Paul McCartney and Wings ‘Band On The Run’ Cover Had Famous Faces, Released on This Day in 1973

By DONNA BALANCIA

Band On The Run may be the best album released by Paul McCartney and Wings, but aside from the great songs in the collection, there are some pretty famous faces on its  cover.

The image on the cover of the Dec. 5, 1973, release depicts the band with some friends portraying escapees caught in a prison spotlight, and was shot by renowned photographer Clive Arrowsmith. 

Most recognizable are actors James Coburn and Christopher Lee, who while noted now for their co-starring spot on the cover, their participation was not widely publicized in the day.  

In 1973, Coburn was considered one of the most popular actors of the day, just coming off the film “Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid.”  The ever-frightening horror actor Lee, was probably the least likely to be a member of a band on the run as he was an acclaimed thespian and former pilot with the Royal Air Force. Lee passed away in 2015.

Also in the spotlight on the cover are Michael Parkinson, and Clement Freud, British broadcasters; English singer-songwriter and actor Kenny Lynch; light heavyweight boxer John Conteh, and Wings band members Linda McCartney and Denny Laine.