to play, and said that Wings were never a "real band." On the other hand, other former members of Wings such as Joe English and Laurence Juber have said that they were allowed a degree of creative freedom. In an interview, Juber, Wings' third lead guitarist, said, "I was a sideman, but the job assignment very much included considering myself a part of the band ... In all its incarnations Wings sounded like a band, not like a solo McCartney project and I think that reflects well not only on Paul's ability to share in the creative process, but also on the importance of Denny and Linda's contributions, too. The other players brought their own personalities to the scene."
In addition to its own output, Wings recorded several songs that were released through various outlets both before and after the band's break-up. Denny Laine's 1977 solo album Holly Days was a joint effort by Laine with Paul and Linda McCartney; three songs on Laine's 1980 solo album Japanese Tears were performed by Wings with Laine on lead vocals; Laine also contributed to several songs on Paul McCartney's 1982 and 1983 solo albums Tug of War and Pipes of Peace, respectively. Juber's instrumental "Maisie"—which was backed by members of Wings—appeared on his solo album Standard Time. The McCartneys and Laine contributed backing vocals to George Harrison's 1981 tribute to John Lennon, "All Those Years Ago". Linda McCartney continued to tour and record with her husband up until her death in 1998, after which a compilation of her songs entitled Wide Prairie was released that featured seven Wings songs written or co-written by her. Wings also backed Paul's brother Mike McGear on the McGear album, as well as McGear's band the Scaffold on the single "Liverpool Lou" and its B-side "Ten Years After on Strawberry Jam". Paul McCartney also used three unreleased Wings songs as B-sides of his solo singles several years after Wings' break-up.
Wings' 1977 single "Mull of Kintyre"/"Girls School" is still the biggest-selling non-charity single in the UK (although Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" sold more, its sales include a reissue in aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust), and it ranked fourth in the official list of all-time best-selling singles in the UK issued in 2002.
In 2001, Wingspan: Hits and History was released, a project spanning an album and a television special retrospective.
2) Wings: A Rock band from Malaysia. Their history began on the establishment in 1985 the Secondary School Sri Ampang in Kuala Lumpur. There, four young men who are still demanding joined forces to form a school band. As motivated and very interested in Rock music, especially rhythm, they agreed to singing rock'n'roll participating during their presentations. When it began the birth of WINGS although this group has no name.
Wings' original members are Awie, Jojet, Jo and Sham. The break-hit group when Jojet migrate to GERSANG while Arid and Jo resigned. While Syria set up new groups, named Group CRK.
Members:
Vocalists:
1) Awie (Ahmad Azhar Othman) 1985 - 1993. 2002 - Now
2) Mel (Ismail Zainuddin) 1995 - 1996
3) Mus (Mustafa Din) 1996 - 2001
Guitarists
1) Sham (Sham Baharom) 1985 - 1987
2) Tham Wing Kwan 1987
3) Joe (Abdul Zamin bin Abdul Kadir) 1988
Bassist
Eddie (Samsaidi Haji Ulong Idris) 1985 -Now
Drummer
1)Black(Azmi Hashim) 1985 - 1990. 1994 - Now
2) Jojet 1990 - 1993
3) Wings was also a Finnish death metal band which started in the early 90’s as a side project of Cartilage’s Gabriel Suoraniemi. This incarnation of Wings released a demo and a 7’‘EP. In 1994 Suoraniemi found a full line-up and the style changed to a more modern direction. They released one demo and a full-lenght album through Woodcut Productions (run by Suoraniemi’s ex-Cartilage comrade Mikki Salo) before splitting up. Most of the Wings line-up played in Enochian Crescent as well.
4) A duo in Korea is also using the name Wings (윙스).
Venus And Mars/Rockshow
Wings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting For The Show To Begin
Red Lights, Green Lights, Strawberry Wine,
A Good Friend Of Mine, Follows The Stars,
Venus And Mars
Are Alright Tonight.
He Looks A Lot Like A Guy I Knew Way Back When
Its Silly Willy With Philly Band
Could Be . . . . . Oo-Ee . . . . . .
Tell me-
What's That Man Movin' Cross The Stage?
It Looks A Lot Like The One Used By Jimmy Page
Its Like A Relic From A Different Age
Could Be . . . . . Oo-Ee . . . . . .
If There's Rock Show
At The Concertgebow
They've Got Long Hair
At The Madison Square
You've Got Rock And Roll
At The Hollywood Bowl,
We'll Be There . . . . . . Oo Yeah . . . . . . .
The Lights Go Down - They're Back In Town O.K.
Behind The Stacks You Glimpse An Axe
The Tension Mounts You Score An Ounce Ole!
Temperatures Rise As You See The White Of Their Eyes
If There's Rock Show
At The Concertgebow
They've Got Long Hair
At The Madison Square
They've Got Rock And Roll
At The Hollywood Bowl,
We'll Be There . . . . . . Oo Yeah . . . . . . .
In My Green Metal Suit I'm Preparing To Shoot Up The City
And The Ring At The End Of My Nose Makes Me Look Rather Pretty
Its A Pity There's Nobody Here To Witness The End
Save For My Dear Old Friend And Confidante - Madamoiselle Kitty
What's That Man Movin' To And Fro?
That Decibel Meter Doesn't Seem To Be Reading Low.
But They Was Louder At The Rainbow
Could Be . . . . . Oo-Ee . . . . . .
If There's Rock Show
At The Concertgebow
They've Got Long Hair
At The Madison Square
You Got Rock And Roll
At The Hollywood Bowl,
We'll Be There . . . . . . Oo Yeah . . . . . . .
If There's Rock Show . . . . . . .
If There's Rock Show . . . . . . .
If There's Rock Show . . . . . . .
The song "Venus and Mars/Rockshow" by Wings is a fun, upbeat rock song that captures the excitement of attending a concert. The first stanza describes the anticipation before the show, with the singer sitting in the sports arena, sipping on strawberry wine, waiting for the stars Venus and Mars to appear. The next two stanzas talk about the individual band members and their instruments, creating a sense of nostalgia for classic rock. The chorus is a catchy repetition of the phrase "If there's rock show", encouraging the listener to join in on the excitement.
In the bridge, the singer expresses their own excitement and anticipation, donning a green metal suit and a ring nose to shoot up the city. The final stanza returns to the concert setting, describing the loud music and energy of the show, and highlighting the different venues where rock music can be experienced.
Overall, "Venus and Mars/Rockshow" captures the essence of the classic rock concert experience, with its enjoyable melody and vivid descriptions of the rock scene.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting In The Stand Of The Sports Arena
Waiting For The Show To Begin
Red Lights, Green Lights, Strawberry Wine,
A Good Friend Of Mine, Follows The Stars,
Venus And Mars
Are Alright Tonight.
We're in the arena and eagerly waiting for the show to begin. The ambience is full of excitement, with colorful lights and a friend happily accompanying us. The stars Venus and Mars seem to be aligned in our favor tonight, signaling a great performance.
What's That Man Holding In His Hand?
He Looks A Lot Like A Guy I Knew Way Back When
Its Silly Willy With Philly Band
Could Be . . . . . Oo-Ee . . . . . .
I see a man holding something on the stage and he looks like someone I knew once. It might be Silly Willy, who had a band in Philly. Not entirely sure, but it's possible.
Tell me-
What's That Man Movin' Cross The Stage?
It Looks A Lot Like The One Used By Jimmy Page
Its Like A Relic From A Different Age
Could Be . . . . . Oo-Ee . . . . . .
I see someone on the stage moving around and he reminds me a lot of Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin. It's like seeing an artifact from a bygone era, like he doesn't belong in this time. It could be him, but I'm not entirely convinced.
If There's Rock Show
At The Concertgebow
They've Got Long Hair
At The Madison Square
You've Got Rock And Roll
At The Hollywood Bowl,
We'll Be There . . . . . . Oo Yeah . . . . . . .
No matter where there's a rock show - be it in Europe or America - we'll be there. We're huge fans of rock and roll and we love seeing musicians with long hair put up a great performance. We can't wait!
The Lights Go Down - They're Back In Town O.K.
Behind The Stacks You Glimpse An Axe
The Tension Mounts You Score An Ounce Ole!
Temperatures Rise As You See The White Of Their Eyes
The lights go out, signaling the start of the show. We catch a glimpse of a guitar behind the equipment stack, and the thrill of anticipation mounts as we realize it's about to start. We get excited as we see the whites of the musicians' eyes, feeling the energy surge through the crowd.
In My Green Metal Suit I'm Preparing To Shoot Up The City
And The Ring At The End Of My Nose Makes Me Look Rather Pretty
Its A Pity There's Nobody Here To Witness The End
Save For My Dear Old Friend And Confidante - Madamoiselle Kitty
I'm decked in my metallic outfit, ready to rock the city to its core. My nose ring gives me a punk feeling, making me look very cool. It's a pity that nobody is here to witness my greatness, except for my dear friend Kitty whom I can trust to keep my secrets.
What's That Man Movin' To And Fro?
That Decibel Meter Doesn't Seem To Be Reading Low.
But They Was Louder At The Rainbow
Could Be . . . . . Oo-Ee . . . . . .
I spot a man moving back and forth on the stage, and the decibel meter doesn't seem to be showing a low score. But it's possible that they were louder at some other gig, maybe the Rainbow. Who knows?
If There's Rock Show . . . . . . .
If There's Rock Show . . . . . . .
If There's Rock Show . . . . . . .
The chorus is an assertion that we are committed to attending every single rock show possible, no matter where it is held. We love the adrenaline rush that comes with these shows and we're excited to be a part of it all.
Contributed by Nora V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jeffreybarkin3177
Me TOO!
It's got this "Helpful Coaching" relationship element, as Venus is Truly The RULER, but Mars, enjoys the peaceful life...
In Fact, Titanium Man and "His Mate" should perhaps become DC or MARVEL characters!
Any Thoughts?
Curious...
😂 ❤
@ThinWhiteAxe
Sitting in the stand of a sports arena
Waiting for the show to begin
Red lights, green lights, strawberry wine
A good friend of mine
Follows the stars
Venus and Mars are all right tonight
What's that man holding in his hand?
He looks a lot like a guy I knew way back when.
It's Silly Willy and the Philly Band
Could be! Ooweee!
What's that man moving across the stage?
It looks a lot like the one used by Jimmy Page
It's like a relic from a different age
It could be! Oowee!
If there's a
Rock show at the Concertgebow
If they've got
Long hair at the Madison Square
If you got
Rock and roll at the Hollywood Bowl
We'll be there
Ooh yeah
The lights go down
They're back in town, okay
Behind the stacks
You glimpse an axe
The tension mounts
You store an ounce ole
Temperatures rise as you see the whites of their eyes
If there's a
Rock show at the Concertgebow
If you got
Long hair at the Madison Square
If they got
Rock and roll at the Hollywood Bowl
We'll be there
Ooh yeah
In my green metal suit I'm preparing to shoot up the city
And the ring at the end of my nose makes me look rather pretty
It's a pity there's nobody here to witness the end
Save for my dear old friend and confidante Mademoiselle Kitty
Ooh now,
What's that man moving to and fro?
That just for me doesn't seem to be really low
But they was louder at the Rainbow
It could be! Oowee!
If there's a
Rock show at the Concertgebow
If they've got
Long hair at the Madison Square
If you've got
Rock and roll at the Hollywood Bowl
We'll be there
Ooh yeah
If there's a
Rock show at the Concertgebow
If they've got
Long hair at the Madison Square
If you got
Rock and roll at the Hollywood Bowl
. . .
Who's that?
Who's that there?
Huh?
Oh it's you babe
Come on, let's go down
Come on babe we're going down to the Rock Show.
Remember last week when I brought those things down to the Rock Show and I thought
Come on now!
Ah get your dress on
Place your wig on straight
We can't be late
Come on we've got a date
We're going down to the Rock Show.
@susanbaldwin2771
Venus and Mars, although short, is a masterpiece in and of itself. I always wished that it was longer. It’s beautiful.
@greg62945
Some kind of synthesizer keyboard sound.
@LlyleHunter
Wings Over America was one of the first concert tours I ever saw. I was fifteen years old at the time and it was fantastic!
@avidrocker
lucky you. I got to see Paul live in 2012, as a huge Beatles fan, I was more stoked to hear the Wings and Solo stuff as much anything else
@tovaratzon8352
One of the first albums I bought after getting my first stereo! Such a great album!
@oompaloompadoompa-de-doo3614
Born in 1989. You are a very lucky man. Love from NC
@LuciferMornStar
My absolute favorite McCartney album. Remember waiting at the music store for the store's first shipment! It's firmly embedded in my top ten forever!
@musiccollector
Fabulous memories of my friend and me hitting the open road in his 1976 corvette with this album playing full blast.
@muscleguy675
ONE of my favorite McCartney albums.
@mackey-5438
Band on the run the best. Venus and Mars in second place.