Flaming Pie sessions with Steve Miller at Hog Hill Mill

Paul McCartney started working with Steve Miller for his next solo album – which would become “Flaming Pie” – in February 1995. He had then been invited by Miller in his personal studio in Idaho. At the end of those first sessions, had been agreed that Miller would visit Paul in Hog Hill Mill in May.

They said, can you come over and do some guitar parts and maybe sing some more.

Steve Miller, from the “Flaming Pie – Archive Collection” book, 2020

During those two weeks in the Sussex, they worked on three tracks which would be released. They also spent time on songs which are still unreleased :

One was an instrumental and I think McCartney just made up some lyrics on it — ‘Soul Boy’ is that one. And ‘Sweet Home Country Girl’ is a little blues tune that I’d been working on for years. And we did a bunch of tunes and we recorded a bunch of stuff. But, y’know, just because Paul McCartney’s on it doesn’t mean it’s a hit, or it’s a great song, or it’s fabulous, or ‘Man, this is the best piece of work I ever heard! You gotta put this out.’ And so, if it doesn’t come out, there’s usually a reason for it.

Steve Miller, talking to Howie Edelson, for Beatlefan magazine

Here is Steve Miller describing how the work with Paul went:

Generally, you know, when I’m working with Paul, everything is one take and it’s like be great instantly and here we go and there we were. You know, that’s the thing that I really enjoy if I’m really inspirational from working this way was that it sort of got me out of you know sitting in the studio and thinking and working and thinking and working. When Paul showed up with his songs he knew exactly how those songs went pretty much what he wanted me to play and he wrote the vocal backgrounds for me. You know he showed me what would you want me to do on the tunes that he had all thought out.

Steve Miller, from the “Flaming Pie Radio Special”

Related sessions

Session activities

1. (Sweet Home) Country Girl

   Written by Paul McCartney, Steve Miller

   Recording • Unclear if (Sweet Home) Country Girl was worked on during those May sessions, or during the February sessions with Steve Miller

   Unreleased track

2. Soul Boy

   Written by Paul McCartney, Steve Miller

   Recording • Unclear if Soul Boy was worked on during those May sessions, or during the February sessions with Steve Miller

   Unreleased track

3. Broomstick

   Written by Paul McCartney

   Recording • Instrumental version

   AlbumOfficially released on 2020 exclusive downloads

4. Young Boy

   Mar 21-22, 1995 • Overdubs for "Young Boy"

5. Broomstick

   Starting May 04, 1995 • Recording "Broomstick"

6. If You Wanna

   Starting May 05, 1995 • Recording "Used To Be Bad"

7. Used To Be Bad

   Starting May 05, 1995 • Recording "Used To Be Bad"

8. If You Wanna

   Started May 11, 1995 • Recording "If You Wanna"

Staff

Production staff

Going further

Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 2) 1990-2012

This new book by Luca Perasi traces Paul McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1990 to 2012 in the form of 250 song entries, filled with details about the recordings, stories behind the sessions and musical analysis. His pop albums, his forays into classical and avant-garde music, his penchant for covering old standards: a complete book to discover how these languages cross-pollinate and influence each other.The second volume in a series that has established itself as a unique guide to take the reader on a journey into the astonishing creativity of Paul McCartney.Read our exclusive interview with Luca Perasi

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Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium

Eight Arms To Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium is the ultimate look at the careers of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr beyond the Beatles. Every aspect of their professional careers as solo artists is explored, from recording sessions, record releases and tours, to television, film and music videos, including everything in between. From their early film soundtrack work to the officially released retrospectives, all solo efforts by the four men are exhaustively examined.

Buy on Amazon