Flaming Pie sessions with Steve Miller at Hog Hill Mill

About

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”

Last updated on September 6, 2020

Songs recorded

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