This is the 1953 Bristol double-decker bus that was used by Paul McCartney and Wings as their 1972 “Wings Over Europe” tour bus. This tour saw the band perform 25 shows, in 25 cities across 9 countries.
The open-topped bus was chosen to allow the band to enjoy the summer sun as they toured Europe, and the bus was specifically equipped for them to bring their families with them, including young children. It’s now being offered for sale in fully-restored condition.
Fast Facts – The “Wings Over Europe” Tour Bus
- This bus, a 1953 Bristol KSW5G, played a key role in the 1972 “Wings Over Europe” tour, marking Paul McCartney’s first return to touring since The Beatles ceased touring in 1966. Originally a standard double-decker used in Chelmsford, it was modified for the tour by removing the upper roof and applying a psychedelic paint scheme by artist Geoffrey Cleghorn.
- During this first tour with Wings, which consisted of 25 shows across 25 cities in nine countries, the band decided to perform only their songs, consciously avoiding Beatles tracks to distinguish McCartney’s new project. Interestingly, it was on this bus that the song “Live and Let Die” was purportedly written, later becoming a famous James Bond theme song.
- After its stint with Wings, the bus was returned to regular service, stripped of its custom paint. It spent time displayed outside a rock café in Tenerife in the 1990s before being rediscovered and restored in the UK. The restoration included reapplying the original psychedelic paint scheme and refurbishing the interior to its tour condition. It now houses the original tour trunk donated by drummer Denny Seiwell.
- The fully restored bus, complete with its historical significance and a full working 6,975cc Gardner diesel engine, is currently road registered in the UK and being auctioned on the Car & Classic platform. The bus is licensed to display the artwork and names of the band members by Sir Paul McCartney’s company MPL, ensuring its authenticity and legacy are preserved.
The 1972 “Wings Over Europe” Tour
The 1972 “Wings Over Europe” tour was historically significant for a few reasons, but perhaps none more so than the fact that it was Paul McCartney’s first tour since The Beatles stopped touring in 1966. The band Wings, officially called Paul McCartney and Wings, had only been founded a year earlier in 1971, originally consisting of McCartney, his wife Linda on keyboards, Denny Seiwell on drums, and guitarist Denny Laine – formerly of Moody Blues.
Above Video: This is Wings performing their hit single “Hi Hi Hi” in concert at the Congresgebouw, The Hague in the Netherlands on 21st August 1972 as part of the “Wings Over Europe” tour.
The band’s first two albums, Wild Life (1971) and Red Rose Speedway (1973) respectively, weren’t as commercially successful as McCartney’s earlier work with The Beatles. It seems these early, formative years were a time when the band was finding its feet, as they would go on to achieve six Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and win a further six Grammy Awards, among a slew of other award wins and top ten hits.
“We knew we were going to tour in Europe and that the weather would be nice, and the idea of being stuck in a bus all the time, going from city to city, hotel to hotel, wasn’t too appealing so we decided to travel around in an open-top bus and get some sunshine as we travelled from one place to another.” – Paul McCartney
A Family Affair
The first Wings tour was to be a family affair, with wives, girlfriends, and children joining the band members as they toured 25 European cities across nine countries for a total of 25 shows. Paul made the decision early on that the band wouldn’t be performing any Beatles songs on this tour, as he felt it was important to differentiate his new work with Wings from his earlier work as part of the Fab Four.
The band acquired a 1953 Bristol KSW5G double-decker bus that had formerly been used in Chelmsford, Essex for local bus routes. The upper roof was cut off in 1966 when it was used for transporting holiday-makers.
When it was bought by Wings it was given a psychedelic paint scheme by well-known artist Geoffrey Cleghorn, who had done previous work for The Who, Pink Floyd, and Rolling Stones.
The upper deck has seating at the front and back, with plenty of space in the middle for standing to greet fans as you drive by.
The upper level of the bus was essentially a sundeck that the band members could use to enjoy the long European summer days, and the lower deck contained comfortable seating and tables, bunk beds for the kids, and ample storage space.
The Live and Let Die Connection
Interestingly, it was in 1972 on this tour bus that Wings are said to have written Live and Let Die, which would become the Bond theme song for the 1973 James Bond film of the same name starring Roger Moore.
Once the tour drew to a conclusion the bus was returned to service, with the psychedelic paint scheme removed and standard seating re-instated. It was later bought by a collector and the paint scheme was reapplied in an exacting fashion using period photographs, the the interior was restored to as-used condition.
The fate of the bus was to end up displayed outside a rock cafe in Tenerife during the 1990s, after this it was rediscovered in an open secure storage area 20 years later and returned to the UK where it was once again restored.
Inside the bus you’ll now find the original Wings tour trunk that was donated to the project by drummer Denny Seiwell, and importantly the bus is licensed to display the artwork and band member’s names by Sir Paul McCartney’s company MPL.
In the lower area there is seating and tables, with the band member’s names assigned to certain seats, and there are two front bunk beds as well as storage space.
The bus is said to be in full working order and road registered in the UK. It’s powered by an original 6,975cc Gardner 5LW NA 5-cylinder diesel engine, known for being bulletproof, linked with a 4-speed manual transmission, new tires, and new batteries.
The bus is being offered for auction on the Car & Classic platform out of Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Car & Classic
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