Band on the run - Paul McCartney & Wings

When I was in Vienna I was really there for a conference. But after hours I managed to visit a few record shops - mainly thanks to the generous opening hours. The first was Seven Star Records, situated near the shopping heart of the city, Mariahilferstrasse. It was a small, chaotic shop where singles, LP's and CD's were scattered around and where I spent a little time looking for goodies.

The first find was also the best: 'Band on the run', the title track of the Wings album from 1973. Originally, Paul McCartney planned not to release any singles from Band on the run, a strategy he compared to that used by the Beatles. However, he was convinced by Capitol Records vice president Al Coury to release singles from the album. The single ended up topping the US Billboard Hot 100, Canada and New Zealand. In the UK singles chart it reached number 3; in the Dutch Top 40 it reached number 7. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7796
Found: Seven Star Records, Vienna, 14 October 2025
Tracks: 'Band on the run' / 'Nineteen hundred and eighty five'