John Lennon revealed what he thought of Paul McCartney’s band, Wings, as well as a specific song by the band. He also explained what his relationship with Paul was like after The Beatles broke up. Paul also discussed his opinion on Wings and how they have been compared to the Fab Four.
During a 1980 interview from the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John discussed his feelings about Paul’s post-Beatles career. “I kind of admire the way Paul started back from scratch, forming a new band and playing in small dance halls, because that’s what he wanted to do with The Beatles — he wanted us to go back to the dance halls and experience that again,” he said. “But I didn’t … that was one of the problems, in a way, that he wanted to relive it all or something — I don’t know what it was.
“But I kind of admire the way he got off his pedestal — now he’s back on it again, but, I mean, he did what he wanted to do,” he added. “That’s fine, but it’s just not what I wanted to do.” During the same interview, John praised Wings’ recent single “Coming Up,” which is one of Paul’s early dabblings into synth-pop music. That’s surprising because “Coming Up” has aged like milk.
Subsequently, John was asked if he had “really” talked to Paul in some time. “Really talked to him, no, that’s the operative word,” he said. “I haven’t really talked to him in 10 years. Because I haven’t spent time with him.
“I’ve been doing other things and so has he,” John added. “You know, he’s got 25 kids and about 20 million records out — how can he spend time talking? He’s always working.”
Paul also spoke about his opinions on Wings. During a 2021 interview with Bass Player, Paul said the band is underrated because it was often compared to the Fab Four. He said trying to create a follow-up to The Beatles would have been difficult for anyone besides the Buddha. He also said the critiques of Wings were harsh.
Wings was never going to satisfy everyone, but the group still produced a great catalog of tunes. “Band on the Run,” “Jet,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” and “Live and Let Die” are all classics that still receive airplay today. The band also gave us forgotten gems like “Getting Closer” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five.”
Sure, some Wings tunes are embarrassing, including “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “Give Ireland Back to the Irish,” and “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey.” Some Beatles tunes are embarrassing too. But Paul is correct that the band is underrated.
John and Paul didn’t always see eye-to-eye but they both had positive things to say about Wings.