David Spinozza

From Wikipedia:

David Spinozza (born August 8, 1949) is an American guitarist and producer. He worked with former Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon during the 1970s, and had a long collaboration with singer-songwriter James Taylor, producing Taylor’s album Walking Man.

Career

Spinozza worked with McCartney during sessions for McCartney’s Ram album during 1971. When the chance came to work with Lennon two years later, as Yoko Ono prepared her Feeling the Space album and Lennon his Mind Games, Spinozza discovered that Lennon was not aware he had previously worked with McCartney, and was afraid he would be fired if Lennon found out, given their recent feuding in the media. When Lennon did learn of it, his only comment was that McCartney “knows how to pick good people.” The same story is related about Hugh McCracken. […]

Spinozza appeared on Ringo Starr’s 1977 album Ringo the 4th, earning him the distinction of having recorded with three of the four Beatles. […]

In October 1971, Paul McCartney was in New York to start the recording of his second solo album, “Ram.” Contrary to his first solo effort “McCartney” where he played all instruments, he wanted musicians to join him, and held some auditions with session musicians.

I am now obligated to ask about a few momentous sessions in your career and hear what you have to say about them. Let’s start in 1971, Paul McCartney and Ram.

Who’s Paul? [laughs] Oh yeah, he was the cute Beatle! Yes I did that record with him.

But do you remember anything about it?

He was very cute. But all kidding aside, he’s as talented as he is cute. I was not a big Beatles fan, but having done the record and worked with him, he’s everything we think he is. A brilliant songwriter and singer, a very creative man.

David Spinozza – From Guitar World, September 21, 2012

So I went to this place on 45th Street, some dirty loft, and they must have been there for three days auditioning people. I’d heard that some of the studio guys had given them a hard time, which I really didn’t want to do because I wanted to work with him. So when I get there, there’s 3 guitar players, but you had to be called, like you couldn’t walk in off the street with your guitar. He introduced himself to me, with a three-day old beard and we’re alone in this gigantic room, and there’s nothing but amplifiers, piano, drums – and Linda. He wanted me to play something. He played a blues, and a solo and some folk and said he wanted me to do that. I played it and then he just said ‘Sorry I couldn’t spend more time but I have a lot of people to see… blah blah’, so I said ‘Fine’. As soon as I got home the phone rang and Linda wanted me to do the sessions the following week.

David Spinozza – Interview with Vicky Wickham – From Hit Parader, November 1971

David Spinozza participated to the recording of “Ram” in 1971, before being replaced by Hugh McCracken. Denny Seiwell, drummer on the “RAM” sessions, explained what happened:

Paul held some clandestine auditions. He and Linda found out who the happening guys in town were. They just called them in to meet them and to see what they were like as people. And he selected Spinozza and me.

Paul asked us to not book any dates. This is really what happened. He said, “I want your time for three weeks. Just don’t book any sessions, I’d like to hire you from nine to six daily.” We were all real busy, but Spinozza saw that we’d be sometimes finished by two or three in the afternoon. So he took a date, like a four o’clock session or something. And one day he said to Paul, “You mind if I take off? I have to do something.” And Paul thought, “Oh, that’s not what we agreed on here.”

Denny Seiwell, interview with The Morton Report, 2012

Albums, EPs & singles which David Spinozza contributed to

Songs David Spinozza contributed to

Recording sessions David Spinozza participated in