On Sunday 9 July 1972, Wings performed at the Centre Culturel de Châteauvallon in Ollioules, in the south of France. It was the opening night of the Wings Over Europe Tour – and Paul McCartney's first European concert since The Beatles had played their final show in August 1966. Around two thousand fans paid 20 francs each to attend.
McCartney was characteristically self-deprecating about the choice of venue:
"We wanted to start at, sort of, quite a smallish place to play in you see, so this is quite a small, out of the way place, but still get quite a reasonable audience – that's the truth!"
— Paul McCartney, 9 July 1972
The modesty was deliberate. Wings had been together for less than a year. McCartney had spent much of 1971 and early 1972 recording and releasing music – Wild Life, the Wings debut album, had appeared in December 1971 – but the band had not yet established itself as a live act. The Wings Over Europe Tour was the beginning of that process.
The Wings Lineup
The Wings lineup for the Châteauvallon show and the Wings Over Europe Tour was:
- Paul McCartney – vocals, guitar, bass guitar
- Linda McCartney – vocals, keyboards
- Denny Laine – vocals, guitar, bass guitar
- Henry McCullough – guitar, vocals
- Denny Seiwell – drums
Henry McCullough was an Irish guitarist who had previously played with Joe Cocker's Grease Band at Woodstock. Denny Seiwell was an American session drummer who had played on McCartney's Ram album in 1971. Denny Laine, the former Moody Blues singer and guitarist, was the most experienced live performer in the band and would remain with Wings until their dissolution in 1981.
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The Setlist
Wings performed 19 songs at Châteauvallon on 9 July 1972:
- 'Bip Bop'
- 'Smile Away'
- 'Mumbo'
- 'Give Ireland Back to the Irish'
- '1882'
- 'I Would Only Smile'
- 'Blue Moon Of Kentucky'
- 'The Mess'
- 'Best Friend'
- 'Soily'
- 'I Am Your Singer'
- 'Henry's Blues'
- 'Say You Don't Mind'
- 'Seaside Woman'
- 'Wild Life'
- 'My Love'
- 'Mary Had A Little Lamb'
- 'Maybe I'm Amazed'
- 'Hi, Hi, Hi'
The set drew heavily from the Wild Life album – 'Bip Bop', 'Mumbo', 'I Am Your Singer', 'Wild Life' – alongside recent singles ('Give Ireland Back to the Irish', 'Mary Had A Little Lamb') and McCartney solo material ('Maybe I'm Amazed', 'My Love'). 'Give Ireland Back to the Irish' had been banned by the BBC following its release in February 1972; playing it live in Europe was a pointed statement. 'Hi, Hi, Hi', the closing number, would be released as a single in December 1972 and also banned by the BBC – for different reasons.
'Henry's Blues' was a showcase for guitarist Henry McCullough. 'Seaside Woman' was a Linda McCartney composition, credited to Suzy and the Red Stripes when it was eventually released as a single in 1977. 'The Mess' was a live recording from the tour that would be released as the b-side of 'My Love' in 1973.
Wings Over Europe Tour: All Dates
The Châteauvallon show was the first of 25 concerts across Europe between July and August 1972. The full tour itinerary:
- 9 July 1972: Châteauvallon, Ollioules, France (this show)
- 12 July 1972: Théâtre de la Mer, Juan-les-Pins, France
- 13 July 1972: Théâtre Antique, Arles, France
- 16 July 1972: Olympia Theatre, Paris, France
- 18 July 1972: Circus-Krone-Bau, Munich, Germany
- 19 July 1972: Stadthalle, Offenbach am Main, Germany
- 21 July 1972: Tonhalle, Zürich, Switzerland
- 22 July 1972: Pavillon, Montreux, Switzerland
- 1 August 1972: KB Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 4 August 1972: Messuhalli, Helsinki, Finland
- 5 August 1972: Kupittaan Urheiluhalli, Turku, Finland
- 7 August 1972: Gröna Lund, Stockholm, Sweden
- 8 August 1972: Idrottshuset, Örebro, Sweden
- 9 August 1972: Njårdhallen, Oslo, Norway
- 10 August 1972: Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 11 August 1972: Olympen, Lund, Sweden
- 12 August 1972: Fyns Forum, Odense, Denmark
- 14 August 1972: Vejlby-Risskov Hallen, Aarhus, Denmark
- 16 August 1972: Rheinhalle, Düsseldorf, Germany
- 17 August 1972: De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 19 August 1972: Martinihal, Groningen, Netherlands
- 20 August 1972: Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 21 August 1972: Congresgebouw, The Hague, Netherlands
- 22 August 1972: Kinema Roma, Antwerp, Belgium
- 24 August 1972: Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany
McCartney's Return to the Stage
The significance of the Châteauvallon show extended beyond its modest scale. Paul McCartney had not performed a European concert since The Beatles played Candlestick Park in San Francisco on 29 August 1966 – their final concert. Six years had passed. In that time he had recorded McCartney, Ram, and Wild Life, formed Wings, and watched from the sidelines as John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr all pursued active solo careers.
The decision to start small – a 2,000-capacity outdoor venue in the south of France, reached by tour bus, with tickets at 20 francs – was characteristic of McCartney's approach to Wings. He wanted to build the band from the ground up, playing real venues to real audiences, rather than trading on his Beatles reputation. The Wings Over Europe Tour was the first step in that process.
It worked. By the time Wings reached their commercial peak with Band on the Run in 1973 and the Wings Over America tour in 1976, they were one of the biggest live acts in the world. The Châteauvallon show – 2,000 people, 20 francs, a small out-of-the-way place – was where it began.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Wings start touring?
Wings began their first major tour – the Wings Over Europe Tour – on 9 July 1972 at Châteauvallon in Ollioules, France. The tour ran until 24 August 1972, covering 25 concerts across France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
What was Paul McCartney's first concert after The Beatles?
Paul McCartney's first European concert after The Beatles was the Wings Over Europe Tour opening show at Châteauvallon, Ollioules, France on 9 July 1972 – his first European performance since The Beatles' final concert in August 1966.
Who was in Wings in 1972?
The Wings lineup for the 1972 Wings Over Europe Tour was: Paul McCartney (vocals, guitar, bass), Linda McCartney (vocals, keyboards), Denny Laine (vocals, guitar, bass), Henry McCullough (guitar, vocals), and Denny Seiwell (drums).
What did Wings play on the Wings Over Europe Tour?
The setlist included songs from the Wild Life album (Bip Bop, Mumbo, I Am Your Singer, Wild Life), recent singles (Give Ireland Back to the Irish, Mary Had A Little Lamb), McCartney solo material (Maybe I'm Amazed, My Love), and live originals including The Mess and Henry's Blues. Hi, Hi, Hi closed the show.
Where is Châteauvallon?
Châteauvallon – formally the Centre Culturel de Châteauvallon – is an outdoor arts centre in Ollioules, a commune in the Var department of southern France, near Toulon. It hosts concerts and cultural events in an open-air setting.
More from On This Day in Beatles History
- Wings Over Europe Tour Mixing Sessions – 16 April 1973
- Wings Record 'Mary Had A Little Lamb' – 29 March 1972
- Recording 'The Mess' by Wings – 8 March 1972
- On This Day in Beatles History – full archive
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