[quote=ronnierocketAGO][quote=



And lets admit a truth: Wings wasn't so much a band as Paul's backing band. He was the boss, it only had three consistent members (him, Linda, Denny Laine) and the rest were salary players who couldn't get commissions and royalties. It's Paul fnatasy dominating his own Beatles much like fellow egomaniac/control freak John did with his Plastic Ono band. This is why Paul himself is in the Rock Hall of Fame and not Wings, who unless my data is wrong, were the most successful rock act of the 1970s in terms of record sales.

Damn RR, you're so thorough. You are making me think and I don't know if I can take it?

No disagreement regarding Paul's band being a backing band. And you are likely right that they may have needed someone like Martin to "guide" them. As far as Wings itself, I remember a Friday late night show called "In Concert" in which McCartney & Wings played a few times and was very popular. In particular, I owned Red Rose Speed Wagon and Venus & Mars.

Yet, as far as record sales, I'm not sure. Back then there were some very popular groups that didn't get full recognition as far as radio play (or even record sales) on your basic R&R stations (if memory serve me correctly, i.e. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who and many others). For whatever reason, either lyric content or extraordinarily long songs. We referred to them as the "Hard Rock" stations. So, record sales may have not been as high as, say Wings, but still they were popular with a lot of people.

A little memory regarding these concerts/radio and the cautiousness in which the powers that be "allowed" us to hear in those days (in Michigan anyway).

That same "In Concert" show I referred to back in the early 70s scheduled an appearance from Alice Cooper. My husband and I had just seen his concert. Weird as he was, we loved it and invited some friends over to watch (and party) at our house.

Came time for the Alice Cooper portion of the concert and we get an announcement on tv saying "they didn't think this concert was suitable for the Michigan audiences." We thought wtf? I got so mad, I wrote a letter asking them "who are they to tell me what's suitable for me to watch?" I was gonna send it to, until my husband put "P.S.....assholes" on the bottom. I cooled off and never actually sent it, but still I remember the disappointment.

TIS

I tried to find top selling bands of the seventies and came across this site, naming bands that were popular "underground" and not played on regular R&R stations. FYI I'm still checking it out.



http://www.angelfire.com/music4/deejay55920/