Wings Guitarist Laurence Juber on Back To The Egg, Japan Drug Bust & more!

[@AndrewDixonMusic]

I'm delighted to present this video on behalf of the online Beatles chat group 'Beatles Zoom' . The Beatles Zoom was created by Henry Hemming. Edited versions of this chat will appear soon on the following channels, so keep watching these if you want a shorter version! youtube.com/@jamesgriffithsmusic youtube.com/@RossGoodallMusic

[@machiel5888]

goosebumps at that story about Laurence Juber's daughter being "blessed" by George and going on to greatness!

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

Back To The Egg is my favourite Wings album. I love that it's so diverse and different. There's metal, punk and new wave influences in there, then there's laid back, folky, jazzy stuff too.

[@steveshattah]

I haven't heard the album since the original LP and the mastering was a little muddy. I should listen to it again now I'm sure they washed the mud out somewhere along the way.

[@garychambers5850]

I like when the music sounds McCartneyish! or Beatleish! who cares if it has metal or punk! That shits not Paul! He has his own style. That's what fans want to hear! 🎸🚶🏿‍♂🚶🏿‍♂🚶🏿‍♂🚶🏿‍♂

[@Badfinger-m5v]

Thank you for posting this, Andrew. Laurence is a very patient man! You, of course, asked the best questions.

[@carlyle2000]

Paul played every night on the 2002 back to US tour.

[@commanderstraker6732]

Excellent stuff. I've always wanted interviews from former Wings members to get their perspective on their time with Wings as apposed to just hearing Paul's version of events which sometimes gets glossed over to be more favourable to him. It's a shame that the final Wings line-up never got their chance to go further. Laurence is a thoroughly nice guy and I'm glad that he gave his time for this interview.

[@TheSchemel]

I agree with you. Paul tends to either ignore Wings or talk about it as if it were just him and Linda. Although, I've heard Denny Laine over the years, and he can't remember anything.

[@triplejazzmusicisall1883]

This is a fantastic and so thorough interview. Quite a lot of new information which was a delight. I was pleased to hear Laurence describe Goodnight Tonight as a Latin flavoured dance track and not disco as I always felt the latter was an inappropriate label for that song. What a lovely fellow, so generous and humble. I found is descriptions of what Wings songs he viewed as rock and as pop very interesting. I never knew pop songs required so much studio work. Nor did I know that he wrote No Values circa that time. Hearing that the whole of the Rockestra sessions was filmed, leaves me drooling even more for a deluxe box set to come out. So much great stuff that could go on it and importantly a lot if great rock which many of the masses forget. The Rockestra session. That super group did rock out. They were fantastic and you could tell they were all having great fun jamming together. And why the Glasgow concert was never released boggles the mind. We've all heard the bootleg Last Flight and the audio on it is great so not much work would need to be done. We then would have two Wings live albums, one mid-career (Rockshow) and one at the end of the group (Glasgow). It just seems an obvious thing to do and would remind the public that Wings could be a powerful rock group as well as pop and folk. It would surely give Paul a bit more street cred. And I agree, Arrow Through Me is just incredible white soul - what a vibe. I have heard two jazz versions and the jazz players are really enjoying playing it. Another album but Souvenir (Flaming Pie) is another that I can't believe hasn't had soul singers cover? I would like to emphasise what a beautiful woman Linda was. Whenever you hear an ex-Wings member, or contributing musician from Paul's solo material being interviewed, they always have such genuine kind words to say about her. She really was a Golden Earth Girl. Humble, very giving (all that bashing she got from critics and some fans), patient and inclusive. All musicians seem to comment on how welcoming and warm Linda treated them. After Paul's stint in Japan jail Linda must have been going through living hell. It is refreshing to hear an honest account or two of Yoko and her peculiar ways with John. Tom from twolegs interviewed an author and obvious huge fan of Yoko. Poor Tom being on his own kept it all very polite and courteous but sadly no truths of Yoko's misdemeanours or at least oddities were even discussed. I am not blaming Tom he had little choice as even I could hear some tension in the voice of the interviewee. It seems fashionable to reappriase and raise Yoko to the skies and deny any of the frustrations she was the cause of. Laurences remembering her choosing what food for John to eat in a restaurant is another of dozens of examples where she was controlling of him beyond reason or norm. What a gentleman Laurence is. So friendly, very informative and the fact he is 90% talking music is just a delight. I think us fans really are mostly wanting to talk about Paul's music. Of course, hearing stories that give context to the creation of the songs is very engaging. A huge thank you Andrew for organising this treat. Thank you, Laurence. A marvellous interview. And sorry for such a essay length reply. At 3 o'clock in the evening.! Waffle over and out.

[@Marlene-ou5ol]

The video of Goodnight Tonight is very latin, there is no doubt that the song was to be understood that way.

[@jorgemor388]

Fantastic interview I love Back to the egg and London Town one more time Thank you Andrew Paul is eternal

[@truebeatlepeople]

EXCELLENT !!! i have been waiting and waiting for decades on the whole Back to the egg and UK tour 1979 and of course the whole Japan disaster FROM an insider like mr. Juber.... Thank you so much Andrew and the whole gang . Man, why couldent that customs guy just turn a blind eye. Wings 1979 was a fantastic group and period and i agree that london town and Egg including all the live and video footage should come out asap. Perhaps being 17,18 at the time for me it was just a magical fun time you know? Anyway, again, i loved this and would love to hear more from say Steve and Denny and of course our boy Paul. luv you

[@blllrando207]

THIS IS WHY I LOVE YER CHANNEL.

[@markwade2530]

Thank you Andrew for uploading the whole thing. And thank you Laurence for the generous amount of time you gave. Even though I last played BTTE just a few weeks ago I think I'll spin it on again this week sometime. I'm so glad Arrow Through Me was highlighted by Laurence as that has always been my favourite song on the album.

[@mattgaskell945]

Thanks for putting it out in its entirety. He was so gracious with his time and detailed with his answers. A lot I’d not heard before.

[@evertvdb000]

Thx! Interesting! Juber remembers a lot.

[@michaelpowell2404]

Quite a lot to digest there Andrew,but what a great guy who was generous to give his time.Thankyou for asking some interesting questions.Let’s hope the archive comes shortly

[@goldenears9748]

Just brilliant

[@petermoule8196]

I think Back To The Egg is a great album,was lucky to meet Paul,Linda and Denny at Capitol Radio when they were promoting the album. They all signed the album,Linda was lovely asking where and how far I gad come. Great interview with Lawrence, fantastic guitarist and his book is really good with a lot of pictures, got it about 3/4 years ago. Would be great to get Denny Laine interview sometime, just a thought.

[@reactivearmour5126]

Laurence seems like the nicest guy of the Wings crew, or the Beatles crew for that matter. I love BTTE and also Laurence’s work with Al Stewart.

[@chrissnyder7181]

That's was a super interview!!

[@seamusfinnegan775]

I saw Laurence Juber at The Fest for Beatles Fans (formerly Beatlefest) in Chicago a few years ago. He was onstage in the main hall of the venue, answering questions from the audience. Then he gave a little concert on his acoustic guitar, which was absolutely stunning. Later, I spoke briefly with him in the autograph room, while he signed a couple of my Laurence Juber CDs. He was really nice, such a great experience.

[@feber16]

I have seen him many times at the Chicago fest and spoken to him and his wife. I bought his book about Wings which he autographed. It’s a good book- lots of pictures.

[@seamusfinnegan775]

@@feber16 Nice!

[@hofnerbassman737]

Very interesting ! I saw Juber do a Q&A at one of the Liverpool Beatles Conventions back in the late 80s which I really enjoyed, especially when he performed 2 Beatle songs on acoustic guitar (chords and melody together) which was truly amazing ! He came across as nice bloke then as he does in this video. Good to see he has maintained cordial relations with Macca ever since.

[@TheDunc1]

The story about George Harrison blessing Laurence's baby daughter Elsie with the gift of music and her being so successful in music is pure Beatle Magic. The story never ends. Worth listening to just for that story as well as George the Teddy Bear.

[@gbirving]

So good of an interview very interesting and a great speaker he is.

[@greteringgaard3528]

Great interview on Paul and Wings thank you. What a lovely man Laurence Juber. And talented too. The story about George and his newborn baby was special. Wife Hope was a huge George fan. And so happy his daughter is thriving too.

[@davel2040]

Great chat. Think I will put BTTE on right now 😊

[@faithfulskeptic530]

What a great interview! Fascinating insights!

[@harrydance1969]

What a memory this man has!? Enjoyed this a lot - thanks Laurence.

[@reygrullon8317]

This was great ,well done ,hello from Miami 🙌🎧

[@lionheartroar3104]

BTTE was so underrated. It's a brilliant album with a little of everything in it.

[@stuartshire]

He did Every Night on the Unplugged set .

[@allanmorton6022]

Great interview with someone with interesting Paul knowledge despite only a short time with him. Also noted you have the best home setup out of all the participants!

[@drc1989]

Having met and attended his guitar concerts many times, I can say he is the nicest person to be around and is always interesting to listen to.

[@gene42]

I enjoyed this interview. I was a big fan of Mr. Juber's work before I knew he had been in Wings. He's a brilliant musician in his own right. But..as I think you admitted early on, he was VERY generous with his time. Yet, instead of asking a few questions about his own career, including his huge catalog of great acoustic guitar material (which includes three CDs of Beatles covers and one dedicated to Wings), we were treated to repeated questions and a bit of gossip mongering. I think that in return for his generosity, you all could have repaid him by allowing him to discuss his own body of work a bit.

[@winksoda86]

Wow. This was utterly fascinating. Thanks!!! Love all your posts...

[@michaellundsrensen2292]

Long, interesting and many GOOD informations, thanks!

[@davecostello560]

Really enjoyed this. You guys asked all the right questions and Laurence delivered some fascinating insights.

[@djreid]

Back to the Egg sessions and the album that I purchased upon release with promotional singles were some of the best records, of Wings, in my opinion, because, I played them many, many times. Aside from Band on the Run, and perhaps, Venus and Mars, Back To the Egg had standout tracks, with such clarity of guitar riffs that were astonishingly good material for guitarists, globally, I truly think that critics were way too harsh on Paul and Wings works. I think Denny Laine's works were truly forgotten, which is a crying shame. Paul's Old Siam Sir and all the songs on the albums are truly standout tunes. Back to the Egg is by far Paul's best musicians and Laurence Juber really had his "common sense" and "genius" as a real professional studio musician. I loved the conservations and stories he told on your zoom. I will never forget it because the questions I had on these days of Paul's striving for the top, became like an obsession for him, proving the Beatles was no fluke in his career of music. His work ethic is truly sensational. Thank you, very, very much, Andrew, for sharing this 2 hour conversation masterpiece.

[@byrons61]

Good morning from sunny Florida Andrew. Thanks for posting this video. Cheers!

[@benwilliams5492]

This was great! Love hearing stories about Wings.

[@skee19]

I wrote a looking back review about Back to the Egg for Beatlefan 😅. Laurence an incredible player and person ❤

[@michaelmcclelland7075]

Thank you John Heaton 1:01:31 !! My words exactly!

[@stuartshire]

Wonderful interview . 2 hours went past in a flash. Laurence is great . Well done to all involved 🙏

[@garychambers5850]

I myself liked the songs off the album " _Back to the Egg_ " but the album was never as good as his previous albums like _Band on the Run". Venus & Mars", RedRose Speedway" London Town_ _Wildlife", Speed of Sound_ I don't include " *RAM* " because that's really a solo LP. RAM is awesome! One of the best and I think *Lawrence Juber* is probabaly the best guitarist *Wings* ever had because, he was versatile! He could play everything! 🎸💸

[@Zholobov1]

Thank you all very much, what an interview! Very warm and informative 👍👍👍👍👍

[@mattgaskell945]

I can see what you mean when you said you couldn’t get many questions in. Someone on the panel got a bit over excited maybe. Well done, Andrew this is a gem.

[@leesanna7835]

Outstanding

[@adrianmist6681]

Fascinating interview, answers most of my questions. Back To The Egg has never been a favourite of mine unfortunately.

[@patflanagan2458]

This was awesome!

[@strathman7501]

Interesting that Lawrence says Steve Holly came up with what became the riff for Old Siam Sir during a studio jam. I have heard another interview a few years ago, I believe with Ken Michaels (available on a webpage of Ken's) in which Lawrnce is asked about how much freedom Paul gave them the contribute, and when asked specifically if that guitar riff was an example, Lawrence replied, "No, that was written into the song." I'm not sure if those two accounts are easily reconciled? It's possible that what he means is that Holly found the keyboard chords and Paul wrote the guitar riff over the top of them...

[@gailg2327]

So interesting, enjoyed it immensely. Lovely responsive man and great questions.Thanks.

[@TwinPeaksArchive1]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@TheSchemel]

This is so good, Andrew. I love Lawrence's guitar solo on the live version of Every Night

[@joedee9811]

LJ is great. Please please please MPL, lets get archives of those two Wings albums already!!

[@NNnn-zc2bm]

I so hope they do so!

[@tyronewhitehead3123]

Thankyou Andrew for sharing this interview enjoyed very much, I loved his guitar collection behind him those cases are fabulous, after listening to the macartney legacy it all came together from what he was saying .

[@mozart9991]

Wow - what a guest, Andrew! Cheers.

[@mozart9991]

Back To The Egg is probably my 2nd favorite Wings album, possibly 3rd, but no lower.

[@NNnn-zc2bm]

​@@mozart9991 definitely my second.

[@mozart9991]

@@NNnn-zc2bm Yeah, on further reflection, I agree completely.

[@mayag224]

At 1:47:10, he implies that Paul went out to dinner with John and Yoko in 1979! That is way past the generally accepted last meeting date of 1976. There are already holes in that story (Paul’s son James remembers John holding him as a baby and there are other rumors), but if Lawrence remembers Paul meeting with John and Yoko in 1979, that would be a BIG revelation. I wonder if you could follow up with him to see if this is what he meant?

[@Rockstardust69]

There are so many holes in the Beatles narrative well spotted

[@vitavomloehberg]

Amazing how Laurence remembers when exactly what happened! Great interview, great stories…. Enjoyed it a lot ! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@jacquescousteau217]

I’m not kowtowing or being obsequious in respect to Paul or Laurence as I scribble this. I was in London when Back To The Egg was released in 79 in the UK. I went to I think it was the Nottinghill Record Exchange , and they were playing the album the day it came out. I asked them if they would play the entire album . - they played possibly half the album again - I was blown away. My thinking was this was the most polished, and inventive of any Paul had done since the Beatles. Laurence had much to do with the uptake on the album technically as a guitarist . I still have that album , and I’ll never understand the how, and the way it got panned by the critics , and why CBS aka Columbia never promoted at least four songs is mind boggling . Paul was writing, and producing very much of the time. It makes no sense. It was technically similar to RAM , it was slick, and as I said “ of its time “ I think it would behoove Paul to take the four most commercial songs , and maybe remix or use whatever technology is available, and release a twelve inch EP aka a four song vinyl record . Not only that but also run at 45 RPM , and pull out all the stops . Yes charge $20. to $25.00 for a unique audible experience . Paul can afford to take the risk …

[@4-dman464]

19:30 Good Q! True what LJ said, PM never a fan of extended solos. I;m not sure GH was either - - they came from pre-Hendrix music where you had riffs more than solos, which suited GH who wasn't confident improvising, and suited PM as a composer who planned each bar and wanted it tight - - a strength and a weakness. LJ was a good guest, relaxed and honest, no big ego, nice guy, great hair. 1:47:00 "Yoko was making decisions on what John would eat." JL looks alarmingly underweight in all his 1980 photos - - like, any doctor would be concerned. Giuliano's book suggests JL had serious dietary issues through his last 5 years, though Giuliano never mentions anorexia and never links it to JL's drug use.

[@kennyhaughan9605]

Hope Paul doesn’t realise that Henry sneaked in a 12 bar guitar solo in My love. It’s very understated so maybe Paul turned a blind eye

[@macster1878]

Any chance you could get Kenneth Womack on to discuss his upcoming book about Mal?

[@AndrewDixonMusic]

Would be great if it can be done!

[@opticscolossalandepicvideo4879]

Kenny Womack is a hack. He offers nothing in interviews. Interview mals children instead of hack Womack it will be a terrible interview full of swarmy American bullshit that you already know. Kenny Womack is a hack

[@opticscolossalandepicvideo4879]

I asked Lawrence once about Linda’s musical skills and vocals He laughed and the rolled his eyes and said ‘competent housewife, decent cook, and warm person’. He was not a fan of her musical contribution. He said that the mccartneys smoked too much and he was constantly worried about second hand smoke exposure. It was Linda that packed the dope in the suitcase which destroyed wings. She was a big airhead and it would have been better for Paul to fire Linda and hire Daryl dragon and Toni tennille into wings which his manager strongly recommended the group should have been rebranded ‘ wings featuring the captain and tennille’. Do that to me one more time could have been the number one single that back to the egg solely lacked

[@threehour2r]

I am sorry, but you have many misinterpretations of what Laurence may have said. He was a big fan of Linda’s and had much respect for her as a person and talent, especially her vocal contributions to the sound of Wings.

[@TheDunc1]

Why is Back To The Egg so hard to get hold of?

[@AndrewDixonMusic]

Blatant lack of re releases or reprints over the years

[@melissabrown2109]

As an aside,is that t-shirt navy,or is it just the lighting?

[@AndrewDixonMusic]

Dark navy blue

[@melissabrown2109]

@@AndrewDixonMusic mine is black.I seem to get more wear out of it at the moment than I think,since we're heading into our winter.Soon enough I'll have to put it away,until around September.

[@knockedoutloaded279]

My Sharona was based on Old Siam Sir..?

[@NNnn-zc2bm]

I think not. I once checked the dates, and they were released at almost the same time. They had been recorded around the same time as well, and before any of them was released. So The Knack couldn't have heard "Old Siam Sir" when they recorded "My Sharona", and Wings couldn't know about "My Sharona" when they did "Old Siam, Sir".

[@knockedoutloaded279]

Cool talk, Do you know John Lennon was meant to be in War Games - the movie........

[@AndrewDixonMusic]

Didn't know that!

[@opticscolossalandepicvideo4879]

Impossible. He was dead in 1980. War games was filmed in 1982. Ronald Reagan library has said war games movie screened by Reagan’s changed his world view. His daughter confirmed this. War games the movie was more impactful than any simple pop songs or protest.

[@robertgarcia5809]

I heard that rumor too. The writers were going to have Lennon, but we all know what happened. Watch the interviews with the writers on War Games DVD or blu ray. Much more information

[@truebeatlepeople]

you know, i NEVER EVER beleived the official story of pauls bust in japan in 1980. He would not have done such a stupid thing , especially laying under a coat on top of the suitcase which he must have known would have been checked. No, either Linda did it without thinking or someone else to either set paul up whatever. I heard that there was drugs in one of the kids jacket hoodies and linda mouthed to paul " i forgot...." which i cant verify but could be true. I loved Linda and she would have done nothing to hurt paul or wings or anyone , so IF any of these stories are true ( and i am not saying they are) then it was by pure accident and perhaps paul took the fall for it. Again, NO ONE in their right mind especially in 1970/80 would ever dream of smuggling drugs into japan..... that would have been a death sentence and everyone knew that. Much more to the story than we have or are being told. Listen, i was not there so i dont anything except from what i saw in news print of the day and rumours from wings insiders which have crept up over the last several decades. As far as i am concerned paul went straight down hill for the next decade or so creatively wise and not tourning was a mistake since he was at the very top of his game, whereas by 1989/90 his voice was beggening to faulter a bit and the middle age man was beggening to show a bit as well. Ok, this is harsh i know, but listen we all have a short window in the arts ( be it in music, sports , ballet ect....) to excell at our very best and when that window is gone its gone. No, that wings tour should hve happened for many reasons , but i guess its all water under the bridge now. Perhaps i am simply pissed since i am old now and my youth is gone along with the hopes of that period.... a fruedian thing perhaps. Denny would be the guy to be next in the hotseat me thinks about that whole thing.... i would LOVE to see paul and denny work together again even briefly and wonder WHY it never happens? Finally, paul IS an amazing guy, performer, writer ect... and at 80 he is truly amazing. More so than me and i am 20 years his junior!!! so i cannot fault him in any way. As much as i get down on paul in the 80's when he should have been rockin' he did put out some amazing tunes for sure. Yes, i know i am probably just getting to be a bitter old man..... but if you cant be honest about family, who can you be honest about?

[@martinmcgrath1985]

Juber is a serious guitarist..but make no mistake about it Paul called the shots..they were Paul’s songs…these musicians who say they helped Paul with contributions on his songs..Paul didn’t allow THE BEATLES to have much input on his Beatles songs so imagine how he treated other musicians.

[@Badfinger-m5v]

So you were in the studio for every Beatles and Wings session? Lucky guy!

[@martinmcgrath1985]

@@Badfinger-m5v my point is John admitted he didn’t dare challenge Paul on his compositions but when I hear wings musicians..like Denny they put themselves front and centre…its all too often the case people over state their contribution

[@machiel5888]

saying paul didnt allow the other beatles to have "much input" may be one of the silliest things ive ever seen written about the Band..... They were four, from beginning to end. Egoes were involved, and Paul was often the one trying to "rally the troops" to focus their energies on a specific project like Let It Be, but the four of them did it all together. Without Ringo, they are not the Beatles. Without George, they are not the Beatles. There are endless examples of ringo, george, and john having massive, formative influence on songs, albums, titles, and instrumentation. George brought the sitar to the group. that alone makes your comment completely fall apart. Paul in his solo career was the Boss, but he welcomed ideas from all over. On Egypt Station, he got the word Ichiban from a Japanese woman he was speaking to because he was looking for a word to add to "Back in Brazil". Paul has inherent and undeniable musical genius but he is a born collaborator and his best work is usually collaborative.

[@martinmcgrath1985]

@@machiel5888 tell George that when he was playing his guitar lick during hey jude!