Sir Paul McCartney says he did not know how to be in a band after The Beatles split in 1970. He later formed Wings in 1971 with Linda McCartney and guitarist Denny Laine, releasing seven studio albums including Band On The Run before the group disbanded in 1981. He described the period as a blank canvas, noting Wings toured without fixed plans, no hotels booked and no gigs lined up, and that they believed a captive audience might be found at universities.

In advance of a new documentary, McCartney said Wings found its moment in the 2020s. He has been asked about his second band as often as about The Beatles, and many fans have told him their favourite McCartney record is a Wings album. He added that he does not dwell on the past and that timing matters, with Wings experiencing a fresh reception as a generational shift takes place, sometimes feeling like a magic carpet moment.

Wings recorded Band On The Run in Lagos, Nigeria. McCartney recalled walking with Linda when they were mugged after being offered a lift by a car. They were returning from a friend’s house about two miles away when a vehicle stopped and a small man with a knife attacked them. They lost demo cassettes and he had to recall the songs from memory. A local manager later noted that they were lucky to be white, implying the attackers might have harmed them otherwise. Wings chalked up 12 UK top 10 singles, including Mull Of Kintyre, and eight UK top 10 albums, two of which reached number one. The group is best known for Jet, Silly Love Songs and Live And Let Die. A new documentary, Wings: The Story Of A Band On The Run, set for release on Tuesday, features extensive interviews with McCartney and is edited by American historian Edward Widmer (Ted Widmer).