Paul McCartnety And Wings Venus and Mars U.S Columbia MPL Vinyl Rip With Bonus
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Venus and Mars
Studio album by Wings
Released 27 May 1975 (UK)
27 May 1975 (US)
Recorded January - April 1975 at Sea Saint, New Orleans and Wally Heiders Studio, Los Angeles
Genre Rock, Pop rock
Length 43:11
Label Capitol/EMI
Producer Paul McCartney
Professional reviews
* Allmusic 3/5 stars link
* Robert Christgau (B+) link
* Rolling Stone (unfavourable) link
Alternate cover
Cover of The Paul McCartney Collection edition
Venus and Mars is the fourth album by Wings, Paul McCartney's group formed after The Beatles' dissolution. Released as the follow-up to the enormously successful Band on the Run, Venus and Mars continued Wings' string of success and would prove a springboard for a year-long worldwide tour.[1] It was McCartney's first solo album under the Capitol Records label, having re-signed with the label.
Contents
Context
After recording Band on the Run as a three-piece with wife Linda and guitarist Denny Laine, McCartney added Jimmy McCulloch on lead guitar and Geoff Britton on drums to the Wings lineup in 1974. Having written several new songs for the next album, McCartney decided upon New Orleans, Louisiana as the recording venue, and Wings headed there in January 1975.[1]
As soon as the sessions began, the personality clash that had been evident between McCulloch and Britton during Wings' 1974 sessions in Nashville became more pronounced, and Britton — after a mere six month stay — quit Wings, having only played on three of the new songs.[1] A replacement, American Joe English, was quickly auditioned and hired to finish the album.[2]
The sessions themselves proved to be very productive, not only finishing the entire album, but also several additional songs including two future McCartney B-sides: "Lunch Box/Odd Sox" and "My Carnival".[1] McCartney also decided to link the songs together much like The Beatles had on Abbey Road to give the album a more continuous feel.[3]
John Lennon, often in a nostalgic mood while in Los Angeles, had told May Pang (his then girlfriend) that he planned to visit the McCartneys during the recording sessions for Venus and Mars, but this was not to be. Lennon's planned visit would be permanently postponed due to his reunion with Yoko Ono.[4]
Releases
Preceded by the single "Listen to What the Man Said" in May, Venus and Mars appeared two weeks later to decent reviews and brisk sales. The album reached #1 in the US, the UK and worldwide (as did "Listen to What the Man Said" in the US) and sold several million copies, even if the reaction was less than what had greeted Band on the Run a year earlier.
Two additional singles, "Letting Go" and "Venus and Mars/Rock Show" were released, though to less success. Although the latter almost reached the US Top 10, it didn't chart at all in the UK.
By September, Wings kicked off what would be their year-long Wings Over the World tour in the UK, with Australia, the United States and Canada pencilled in for the coming months; Venus and Mars material would be heavily featured.
In 1993, Venus and Mars was remastered and reissued on CD as part of "The Paul McCartney Collection" series with "Zoo Gang" (a UK television theme that was the UK B-side of "Band on the Run" in 1974), "Lunch Box/Odd Sox" (B-side of "Coming Up" in 1980), and "My Carnival" ("Spies Like Us"' B-side in 1985) as bonus tracks. In 2007, Venus and Mars was reissued in digital form on iTunes with these bonus tracks plus the 6-minute-plus "party mix" of "My Carnival".
Wings' interpretation of the theme to Crossroads, a British soap opera, was sometimes used to end the show in place of the regular theme tune, usually when there was a cliffhanger ending with a hint of sadness involved.
In 1996, it was released in the 5.1 Music Disc format.
Track listing
All songs written by Paul McCartney, except where indicated.
1. "Venus and Mars" – 1:20
2. "Rock Show" – 5:31
3. "Love in Song" – 3:04
4. "You Gave Me the Answer" – 2:15
5. "Magneto and Titanium Man" – 3:16
6. "Letting Go" – 4:33
7. "Venus and Mars (Reprise)" – 2:05
8. "Spirits of Ancient Egypt" – 3:04
* Lead vocal by Denny Laine
9. "Medicine Jar" (Jimmy McCulloch/Colin Allen) – 3:37
* Lead vocal by Jimmy McCulloch
10. "Call Me Back Again" – 4:59
11. "Listen to What the Man Said" – 4:01
12. "Treat Her Gently/Lonely Old People" – 4:21
13. "Crossroads Theme" (Tony Hatch) – 1:00
Personnel
* Paul McCartney: Vocals,bass guitar, guitars, keyboards, piano.
* Denny Laine: Guitars, keyboards, vocals.
* Linda McCartney: Keyboards, percussion, vocals.
* Jimmy McCulloch: Guitars, vocals.
* Joe English: Drums, percussion.
* Geoff Britton: Drums (tracks 3, 6 & 9).
Additional personnel
* Kenneth "Afro" Williams: Conga
* Dave Mason: Guitar
* Tom Scott: Saxophone
* Allen Toussaint: Piano, keyboards
Chart positions and certifications
Year Country Chart Position Weeks Certification (if any) Sales/shipments
1975 Norway VG-lista (top 20) 1 26[5]
United Kingdom UK Albums Chart (top 60) 1 29[6] Platinum [7] 300,000
United States The Billboard Pop Albums 1 77[8] Platinum[9] 1,000,000
Australia Kent Music Report 2
Japan Oricon Weekly LP Albums Chart (top 100) 9 44[10] 150,000[11]
Canada Platinum
Also Included "Junior's Farm" / "Sally G" / Venus And Mars / Rock Show (Single Edit)