In 1973, Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band Wings scored their first major commercial success with the album Red Rose Speedway and its chart-topping single "My Love," yet McCartney himself later admitted he "couldn't stand" the finished record. The album's troubled creation, marked by a departed producer and record-label interference, reflects the difficult early years McCartney faced trying to establish Wings as a credible successor to The Beatles amid harsh critical scrutiny.

The follow-up to 1971's poorly received Wild Life, Red Rose Speedway was recorded throughout 1972 under producer Glyn Johns before he quit, leaving McCartney to finish the job himself. Enough material was recorded for a double album, but EMI, wary of Wings' modest sales history, insisted it be trimmed to a single disc, resulting in a more middle-of-the-road record. Despite McCartney's private disappointment, the ballad "My Love," featuring a guitar solo by Henry McCullough, became Wings' first US number one single and helped push the album to the top of the US charts. Wings later lost two members before recording their next album, Band on the Run, which finally delivered the acclaim McCartney had sought.