what comes next after The Beatles? For Paul McCartney, the answer was completely evading him. When you have been a part of a synergetic supergroup for the majority of your career, building something better can feel like an impossible feat. McCartney seemed to find a solution by trying everything and working tirelessly on countless musical endeavors.
McCartney started with the man in the mirror. He released his first solo album in 1970, only a week after he announced his departure from the world's favorite rock band. The album wasn't a polished work like people had come to expect from The Beatles. After years of creating music to be perfect, grand, and complete, McCartney made an experimental stripped-back album. The very personal project was fittingly titled McCartney. His next album was a t venture from him and his wife, Linda McCartney; Ram is a work of familial love. While it wasn't beloved by critics at the time, putting years between the listening experience and the immediate sting of grief many felt post-Beatlemania reveals an honest and joyful celebration of domesticity.
It wasn't long before Paul McCartney found himself back in a band. A year after the end of The Beatles, McCartney formed Paul McCartney and Wings, also known simply as Wings. This group is perhaps the most successful venture McCartney had after The Beatles. Wings built a fan base of Beatles lovers and Wings devotees alike. Linda and Paul formed the band together with Denny Laine and Denny Seiwell. The band had more than a handful of top 40s hits and had the great pleasure of making the theme song for the James Bond movie Live And Let Die, which is a beloved song decades after the film.
One of his most peculiar and adventurous projects was building a band of a different kind. He set out to create an Avengers-level all-star band of rock legends. The group recorded under the name Rockestra. For those unaware of the group and their single recorded song, the band's line-up will shock you.
Paul McCartney Brought Together A Ridiculously Impressive Supergroup
John Bonham, Peter Townshend, David Gilmour and More Formed This Massive Band
Rockestra was an experiment that did exactly as it sounds: attempted to create an orchestra out of rock instruments. When Paul McCartney wrote the song, "Rockestra Theme", he could hear the melody duplicated and bolstered by the sound of tens of other guitars. When he realized that he wanted to create a rock 'n' roll orchestra, he didn't want to build a high school band, he wanted the skill level to be that of the London Symphony Orchestra.
- Paul McCartney
- Linda McCartney
- John Bonham
- Pete Townshend
- David Gilmour
- Robert Plant, Live Kampuchea 1979
- James Honeyman-Scott, Live Kampuchea 1979
- John Paul Jones
- Bruce Thomas
- Hank Marvin
- Gary Brooker
- Ronnie Lane
- Denny Laine
- Kenny Jones
- Tony Ashton
- Laurence Juber
- Martin Jenner
- Steve Holley
- Speedy Acquaye
- Tony Carr
- Ray Cooper
- Morris Pert
- Howie Casey
- Thaddeus Richard
- Tony Dorsey
- Steve Howard
These legends came together to create a nearly three-minute song that has a soundtrack quality to it. It sounds as though it should be the song leading viewers into an action movie. The layering of all the different tones and styles of each musician makes for a delightful listening experience. However, it isn't as large, epic, and complex as you would expect a project made by the best of the best in rock music. The song had a lasting legacy though, being played live many times, particularly in 1979 at the Concert for Kampuchea where they extended the song out to six minutes and welcomed Robert Plant and James Honeyman-Scott into the mix.
Rockestra Was Almost Even Bigger
Keith Moon and Jeff Beck Were Initially In The Line Up
Although it is hard to imagine this line-up shining even brighter, some stars were not able to make it. Paul McCartney extended invitations to a handful of musicians who were not able to participate for multiple reasons.
Ringo Starr was not able to attend due to being out of the country, but McCartney did reach out to him about the project. Many of the Yardbirds were very much invited, but Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton all did not make it to the studio. Beck, in fact, wanted to be a part of the project, but he wanted more control over his performance than McCartney was willing to relinquish.
The Beatles Could've Been In A Complete Unknown If It Didn't Skip Over A Major Bob Dylan Moment
A Complete Unknown didn't include one major Bob Dylan moment from 1964, which would've required that The Beatles appear in the biopic.
Unfortunately, the legendary Keith Moon was not able to make it to the session due to his untimely death. Moon's drumming was an element that made The Who so unique and dynamic. Of course, the drummers on the track are incredible, but his talent would have added something special that only Keith Moon can provide.
Why McCartney's Supergroup Only Recorded One Song
This Experiment In Rock MusicWasn't Made To Last
Paul McCartney created this orchestra to fulfill a vision that he had for a song. He wanted to do an experiment to see what it would be like to create an orchestra-level collaboration in rock. It was not intended to be a band but rather a recording session for a project.
The artists did seem to love the project though. So many of the original musicians on the recording returned to play the song live in 1979 at the Concert for Kampuchea. Some legends even sat in with the group for the first time. The level of synergy that each musician felt on the stage, playing as a unit with no competing riffs or solos, must have been rewarding.
Sources: Paul McCartney Project and Beatles Bible
