How David Bowie Saved Paul McCartney From His Worst Career Crisis: “Complete Disaster”
After The Beatles split, Paul McCartney formed Wings but judged the band harshly against his former group’s unprecedented success. He says David Bowie helped him see that Wings’ achievements were substantial, despite not matching The Beatles’ cultural stature.
McCartney recalled calling the album *Back to the Egg* a “complete disaster” because it had not met his expectations. Looking it up with Bowie in a chart history book, he found it had reached number eight in the United States, a position he recognised many artists would prize. He also said critics were tough on Wings, but he had been especially hard on the band himself.
In short
- McCartney often compared Wings with The Beatles.
- Bowie helped him reassess the band’s success.
- *Back to the Egg* reached number eight in America.
Explained simply
After the Beatles broke up in 1970, Paul McCartney began a new band, Wings, with his wife Linda and other musicians. The group released several albums and had major chart success, though it was often compared with the Beatles.
McCartney has said he measured Wings against the Beatles’ extraordinary success and was particularly critical of the band’s work. David Bowie was another British musician who had achieved international fame, and McCartney has described him as helping put Wings’ record sales into perspective. A US chart position could be a significant success for many artists, even if it fell short of Beatles-level impact.
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