"C Moon" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Wings. It was released as a double A-side with "Hi, Hi, Hi" in 1972. The single reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and since "Hi, Hi, Hi" was banned by the BBC, "C Moon" received much airplay in the United Kingdom. In the United States, "C Moon" did not appear on any of the major record charts.
Lyrics and structure The title "C Moon" was inspired by lyrics in the song "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. McCartney said, "There's a line in [Wooly Bully] that says, 'Let's not be L7.' Well, L7, it was explained at the time, means a square—put L and 7 together and you get a square... So I thought of the idea of putting a C and a moon together (a half-moon) to get the opposite of a square. So 'C Moon' means cool, in other words."
The recording includes a missed-cue intro that was kept in the released version.Luca Perasi, Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013), L.I.L.Y. Publishing, 2013, , p.92
The song is in the key of C and is in time. The performers change instruments from their usual places. Guitarist Henry McCullough plays drums and tambourine, guitarist Denny Laine plays bass, and drummer Denny Seiwell plays xylophone and cornet.
The song was recorded around the same time as "Hi, Hi, Hi", in September 1972.
Releases CountryUKUSGermanyFranceJapanLabelAppleAppleEMI Electrola/AppleAppleAppleCatalogue numberR 597318571C006-052082C006-05208EAR-10241Release date1 December 19724 December 1972December, 197220 January 1973Chart ratings5 (16 January 1973)—N/AN/A26 (February, 1973)
The song was included on the Paul McCartney compilation albums All the Best! (1987), Wingspan: Hits and History (2001) and the deluxe edition of Wings (2025), and as a bonus track on the 1993 remastered CD of Red Rose Speedway, as part of The Paul McCartney Collection. It was also included on The 7" Singles Box in 2022.
Personnel According to the author Luca Perasi:
Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, piano, cornet, handclaps Linda McCartney – backing vocals, tambourine Denny Laine – backing vocals, bass Henry McCullough – drums Denny Seiwell – xylophone, cornet Heather McCartney – backing vocals Mary McCartney – backing vocals
Technical Paul McCartney – producer John Leckie – engineer
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