Wings’ second album, Red Rose Speedway, was released in the United States on 30 April 1973.
Red Rose Speedway was the follow-up to 1971’s Wild Life. It was released in the UK on 4 May 1973.
A single, ‘My Love’, was released ahead of the album and became a transatlantic success. The b-side was ‘The Mess’, recorded live in The Hague in 1972.
Red Rose Speedway was credited to Paul McCartney and Wings, suggesting that the group needed the former Beatle’s name to lift their public profile and sales. It was a canny move: the release coincided with The Beatles’ 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 compilations, and George Harrison’s Living In The Material World.
The album reached number one on the Billboard 200, spending a total of 31 weeks on the chart. In the UK it peaked at number five, spending 16 weeks all together on the chart.
Also on this day...
- 2017: Paul McCartney live: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
- 2016: Paul McCartney live: Verizon Arena, North Little Rock
- 2003: Paul McCartney live: Preussag Arena, Hanover
- 1997: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland
- 1969: Recording, mixing: Let It Be, You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
- 1969: The Ballad Of John And Yoko photo session
- 1965: Filming: Help!
- 1964: The Beatles live: Odeon Cinema, Glasgow
- 1962: The Beatles live: Star-Club, Hamburg
- 1961: The Beatles live: Top Ten Club, Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
I just read a more recent All Music Review write up of the album noting that, though it was recorded in the early seventies, it resembles early nineties lo-fi style and style songs, though the songs have McCartney’s good sense of melody. It originally took me awhile to get into this album, but decades later I really like it, the single album version at first but also especially the later released double version of the album which included additional songs intended. These songs various indicate different genres, including experiental “loup” and how diverse McCartney’s solo musical adventures would become.