Bip Bop Link

‘Bip Bop Link’ is an instrumental version of ‘Bip Bop’, both of which appeared on Wings’s debut album Wild Life.

The track is one of Paul McCartney’s simplest, a blues-style backing and childlike throwaway lyrics. McCartney once described ‘Bip Bop’ as “The weakest song I have ever written in my life”, but in later years indicated an affection for it.

I can get a bit perfectionist about things and think, ‘This is just not one of my grand pieces,’ and often I’ll get a bit down on them. I remember being very down on a song called ‘Bip Bop’ and thinking, ‘Oh God, how banal can you get?’ But I once said that to a producer named Trevor Horn, who produced Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Grace Jones and a lot of cool recording artists, and he said, ‘That’s one of my favourites of yours!’ And then I could see what he saw in it, which is what I saw in it when I wrote it and wanted to record it, so he made me feel better about that.

‘Bip Bop’ was recorded on 24 and 29 July 1971. ‘Bip Bop (Link)’ was taped some time later, on 2 October, again at Abbey Road.

‘Love Is Strange’ was the lead song on a five-song Mexican EP, which also featured ‘I Am Your Singer’, ‘Bip Bop Link’, ‘Tomorrow’, and ‘Mumbo’.

‘Bip Bop Link’ and ‘Mumbo Link’ were both unlisted on editions of Wild Life released prior to 1987.