One Hand Clapping (Paul McCartney and Wings album)

The performance was recorded in Abbey Road Studios (known at the time as EMI Studios) over four days in August 1974, during Band on the Run's seventh week in a row at the top of the UK album charts.^[1] Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney and guitarist Denny Laine were joined by new members guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton, who were recruited after previous members Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell had left just prior to recording Band on the Run.^[7] The band had just returned from Nashville, where they recorded their then-upcoming single "Junior's Farm". The band were also joined in the studio by orchestra conductor Del Newman and saxophonist Howie Casey, both of whom had previously played with McCartney and would go on to join the Wings touring band.^[1]

The performances were filmed by photographer David Litchfield. At Paul's request, Litchfield used videotape rather than film, presumably because McCartney intended for the performances to be viewed by him for band assessments rather than public consumption.^[8] Litchfield explained: "So what [Paul] wanted me to do was to set up in Abbey Road Studios and film the band playing, purely as a record of what it was then. Then he can look at it and see the band as the public saw it."^[9] Litchfield hired two cameramen, a video engineer, a sound engineer, an editor and a graphics designer, while engineer Geoff Emerick recorded 16-track masters of the performances.^[10] The band held their performances in high regard. After having not rehearsed together for five weeks,^[11] Linda said, "we couldn't believe how good we were–we were so tight, and everybody knew their stuff."^[12] By 27 August, Paul reconsidered the project as a documentary to promote Wings' new lineup. He picked the title, One Hand Clapping, from an overdubbing session in Nashville.^[13] On 30 August, Paul had Litchfield tape some solo acoustic performances in the backyard of EMI Studios to contrast with the studio footage.^[14]

After filming wrapped, Litchfield found the videotape problematic: "You couldn't edit the stuff. ... The only thing it had going for it was that you could put a soundtrack down, so the quality of the sound on all the stuff I did with [Paul] is absolutely brilliant, but the [visual quality] is shit. I had to [transfer the material] from video to film to edit it, and once you've gone down one generation, the quality just disappears."^[15] Litchfield and editor Brian Huberman began editing the footage in late September; Litchfield separated McCartney's acoustic performances into a separate film called Paul McCartney in 'The Backyard'.^[16] The film was left unreleased until 2010 when it was included in the box set reissue of Band on the Run as part of Paul McCartney Archive Collection.

Some songs from the One Hand Clapping sessions were previously released, mostly as bonus tracks on the Paul McCartney Archive Collection reissues:

• "Live and Let Die" appears on the soundtrack album to the film The In-Laws from 2003.^[17]

• "Bluebird", "Jet", "Let Me Roll It", "Band on the Run", "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five" and "Country Dreamer" appear in the special and deluxe editions of Band on the Run from 2010.

• "Maybe I'm Amazed" appears in the special and deluxe editions of McCartney from 2011.

• "Soily", "Baby Face" and "Love My Baby" (digital download) appear in the special and deluxe editions of Venus and Mars from 2014.

The album was released on 14 June 2024, on CD, LP and digital platforms. A special edition 2-LP containing an additional 7" record features six additional songs performed solo by McCartney in the backyard of the Abbey Road Studios on the final day of recording.^[1][3]

The album was mixed by Giles Martin and Steve Orchard.^[3]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	84/100[18]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[19]
Pitchfork	8.4/10[20]

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In the 2013 McCartney biography Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s, author Tom Doyle calls the performances "tight and strong" and quotes drummer Geoff Britton as "being surprised to discover that, 'seeing us play, we were a good band'". However, Doyle believes the film is less favourable in how it depicts the personality clashes within the band.^[21]

AP critic Scott Bauer praised the "spirited performances" on the album, calling it "a fine snapshot" of McCartney's "post-Beatles creative high".^[22] Andrew Korpan of ClutchPoints similarly commented that "all of the songs are performed well and with plenty of energy", but noted "an overwhelming amount of synthesizers" throughout the album.^[23]

All songs written by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney, except where noted

Paul McCartney and Wings^[3]

• Paul McCartney – vocals, bass, piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, celeste, harmonium, acoustic guitar
• Linda McCartney – Moog, electric piano, Mellotron, tambourine, backing vocals
• Denny Laine – vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, harmonica
• ⁠Jimmy McCulloch – electric guitar, backing vocals
• Geoff Britton – drums

Additional personnel^[3]

• Howie Casey – saxophone
• Tuxedo Brass Band – brass
• Del Newman – orchestra conductor, arranger
• Geoff Emerick – sound engineer