The Touchstone Of The Genius

How amazing it could be to sit in the actual seat occupied by ‘Music’s Greatest’ Paul McCartney let the creativity flow and inspire the next generation of songwriters to write a great song or even a hit song.

From 9th July to 24th August 1972 Wings Tour Bus travelled 7,500 miles with Paul sitting in his favourite seat, front left lower deck. At times he would be relaxing on the open-top deck on the mattresses, bean bags and cushions rehearsing and bonding with his new band and enjoying family time with Linda, Mary, Heather and 10 month old baby Stella McCartney. All this during one of the most pivotal, creative and romantic periods of not just his career but his life.

Sarah Ferguson of ABC Australia asked Paul, “In those scenes in the film (Get Back) you’ve got John Lennon with you as you’re creating those songs. How long did it take you to figure out how to write songs without his great mind and great skills sitting alongside you?”

We talked later and we missed each other’s input. For me John’s input was very important and very skilful. These days even when I’m writing a song I will kind of check with him, just, you know, mentally… does this suck like I think it does? Right, let’s get rid of it and start again. Yeah, I really miss that and I know he missed contact with me too.” – Paul McCartney.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-03/extended-interview:-one-on-one-with-music-icon/102684360

JOHN LENNON and THE BEATLES ALWAYS ON PAUL’S SHOULDER
Paul McCartney co-founded The Beatles with John Lennon and was very much to the fore with John in not only their amazing song-writing partnership, the most successful ever, but also their incredible and perfect vocal blend, the finest ever. Whenever and whatever Paul writes he brings the experience of his creativity with John Lennon and The Beatles to bear. John was surely on Paul’s shoulder during his time on the bus. George and Ringo were surely there too. Paul has often said about the time he and John were arguing and John lowered his glasses, looked over the top of them and chirped, “It’s only me!”

According to Paul McCartney.com Paul worked on songs for Red Rose Speedway for most of 1972 so it is entirely possible that Paul was inspired to write during that 7,500 miles on the bus from 9th July to 24th August. A few short weeks later in October 1972 Paul went into Abbey Road to record the tracks for the RED ROSE SPEEDWAY album and the Grammy Winning LIVE & LET DIE the first James Bond theme song to be nominated for an Oscar. We are left shaken & stirred by the tantalising thought that the time spent beforehand on 1972 WINGS TOUR BUS WNO 481 may have contributed to Paul’s creative output. If that is the case as Roger Moore’s James Bond might say we are proud to have been of ‘secret service’ – more…

ATMOSPHERE JUST RIGHT
The atmosphere on 1972 Wings Tour Bus was perfect for song-writing; the rhythm of the open road, the sunshine, the warmth, the space and comfort on the open top deck, the movement, the away-from-it-all freedom, the hum of the road music etc. may all have contributed to Paul’s feeling of well-being and with John ever-present on his shoulder history would show Paul’s creative genius continued as strong as ever.

Richard Marx said that when he was on the road in the days before mobile phones and digital recorders he would get a flash of inspiration that was so strong that he had to stop off at a pay-phone, call home and sing his idea to his ansafone.

Paul’s Seat – Front Nearside
Paul has always been a creative genius and for a writer it could be just perfect to have that genius atmosphere supporting their inspiration and empowering their ‘creatives’ (creative ideas) to come out to play. A perfect antidote to the dreaded writer’s block?

How amazing and creatively inspiring it could be to sit in the actual seat occupied by ‘Music’s Greatest’ Paul McCartney and just let the creativity flow.

The seat that Paul occupied for two months and 7,500 miles during one of the most pivotal, creative and romantic periods of not just his career but his life.

The Top Deck
Mattresses, bean bags, cushions, Stella’s playpen all contributed to the feeling of space, freedom and relaxation that Paul, family and band enjoyed for 7,500 miles.

Guests who enjoyed the 1972 Wings Tour Bus Experience.

MAYBE WE’RE AMAZED TO SEE WHAT THEY WROTE IN THE GUEST BOOK
At The NEC Classic Motor Show we asked friends, colleagues and visitors who came on board to sign our Guest Book and to share their thoughts about the unveiling of our Magical History Tour de force Ticket To Ride Restoration of 1972 Wings Tour Bus.

“Cheers, AMAZED”, Howie Casey, Paul McCartney & Wings legendary sax player.

Howie Casey CV

“Thanks Tom! Fabulous achievement – getting the bus back on the road. Thoroughly enjoyed the gig.” Joe Jones, Howie Casey’s musical partner.

Howie Casey, legendary sax player with Paul McCartney & Wings plays a beautiful live version of Paul’s classic song for Linda, My Love
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View the Guest Book

“Wings toured the world and became the best-selling pop act of the 1970s, with an astonishing 27 U.S. Top 40 hits (beating Elton John’s 25) and five consecutive number one albums, including the highly acclaimed Band on the Run (1973) and Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976).” Britannica – more…

On 18th March 1973 Paul McCartney & Wings was the very first band to rock at the very first Hard Rock Cafe – more…

Mission Impossible it is not, we can rebuild her. We have the technology and it needn’t cost 6 million dollars!

Click to play the soundtrack plus interviews with Paul McCartney and others who were there.

Back in the day, there were only two measurements of chart success: sales of singles and sales of albums. Then the business changed and streaming of songs and single track sales arrived and a new system of measurement came into being. EAS: Equivalent Album Sales is a measurement that has been used in the music industry since 2010 to define the consumption of music that includes streams and track sales that make up the equivalent purchase of one album copy.

According to Chartmasters.org and Ken Hoffman of Chron.com, Paul McCartney is the most successful music artist of all-time, the only one to break 500 million Equivalent Album Sales combined.

McCartney has amassed a record-breaking 32 US #1 singles, 27 US #1 albums.

He is the only artist ever to have topped the US Hot 100 as a solo act, as part of a duo, of a trio, of a quartet, and of a quintet.

Paul McCartney has scored 100 million Equivalent Album Sales twice; as part of a group and then again with subsequent careers, including Wings.

At 17,846,000 Equivalent Album Sales, Band On The Run is the 5th most successful album from 1973.

Mull Of Kintyre was, from 1977 – 1984, the best-selling single ever in the UK, and the first to sell 2 million units.

Between the Beatles and his solo career Paul McCartney has sold more than 100 million albums and 100 million singles.

Sixty of his albums have achieved gold album status, from sales all over the world.

McCartney wrote, or co-wrote, 129 songs that made the Billboard Hot 100 chart; 91 of them made the Top 10, and 32 went to No. 1.

He has written 43 songs that sold more than 1 million copies.

When he was 23, he wrote “Yesterday” the most-covered song in pop music history, recorded by over 2,000 artists.

In 1990, he performed at a soccer stadium in Brazil and 184,000 fans showed up – the largest rock concert ever in a stadium.

McCartney hasn’t been just a rock star. He rocked the world. Because of him and his three pals from Liverpool, even today, people dress differently, wear their hair differently and think differently. They were the first rockers who made being smart cool.

Since that break up with The Beatles, Paul McCartney has written and produced 22 studio albums, 8 live albums, 3 greatest hits albums, 75 singles, 55 music videos, 5 classical albums and 7 albums in collaboration with other artists.

He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame both as a Beatle and as Paul McCartney.

He is Sir Paul, knighted by the Queen Elizabeth II, in 1994.

Paul McCartney helped create the biggest band of the 1960’s The Beatles

Paul McCartney created the biggest band of the 1970’s Paul McCartney & Wings – Britannica

GQ Magazine
“…what could possibly top having five records in the American Top Ten at the same time? What could top playing Shea Stadium to the loudest crowd in history? Or making Sgt Pepper? Or “Hey Jude”? Or “Let It Be”? What on earth could possibly top being revered by an entire generation? Or two. What could top being – along with David Bailey, The Rolling Stones and Michael Caine – pretty much responsible for the 1960s? What could top being a Beatle? Here is a man who gave his name to The Ramones (Paul Ramon being McCartney’s old stage and hotel check-in name), whose “Yesterday” is the most popular song of all time (2,400 mangled cover versions and counting) and who conjured up the bass part for John Lennon’s “Come Together” in a jot.