One Hand Clapping (Watch Tower WT2001044)
(57:47): One Hand Clapping, Jet, Soily, C Moon/Little Woman Love, Maybe I’m Amazed, My Love, Bluebird, Suicide, Let’s Love/Sitting At The Piano / I’ll Give You A Ring, Band On The Run, Live & Let Die, 1985, Baby Face, Junior’s Farm
Wings scored their best selling LP with Band On The Run in 1973 and afterwards took a seven week long working vacation in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to writing new material, Wings were rehearsing with two new members, guitarist Jimmy McCullouch and drummer Geoff Britton.
The British press was running many stories about the clashes and imminent breakup of Wings along with the usual rumors about the reunion of The Beatles. To counter this McCartney produced this television documentary showing them rehearsing in Abbey Road Studio. These rehearsals were for their first true world tour and showing Paul in a generally positive light. It was filmed and recorded at Abbey Road Studios on August 15th, 1974.
However drummer Britton was dumped by the band, the proposed world tour didn’t happen and “One Hand Clapping” never aired on television. There have been many releases of this over the years of both the audio and video.
“One Hand Clapping” is a strange document. Band On The Run became Wings’ biggest selling LP and in early 1974 the band and families took a seven week long working vacation to Nashville Tennessee. Staying on the farm owned by songwriter Curly Putman Jr., they rehearsed with new members, guitarist Jimmy McCullouch and drummer Geoffrey Britton and worked on new songs like “Junior’s Farm.”
Two of the earliest releases are One Hand Clapping (Chapter One CO 25109) issued in 1990 and One Hand Clapping (Yellow Cat Records YC 028). A good pressed DVD of the show can be found on One Hand Clapping (Misterclaudel). Watchtower released their version in 2001 with both a VHS of the program and the soundtrack in excellent mono on this release. This is an excellent way to obtain the audio soundtrack for the video.
The performances are good for a rehearsal and is interesting for being the only proof that Britton was ever in the band. He wears his karate uniform throughout and even shows his moves during the drum improv.
Described by Paul as a “cabaret song”, written when he was around 14 years old, around the age he wrote “When I’m Sixty-Four”. He explains that he wrote these sorts of songs before he knew Rock n Roll. It’s great to have another studio version of “Soily” and the very rare song “Suicide”, one of McCartney’s first songs, and a rare version of “1985″. The interviews are also cool to listen to, hearing Paul speaking about aging and other topics. Overall, this is a good way to obtain the audio for the documentary.
