Getting Closer (song)

{{Infobox song | name = Getting Closer | cover = Getting Closer.jpeg | alt = | type = single | artist = Wings | album = Back to the Egg | A-side = *"Baby's Request" (UK) (double A-side) | B-side = *"Spin It On" (US) | released = *{{Start date|1979|06|05|df=y}} (US) *17 August 1979 (UK)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1979/Music-Week-1979-08-18.pdf|title=Music Week}}</ref> | recorded = October 1978 – March 1979<ref>https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/song/getting-closer/</ref> | studio = Abbey Road Studios, London | genre = * Pop rock<ref name=cb/> * power pop<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inlander.com/spokane/paul-mccartney-is-releasing-his-25th-solo-album-so-were-ranking-his-post-beatles-career-highlights/Content?oid=20766111|title=Paul McCartney is releasing his 25th solo album, so we're ranking his post-Beatles career highlights|first=Nathan|last=Weinbender|website=Inlander}}</ref> * new wave<ref name= "Ingalls & Wilhelm 2023">{{cite web|first1= Chris|last1= Ingalls|first2= Rick|last2=Wilhelm|title= 20 of the Best New Wave Albums by Rock/Pop Artists|website= PopMatters |date= 19 June 2025|url= https://www.popmatters.com/20-best-new-wave-albums|accessdate= 20 October 2025|quote=... traces of new wave, particularly [on the] single, “Getting Closer}}</ref> | length = {{Duration|m=3|s=21}} | label = *Parlophone/EMI (UK) *Columbia (US) | writer = Paul McCartney | producer = *Paul McCartney *Chris Thomas | prev_title = Old Siam, Sir | prev_year = 1979 | next_title = Arrow Through Me | next_year = 1979 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = Alternative cover | type = single | cover = TheWingsGettingCloserFrench7InchSingleCover.jpg | border = | alt = | caption = French 7-Inch single cover }} }} "'''Getting Closer'''" is a rock song from the British rock band Wings, Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band. The song was released on the album ''Back to the Egg''.

==Background== Despite being released in 1979, McCartney was working on "Getting Closer" as early as May 1973, with its first demo recording being made then by actor Dustin Hoffman on holiday in Montego Bay, Jamaica.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kozinn |first1=Allan |last2=Sinclair |first2=Adrian |title=The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969–73 |date=13 December 2022 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-300072-8 |page=555 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e9pcEAAAQBAJ |access-date=21 February 2023 |language=en}}</ref> In 1974, McCartney made a piano demo for the song.<ref name=wordsandmusic>{{cite book|last1=Benitez|first1=Vincent Perez|title=The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years}}</ref> Upon being resurrected by the band for ''Back to the Egg'', the song, originally at a slower tempo, was transformed into a "driving rocker."<ref name=wordsandmusic />

{{quote|"Getting Closer" and the unreleased song "Cage" were off of demos, the latter being one that Paul and Denny did together. There were times when there was a demo aspect to the sessions, and in some cases we created demos to see how the tune was shaping up.|Laurence Juber, ''Daytrippin{{'}}''<ref name=daytrippin>{{cite web|last1=Terrill|first1=Marshall|title=Exclusive: Ex-Wings guitarist, Laurence Juber, talks about attending 'Paul McCartney University'|url=http://daytrippin.com/2010/08/09/exclusive-ex-wings-guitarist-laurence-juber-talks-about-attending-paul-mccartney-university/|website=Daytrippin' Beatles Magazine|date=10 August 2010}}</ref>}}

Like most of the songs off of ''Back to the Egg'', "Getting Closer" bears an influence from punk and new wave music.<ref>''McCartney: Songwriter'' {{ISBN|0-491-03325-7}} p. 122</ref> Author and ''Mojo'' contributor Tom Doyle describes Wings' version as "power-popping" and reminiscent of the English band Squeeze.<ref name="Doyle p 174">Doyle, p. 174</ref>

Juber said of the guitars used in the song: "I think I played my Martin D28 on the rhythm track and some Les Paul Custom (the one in the video) for the electric."<ref name="Laurence Juber site">{{cite web|title=Back to the Egg |url=http://www.laurencejuber.com/wings/backtotheegg.html |website=Laurence Juber |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701151956/http://www.laurencejuber.com/wings/backtotheegg.html |archive-date=July 1, 2007}}</ref>

==Release== "Getting Closer," backed with "Spin It On," was released in the US in June 1979 as the first single from ''Back to the Egg''. The single reached #20 on the ''Billboard Hot 100'', as well as #20 on ''Cashbox'' and #22 on ''Record World''. Despite not being released as the first single in the UK ("Old Siam, Sir" was used instead), the song did see a UK single release in August 1979. Marketed as a Double A-side with "Baby's Request," the single was a relative flop, only peaking at #60.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paul McCartney singles|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4865/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}}|publisher=allmusic|access-date=2010-08-12}}</ref><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>

For the release of ''Back to the Egg'', a special was made featuring music videos for multiple songs, including "Getting Closer." "Old Siam, Sir", "Spin It On" and "Arrow Through Me" were among the tracks for which videos were made.

==Reception== ''Billboard'' described "Getting Closer" as "an uplifting raker in which McCartney's soaring vocals play off strong guitar, keyboards and drum lines."<ref>{{cite news|title=Top Single Picks|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2020-07-08|date=June 16, 1979|page=87|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1979/Billboard%201979-06-16.pdf}}</ref> ''Cash Box'' called it "a dynamic, churning pop-rocker," saying that the "slamming guitar and aggressive vocals" were reminiscent of ''Band on the Run''.<ref name=cb>{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=June 16, 1979|page=20|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2022-01-01|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1979/CB-1979-06-16.pdf}}</ref> ''Record World'' called it "another superbly crafted McCartney hook."<ref name=rw>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=June 16, 1979|accessdate=2023-02-11|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/79/RW-1979-06-16.pdf}}</ref>

''Something Else!'' critics S. Victor Aaron and Nick DeRiso both criticized McCartney's use of the word "salamander" as a term of endearment in the song, with Aaron suggesting that McCartney lefy in what was supposed to be a temporary lyric.<ref name=something>{{cite web|title=Paul McCartney’s attempt to revitalize Wings with ‘Back to the Egg’ fell just short|date=8 June 2015|author1=DeRiso, Nick|author2=Aaron, S. Victor|author3=Paterson, Beverly|accessdate=2026-05-22|publisher=Something Else!|url=https://somethingelsereviews.com/2015/06/08/paul-mccartney-wings-back-to-the-egg/}}</ref> DeRiso called it a "propulsively enjoyable tune", particularly praising Laurence Juber's guitar riff but criticizing the song's "swirling, rather confusing fade out."<ref name=something/>

==Charts== ===Weekly charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Chart (1979) !Peak<br />position |- |Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name="AUS1">{{cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;" |57 |- |Canada (''RPM'')<ref name="CAN">{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4534a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4534a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4534a |title=Canadian Chart |publisher=www.collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2014-11-17|date=4 August 1979}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;" |18 |- |Irish Singles Chart<ref name="IRE">{{cite web|url=http://irish-charts.com |title=Irish Chart |publisher=Irish Charts |access-date=2014-11-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109062427/http://irish-charts.com/ |archive-date=2014-11-09 }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;" |24 |- |Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref name="NLD">{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Paul+McCartney |title=Dutchcharts.nl Paul McCartney discography |publisher=MegaCharts |work=Hung Medien |access-date=2 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025150547/http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Paul+McCartney |archive-date=25 October 2012 }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;" |29 |- |UK Singles Chart<ref name=oc>{{cite web|title=Paul McCartney|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/paul%20mccartney/|website=Official Charts}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|60 |- |US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|title=Paul McCartney – Awards|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-mccartney-mn0000029884/awards|website=AllMusic}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|20 |}

===Year-end charts=== {|class="wikitable" |- !Chart (1979) !Rank |- |Canada (''RPM'')<ref name="RPM YearEnd">{{Cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.6855b&brws_s=1&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062|title=RPM Year-End 1979}}</ref> |align="center"|127 |- |US (Joel Whitburn's ''Pop Annual'')<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=1999 |title=Pop Annual |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |isbn=0-89820-142-X}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|136 |- |}

==Personnel== *Paul McCartney – vocals, bass, Epiphone Casino electric guitar, Mellotron *Linda McCartney – keyboards, backing vocals *Denny Laine – electric guitar, Martin D28 acoustic guitar,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/song/getting-closer/|title = Getting Closer (Song)}}</ref> backing vocals *Laurence Juber – electric guitar, Ovation acoustic guitar<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/song/getting-closer/|title = Getting Closer (Song)}}</ref> *Steve Holley – drums

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Paul McCartney songs Category:1979 singles Category:Paul McCartney and Wings songs Category:Songs written by Paul McCartney Category:Columbia Records singles Category:Parlophone singles Category:Song recordings produced by Paul McCartney Category:Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas (record producer) Category:Music published by MPL Music Publishing Category:EMI Records singles