Back to the Egg

Back to the Egg is the seventh and final studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in June 1979 on Columbia Records in America (their first for the label), and on Parlophone in the UK. Co-produced by Chris Thomas, the album reflects band leader Paul McCartney's embracing of contemporary musical trends such as new wave and punk, and marked the arrival of new Wings members Laurence Juber and Steve Holley. Back to the Egg adopts a loose conceptual theme around the idea of a working band, and its creation coincided with a period of considerable activity for the group, which included making a return to touring and work on several television and film projects.

Recording for the album began in June 1978 and lasted for almost a year. The sessions took place at Spirit of Ranachan Studios in Scotland, Lympne Castle in Kent, London's Abbey Road Studios, and Replica Studio – the last of which McCartney built as an exact replica of Abbey Road's Studio Two when the latter became unavailable. Wings returned to Abbey Road in March 1979 to complete the album, before filming a series of promotional videos in Lympne and elsewhere, for what became the Back to the Egg TV special.

Back to the Egg received unfavourable reviews from the majority of critics, with Rolling Stone magazine deriding it as "the sorriest grab bag of dreck in recent memory".[1] Although the album charted in the top ten around the world and was certified platinum in the United States, it was viewed as a commercial failure relative to previous Wings releases, particularly in light of the generous financial terms under which McCartney had signed with CBS-owned Columbia Records. Of its singles – "Old Siam, Sir", "Getting Closer" and "Arrow Through Me" – only "Getting Closer" made the top 20 in Britain or America. The song "Rockestra Theme", recorded with a cast of guest musicians from bands such as the Who, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1980.

Wings toured the UK in support of the album, but the planned world tour ended in January 1980, when McCartney was arrested in Japan for possession of marijuana. The group discontinued early the following year after the departure of Laine. Back to the Egg was reissued in 1993, with bonus tracks, and in 2007 for iTunes, with the addition of Wings' 1979 non-album single "Goodnight Tonight", in its extended form.

Track listing
Side two: Over Easy
 * 1) "Reception" – 1:08
 * 2) "Getting Closer" – 3:22
 * 3) "We're Open Tonight" – 1:28
 * 4) "Spin It On" – 2:12
 * 5) "Again and Again and Again" (Denny Laine) – 3:34
 * 6) "Old Siam, Sir" – 4:11
 * 7) "Arrow Through Me" – 3:37
 * 1) "Rockestra Theme" – 2:35
 * 2) "To You" – 3:12
 * 3) "After the Ball / Million Miles" – 4:00
 * 4) "Winter Rose / Love Awake" – 4:58
 * 5) "The Broadcast" – 1:30
 * 6) "So Glad to See You Here" – 3:20
 * 7) "Baby's Request" – 2:49
 * 1993 The Paul McCartney Collection bonus tracks
 * 1) "Daytime Nighttime Suffering" – 3:23
 * 2) "Wonderful Christmastime" – 3:49
 * 3) "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae" (Johnny Marks) – 1:48
 * 2007 iTunes bonus track
 * 1) "Goodnight Tonight" (Extended Version) – 7:16

Personnel
Wings Additional personnel Rockestra line-up on "Rockestra Theme" and "So Glad to See You Here" Production
 * Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, bass, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, concertina on "Million Miles", piano and harpsichord on "Winter Rose"
 * Linda McCartney – keyboards, backing vocals
 * Denny Laine – lead vocal on "Again and Again and Again", electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
 * Laurence Juber – electric and acoustic guitars, guitar synthesizer, bass on "Love Awake"[148]
 * Steve Holley – drums, percussion
 * Black Dyke Mills Band – horns on "Love Awake"
 * Dierdre Margary, Harold Margary – book readings
 * Denny Laine, Laurence Juber, David Gilmour, Hank Marvin, Pete Townshend – guitars
 * Steve Holley, John Bonham, Kenney Jones – drums
 * Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones, Ronnie Lane, Bruce Thomas – basses
 * Paul McCartney, Gary Brooker, John Paul Jones – pianos
 * Linda McCartney, Tony Ashton – keyboards
 * Speedy Acquaye, Tony Carr, Ray Cooper, Morris Pert – percussion
 * Howie Casey, Tony Dorsey, Steve Howard, Thaddeus Richard – horns
 * Paul McCartney and Chris Thomas – producers
 * Phil McDonald – engineer
 * Mark Vigars – assistant engineer
 * John Shaw – front cover photo
 * Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney – back cover photos
 * Hipgnosis – design