Red Rose Speedway

About Red Rose Speedway

Red Rose Speedway is the second studio album by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released by Apple Records in April 1973 in the US and in May 1973 in the UK. The album was the first released under the artist name "Paul McCartney and Wings" rather than "Wings" alone, mainly due to the belief that the public's unfamiliarity with the band had been responsible for the weak commercial performance of the group's 1971 debut album Wild Life. Prior to its recording, the band recruited guitarist Henry McCullough and released their debut single "Give Ireland Back to the Irish", which was banned by the BBC for its political message. Recording sessions for the album took place throughout 1972 at five different recording studios in London. The group also recorded the singles "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "Hi, Hi, Hi" and "Live and Let Die" during these sessions, the last of which was released the following year in 1973. Originally planned as a double album, it was condensed into a single album in the hopes of releasing a more commercial and less expensive album. Members McCullogh and Denny Laine later expressed disappointment in the release of a single album, with the latter saying in its original form, the album was "more of a showcase for the band". Upon release, Red Rose Speedway peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart and number 1 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart in the US, while lead single "My Love" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Adult Contemporary charts. However, despite its strong commercial performance, the album was given a mixed response by music critics, with several reviewers considering the songs to be inconsequential and mediocre. Decades later, the album continues to receive mixed reviews. It was re-released in 1987 and 1993 with bonus tracks and remastered in 2018 as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection; the 2018 remaster features the reconstructed original double LP version of the album, along with numerous previously unreleased songs, live recordings, outtakes, and the three singles the band recorded during its sessions more »