Although recorded by Wings in 1975, the instrumental ‘Lunch Box/Odd Sox’ remained unreleased until it became the b-side of Paul McCartney’s 1980 solo single ‘Coming Up’.
What I’m finding about all that stuff, all my own contemporary b-sides and strange tracks, is that it takes time. People are only just discovering the b-sides of Beatles singles. They’re only just discovering things like ‘You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)’ – probably my favourite Beatles track!
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
Wings recorded ‘Lunch Box/Odd Sox’ at Allen Toussaint’s Sea Saint Studios in New Orleans during the Venus And Mars sessions.
It was taped on 20 January 1975. McCartney led the band on piano, while Linda McCartney played Moog synthesizer, Denny Laine was on electric guitar, Tony Dorsey played bass guitar, and Geoff Britton was on drums. Wings’ guitarist Jimmy McCulloch did not play on the track.
The release
‘Coming Up’ was released as a UK single on 11 April 1980 as Parlophone R 6035, and reached number two on the charts. In the US it topped the Billboard Hot 100 following its 14 April release as Columbia 1-11263.
It was nice that ‘Coming Up’ went to number one in America. A number one is always nice because you can’t get much higher. I don’t fret if a song doesn’t make number one, but that status is an indicator that people like it.
The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present
The single had two b-sides: a live version of ‘Coming Up’ recorded by Wings in Glasgow on 17 December 1979, and ‘Lunch Box/Odd Sox’. Although McCartney had top billing for the single, both b-sides were credited to Paul McCartney & Wings.