The Reason Paul McCartney Kicked Jeff Beck Out Of His Supergroup

Paul McCartney decided to continue his musical journey as a solo artist after the Beatles disbanded and released his debut album, ‘McCartney,’ in 1970. Although the album did well on the charts and in sales, it was criticized for its poor production quality. McCartney collaborated with his wife, Linda, and drummer Danny Seiwell on his second album. Later on, former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine joined them to form the band Wings.

Appearing on the music scene with another band after the Beatles was a big challenge for Paul McCartney. However, he never thought of stopping and ending his music career. Although the band drew some criticism initially, they consolidated their place in the music world in the following days. Knowing that they needed convincing music, the band was quite productive during their active years.

Paul McCartney’s Career With Wings

Wings’ debut studio album, ‘Wild Life,’ arrived in 1971. All tracks were written by Paul and Linda McCartney, except a few. Anti-McCartney opinions following the Beatles’ breakup still affected the critics on the album. Wings struggled to gain artistic credibility during their early years. In their following tour, the band avoided playing Beatles hits to show that it was a new band.

Their second album, ‘Red Rose Speedway,’ came out in 1973. Led by the hit single, ‘My Love,’ the record initiated the band’s presence in the music world. It was a huge commercial success compared to the previous album. The next album, ‘Band on the Run,’ was regarded as brilliant from start to finish and gave McCartney a new musical identity.

The band’s fourth studio album, ‘Venus and Mars,’ dropped in 1975, and the fifth one, ‘Wings at the Speed of Sound,’ in 1976. They continued Wings’ run of commercial success. After releasing their sixth album, ‘London Town,’ the band’s final work, ‘Back to the Egg,’ arrived in 1979.

The album’s sales were disappointing compared to its predecessors, but it still contained the Grammy-winning song, ‘Rockestra Theme.’ Paul McCartney invited many superstars, including Jeff Beck, to record the song. However, Beck was eventually kicked out of the team by McCartney.

Why Did Paul McCartney Fire Jeff Beck From The Supergroup?

‘Rockestra Theme’ was released as the fourth and final single of Wings’ seventh and final studio album, ‘Back to the Egg.’ Paul McCartney invited many notable musicians for the song’s recording sessions. The track was recorded in 1978 at Abbey Road Studios with a collection of musicians. The rockers who performed on the track included David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, John Bonham, Kenney Jones, John Paul Jones, Ronnie Lane, Gary Brooker, and Ray Cooper.

Another name McCartney thought of including in his supergroup was the guitarist Jeff Beck. However, Beck wanted to have veto power over his guitar parts. Upon his request, McCartney eventually withdrew his invitation and didn’t include the guitarist in ‘Rockestra Theme.’ Besides Beck, Keith Moon would also participate in the recording but died one month before the sessions and was replaced by Kenney Jones.

You can listen to ‘Rockestra Theme’ from Wings below.