Spirits of Ancient Egypt
| "Spirits of Ancient Egypt" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Wings | |
| from the album Venus and Mars | |
| Released | 27 May 1975 |
| Studio | Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:58 |
| Label | Capitol Records |
| Songwriters | |
| Producer | Paul McCartney |
| Venus and Mars track listing | |
13 tracks
| |
"Spirits of Ancient Egypt" is a song by the English-American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings from their 1975 album Venus and Mars. Denny Laine sings lead vocals on the track.[4]
Background
"Spirits of Ancient Egypt" was written after Paul McCartney read a tome on the history of Egypt.[5]
Further releases
A live version has appeared on the 1976 live album Wings Over America.[6]
Reception
Author Peter Ames Carlin stated that it "evoked shimmery kinds of mystery, but to no discernible end. The spirits get hung up on the telephone and we’re left with someone making dinner with a pound of love."[7] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated it as Laine's 9th best song, stating that McCartney's "counterpoint vocal" is "great" and particularly praising the live version from Wings Over America.[8]
Personnel
The personnel is as follows:[9][10][11]
- Paul McCartney – bass,[9] backing vocals,[9] electric guitar,[10] synthesizer,[10] gismo,[11] moog[11]
- Linda McCartney – organ,[10] synthesizer,[10] backing vocals,[9] string machine[11]
- Denny Laine – electric guitar,[10] vocals[9]
- Jimmy McCulloch – guitar,[9] vocals[10]
- Joe English – backing vocals,[11] drums,[9] gong[10]
- Alan O'Duffy – backing vocals[11]
References
- ^ Venus and Mars by Wings | Review, retrieved 2025-01-13
- ^ Nelson, Paul (31 July 1975). "Venus and Mars | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ Rodriguez 2010, p. 247.
- ^ Schaffner 1978, p. 181.
- ^ White 2016, p. 267.
- ^ Ingham 2006, p. 149.
- ^ Carlin 2009, p. 237.
- ^ DeRiso, Nick (5 December 2023). "Top 10 Denny Laine songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g Blaney 2007, p. 109.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Spirits Of Ancient Egypt". The Beatles Bible. 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
- ^ a b c d e f "Spirits Of Ancient Egypt (song)". The Paul McCartney Project. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
Sources
- Blaney, John (2007). Lennon and McCartney: Together Alone (1st ed.). Jawbone Press. ISBN 978-1-906002-02-2.
- Carlin, Peter Ames (2009). Paul McCartney: A Life. New York, NY: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-6223-8.
- Ingham, Chris (2006). The Rough Guide to the Beatles (2nd ed.). London: Rough Guides/Penguin. ISBN 978-1-84836-525-4.
- Rodriguez, R (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years 1970–1980. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-0-87930-968-8.
- Schaffner, Nicholas (1978). The Beatles Forever. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-055087-2.
- White, Richard (2016). Come Together: Lennon and McCartney in the Seventies. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9781783238590.