Getting Closer (song)
{{Infobox song
| name = Getting Closer
| cover = Getting Closer.jpeg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Wings
| album = Back to the Egg
| A-side = *"Baby's Request" (UK) (double A-side)
| B-side = *"Spin It On" (US)
| released = *{{Start date|1979|06|05|df=y}} (US)
- 17 August 1979 (UK){{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1979/Music-Week-1979-08-18.pdf|title=Music Week}}
| recorded = 10 October 1978
| studio =
| genre = Rock, power pop{{Cite web|url=https://www.inlander.com/spokane/paul-mccartney-is-releasing-his-25th-solo-album-so-were-ranking-his-post-beatles-career-highlights/Content?oid=20766111|title=Paul McCartney is releasing his 25th solo album, so we're ranking his post-Beatles career highlights|first=Nathan|last=Weinbender|website=Inlander}}
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=21}}
| label = *Parlophone/EMI (UK)
- Columbia (US)
| writer = Paul McCartney
| producer = *Paul McCartney
| prev_title = Old Siam, Sir
| prev_year = 1979
| next_title = Arrow Through Me
| next_year = 1979
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = Alternative cover
| type = single
| cover = TheWingsGettingCloserFrench7InchSingleCover.jpg
| border =
| alt =
| caption = French 7-Inch single cover
}}
}}
"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.
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.{{cite book |last1=Kozinn |first1=Allan |last2=Sinclair |first2=Adrian |title=The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969–73 |date=13 December 2022 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-300072-8 |page=555 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e9pcEAAAQBAJ |access-date=21 February 2023 |language=en}} In 1974, McCartney made a piano demo for the song.{{cite book|last1=Benitez|first1=Vincent Perez|title=The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years}} Upon being resurrected by the band for Back to the Egg, the song, originally at a slower tempo, was transformed into a "driving rocker."
{{quote|"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{{'}}{{cite web|last1=Terrill|first1=Marshall|title=Exclusive: Ex-Wings guitarist, Laurence Juber, talks about attending 'Paul McCartney University'|url=http://daytrippin.com/2010/08/09/exclusive-ex-wings-guitarist-laurence-juber-talks-about-attending-paul-mccartney-university/|website=Daytrippin' Beatles Magazine|date=10 August 2010}}}}
Like most of the songs off of Back to the Egg, "Getting Closer" bears an influence from punk and new wave music.McCartney: Songwriter {{ISBN|0-491-03325-7}} p. 122 Author and Mojo contributor Tom Doyle describes Wings' version as "power-popping" and reminiscent of the English band Squeeze.Doyle, p. 174
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."{{cite web|title=Back to the Egg |url=http://www.laurencejuber.com/wings/backtotheegg.html |website=Laurence Juber |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701151956/http://www.laurencejuber.com/wings/backtotheegg.html |archive-date=July 1, 2007}}
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.{{cite web|title=Paul McCartney singles|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4865/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}}|publisher=allmusic|access-date=2010-08-12}}{{cite web|title=Official Charts: Paul McCartney|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/paul%20mccartney/|publisher=The Official UK Charts Company|access-date=2011-10-13}}
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."{{cite news|title=Top Single Picks|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2020-07-08|date=June 16, 1979|page=87|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1979/Billboard%201979-06-16.pdf}} Cash Box called it "a dynamic, churning pop-rocker," saying that the "slamming guitar and aggressive vocals" were reminiscent of Band on the Run.{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=June 16, 1979|page=20|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2022-01-01|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1979/CB-1979-06-16.pdf}} Record World called it "another superbly crafted McCartney hook."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=June 16, 1979|accessdate=2023-02-11|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/79/RW-1979-06-16.pdf}}
Charts
=Weekly charts=
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1979)
!Rank |
|---|
| Canada (RPM){{Cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.6855b&brws_s=1&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062|title=RPM Year-End 1979}}
|align="center"|127 |
| US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual){{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=1999 |title=Pop Annual |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |isbn=0-89820-142-X}}
| style="text-align:center;"|136 |
Personnel
- Paul McCartney – vocals, bass, Epiphone Casino electric guitar, Mellotron
- Linda McCartney – keyboards, backing vocals
- Denny Laine – electric guitar, Martin D28 acoustic guitar,{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/song/getting-closer/|title = Getting Closer (Song)}} backing vocals
- Laurence Juber – electric guitar, Ovation acoustic guitar{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/song/getting-closer/|title = Getting Closer (Song)}}
- Steve Holley – drums
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Wings}}
{{Paul McCartney}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Paul McCartney and Wings songs
Category:Songs written by Paul McCartney
Category:Columbia Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Paul McCartney
Category:Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas (record producer)
Category:Music published by MPL Music Publishing
{{Beatles-song-stub}}