All backing tracks on the album are performed by McCartney and his band Wings, occasionally accompanied by guest artists.

[4][3] McCartney used the album's sessions to audition possible members of Wings after the band's lead guitarist and drummer quit the year before.

[3] On the original release Paul McCartney is not credited as a musician or backing singer, although he performed both roles during the recordings.

In 1991, McGear was re-released by Rykodisc in the U.S. with a previously unreleased version of the song "Dance The Do" as a bonus track (a different mix had been issued as a stand-alone single on UK Warner Bros).

In 1992, McGear was re-released by See For Miles Records in the U.K. with two bonus tracks, a different mix of "Dance The Do" and "Sweet Baby," which had been the B-side of the single "Leave It".