Wings live: Apollo, Glasgow

Wings performed at the Apollo in Glasgow, Scotland, on 17 December 1979.

It was the final night of the 19-date Wings UK Tour 1979, and the second of two consecutive nights in Glasgow. The band had previously performed at the Odeon on 21 September 1975.

A recording of ‘Coming Up’ from this show was released as a single in April 1980.

I always thought the single was going to be the solo version. We did the song on your because we wanted to do something the audience hadn’t heard before. The live version on the b-side of the single was recorded on the last night of the tour in Glasgow. In America, a lot of the disc jockeys on the top 40 stations picked up on this side and so it became the a-side in the States. It’s the b-side in the rest of the world.

Paul McCartney

The whole show was recorded, and mixed by Geoff Emerick in April 1980.

We did a tour of Britain and the last night was in Glasgow – good place to have your last night – and I’ve always got on great with Glasgow. I don’t know if it’s because I’m from Liverpool, but I’ve never had trouble. On that tour, we did this one new number, which was ‘Coming Up’. There was this one boy who came down to the front and while we were doing this number – it turned out to be the version which was number one in America: the live version, recorded in Glasgow – this kid was bopping away. Just seeing him go, I thought ‘That’s gotta mean something’ and I got one of those feelings that this was going to be a hit.

Paul McCartney
Club Sandwich, Spring 1988

The Campbeltown pipe band joined Wings on stage for ‘Mull Of Kintyre’.

My personal favourite moment was playing the Glasgow Apollo, which coincided with the soccer final with Scotland and England. Paul had decided that he would wrap himself in the flag of the winning team. We had the Campbeltown Pipe Band, in full kilts and regalia, underneath the stage for the performance of ‘Mull Of Kintyre’. That was a very excited crowd, and Scotland won that night.

Steve Holley
irishusa.com

Wings were Paul McCartney on vocals, guitar, bass guitar, and keyboards; Linda McCartney on vocals and keyboards; Denny Laine on vocals, guitar, and bass guitar; Laurence Juber on guitar; and Steve Holley on drums, plus a horns and brass section consisting of Howie Casey, Tony Dorsey, Steve Howard, and Thaddeus Richard.

The highlight of the tour from a musical point of view was that last Glasgow concert. That was the point on the tour when we were really cooking as a band. It was also a more complete set than Kampuchea. And to be honest, if you listen to the Last Flight bootleg CD, the version we did of ‘Let It Be’ in Glasgow was even better. I’ll never forget the audience reaction to the bagpipe band marching through the audience that night.

Laurence Juber
Daytrippin’ Beatles Magazine