Do you think that the album Band On The Run would have had a better life at No.1 if the single of the title track had been the first single, as opposed to the third?

The album went to No.1 for one week.  The first single released from that album was "Helen Wheels" (a song I don't really like).  That song went to #10 on the Hot 100 Singles chart; the second single, "Jet" (a meh song), went to #7.  Finally, finally, they released "Band On The Run", which went to #1 for one week.

I personally think that if "BOTR" was the first single, the album would have went to #1 a lot faster than it did.  The album was released in 1973, but it didn't top the chart until 1974, when the self-titled single was released.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Helen Wheels wasn't included on the European version of the album.

That is correct Bobber, and I agree BOTR should have been the first single as well.

Quoted from Bobber

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Helen Wheels wasn't included on the European version of the album.

It wasn't. Maybe he thought that BOTR was too similar in structure to Live And Let Die. Forgive me, I'm not a musician, but both songs are trademark McCartney epics, in several parts. Too similar to be a follow up single perhaps?

It always puzzled me that we did'nt get Bluebird as a single  in the UK ?

DaveRam

I know nothing of this UK that of which you speak.   

I go by US in regards to Macca.

Macca was really furious with Capitol because they included 'Helen Wheels' in the middle of the B-side of the album in the US. He really wanted that song to be just a non-album single, which was actually released right before BOTR in October 1973 I think. So the album doesn't have any support when was first released in December, because Helen Wheels was not included in all the non-American album releases. So the radios were playing Helen Wheels and nothing from the album, so that's because so less people buy it. Another reason I think was the fact that Red Rose Speedway was released just 7 months before, so it was too soon to another Wings album.

I think that if BOTR was the first single, for sure the album would debut in the Top 5 at least, but would never spent so many weeks inside the charts, because with subsequent less interesting singles, the staying power of the album would be really less than what it was.

^Thanks for informing me.

Quoted from Bobber

^Thanks for informing me.

My pleasure buddy. I hope you understand my terrible english!