Wings, "Helen Wheels" ('72 Thinline content)

Thanks, that was fun!
Sir Paul was rockin’ a lefty plexiglass Dan Armstrong, too.

 

Denny Laine looks really high!

Cool Thinline- I used to think they were ugly, like an abomination from a Classic Telecaster.

But I think after reading old reviews in the British 'Guitar and Bass' of both the original Thinline's ( say '69 and '72's) and the reissues, over the years ( I bought this magazine all the time in the Tower Records days, '90's...)
- the editors always made a point of stating the WideRange pickups on the original semi-hollow Tele body were a fantastic combination- like 'the best sounding ever!' Telecasters.

Side: a buddy of mine lent me his black '79 Tele Thinline for a gig in 1980, when my Les Paul Signature got stolen

So I came around to liking the ugly duckling Teles- and they aren't so ugly!

That sure sounds like Paul's lead playing though - that frantic edgy 'Taxman' phrasing is always there.

 

Gotta be Henry McCullough on lead guitar though...

 

Fun stuff! I seem to remember Paul playing a different, solid body Tele in the studio pictures on the original album jacket. Pretty sure Henry was gone by then, and Paul's playing the leads ... you can even sorta hear a bit of Taxman-style in that lead run-out at the end?

 

Henry had left the band before it was recorded. Only Paul, Linda and Denny went to Nigeria where it was recorded. I just did some Googling and apparently it was Paul. It has a similar beginning as his Taxman solo.

Funny, because listening to that solo just now....after many many years...I can see that it subconsciously influenced me rather a lot. I recognise quite a few of those licks and phrasing in my playing.

 

Y'all are right-must be Paul on lead...

 

I've never heard that one before.

 

I think his name is Jimmy McCullough, not Henry
( the one on Wings over America)

Still think it's Paul on lead though, but that song takes me right back to Sophomore year, HS!

 

Nope, Henry was the first lead player in Wings and ended up being replaced by Jimmy after Band on the Run was recorded (up until he OD'd).

 

Related?

Great song anyways. I think Wings are highly underrated in the "Guitar Fraternity".

 

No. Spelled differently.

I knew a guy near here who had an SG that Henry McCullough used to own.