PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS – ONE HAND CLAPPING DEFINITIVE EDITION (DVD)

Description

Filmed at EMI Recording Studios, London, England 26th August – 9th October 1974
★UPGRADE!!! This is amazing.

　The long-awaited release from the Merseyside label is the upgraded, definitive version of Wings’ rare documentary films “ONE HAND CLAPPING” and “THE BACKYARD,” which were released in theaters in 2024.

　Last year also saw the official release of the Wings documentary “ONE HAND CLAPPING.” The footage, capturing the new Wings, who had undergone their first lineup change, recording a mix of old and new repertoire at Abbey Road Studios, was condensed into a 53-minute documentary for television broadcast.

　However, while director David Lichfield shot the footage on video, he lacked the equipment to edit it, thanks to the then-newly released portable U-matic. Instead, he edited each camera angle using the film, which had already been transferred to film. This resulted in a dramatic drop in image quality, and no one offered to use the finished footage. This ultimately led to “ONE HAND CLAPPING” becoming a notorious shelved film for many years. The finished footage itself, however, had long been leaked and was well-known among film enthusiasts. Officially, footage of nearly identical quality to the leaked footage was quietly included on a DVD accompanying the “BAND ON THE RUN” archive collection. It wasn’t until last year that a remastered version from the film material was finally released. However, it was only available for a short theatrical release and on satellite broadcast in the UK and Japan, making it more or less impossible to watch.

　Contrary to last year’s unusual release pattern, “ONE HAND CLAPPING” never made it onto video software, but it has now been released on a press DVD! It’s based on the Japanese broadcast version, which realized a high bitrate broadcast, but for the audio, it uses the UK broadcast version, which is not cut at 15kHz, so it’s the best version in both video and audio.

　However, rather than simply transferring the broadcast to DVD, the fading that often occurs in old film footage was corrected. The footage seen in theaters was remastered, but the color was still so deteriorated that Paul’s face appeared red, so this is a big difference. Furthermore, the color noise specific to the original video format, which could not be completely fixed even in this release, has been removed, and the noisy color bleeding that was present throughout the film has been improved.

　Additionally, the audio recorded at Abbey Road Studios was newly remixed, but for some reason, Linda’s keyboards sounded louder on “Jet,” creating a rather unbalanced mix. This time, the mix has been replaced with a standard stereo mix by Geoff Emerick, a long-time favorite among music enthusiasts. Furthermore, the interview audio, which was demixed throughout the entire album using MAL software and overlaps with the songs, was remixed. However, the sound of Britton’s drums during the segment focusing on Britton in his judo uniform was extremely quiet, and this has been replaced with the original mono audio. Other over-the-top elements, such as the voiceover swaying between “Jet” and “Soily” when addressing Geoff Emerick, have also been corrected. This was another area that caused significant discomfort with the release.

　Since the movie was released in theaters with Dolby Atmos sound, “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” was in stereo with Paul’s voice swirling around, which was unnatural, so it was replaced with the standard stereo remix from the album. All of the issues that were raised when the movie was released last year have been fixed, and the DVD has been released with the soundtrack updated.

　As the footage shows, Wings, with Jeff Britton as the drummer, was a typical athletic guy. He didn’t get along with the other members, which ultimately led to a short-lived band. This has long been a classic, capturing the band’s performances with Jeff Britton as a member. Since it’s a recording, not a rehearsal, the performances are of a high level of polish. Of course, the main feature also includes “THE BACKYARD,” in which Paul plays and sings rock ‘n’ roll. Previously, this clip only played on the “THE McCARTNEY YEARS” menu screen, making the entire video unwatchable. It was released last year, and everyone was frustrated that it hadn’t been released on DVD. Now, this Wings video is finally available in your hands. Needless to say, it’s subtitled, and you’ll enjoy the narration between performances. It’s also perfect for spending the New Year’s holidays!

・The video uses the high-bitrate 2024 broadcast version, and the audio uses the UK Sky Arts broadcast version.
・Color noise has been removed, and the video, which was so faded that faces looked red, has been color corrected.
・The keyboard sound on “Jet” was too loud, so it has been replaced with Geoff Emerick’s stereo mix
. ・The sound of Jeff Britton’s drums before “My Love” has been almost completely erased, so it has been replaced with the original.
・”1985″ has been replaced with a 2-channel remix that prevents Paul’s vocals from flying around.

[One Hand Clapping]
1. One Hand Clapping
2. Jet
3. Soily
4. C Moon/Little Woman Love
5. Maybe I’m Amazed
6. My Love
7. Bluebird
8. Suicide
9. Let’s Love
10. Sitting At The Piano
11. All Of You
12. I’ll Give You A Ring
13. Band On The Run
14. Live And Let Die
15. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
16. Baby Face

[The Backyard]
17. Blackpool
18. Twenty Flight Rock
19. Peggy Sue
20. I’m Gonna Love You Too
21. Sweet Little Sixteen

PRO-SHOT COLOUR NTSC Approx.64min.