In June, Paul McCartney released One Hand Clapping, a collection of live recordings he made with his band Wings in 1974 during a four-day session at Abbey Road Studios in London that was filmed for a documentary that was shelved at the time. Now, the One Hand Clapping documentary, featuring the archival footage shot for the project will premiere in theaters starting on September 26.
One Hand Clapping offers a behind-the-scenes look at McCartney and Wings, and includes performances of a variety of songs. The film features interviews with the band members, between-song dialogue, commentary from the project’s creative team, and much more.
The documentary was directed by filmmaker David Litchfield, and originally was shot on videotape that’s been restored at 4K resolution. Screenings of the movie will feature a newly filmed introduction from McCartney, plus previously unseen Polaroid pics from the sessions. The presentation also will include the previously unreleased “Backyard Sessions,” which capture McCartney playing several songs on acoustic guitar in a garden on the Abbey Road grounds.
Tickets for the screenings will go on sale August 16 at OneHandClapping.film.
“It’s so great to look back on that period and see the little live show we did,” McCartney said about the sessions. “We made a pretty good noise actually! It was a great time for the band, we started to have success with Wings, which had been a long time coming.”
About the One Hand Clapping Sessions
The One Hand Clapping project came together following the release of McCartney and Wings’ chart-topping album Band on the Run. The group’s core members of Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, and Denny Laine had recently welcomed two new additions to the group—guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton. The band’s new lineup had just returned from Nashville after recording the single “Junior’s Farm.”
Also taking part in the One Hand Clapping sessions were orchestral arranger Del Newman and saxophonist Howie Casey. Casey had previously played with McCartney in Hamburg, Germany, and he later joined Wings’ touring lineup.
Songs Featured on One Hand Clapping
One Hand Clapping begins with an instrumental jam that became the title track, and features a variety of Wings hits, and many songs from Band on the Run. Other songs performed during the sessions include a rendition of McCartney’s solo classic “Maybe I’m Amazed,” reworked segments of The Beatles’ “Let It Be,” “The Long and Winding Road,” and “Lady Madonna,” and a version of the Moody Blues hit “Go Now” sung by Laine, who was The Moodies’ original lead singer.
In addition, One Hand Clapping features Paul playing a solo piano version of the Tin Pan Alley gem “Baby Face.”
The “Backyard Sessions” segment features McCartney performing the unreleased song “Blackpool,” a version of The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” and the Wings B-side “Country Dreamer.” It also captures him singing covers of Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock” and Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue” and “I’m Gonna Love You Too.”
More Details About the Film
Besides the many performances, the film features McCartney discussing how much he enjoyed working in a band, his writing process, and more. The doc also includes comments from Wings members reflecting on their experiences collaborating with Paul and of being in the band.
You can check out a preview clip from the movie on YouTube features McCartney and company performing “Band on the Run.”
McCartney’s 2024 Tour Plans
As previously reported, McCartney will launch a 2024 edition of his Got Back Tour this fall. The trek will visit South America, Mexico, France, Spain, and the U.K.
The outing kicks off with on October 1 in Montevideo, Uruguay, and is plotted out through a December 18-19 engagement at The O2 arena in London.
Tickets for McCartney’s concerts are available via a variety of outlets, including StubHub.
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