Paul McCartney & Wings Helen Wheels on HQ Vinyl with Lyrics in Description

Track 8 from their third and most successful album “Band on the Run” released in 1973 copyright Apple Records. It was recorded at EMI Studios in Lagos, Nigeria and AIR Studios in London. The band’s first two albums had been disappointments critically and commercially, so Paul McCartney was feeling pressure to duplicate his earlier success with the Beatles. He wanted to record in an exotic location and asked EMI Records to give him a list of their studios throughout the world. He decided their Lagos studio in the African country of Nigeria would be the most exotic and remote destination. Shortly before leaving for Nigeria, guitarist Henry McCollough and drummer Denny Siewell quit the band, leaving the three core members to make the trip. What the band didn’t know was that there had recently been a military coup in the country leading to political instability and there was an ongoing outbreak of cholera. When they arrived, they found the Lagos studio to be under-equipped with only a single 8-track recorder and a faulty console but they decided to make the best of it. At one point, against the advice of the locals, Paul and Linda went for a walk after dark and were robbed at knifepoint. They lost their valuables along with some unfinished lyrics and demo cassettes of their new songs. With the basic tracks and some overdubs recorded, the band returned to England where they transferred the 8-track recordings to 16-track, added some more overdubs and mixed the album. McCartney’s production skills were impressive. It received mostly excellent reviews and became the No. 1 album in six countries. It achieved Gold status in France, Platinum status in Canada and the U.K. and 3X Platinum in the U.S. Recorded from the original vinyl. Written by Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney and produced by Paul McCartney. RIP Linda McCartney & Ginger Baker. Featuring:

Paul McCartney - Lead vocals, lead, rhythm & acoustic guitars, piano, bass, drums, percussion & background vocals
Denny Laine – Slide, lead, rhythm & acoustic guitars, percussion & background vocals, co-lead vocals on “No Words” & “Picasso’s Last Words”
Linda McCartney – Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, percussion & background vocals
Special Guests:
Howie Casey – Sax on “Jet”, “Bluebird” & “Mrs. Vandebilt”
Ginger Baker – Percussion on “Picasso’s Last Words”
Remi Kabaka – Percussion on “Bluebird”
Ian Horne – Background vocal on “No Words”
Trevor Jones – Background vocal on “No Words”
Tony Visconti – Conductor & orchestral arrangements

Said farewell to my last hotel, it never was much kind of abode
Glasgow town never brought me down when I was headin' out on the road
Carlisle city never looked so pretty and the Kendal freeway is fast
Slow down driver, wanna stay alive, I wanna make this journey last

(Helen (Helen) Hell on wheels)
(Ain't nobody else gonna know the way she feels)
(Helen (Helen) Hell on wheels)
And they're never gonna take her away

M6 south down to Liverpool where they play the west coast sound
Sailor Sam, he came from Birmingham but he never will be found
Doin' fine when a London sign greets me like a long-lost friend
Mister motor, won't you check her out, she's gotta take me back again

(Helen (Helen) Hell on wheels)
(Ain't nobody else gonna know the way she feels)
(Helen (Helen) Hell on wheels)
And you're never gonna take her away

Got no time for a rum and lime, I wanna get my right foot down (get my right foot down)
Shake some dust off of this old bus, I gotta get her out of town (get her out of town)
Spend the day upon the motorway where the carburetors blast (carburetors blast)
Slow down driver, wanna stay alive, I wanna make this journey last

(Helen (Helen) Hell on wheels)
(Ain't nobody else gonna know the way she feels)
(Helen (Helen) Hell on wheels)
And they never gonna take her away

Say bye-bye (bye-bye)