Cinematic release for One Hand Clapping
Paul McCartney has filmed a new introduction and the One Hand Clapping film has been expanded to 65 minutes for theatrical release. Possibly now including “Junior’s Farm” and bits from the Backyard filming?
It’s Cinema Nova in Australia who has jumped the gun a bit and published information about the upcoming theatrical release before Paul McCartney’s own website and social media were ready to make statements. Here’s the description from Cinema Nova’s website, for the 26 September screening of the 65 minutes long film:
Rockumentary by Paul McCartney’s Wings recorded live at Abbey Road in 1974, featuring performances of “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Jet,” “Live and Let Die,” and voiceovers from band members discussing their musical journeys.
Filmed and recorded over four days and directed by David Litchfield, the cinema release of One Hand Clapping will include a brand-new introduction by Paul McCartney captured exclusively for this release and feature never-before-seen footage.
Unfortunately, Litchfield had no prior experience as a filmmaker and chose to hire video cameras to shoot the band rehearsing and playing in Abbey Road Studios. Plus two sessions with Paul only, one on the piano in the studio, another in the backyard with an acoustic guitar. Video tape proved impossible to edit, so all the footage was transferred to film stock, which was then edited – and then the finished film was transferred back to video tape for the TV companies to view. The quality of the footage was then so deteriorated that the documentary proved unsellable.
Nevertheless, the film made its way into the bootleg DVD market and was enjoyed privately by Wings fans, until Paul made the film officially available on the DVD which accompanied his first archival release, that of “Band On The Run” in 2010. Paul’s piano composition “Suicide” was cut from that version of the film, to be used on a later archival release, that of “McCartney”.
The original film clocked in at some 53 minutes, omitting the backyard section, and, as the mention of “never-before-seen-footage” suggests, we feel that this may be inserted into the film. The backyard songs released on a special EP and on streaming services clock in at 11 minutes, suggesting that we are correct in assuming that this is what is added to the film.
Actually, Paul McCartney pulled out a version of “Peggy Sue” from the backyard footage for The Paul McCartney Special in 1986, and a few weeks ago released a take of “Blackpool” (previously used as a menu item in the 2007 “McCartney Years” DVD set) to YouTube.
As he also released a clip of “Soily” from One Hand Clapping onto YouTube, it looks like they have managed to slightly improve upon the video quality compared to the version on the archival “Band On The Run”.
One song from the One Hand Clapping sessions omitted from the 1974 documentary was a version of “Junior’s Farm“, which has also circulated on bootleg DVD’s.
“Baby Face” was ok in 2010. “Suicide” was cut, then one year later included in McCartney deluxe.
Ah, my bad memory. Thank you, I’ll correct it.
Sadly, the video quality still resembles a bad VHS copy. Unless they pull a rabbit out of a hat and find a superior quality print, expecting people to spend money to see this in the theater is a bad idea.
It’s Paul McCartney, it’s Wings, it’s all great songs…. but it’s been FIFTY YEARS for goodness sake! Bruce McMouse, Rock Show, Hot Hits And Cold Cuts, Rupert The Bear, the Archive series… who is to blame for the sometimes decades delay and sometimes complete failure to finish and release these projects?