# Talk:Band on the Run (song)

This article is one of thousands on Wikipedia that have a link to YouTube in it.  Based on the External links policy, most of these should probably be removed.  I'm putting this message here, on this talk page, to request the regular editors take a look at the link and make sure it doesn't violate policy.  In short: 1. 99% of the time YouTube should not be used as a source. 2. We must not link to material that violates someones copyright. If you are not sure if the link on this article should be removed or you would like to help spread this message contact us on this page. Thanks, ---J.S (t|c) 03:34, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

Image:257149botr.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.
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BetacommandBot (talk) 03:53, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Does it occur to anyone besides me that the underlying tale of the song should be entered here? I'm old enough to recall rumors about it, I have no idea if they are true -- Is the story of the song even vaguely related to members of Wings having to flee a country (presumably African/Saharan/Islamic) to escape prosecution on minor drug possession charges? If it's true, then that certainly ought to be a part of the story. If it's not, it's worthy of casual mention and refutation, even so. OBloodyHell (talk) 17:48, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

If this is so, there should be a reliable source out there for this. An interview with McCartney would be good enough. --Rodhullandemu 17:53, 25 March 2009 (UTC)
Is Christgau reliable, or just one more rumor-monger? "But beyond those two the high points are the title track, about the oppression of rock musicians by cannabis-crazed bureaucrats" http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=paul+mccartney  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.69.128.248 (talk) 15:30, 3 July 2009 (UTC)
It is common knowledge that Paul McCartney was arrested at different times for posession of marijuana, just before this he had been caught with it in what may have been a traffic stop and the officer found a smouldering joint butt in the back of the car.
However, that might not have been the rationale anyway, because another story exists of how they had to escape a concert hall in Tucson Arizona a couple years earlier.  It goes that they played the Tucson Community Center, and that they had quite a time getting out of there after the show because of the fans there.  It is said that they did hide out at a funeral parlor somewhere in town.  Now I have no sources for this, but if anyone can find this in any source by all means fill out this story.
The Community Center area is Downtown and there is a large clock tower there, and it may be associated with a public area in or near the complex, so the 'village square' theme could have been developed from this area.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.41.169.177 (talk) 04:27, 22 October 2009 (UTC) 

Is there any evidence that Vanessa Carlton's use of "rabbits on the run" is influenced by this song - there is no mention in that article, and it was not an original phrase. -- Beardo (talk) 16:52, 26 July 2014 (UTC)

I had this single when I was 10 years old, I played it all the time. I distinctly remember it being divided up as a Part I/Part II type of single. Side A: Stuck inside these four walls - if we ever get out of here, Side B: The main song, which begins with "well the undertaker drew a heavy sigh." I don't have the time to research this myself now, but I remember it quite well - that I had to turn the 45 over to hear the rest of the song.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.137.89.171 (talk) 03:06, 15 September 2014 (UTC) 

This review is transcluded from Talk:Band on the Run (song)/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.
Reviewer: Hurricanehink (talk · contribs) 04:33, 7 April 2015 (UTC)

Love the song! Figure I'd review it.

How come the image in the infobox is the French one? Why not American/English?
"also reaching to number 3" - "to" seems redundant
"The single sold one million copies in 1974 in America." - exactly?
""Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five", the closing track of the Band on the Run album, concludes with a brief excerpt of the chorus." - source?
"and the final a folk rock section. The lyrics of the entire song, however, are related, with all being based around a general theme of freedom and escape. Although the parts are thematically related, but do not necessarily form a continuous narrative." - source?
"Originally, Paul McCartney, complaining that "Everybody pulls the bloody singles off", planned not to release any singles from Band on the Run, a strategy he compared to that used by The Beatles." - seems a bit off grammatically. Perhaps rephrase?
"However, he was convinced by Capitol Records promotion man Al Coury to release singles from the album, resulting in the single release of "Jet" and "Band on the Run"." - source?
""Band on the Run" has also been featured on numerous McCartney/Wings compilation albums, including Wings Greatest, All the Best!, and Wingspan: Hits and History. The song is also performed in many of McCartney's live shows, with a live version being included on the 1976 live album Wings over America." - see above
"In the video, all of the objects, including the "band on the run" itself, are made up of words." - see above
The prose is generally good, especially for a good article. Just some problems with sourcing and such, which I'll be happy to pass once addressed. Cheers! ♫ Hurricanehink (talk)  04:33, 7 April 2015 (UTC)

Hi, Hurricanehink. Thanks for reviewing the article. I'll start to work on some of the issues.

The infobox image is the French sleeve because in the US and UK, there was no sleeve available. Generally, when this is the case, I've seen European sleeves used as a substitute. However, if the pic is misleading, I could get a picture of the actual 7-inch record. Beatleswhobeachboys (talk) 13:11, 7 April 2015 (UTC)
"to number three" changed: just a little typo, :)
changed "one million" to "over one million"
added source for "1985" reprise
added sources for final section and freedom theme. Couldn't find anything for the "are thematically related, but do not necessarily form a continuous narrative" bit, so I cut it.
cut the "Everybody pulls the bloody singles off" to make phrasing clearer
added source for "convinced by Capitol Records promotion man Al Coury to release singles from the album"
added sources for compilation / live albums
added source for video section
I believe I've addressed most of the issues you have found so far. If there are any other problems, I'll fix them right away. Beatleswhobeachboys (talk) 13:50, 7 April 2015 (UTC)

Thanks for the very quick response! Happy to pass now. ♫ Hurricanehink (talk)  16:15, 7 April 2015 (UTC)
@Hurricanehink Thank you! I appreciate your speedy review! :) Beatleswhobeachboys (talk) 16:51, 7 April 2015 (UTC)

Is it necessary for the Paul McCartney navbox to be included? Does this article even appear in the navbox? Perhaps I overlooked it. ---Another Believer (Talk) 13:58, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

You're right, the song doesn't appear in the McCartney navbox. But having worked on a few Beatles-related song GAs, I've noticed the artist navbox almost always appears (or, admittedly, I've added it in cases where I'm writing the article from scratch). I also saw it included in a number of Bob Dylan song articles – eg, Visions of Johanna and Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands – so, right or wrong, that's reinforced the issue for me. I've always assumed that having a "Songs" list in the artist navbox warrants its inclusion, no? JG66 (talk) 14:17, 27 May 2015 (UTC)
Personally, I think that although it isn't in the navbox, it does provide links to other related topics. I think it should stay, but I can see why to remove it. Beatleswhobeachboys (talk) 19:04, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

I think the only 2 non-Wings related live acts deserve a mention. They are keeping the song alive by actually playing it. New people will hear it and think "hmm, what is this?". They can hear them on Youtube and elsewhere. Seems worth a mention as recent history. It was up for a few years anyway. How is "a snippet" played in 1998 by Tori Amos anymore relevant today? The fact that setlist.fm even exists to make this public record is enough to give mention. Wikimarks589 (talk) 02:12, 16 December 2015 (UTC)

I see your point about how a band (or two) that plays the song regularly over a period of years should be of greater importance than someone who performed a portion of it just a few times. But a) that's dependent on how notable the band is. And b) it needs to be supported by a reliable source, preferably with some commentary and not just a statement of the bald fact that so-and-so has covered the track. (And setlist.fm is not that source.) So, I agree with Piriczki's removal of the details you added.
Perhaps this Glide Magazine piece might help. I emphasise perhaps, because I can't see the author's name among the site's staff contributors … I always thought this song article's elevation to GA was a bit of a surprise, but just since that happened (in April), there seems to have been a fair amount of unsourced or poorly sourced info added. I reckon the article would struggle as a Good Article nomination now – which is ridiculous when you think that we're meant to be improving this encyclopedia, no? JG66 (talk) 05:26, 16 December 2015 (UTC)

The article says "A medley of three distinct musical passages that vary in style from folk rock to funk..." (on the top); "'Band on the Run' is a three-part medley, with the first section being a slow ballad, the second featuring a funk rock style, and the final a country-esque section." (on Composition).
The song, in the most part, use an acoustic folk rock guitar. --Marcos FTO (talk) 18:45, 28 December 2018 (UTC)

Does Linda play ARP Odyssey, or Minimoog or both? Unable to find any definitive WP:RS. Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 15:20, 8 August 2021 (UTC)