Apple issued "Band on the Run" on 8 April in America, backed by "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five"; [67] the UK release followed on 28 June, with the non-album instrumental "Zoo Gang" as the B-side.

Band on the Run Vinyl - Etsy UK Band on the Run Vinyl - Etsy UK

Arrowsmith detailed that the eventual cover was one of the four he found acceptable in the 24 attempts he took.Age 11 was when I was about to transition into the teenage phase and this album attains some innocence as well as coming of age for me. I mean "Jet" is iconic, "Band on the Run" is pretty fun and "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five" has that awesome groove. Christgau ultimately awarded the album a C+ rating, indicating "a not disreputable performance, most likely a failed experiment or a pleasant piece of hackwork".

Band On The Run - Archive Collection (album) Band On The Run - Archive Collection (album)

As was the thumping "Jet" which has suffered from my lifting the needle off my vinyl copy so many times to replay the track it sounds like it was recorded in the twenties! Available at Rock's Backpages Archived 2 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine (subscription required).Writing in The New York Times, Loraine Alterman considered the album to be "bursting with a great deal of compelling music even if the lyrics at times make as much sense as that cover photo" and admired the "fascinating range of sounds" offered in the title track, as well as the "lovely, romantic aura" of "Bluebird". Apple Records issued Band on the Run on 5 December 1973 in America (as Apple SO 3415), [36] with the UK release following two days later [37] (as Apple PAS 10007). But then, several days later, conversation inevitably got around to music and he mentioned in passing in front of the others that actually the album wasn't half bad. Its continued success through 1974 was also beneficial in allowing Wings to recruit a new guitarist and drummer, and to integrate them into the band before beginning new recordings.