We’re Open Tonight

Released: 8 June 1979 (UK), 11 June 1979 (US)

Available on:
Back To The Egg

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar
Linda McCartney: vocals
Denny Laine: vocals, electric guitar
Laurence Juber: 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Steve Holley: drums

‘We’re Open Tonight’ is the third track on Wings’ last album Back To The Egg.

The song was recorded at Lympne (pronounced Lim) Castle in Kent, England, in September 1978.

Although this was not to be a concept album, the narrative of ‘setting up for the show’ was a familiar theme in the McCartney lyric book. This reflective moment gained something from the castle ambience. While Paul played the opening acoustic guitar, I sat in the spiral stairwell doubling his part on an acoustic 12-string with the third string de-tuned a step or two. It was not deliberate, that was how the guitar came out of the case. The tuning worked harmonically with Paul’s part so I did not touch it. We added little ‘wah wah’ pedal guitar, tremolo electric guitar, volume pedal on bass, glockenspiel and ethereal backing vocals. Steve played some tuned bongo-type drums called boobams [rototoms].

McCartney’s bass guitar was fed through a volume pedal, to give what Juber described as “the slightly bowed sound”.

Back To The Egg was originally to have been titled We’re Open Tonight, but the eventual title was suggested by Linda McCartney. The idea was for a concept piece depicting a band on their journey to a performance, with the egg representing the protective shell of being on tour.

It started off being a concept album. It had a travelling idea, where somebody got into their van on a rainy night and was heading towards the gig, but in the end it just ended up being just songs.