I Do

Song facts

“I Do” is a track from Paul McCartney’s 2001 album “Driving Rain“. 

Recorded 17th February 2001 onto 16-track analogue tape then loaded into Logic Audio for overdubs. David Leonard mixed this track. Paul played Martin acoustic then overdubbed Hofner bass and the lead vocal. Abe played Paul’s Ludwig drum kit and overdubbed tambourine. Rusty played Gibson SG electric guitar. Gabe played piano. David overdubbed orchestral samples.

From paulmccartney.com

‘I Do’ was the third of the India songs. It was one of those ‘if you only knew’ songs, like just talking to someone; ‘if you only knew, that it’s OK from my side’. It’s like a communicative statement to someone – ‘whatever you think at any given time, remember this – I do’. Like I may be goofing off but essentially I wrote this song to say it’s OK. That was another afternoon in Goa song; my three little Goaers. As I said I started singing it low but then, as a vocal trick to kick the song along in the second verse, I found I could actually easily lift it an octave and a nice little moment happened that I like on this song, when I’m catching my breath in order to go up the octave. It’s a little signature thing that happened which I didn’t mean to happen, but it’s good that there are those little accidents. And then David Kahne put an arrangement on from his trusty bank of sounds; he’s got like 24,000 sounds in his bank – he’s got string sounds that can be the bow going one way or the bow going the other way. 

Paul McCartney – From “The Driving Rain interview” published on paulmccartney.com, November 2001

Last updated on January 21, 2021

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