Paul McCartney shows once again that his British humor knows no bounds. According to the new book Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, the Beatles legend had found an… unexpectedly creative way to get revenge on a journalist who wrote a fake negative review of Wings. A story full of irony, rock energy and McCartney's famous "childish mischief", which proves why he is still considered one of the most human icons in music
Ο Paul McCartney proved that, in addition to being a musical genius, he also remains a master of humor. As revealed in the new book Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, the legendary former Beatle had responded in the most unexpected way to a journalist who wrote a false, aggressive review of a Wings concert, which… he had not even attended.
According to drummer Denny Seiwell, McCartney decided to get his revenge with a package that went down in history — a small bar of hotel soap that contained something truly unthinkable: a sample of the then-young Stella McCartney’s baby poop. “It was the perfect response to a rude British journalist,” Seiwell said with a laugh, revealing the story in the book.
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The incident occurred in the early 70s, when Wings, the band McCartney founded with his wife Linda, was receiving intense criticism from the press. The journalist had promised to write a “human” article about the band’s life on the road, but instead published a purported review of a concert he never attended, full of offensive comments about their sound and lifestyle.
Seiwell recalls, “We showed him everything, from backstage to the studio to the tour bus. He didn’t even stay for the show. He flew back, and then I read the most scathing ‘review’ of my life.” Paul and Linda didn’t react with anger — instead, they saw it as an opportunity for a “creative joke.”
The book Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, released on November 4, features over 150 photographs, diary entries and anecdotes from the band members. Among the speakers is Stella McCartney, who fondly recalls her childhood and explains how her parents' aesthetic and attitude to life profoundly influenced her own fashion career.
She herself says characteristically: "All my work has its roots in the music and creativity of my parents. Looking at their photos, I feel like I'm keeping a piece of history alive." Stella, who was creative director of Chloé and now runs her own brand, acknowledges that the Wings period was decisive for both the family and her father's development after the Beatles' breakup.
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The book serves as a living testament to McCartney’s most “human” era – one that, beyond the glory, was filled with laughter, simplicity and family moments. The book also includes previously unpublished photographs of Linda McCartney, many taken on tours in Europe and America. In one of them, Paul and guitarist Jimmy McCulloch are photographed relaxing on a yacht in the Virgin Islands — an image that exudes all the joy and freedom of that era.
Beyond the lighthearted stories, the release of Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run is accompanied by a series of reissues of the band's albums, such as the iconic band on the run and Venus and Mars, while McCartney personally curated the collection Wings Anthology which is released this month, with the hits “Live and Let Die”, “Jet” and “Let 'Em In”.
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The story of the… famous package is just another example of the spirit that made Paul McCartney beloved: humor, creativity, and the ability to turn even insults into art. As he himself has said, “journalists may challenge me, but I will always respond with something that will make them laugh.”
And indeed, few could think of a more… organically intelligent joke than this.
