How David R L Litchfield came to direct ‘One Hand Clapping’ for Paul McCartney and Wings
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As Paul McCartney, after 50 years, officially releases his most bootlegged album ‘One Hand Clapping’, a collection of live recordings he made with Wings at Abbey Road Studios in London, we remember David Litchfield’s description of how he came to direct a 1-hour video documentary of those recordings – (and draw the art work for the album jacket):
Litchfield first met Paul and Linda McCartney, as well as David Bailey, in 1972 at a fund raising party for Release at the Hard Rock Café in London, organised by the artist, journalist and political activist Caroline Coon. At the time, he was designing, editing and publishing a ‘breathtakingly beautiful graphic arts magazine’ (Hercules Bellville) called The Image. As a result of Bailey’s further introductions, David came to publish both Jean Shrimpton’s and Linda McCartney’s photographs in his magazine. He writes:
‘The Image had only lasted for two years [1972-4]. When it crashed, Paul McCartney fulfilled me creatively and saved me financially by generously commissioning me to make three documentaries: One Hand Clapping, concerning McCartney and Wings; Empty Hands about a Japanese v British Karate contest, after which I went on to film a stage version of Steven Berkoff’s Fall of The House of Usher and Harry Nilsson’s The Point. I even got the funding to make a documentary about Bob Marley, before Jerry Weintraub, Bob’s tour manager, arrived in London and threatened to kill me, if I continued with the project’.
‘During this time we spent a considerable amount of time at Abbey Road filming Wings, and at my studio in Kilburn, discussing the meaning of life’.
(as published in David Litchfield’s book “Bailey and I”, IPN/Jan.2023)
Here is a great piece on the release of the album, put together by David Baldinger, which aired on Austrian Radio ORF on 14.06.2024. Both Geoff Britton and David Litchfield can be heard talking about their involvement.
After completing his film projects, David Litchfield started his second magazine, Ritz Newspaper, with David Bailey, which he ran from 1976 to 1989 (and advised in its revival format from 1995 to 1997).
NB: The film crew on ‘One Hand Clapping’ consisted of Camera Men Howard Sharp and John Druce, Video Engineer Clive Matley, Video Sound Engineer John Page, Graphic Designer Keith Pasley and Film Editor Brian Huberman.
PAUL MCCARTNEY AND DAVID LITCHFIELD DURING THE FILMING OF ‘ONE HAND CLAPPING’ IN 1974 (DAVID ROBERT LITCHFIELD ESTATE)
Tags: Abbey Road Studios, Bob Marley, Brian Hubermann, Caroline Coon, Clive Matley, David Bailey, David Litchfield, David R. L. Litchfield, Empty Hands, Harry Nilsson, Hercules Bellville, Howard Sharp, Jean Shrimpton, Jerry Weintraub, John Druce, John Page, Karate, Keith Pasley, Kilburn, Linda McCartney, One Hand Clapping, Paul McCartney, Steven Berkoff, The Fall of The House of Usher, The Image, The Point, Wings
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