Wings live: Madison Square Garden, New York City – 25 May 1976

Q: Which performances from this show appear on Wings Over America?

'Time To Hide' and 'Silly Love Songs', both recorded at the 25 May 1976 Madison Square Garden show, appear on the Wings Over America triple live album.

Q: What was the Wings Over The World Tour?

A 65-date world tour from September 1975 to October 1976, grossing an estimated $25 million and seen by over 600,000 people. McCartney's first US tour since The Beatles stopped touring in 1966.

Q: When did McCartney next perform at Madison Square Garden after 1976?

McCartney returned to MSG for four nights in December 1989, and subsequently in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2012, and 2017.

May 25, 2026

Wings live: Madison Square Garden, New York City – 25 May 1976

Tuesday 25 May 1976 | Live, Paul McCartney, Wings
Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA

Wings performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 25 May 1976 — the 43rd night of the 65-date Wings Over The World Tour, and the second of two consecutive nights at the venue. The proceeds of the show were donated to Phoenix House, a New York drug treatment centre — the fulfilment of a promise McCartney had made years earlier. Two performances from this night — 'Time To Hide' and 'Silly Love Songs' — appear on the 1976 live album Wings Over America.

The Phoenix House Promise

The donation of proceeds to Phoenix House was the settlement of a debt of honour. Phoenix House is one of America's longest-established drug rehabilitation organisations, founded in New York in 1967. When McCartney had been attempting to obtain a US visa following his drug convictions — in Sweden and Scotland — Phoenix House had supported his application, helping to demonstrate his rehabilitation and good standing. McCartney had promised at the time to play a benefit show for them. The 25 May 1976 Madison Square Garden date was his way of making good on that commitment.

The gesture was characteristic of McCartney — a man who took personal obligations seriously and who, despite the enormous commercial scale of the Wings Over The World Tour, found room for an act of genuine reciprocity. Playing a benefit at Madison Square Garden, one of the most prestigious venues in the world, was not a small thing.

Wings Over America

Wings Over America was a triple live album released in December 1976, documenting the North American leg of the Wings Over The World Tour. It reached number one in the US and number eight in the UK, and is one of the best-selling live albums of the 1970s. The album drew on recordings from multiple dates across the tour; the 25 May Madison Square Garden show contributed two tracks:

'Time To Hide' — written by Denny Laine
'Silly Love Songs' — which had reached number one in the US in May 1976, just weeks before this performance

The Wings Lineup

Wings on the Wings Over The World Tour were:

Paul McCartney — vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards
Linda McCartney — vocals, keyboards
Denny Laine — vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Jimmy McCulloch — guitar, vocals
Joe English — drums

The touring band was augmented by a horns and brass section: Howie Casey (saxophone), Tony Dorsey (trombone), Steve Howard (trumpet, flugelhorn), and Thaddeus Richard (saxophone, clarinet). The brass section gave the live show a fuller, more orchestrated sound and was a significant part of the tour's visual and sonic identity.

Jimmy McCulloch had replaced Henry McCullough on guitar in 1973. A prodigiously talented Scottish guitarist, McCulloch had played with Thunderclap Newman — whose 'Something in the Air' reached number one in the UK in 1969 — before joining Wings. He left the group in 1977 and died in September 1979, aged 26.

The Setlist

'Venus And Mars'
'Rock Show'
'Jet'
'Let Me Roll It'
'Spirits Of Ancient Egypt'
'Medicine Jar'
'Maybe I'm Amazed'
'Call Me Back Again'
'Lady Madonna'
'The Long And Winding Road'
'Live And Let Die'
'Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)'
'Richard Cory'
'Bluebird'
'I've Just Seen A Face'
'Blackbird'
'Yesterday'
'You Gave Me The Answer'
'Magneto And Titanium Man'
'My Love'
'Listen To What The Man Said'
'Let 'Em In'
'Time To Hide' (recorded for Wings Over America)
'Silly Love Songs' (recorded for Wings Over America)
'Beware My Love'
'Letting Go'
'Band On The Run'
'Hi, Hi, Hi'
'Soily'

By 1976, McCartney had reintroduced Beatles material into his live sets — a significant shift from the Wings 1973 UK Tour, where no Beatles songs appeared. 'Lady Madonna', 'The Long And Winding Road', 'I've Just Seen A Face', 'Blackbird', and 'Yesterday' all feature here, alongside the Wings catalogue. 'Yesterday' — performed solo on acoustic guitar — was invariably one of the most powerful moments of the show. It was the first time McCartney had performed it regularly in a live context since The Beatles stopped touring in 1966.

McCartney at Madison Square Garden

The 25 May 1976 show was the second of two consecutive MSG nights (24 and 25 May). McCartney would return to Madison Square Garden many times over the following decades:

11, 12, 14, 15 December 1989 — Paul McCartney World Tour
20 October 2001 — The Concert For New York City (post-9/11 benefit)
26, 27 April 2002 — Driving World Tour
30 September, 1, 4, 5 October 2005 — US Tour
12 December 2012 — Concert For Sandy Relief
15, 17 September 2017 — One On One Tour

The Wings Over The World Tour

The Wings Over The World Tour was the largest and most ambitious tour of McCartney's career to that point — 65 dates across the UK, Australia, Europe, and North America between September 1975 and October 1976. The North American leg alone ran to 31 dates between May and June 1976. The tour grossed an estimated $25 million and was seen by over 600,000 people. It was the first time McCartney had toured the United States since The Beatles' final US tour in August 1966 — a gap of almost ten years.

Wings Over The World Tour: Full Dates

UK (September 1975)

9 Sep: Gaumont Theatre, Southampton
10 Sep: Hippodrome, Bristol
11 Sep: Capitol Theatre, Cardiff
12 Sep: Free Trade Hall, Manchester
13 Sep: Hippodrome, Birmingham
15 Sep: Empire Theatre, Liverpool
16 Sep: City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
17 Sep: Hammersmith Odeon, London
18 Sep: Hammersmith Odeon, London
20 Sep: Usher Hall, Edinburgh
21 Sep: Apollo, Glasgow
22 Sep: Capitol Theatre, Aberdeen
23 Sep: Caird Hall, Dundee

Australia (November 1975)

1 Nov: Perth Entertainment Centre, Perth
4 Nov: Apollo Stadium, Adelaide
5 Nov: Apollo Stadium, Adelaide
7 Nov: Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
8 Nov: Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
10 Nov: Festival Hall, Brisbane
11 Nov: Festival Hall, Brisbane
13 Nov: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
14 Nov: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

Europe (March 1976)

20 Mar: Falkoner Theatre, Copenhagen
21 Mar: Falkoner Theatre, Copenhagen
23 Mar: Deutschlandhalle, Berlin
25 Mar: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam
26 Mar: Pavillon de Paris, Paris

North America (May–June 1976)

3 May: Convention Center, Fort Worth
4 May: The Summit, Houston
7 May: Olympia Stadium, Detroit
8 May: Olympia Stadium, Detroit
9 May: Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto
10 May: Richfield Coliseum, Richfield
12 May: Spectrum, Philadelphia
14 May: Spectrum, Philadelphia
15 May: Capital Centre, Landover
16 May: Capital Centre, Landover
18 May: Omni Coliseum, Atlanta
19 May: Omni Coliseum, Atlanta
21 May: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale
22 May: Boston Garden, Boston
24 May: Madison Square Garden, New York City
25 May: Madison Square Garden, New York City
27 May: Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati
29 May: Kemper Arena, Kansas City
31 May: Chicago Stadium, Chicago
1 Jun: Chicago Stadium, Chicago
2 Jun: Chicago Stadium, Chicago
4 Jun: Civic Center, St Paul
7 Jun: McNichols Sports Arena, Denver
10 Jun: Kingdome, Seattle
13 Jun: Cow Palace, Daly City
14 Jun: Cow Palace, Daly City
16 Jun: Sports Arena, San Diego
18 Jun: Community Center, Tucson
21 Jun: The Forum, Inglewood
22 Jun: The Forum, Inglewood
23 Jun: The Forum, Inglewood

Europe (September–October 1976)

19 Sep: Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna
21 Sep: Dom Sportova, Zagreb
25 Sep: Piazza San Marco, Venice
27 Sep: Olympiahalle, Munich
19 Oct: Empire Pool, London
20 Oct: Empire Pool, London
21 Oct: Empire Pool, London

Key Facts: 25 May 1976

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York City
Tour: Wings Over The World Tour
Tour date: 43 of 65
Consecutive MSG nights: 2nd of 2 (24–25 May)
Songs performed: 29
Recorded for Wings Over America: 'Time To Hide', 'Silly Love Songs'
Proceeds donated to: Phoenix House, New York
McCartney's subsequent MSG appearances: Dec 1989; Oct 2001; Apr 2002; Sep–Oct 2005; Dec 2012; Sep 2017

Frequently Asked Questions

Why were the proceeds of the 25 May show donated to Phoenix House?

Phoenix House had supported McCartney's US visa application following his drug convictions in Sweden and Scotland. McCartney had promised to play a benefit show for them, and the 25 May 1976 Madison Square Garden date was the fulfilment of that promise.

Which performances from this show appear on Wings Over America?

'Time To Hide' and 'Silly Love Songs' — both recorded at the 25 May 1976 Madison Square Garden show — appear on the Wings Over America triple live album, released December 1976.

What was the Wings Over The World Tour?

A 65-date world tour running from September 1975 to October 1976, covering the UK, Australia, Europe, and North America. It grossed an estimated $25 million, was seen by over 600,000 people, and was McCartney's first US tour since The Beatles stopped touring in 1966.

Who was Jimmy McCulloch?

A Scottish guitarist who replaced Henry McCullough in Wings in 1973. He had previously played with Thunderclap Newman, whose 'Something in the Air' reached number one in the UK in 1969. McCulloch left Wings in 1977 and died in September 1979, aged 26.

When did McCartney next perform at Madison Square Garden after 1976?

McCartney returned to MSG for four nights in December 1989 on the Paul McCartney World Tour, and subsequently for The Concert For New York City (2001), the Driving World Tour (2002), the US Tour (2005), Concert For Sandy Relief (2012), and the One On One Tour (2017).