{{short description|1972 single by Wings}} {{Infobox song | name = C Moon | cover = C Moon by Wings pink label UK vinyl.png | alt = | caption = Label of the UK 7-inch single | type = single | artist = Wings | album = | A-side = Hi, Hi, Hi | released = 1 December 1972 | recorded = 2 September 1972 | studio = Morgan Studios, London | venue = | genre = * Rocksteady * reggae rock<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/reggae-rock-songs/|title=Top 10 Reggae Rock Songs|first=Bryan|last=Wawzenek|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=7 March 2014 }}</ref> | length = 4:33 | label = Apple Records | writer = {{hlist|Paul McCartney|Linda McCartney}} | producer = Paul McCartney | prev_title = Mary Had a Little Lamb | prev_year = 1972 | title2 = Hi, Hi, Hi | next_title = My Love | next_year = 1973 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = Alternative cover art | type = single | cover = Wings-c-moon-apple-4.jpg | border = | alt = | caption = Back cover of the German release of "Hi Hi Hi" }} }} "'''C Moon'''" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Wings. It was released as a double A-side with "Hi, Hi, Hi" in 1972. The single reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and since "Hi, Hi, Hi" was banned by the BBC, "C Moon" received much airplay in the United Kingdom.{{sfn|McGee|2003|p=35}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Official Charts: Paul McCartney|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/paul%20mccartney/|publisher=The Official UK Charts Company|access-date=2011-10-13}}</ref> In the United States, "C Moon" did not appear on any of the major record charts.<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=2015 |title=The Comparison Book |location=Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |page=333 |isbn=978-0-89820-213-7}}</ref>
==Lyrics and structure== The title "C Moon" was inspired by lyrics in the song "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. McCartney said, "There's a line in [Wooly Bully] that says, 'Let's not be L7.' Well, L7, it was explained at the time, means a square—put L and 7 together and you get a square... So I thought of the idea of putting a C and a moon together (a half-moon) to get the opposite of a square. So 'C Moon' means cool, in other words."{{sfn|McGee|2003|p=198}}
The recording includes a missed-cue intro that was kept in the released version.<ref>Luca Perasi, ''Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013)'', L.I.L.Y. Publishing, 2013, {{ISBN|978-88-909122-1-4}}, p.92</ref>
The song is in the key of C and is in {{music|time|4|4}} time. The performers change instruments from their usual places. Guitarist Henry McCullough plays drums and tambourine, guitarist Denny Laine plays bass, and drummer Denny Seiwell plays xylophone and cornet.{{sfn|Rhino Records|2007}}
The song was recorded around the same time as "Hi, Hi, Hi", in September 1972.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/album/hi-hi-hi/ | title=Hi, Hi, Hi / C Moon (Album) }}</ref>
==Releases== {| class="wikitable" |- !align="left"|Country !align="left"|UK !align="left"|US !align="left"|Germany !align="left"|France !align="left"|Japan |- |align="left"|Label | style="text-align:center;"|Apple | style="text-align:center;"|Apple | style="text-align:center;"|EMI Electrola/Apple | style="text-align:center;"|Apple | style="text-align:center;"|Apple |- |align="left"|Catalogue number | style="text-align:center;"|R 5973 | style="text-align:center;"|1857 | style="text-align:center;"|1C006-05208 | style="text-align:center;"|2C006-05208 | style="text-align:center;"|EAR-10241 |- |align="left"|Release date | style="text-align:center;"|1 December 1972 | style="text-align:center;"|4 December 1972 | style="text-align:center;"|December, 1972 | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"|20 January 1973 |- |align="left"|Chart ratings | style="text-align:center;"|5 <br /><small>(16 January 1973)</small> | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|N/A | style="text-align:center;"|N/A | style="text-align:center;"|26 <br /><small>(February, 1973)</small> |}
The song was included on the Paul McCartney compilation albums ''All the Best!'' (1987) and ''Wingspan: Hits and History'' (2001) and as a bonus track on the 1993 remastered CD of ''Red Rose Speedway'', as part of ''The Paul McCartney Collection''. It was also included on ''The 7" Singles Box'' in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.paulmccartney.com/news/paul-announces-the-7-singles-box|title='The 7" Singles Box' – Out 2 December 2022|website=PaulMcCartney.com|date=10 November 2022|access-date=5 December 2022}}</ref>
==Personnel== *Paul McCartney – lead, harmony and backing vocals, piano, cornet *Linda McCartney – harmony and backing vocals *Denny Laine – bass *Denny Seiwell – xylophone, cornet *Henry McCullough – drums, tambourine
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * {{cite video | publisher=Rhino Records | title=The McCartney Years | date=2007 | people=McCartney, Paul | medium=DVD | ref={{SfnRef|Rhino Records|2007}} }} * {{cite book | last=McGee | first=Garry | year=2003 | title=Band on the Run: A History of Paul McCartney and Wings | publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing | location=New York | isbn=978-0-87833-304-2 }}
{{Wings songs}}
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Category:1972 songs Category:1972 singles Category:Paul McCartney and Wings songs Category:Apple Records singles Category:Songs written by Paul McCartney Category:Songs written by Linda McCartney Category:Song recordings produced by Paul McCartney Category:Music published by MPL Music Publishing Category:Reggae rock songs