Paul McCartney is ready to get back, again, with Saturday’s one-night-only screenings of the rarely-seen 1974 documentary “Paul McCartney & Wings: One Hand Clapping.” It will screen internationally at movie theaters, including five in San Diego County, one in in Tijuana and one in Murrieta. (The list of theaters appears later in this article.)
The now 50-year-old film has never been shown in theaters or televised. Some of the songs recorded for the film were included as part of McCartney’s archival “Band on the Run” box set release in 2010, while a few other songs appeared in subsequent deluxe reissues of other McCartney albums in 2011 and 2014.
Not coincidentally, “One Hand Clapping” was made as something of a victory lap following the 1973 release of the chart-topping “Band on the Run.” That was the third album McCartney and Wings made together in the 1970s, following the implosion of his previous band, The Beatles.
The film was shot on videotape in August 1974 at Abbey Road, the same London studio where The Beatles recorded the majority of their albums. Its belated unveiling now, in upgraded form, follows the June release of the “One Hand Clapping” live double-album. Sixteen of the selections on this 32-song, live-in-the-studio album were never previously released, at least not officially (bootlegs are another matter).
The film and album feature live-in-the-studio versions of such McCartney and Wings’ favorites as “Jet,” “Live and Let Die,” “Band on the Run,” “Junior’s Farm” and “Hi Hi Hi.” The sound has been remastered by an audio team that includes Giles Martin, the son of longtime Beatles’ producer George Martin.
Also featured are excerpts from rearranged versions of “Let It Be,” “Lady Madonna” and other Fab Four classics, along with a bonus mini-film, “Back Yard Sessions,” that features the former Beatle performing solo. In addition to McCartney, the lineup of Wings at the time “One Hand Clapping” was filmed in 1974 included his wife, Linda, on keyboards and backing vocals, former Moody Blues’ guitarist-singer Denny Laine, lead guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton.
McCartney, 82, and Britton, 81, are the only surviving from that edition of Wings. Britton’s tenure in the band was brief — he was only in the group from August 1974 to January 1975. His replacement on drums was Joe English, an American, who was on board when the McCartney-led Wings performed in 1976 at the San Diego Sports Arena.
That was the only time Wings played here. McCartney did not perform another public concert in San Diego until his sold-out 2014 show at Petco Park. He and his band did play here in 2003, but it was at a private birthday party in Rancho Santa Fe
McCulloch died in 1979 at the age of 26. Linda McCartney died in 1998 at the age of 56. Laine died last December at the age of 79.
Wings disbanded in 1981. McCartney’s most recent San Diego concert was in June 2019 at Petco Park.
“One Hand Clapping” will screen Saturday at the following San Diego area theaters:
Regal Edwards Mira Mesa and Cinepolis Plaza Rio in Tijuana at 7 p.m.
Reading Cinemas Grossmont, Angelika Film Center and Reading Cinemas Murrieta at at 7:15 p.m.
AMC Mission Valley and AMC Palm Promenade at 7:30 p.m.
Ticket prices and more information are available at onehandclapping.film
