"Red Rose Speedway" sessions at Olympic Studios

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The recording of Wings’ second album, “Red Rose Speedway“, began on March 19, 1972, at Olympic Studios. This was the studio to go to work with engineer/producer Glyn Johns. Paul McCartney had previously worked with Glyn Johns during the “Get Back / Let It Be” sessions back in 1969.

The collaboration with Glyn Johns wouldn’t last long, as Glyn left the sessions after only a few weeks due to disagreements with Paul.

From Wikipedia:

[…] Beginning on 19 March, sessions were held at Olympic Studios in London, after which recording continued sporadically throughout the year. Glyn Johns was invited to produce the Olympic sessions, but left after only a few weeks due to disagreements with McCartney. At the start of the sessions McCartney asked Johns to not think of him as Paul McCartney but rather just as “the bass player in the band” but then wasn’t receptive to Johns’ input. Johns was also unimpressed with the quality of the material, reading the newspaper in the control room while the band smoked marijuana and jammed aimlessly in the studio. […]

He and Paul didn’t hit it off at all. Paul always likes to be his own producer anyway, but at least if he’s going to bring one in they’ve got to be able to see Paul’s point of view.

Denny Laine – From “Blackbird: The Life and Times of Paul McCartney” by Geoffrey Giuliano, 1997

One evening they (Seiwell and Laine – author’s note) said, “We’re not happy with you as a producer. You’re not taking any interest in what we are doing”. I said, “If you think that everything you do is a gem of marvelous music, you’re wrong. And if you want to sit and play shit and get stoned for a few hours […] don’t expect me to record everything you’re doing, because frankly it’s a waste of tape and it’s a waste of my energy.

Glyn Johns, in FAB, an Intimate Life of Paul McCartney

The day after I finished with The Eagles, I went straight in with Paul McCartney and Wings to cut the Red Rose Speedway album, which I quit in a puff of steam after a couple of weeks, and then went straight on to work with Ronnie Lane and Ronnie Wood on the soundtrack to the movie Mahoney’s Estate, with our friend, the actor and director Alexis Kanner.

Glyn Johns, in SOUND MAN, 2014

Last updated on April 17, 2022

Related sessions

Recording "Mary Had A Little Lamb"

Mar 27, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Mary Had A Little Lamb / Little Woman Love (UK)

Recording "Thank You Darling"

Mar 23, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Red Rose Speedway

Recording "I Would Only Smile"

Mar 22, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Red Rose Speedway

Recording "Seaside Woman"

Mar 20, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Red Rose Speedway

Recording "Loup (1st Indian On The Moon)"

Mar 15, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Red Rose Speedway

Recording "Mama's Little Girl"

Mar 14, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Red Rose Speedway

Recording "Tragedy"

Mar 13, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Red Rose Speedway

Recording "Single Pigeon"

Mar 09, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Red Rose Speedway

Recording "The Mess"

Mar 08, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Red Rose Speedway

Recording "When The Night"

Mar 07, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Red Rose Speedway

Recording "Big Barn Bed"

Mar 06, 1972 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Red Rose Speedway

Songs recorded