Every New Zealand #1 single…
6
Mull of Kintyre by Wings
Topped the NZ chart: for 7 weeks from 29 January 1978.
Sir Paul McCartney endured a rollercoaster 1970s after an unimpeachable 1960s. In The Beatles, his rivalry/partnership with Lennon kept him focused. He wrote gems like ‘Penny Lane’, ‘Eleanor Rigby’, and ‘Paperback Writer’.
By the 1970s, McCartney was happily married and settled on a Scottish farm. His musical output became patchier. Gems like ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’, ‘Band on the Run’, and ‘Daytime Nighttime Suffering‘ shared space with questionable moments like ‘Cook of the House’ and ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’.
Mull of Kintyre
There’s a demo of ‘Mull of Kintyre’ from 1974. But it wasn’t recorded until 1977, during a break in the London Town sessions. By this time, Wings were back to a three-piece band, with Paul joined by Denny Laine and Linda McCartney.
The Mull of Kintyre is a remote point in southwestern Scotland. At the height of his Beatles fame in 1966, McCartney bought High Park Farm as a getaway.
‘Mull of Kintyre’ was released in late 1977 as a double a-side with ‘Girl’s School’. It was Wings’ only release of 1977, with plans for an album delayed by Linda’s pregnancy. ‘Mull of Kintyre’ became very successful in Europe and Australasia, but barely made a dent in North America. It became the highest-selling single in the UK. It was later overtaken by ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, but remains the highest-selling non-charity single.
“I wrote the song when I realised there were no new Scottish songs being written. It was a great experience recording it with the local pipe band and really exciting to see the amazing success it had in the charts at the time, so those memories mean I still love it and it’s a very special song for me.”
Paul McCartney, The Big Issue
The Verdict
Like much of McCartney’s work in the 1970s, ‘Mull of Kintyre’ has more than its share of cheese. The song is presented simply – there’s little more than an acoustic strum until the bagpipes hit. It’s the correct arrangement choice for a straightforward folk song. But its simplicity means it’s not a song I need to hear often.
It’s a pretty tune, and it’s been accepted into the Scottish folk canon. My father had a vast collection of budget CD bagpipe compilations. ‘Mull of Kintyre’ was ubiquitous, alongside ‘Scotland the Brave’ and ‘Amazing Grace’.
‘Mull of Kintyre’ isn’t near McCartney’s best work but has a certain charm.
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I liked much of Paul’s output with Wings in the 70s. I only went off him with the “Back to the Egg” album because I thought he went disco on it.
Have you heard Daytime Nighttime Suffering, a b-side from the Back to the Egg era? It’s one of my favourites from Wings, and unfairly obscure.
I should go through the Wings discography sometime – not that big, and I already probably know half the songs.
I found your analysis of ‘Mull of Kintyre’ really interesting—especially its simplicity and place in the Scottish folk canon. Why do you think the song resonated so strongly in Europe and Australasia but not in North America? Was it the folk influence, or something else about McCartney’s sound at the time?
4 of Wings’ 7 albums topped the charts in the US, and London Town (from the same era as Mull of Kintyre) went to #2. So McCartney was very popular in the states in this era. I don’t know if they even bothered releasing Mull as a single in the states.
I saw McCartney back in 93 in Winnipeg and for the last song of the night he brought up to the stage a local bag pipes band and they played Mull of Kintyre which was very cool. Back in 93 there was no internet of iPhones recording shows before you got experience it yourself…
Miss those days!
Cool – sounds fun! Sounds like he doesn’t play it live all that much – maybe because it needs the bagpipes?
This song has always baffled me. I thought maybe I wasn’t hearing something that the rest of the world was…I saw Deke’s comment…I can’t believe he played it in Canada. When I saw him in Nashville…I expected Sally G but he has never done that song live I don’t think.
From what I read the record company thought Girls School had more potential here than Mull of Kintyre and Girls School was the A side…which I don’t get. I don’t think it’s a case where America didn’t like it…I don’t think it was heard very much or given a chance….Girls School/Mull of Kintyre peaked at 33 here. Radio stations played Girls School.
It’s one of those tracks where I’d probably love it if it was an unheralded deep cut, but it wore out its welcome as a single. It’s really simple and long, even though it’s a good tune.
Do you mean that you really like it, and think it could have been a big hit in the US? I was surprised how big Wings were in the states in the 1970s. The majority of their albums topped the chart.
Oh I do like it…I know I went in different directions…sorry. I don’t know about number 1 but I do think it would have been top twenty yes. It’s better than Girls School.
I know people who like Wings over The Beatles because they grew up in that time. They were huge.
It’d be an interesting study to see how bagpipes affect chart placement in the UK vs the US…
Yes it would…we don’t hear them much unless it’s Amazing Grace or something.
Was John Farnham’s ‘You’re the Voice’ big in the US. That has bagpipes. And there’s an AC/DC song.
I didn’t know it until I listened…yes it was.
The Animals also had a song called Sky Pilot that has them but more for atmosphere.
I’ve seen them played once at a concert. Nazareth had them in the middle of Hair of the Dog.
I still love this song.
It’s an excellent tune, but I’m a little burnt out by it.
Yes I know what you mean