Getting Closer (song)

"Getting Closer" is a rock song from the British rock band Wings, Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band. The song was released on the album Back to the Egg.

"Getting Closer"
Single by Wings
from the album Back to the Egg
A-side
  • "Baby's Request" (UK) (double A-side)
B-side
  • "Spin It On" (US)
Released
  • 5 June 1979 (1979-06-05) (US)
  • 16 August 1979 (UK)
Recorded10 October 1978
GenreRock, power pop[1]
Length3:21
Label
Songwriter(s)Paul McCartney
Producer(s)
Wings singles chronology
"Old Siam, Sir"
(1979)		 "Getting Closer"
(1979)		 "Arrow Through Me"
(1979)
Alternative cover
French 7-Inch single cover

Background

Despite being released in 1979, McCartney was working on "Getting Closer" as early as May 1973, with its first demo recording being made then by actor Dustin Hoffman on holiday in Montego Bay, Jamaica.[2] In 1974, McCartney made a piano demo for the song.[3] Upon being resurrected by the band for Back to the Egg, the song, originally at a slower tempo, was transformed into a "driving rocker."[3]

"Getting Closer" and the unreleased song "Cage" were off of demos, the latter being one that Paul and Denny did together. There were times when there was a demo aspect to the sessions, and in some cases we created demos to see how the tune was shaping up.

— Laurence Juber, Daytrippin'[4]

Like most of the songs off of Back to the Egg, "Getting Closer" bears an influence from punk and new wave music.[5] Author and Mojo contributor Tom Doyle describes Wings' version as "power-popping" and reminiscent of the English band Squeeze.[6]

Juber said of the guitars used in the song: "I think I played my Martin D28 on the rhythm track and some Les Paul Custom (the one in the video) for the electric."[7]

Release

"Getting Closer," backed with "Spin It On," was released in the US in June 1979 as the first single from Back to the Egg. The single reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as #20 on Cashbox and #22 on Record World. Despite not being released as the first single in the UK ("Old Siam, Sir" was used instead), the song did see a UK single release in August 1979. Marketed as a Double A-side with "Baby's Request," the single was a relative flop, only peaking at #60.[8][9]

For the release of Back to the Egg, a special was made featuring music videos for multiple songs, including "Getting Closer." "Old Siam, Sir", "Spin It On" and "Arrow Through Me" were among the tracks for which videos were made.

Reception

Billboard described "Getting Closer" as "an uplifting raker in which McCartney's soaring vocals play off strong guitar, keyboards and drum lines."[10] Cash Box called it "a dynamic, churning pop-rocker," saying that the "slamming guitar and aggressive vocals" were reminiscent of Band on the Run.[11] Record World called it "another superbly crafted McCartney hook."[12]

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[13] 57
Canada (RPM)[14] 18
Irish Singles Chart[15] 24
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 29
UK Singles Chart[17] 60
US Billboard Hot 100[18] 20

Year-end charts
Chart (1979) Rank
Canada (RPM)[19] 127
US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[20] 136

Personnel

References
  1. Weinbender, Nathan. "Paul McCartney is releasing his 25th solo album, so we're ranking his post-Beatles career highlights". Inlander.
  2. Kozinn, Allan; Sinclair, Adrian (13 December 2022). The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969–73. HarperCollins. p. 555. ISBN 978-0-06-300072-8. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  3. Benitez, Vincent Perez. The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years.
  4. Terrill, Marshall (10 August 2010). "Exclusive: Ex-Wings guitarist, Laurence Juber, talks about attending 'Paul McCartney University'". Daytrippin' Beatles Magazine.
  5. McCartney: Songwriter ISBN 0-491-03325-7 p. 122
  6. Doyle, p. 174
  7. "Back to the Egg". Laurence Juber. Archived from the original on July 1, 2007.
  8. "Paul McCartney singles". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  9. "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  10. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. June 16, 1979. p. 87. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  11. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 16, 1979. p. 20. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  12. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. June 16, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  13. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  14. "Canadian Chart". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. 4 August 1979. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
  15. "Irish Chart". Irish Charts. Archived from the original on 2014-11-09. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl Paul McCartney discography". Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  17. "Paul McCartney". Official Charts.
  18. "Paul McCartney – Awards". AllMusic.
  19. "RPM Year-End 1979".
  20. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  21. "Getting Closer (Song)".
  22. "Getting Closer (Song)".
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