McCartney and Wings London Town - Original Vinyl Record - Still Sealed

$

87

Catalog: Capitol SW 11777

Front Cover:    Mint (Still Sealed - Never Opened - Never Played)

Back Cover:     Mint (Still Sealed - Never Opened - Never Played)

Spine:              Mint (Still Sealed - Never Opened - Never Played)

Vinyl Side 1:     Mint (Still Sealed - Never Opened - Never Played)

Vinyl Side 2:     Mint (Still Sealed - Never Opened - Never Played)

Label Side 1:    Mint (Still Sealed - Never Opened - Never Played)

Label Side 2:    Mint (Still Sealed - Never Opened - Never Played)

There are breath holes in the shrink wrap.

Studio album by Wings

Released

31 March 1978

Recorded

February 1977 – January 1978,Abbey Road Studios, AIR Studios, London; Virgin Islands (aboard a yacht)

Genre

Rock

Length

51:29

Label

Parlophone (UK)
Capitol (US)

Producer

Paul McCartney

Wings chronology

Wings over America
(1976)

London Town
(1978)

Wings Greatest
(1978)

Singles from London Town

1.     "With a Little Luck"
Released: 20 March 1978

2.     "I've Had Enough"
Released: 16 June 1978

3.     "London Town"
Released: 26 August 1978

Professional ratings

Review scores

Source

Rating

AllMusic

Robert Christgau

B

The Essential Rock Discography

5/10

MusicHound

Q

Rolling Stone

(not rated)

The Rolling Stone Album Guide

London Town is the sixth studio album by Wings, released in 1978. Recording the album was a long and tumultuous project which saw the loss of two band members, the birth of a baby and the release of the then best-selling single in British history.

History

After the commercial zenith of 1976 with Wings at the Speed of Sound and its well-received Wings Over the World tour, Wings' leader Paul McCartney planned on making 1977 a similar year. However, things did not quite work out as planned.

In February 1977, Wings began recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios, which continued until the end of March. Here, Wings recorded five songs: "Girls' School", "Name and Address", "London Town", "Children, Children" and Linda McCartney's "B-Side to Seaside", later issued as the flip-side of the Wings single "Seaside Woman" (issued under the name "Suzy and the Red Stripes").[8] The initial plan of touring the US again was thwarted by Linda's discovery that she was pregnant with her and Paul's third child (Mary had been born in 1969 and Stella in 1971). With the knowledge that they were not going to tour and had time at their disposal – and once again looking for different locales to record in – Wings found themselves moored on a yacht called "Fair Carol" in the Virgin Islands during the month of May where several new songs were recorded. Reflecting the nautical locale, the album's initial working title was Water Wings. As Linda's pregnancy progressed, the band halted the sessions for the album, save for the recording of a new track called "Mull of Kintyre" that August and the completion of the already begun "Girls' School", which would be released as a single – Wings' one and only release in 1977.

Before the single's release came two defections from Wings. Drummer Joe English had become homesick for Americaand returned home, and lead guitarist Jimmy McCulloch left to join the Small Faces that September. For the first time since 1973's Band on the Run, Wings were down to the core three of Paul, Linda and Denny Laine, reflected on the picture sleeve of the single, which just showed the three remaining members.

In November, two months after the birth of son James, and shortly after sessions for London Town resumed, the Scottish tribute "Mull of Kintyre" was released to enormous commercial success, becoming the UK's biggest-selling single (even outstripping The Beatles' largest seller "She Loves You"). Although it would be topped in 1984 by Band Aid, "Mull of Kintyre" still ranks as the UK's fourth biggest selling single and the largest selling non-charity single.

After some final overdubbing in January 1978, London Town was completed and preceded by the US #1 "With a Little Luck" that March, while the album was released a week later. The album also features the song "Girlfriend" which was also recorded by American pop star Michael Jackson, who featured it on his 1979 album Off the Wall. London Towngenerally fared well with the critics and in the charts, reaching #4 in the UK and #2 in the US where it sold over one million copies and went platinum. But after its strong start, it did not have the staying power of Wings' previous releases, with subsequent singles "I've Had Enough" and the title track becoming small hits. Although the advent of punk music (which sent the music industry into a period of change) would certainly have contributed to the slightly smaller sales of London Town, the album is now considered to mark the end of Wings' commercial peak and the beginning of a minor commercial slump for McCartney. On 14 May 1978, Paul and Linda McCartney were interviewed for BBC Radio's The Simon Bates Show, to endorse the album, and "With a Little Luck".

Paul McCartney was reportedly displeased with Capitol Records in the US, where "Mull of Kintyre" flopped (its B-Side, "Girls School," did make a modest dent in the Top 40, reaching #33), and was further dismayed at what he viewed as lacklustre promotion for London Town. With his contract at an end, he promptly signed up withColumbia Records for North America only (remaining with EMI worldwide) and would stay there until 1984, before returning to Capitol in the US.

In 1993, London Town was remastered and reissued on CD as part of "The Paul McCartney Collection" series with "Mull of Kintyre" and its B-side "Girls School" as bonus tracks.

Wings band member Denny Laine covered "Children Children" and "Deliver Your Children" in 1996 on his album Wings at the Sound of Denny Laine.

Track listing

All songs written by Paul McCartney, except where noted.

Side one

1.    "London Town" (Paul McCartney/Denny Laine) – 4:10

2.    "Café on the Left Bank" – 3:25

3.    "I'm Carrying" – 2:44

4.    "Backwards Traveller" – 1:09

5.    "Cuff Link" – 1:59

6.    "Children Children" (McCartney/Laine) – 2:22

·        lead vocal by Denny Laine

7.    "Girlfriend" – 4:39

8.    "I've Had Enough" – 3:02

Side two

9.    "With a Little Luck" – 5:45

10. "Famous Groupies" – 3:36

11. "Deliver Your Children" (McCartney/Laine) – 4:17

·        lead vocal by Denny Laine

12. "Name and Address" – 3:07

13. "Don't Let It Bring You Down" (McCartney/Laine) – 4:34

14. "Morse Moose and the Grey Goose" (McCartney/Laine) – 6:25

Additional tracks

[show]1993 The Paul McCartney Collection bonus tracks

Personnel

·        Paul McCartney – vocal, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion, violin, flageolet, recorder

·        Denny Laine – vocal, guitar, bass, flageolet, recorder, percussion

·        Linda McCartney – vocal, keyboards, percussion

·        Jimmy McCulloch – guitar, percussion

·        Joe English – vocal, drums, percussion, harmonica

Production

·        Cover design and photography: Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, Denny Laine

Charts

Chart positions

Chart (1978)

Position

Australian Kent Music Report Chart

3

Austrian Albums Chart

4

Canadian RPM Albums Chart

2

Dutch Mega Albums Chart

1

French SNEP Albums Chart

3

Italian Albums Chart

8

Japanese Oricon LPs Chart 

4

New Zealand Albums Chart

4

Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart

2

Spanish Albums Chart

9

Swedish Albums Chart

4

UK Albums Chart

4

US Billboard 200

2

US Cashbox albums chart

2

US Record World albums chart

2

West German Media Control Albums Chart

6

Year-end charts

Chart (1978)

Position

Australian Albums Chart

25

Austrian Albums Chart

12

Canadian Albums Chart

22

Dutch Albums Chart

16

French Albums Chart

11

Italian Albums Chart

49

Japanese Albums Chart

45

UK Albums Chart

24

U.S. Billboard 200

56

Certifications & Sales

Region

Certification

Sales/shipments

France (SNEP)

Gold

265,800

Germany (BVMI)

Gold

250,000^

Japan (Oricon Charts)

86,000

Netherlands (NVPI)

Platinum

100,000^

United Kingdom (BPI)

Gold

100,000^

United States (RIAA)

Platinum

1,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone