Laurence Juber Makes Case For Wings in the Hall of Fame

[maccafan]

Chris, I get it, attack the messenger, as I said it's totally typical and to be expected!

At least I don't have to resort to attacking someones debating skills, in fact I don't have to resort to attacking anyone at all, I can state my reasons why I think Wings should be in the hall regardless of so called debating skills.

You're entitled to your opinion, but that still doesn't change the fact that the second most successful group in the entire era of the 70s deserves to be in the Rock hall of fame!

It doesn't take any so called debating skills to realize that, Wings success, seperate from the rest of McCartneys solo career, speaks for itself!

[mr h atom]

true that...some people think everything has to be a debate...with A WINNER !

thuc phat !!

as you so eloquently point out, this is more about recognizing the group effort of one of the '70's most successful acts.

i ain't burning my bra, jock strap, or nasty neighbor...i'm not leading a movement, collecting signatures, boycotting cicninnati, or even carrying a flag to get wings into the HOF, just pointing out they meet a certain criterea, they are capable of a recognition...and i can do it all with out resorting to calling the members of that group names & denigrating thier abilities or clobbering the artistic effort of sir p, who made the attempt.

and using the lame ' the band was nothing more than a crass attempt to overshadow john & yoko" IS nothing more than a clobbering slam compared to what the group effort actaully was.

'course, i got told off by the worlds greatest lyricist that i couldn't possibly have been a wings fan, so...what do i know, anyway...

[Awesoman]

as you so eloquently point out, this is more about recognizing the group effort of one of the '70's most successful acts.

But exactly *how* were they such a group effort...?

and using the lame ' the band was nothing more than a crass attempt to overshadow john & yoko" IS nothing more than a clobbering slam compared to what the group effort actaully was.

And what was that group effort again?

C'mon, Atom, I have faith that even you can answer a question directly without resorting to a 20-paragraph rant or dodging it completely.

[Lazarus_2]

Wild Life: First album has nothing written by any other member than McCartney.
Red Rose Speedway: Nothing written by any member other than McCartney.
Band On The Run: It took until the third album and throwing away all other members but McCartney/McCartney/Laine, until we see even a single co-composition?
Venus & Mars: It took until the fourth and some newly-added members before we get the first non-McCartney composition. And it doesn't even feature Laine who'd more than paid his dues with McCartney up to this point.
Wings At THe Speed Of Sound: THe fifth record sees two tracks out of eleven, non-McCartney compositions. Too bad it's probably the worst-Wings record, and the worst-possible examples
of composition talent within' the group.
London Town: Sixth record. Of the fourteen tracks, five are McCartney/Laine compositions. Now if only it were this way from the start...
Back To THe Egg: Final record. Fourteen tracks, one non-McCartney composition.

If we go by this, it's clear Wings IS McCartney, the 10/81 tracks either co-composed with McCartney or without McCartney. 12%.
If I don't count the co-McCartney compositions, it's 3/81 tracks, 3.7% of the Wings catalog.
Let's compare that to George Harrison in the Beatles who has 20/155 or so tracks composed by himself and without McCartney/Lennon. Which is around 12%

Wings without McCartney-Composed: 3.7%
Beatles without McCartney/Lennon or Starkey , 12%

[chris]

You're entitled to your opinion, but that still doesn't change the fact that the second most successful group in the entire era of the 70s deserves to be in the Rock hall of fame!

jeesh, again with these facts, jjs jr.

here is a fact i would love you to dispute. ready? here it comes...wings are NOT in the HOF.

that is a fact.

which means those who decide who is worthy and who is not to be enshrined feel wings is not worthy. right? otherwise they would be there. right?

that is a fact.

another fact. the majority of the paul fans at this very site think wings was nothing more than a vehicle for his solo career. check the responses. tally up how many are for and how many are against.

that is a fact.

[Mike]

Please note Chris that many fans who visit the site do not post on these forums. I think of it this way. Just because some liberals are more talkative doesn't make them more right or more popular than conservatives who by definition are more conservative Know what I mean?

[2 of 3]

I just throw this out to everyone. If Wings belongs in the RRHOF.....does this mean Yoko does too?

[Mike]

Did Yoko perform consistently on albums and singles that made top 10 or #1? Did Yoko perform in the band who went out on international tours over nearly a decade? I think not.

I did put together a list of HOF inductees in particular categories valid for this discussion. Please look at the other 2 or 3 time inductees and make comparisons to them. Then we can actually have a more useful discussion.

For example Sammy Strain was inducted twice
Little Anthony & The Imperials and then for with the O'Jays.

The O'Jays basically started in 1963 through 1977 when original member William Powell died of cancer at age 35. Then they added Sammy Strain (born December 9, 1941) (of Little Anthony & the Imperials), the O'Jays continued recording, though with limited success. 1978's "Use ta Be My Girl" was their final Top Five hit, though they continued placing songs on the R&B charts throughout the 1980s. Their 1987 album, Let Me Touch You, was a breakthrough of sorts, and included the #1 R&B hit "Lovin' You". Though they continued charting on the R&B charts in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the O'Jays never again achieved pop success. In 1992, Sammy Strain left the group, and returned to the Imperials, to be replaced by Nathaniel Best, and later, by Eric Grant. Later in the 1990s, the group did little recording, though they remained a popular live draw. Their latest album was Imagination in 2004.

So did Sammy Strain really deserve a 2nd induction for the little success the O'Jays with him in it? Was most of the O'Jays success prior to his joining?

I'm no R&B expert I just know that Denny Laine (Wings) had a lot more hits and success than the O'Jays did after 1977.

Lets see some other comparisons.

[Lazarus_2]

This does not strengthen the Wings case. It just points out the fallacies and imprecise nature of the induction process.
And overall worthlessness of the HOF.

[2 of 3]

Did Yoko perform consistently on albums and singles that made top 10 or #1? Did Yoko perform in the band who went out on international tours over nearly a decade?

I think for the first part of that quote, the answer would be yes...considering they were joined at the hip during most of Lennon's solo career. And I may be incorrect about this part...but aren't the nominations for the RRHOF bases solely on recordings? You can be nominated 25 years after your first record..or something like that. So...the touring part of Wings isn't a consideration(if I am correct I mean) This is the reason The E Street Band was not nominated...they were not on the album Springsteen was nominated for.


And I will point out again, I am cool with what ever happens here. In is fine with me.