In August 1973, Paul McCartney arrived in Lagos with his wife Linda and guitarist Denny Laine. He wanted somewhere exotic to record the next Wings album. Lagos gave him more than he expected.
McCartney chose Lagos partly because EMI, his record company, had a studio there. He imagined sunshine and inspiration. Two members of Wings quit just before the trip, so the album was recorded mainly by the three of them.
The studio
The EMI studio in Apapa, Lagos, was basic compared with London studios. The equipment was limited, and the recording booths were unfinished. McCartney and his team worked around the problems.
The mugging
One evening, Paul and Linda were robbed at knifepoint while walking in Lagos. The robbers took bags containing demo tapes and lyrics for the album’s songs, which had to be recreated from memory.
Fela
Fela Kuti heard that McCartney was in town and suspected that he had come to take African musical ideas. He confronted McCartney about it. McCartney invited Fela to listen to the recordings, and Fela concluded that the music did not use African sounds. McCartney later visited Fela’s club, the Afrika Shrine, and has spoken of how impressed he was by the music, describing it as one of the most exciting things he had heard.
Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker, the former Cream drummer, who was living in Lagos and had built a studio there, also crossed paths with McCartney. Part of one song was recorded at Baker’s ARC studio.
The album
After finishing the recordings in London, Band on the Run was released in December 1973. It became a huge commercial and critical success, topping charts in Britain and the United States, and it won Grammy Awards. Songs include “Band on the Run”, “Jet” and “Let Me Roll It”.
Lagos in the 1970s
The story captures Lagos in the oil boom years: a lively music scene, Fela’s Shrine at its heart, and international musicians coming to experience it. Nigeria’s music industry was growing rapidly.
What it shows
Fela’s suspicion reflected a real concern: Western musicians often borrowed from African music without credit or payment. The debate about appropriation and fair collaboration continues today.
McCartney came to Lagos for sunshine and left with one of his best albums, a stolen set of demos and a story about Fela he would tell for decades.
