Nashville sessions

So now it was me, Linda, Denny, Jimmy and Geoff, and with that line-up we took off for Nashville to some recording and get the band ‘together’.

Paul McCartney, in Wingspan, 2002

On July 17th Wings arrived back in England after seven weeks of rehearsing and recording in Nashville, Tennesse. The McCartneys had rented a 133 acre ranch near Lebanon from songwriter Curley Putman, who wrote ‘Green Green Grass of Home’. Most of their stay was spent rehearsing Wings and jamming with local musicians, including Chet Atkins, country pianist Floyd Crammer, fiddle player Vassar Clements, banjo player Bobby Thompson, and the Cate Sisters. Among the tracks recorded was a song called ‘Eloise’, written by Paul’s father twenty years ago. Also recorded was a ‘country flavoured’ song called ‘Sally G’, written by Paul after visiting a country music club in Printers’ Alley. He was impressed not only with Nashville, but with the musicians and the ‘Sound Shop’ studios where he worked, usually from 6 p.m. to midnight.

“We had great fun using pedal guitars, fiddles and banjos. The musicians out in Nashville are a great pleasure to work with because they are so sharp and professional.”

In an informal press conference held on the front porch of the ranch Paul said:

“I came here, because Nashville is the music centre; I hope to return sometime in the near future to do an American tour. If it does develop, there are definite plans for a Nashville concert. We just couldn’t skip Nashville, we have too many friends here. The trouble is that since I’ve been here I promised a lot of people that I would write songs for them. It’s amazing the people who want songs, like Johnny Cash and Charlie Rich. You’d think they’d have plenty of material but they all tell us they don’t have enough good songs.”

During their stay, Paul and Linda visited the new Opry land, an enormous park with four or five stages, each with different kinds of music being performed – folk, Dixieland, country etc. They attended a fiddle contest, and saw Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner and Gordon Stoker, lead singer with Presley’s backing group The Geordinaires. Also they frequented their favourite local restaurant ‘The Loveless Motel’, and a few drive-in movies. One evening Roy Orbison came over for a supper cooked by Linda.

Linda told reporters:

“One of the best times we had in Nashville was on Paul’s birthday. I’d bought him a lighter from Rivergate, and in the evening we had a barbecue down on a lake, but the next day we were back to rehearsing for possible future tours and recordings. Most of the time we rehearsed in a garage next to the house.”

Among the thirty pieces of luggage loaded into the rented car and truck en route for New York, was a Honda motorcycle.

From Wings Fun Club newsletter N°2, 1974

There were rumors of the band splitting after the Nashville sessions.

“We went to Nashville with the idea that we’d get this group together and we’d all sign contracts and be Wings, as a business thing. All going out under the same roof… but then it all seemed as if it was being a bit rushed. I thought, ‘hang on – let’s make sure that this is the right group’. Then I started thinking about contracts, and I decided that I could be in any group without signing contracts – I never did it with the Moody Blues, never a piece of paper to say I’d stay with them for so many years, so why should it be that way with Wings? I think if you don’t like what’s going on, you should just be able to leave — pick up your money, clock out, and that’s it, just like anybody else is able to do in their job.

“It just didn’t seem necessary to me, and the minute I said this to Paul he said ‘great, that’s the way I want it too’, and then I realised that we were only going through this thing with contracts because we’d all been advised to do it. It wasn’t what we wanted. Mind you, I’d always known that to a point, but I feel l had to say it then because I could see myself suddenly having to become a worker in Paul’s group, and I just thought no — no way. And I wasn’t the only one saying it, believe me.

“Contracts tend to make you lazy, I think. Anyway — we sorted that out.”

Denny Laine – Interview for Sounds, August 31, 1974

While in Nashville we recorded about five tracks… one is a song written by Paul’s dad called “Walking In The Park With Eloise”, just music. When Paul was a little boy, about 10, even younger, he remembers sitting at the foot of the piano while his dad was playing this song. We were having dinner with Chet Atkins, the guitar player, one night in Nashville, and Paul had being playing a lot of his music for Chet and he said, “here, here’s one that my dad wrote long time ago” – and he started playing it.

Chet got talking to Paul, saying that the song should be recorded and that would be nice for his dad and so on. We thought, why not? So we got Chet playing on it and Floyd Cramer the piano player and Chet himself got together a nice little band called Country Hams with lots of other Nashville people. So there’s this single called “Walking In The Park With Eloise” by Country Hams coming out on EMI in a couple of weeks.

Linda McCartney – Interview with Sounds, October 5, 1974

 I just got back yesterday from my 17 day trip to SC and TN last night. While I was in TN, I visited my friend Dan [Healey] who spent time on Junior’s Farm hanging out with Paul McCartney & Wings at Junior Putnam’s Farm. Most of his interactions were with the band members but some great stories. So when I let him know that I would be in the area, he invited me back for a visit and stories of his time there. Last time, my trip out to his house was impromptu but was a great day with a very gracious host who even to this day, beams while telling these stories.

Well, I knew he had made a tape of Wings rehearsing down on the farm but also knew that he was very protective and only allowed very few friends to hear it. So I decided to ask if maybe I could hear the tape during my visit and to my surprise, he said “YES”. The tape has never been circulated and still remains in the possession of the person who recorded it 50 years ago. Of course, you must realize that in 1974, technology was not very sophisticated , so taped on a hand held recorder with a mic plugged in that he secreted onto the farm and recorded while sitting in a field while listening to the rehearsal some ways from the open garage.

The tape itself was better than I expected given the conditions. With some of course a little rougher at moments. I’m sure in the hands of someone who knew what they were doing, it could be cleaned up and made to sound better. Well, anyway, the tape is around an hour and 20 minutes and from memory……at least 15 songs. I am currently listening to the OHC cd’s as I write this. Since there was no touring planned that year, I believe that these rehearsals were to get ready for Abbey Rd Studios where they would be playing many of this songs while being filmed, Was surprised that he gave me permission to chat about it but he gave me the green light. So I figured that I’d share this cool experience with those who could appreciate it.

And to address the elephant in the room, No, I did not receive a copy of the tape. I asked early to hear it as it is usually stored in a safety deposit box. He has no plans on releasing it but I appreciate the opportunity that I got to hear it. […]

The rehearsal tape in question is 3 to 4 weeks prior to any recording of Junior’s Farm. However, I do not remember hearing Sally G, Send Me the Heart or Walking in the Park with Eloise. Not that I took written notes. But here is what I can remember being on it

Band on the Run
Let Me Roll It
Little Woman Love
C Moon
Bluebird
My Love
Maybe I’m Amazed
Soily
Jet
Live And Let Die
Go Now
Wild Life
Hi,Hi,Hi
Junior’s Farm

Junior’s Farm was the most worked on this particular day.

Maccawings contributor – From Paul McCartney & Wings 1974 Rehearsal Tape – beatlegdb.com, June 2024

From Dan Ealey on Facebook, June 17, 2024

For the first time in 50 Years I allowed someone to hear and review the complete recordings of Paul McCartneys & Wings first performance in America which was in Junior Putman’s garage as they rehearsed at Junior’s Farm in June of 1974. The recordings include a newly written song never heard before called “Junior’s Farm”.

Here is Keri’s emotional review:

Yesterday was a very special birthday. I had the grand opportunity to hear THE Junior’s Farm tapes that Dan Ealey recorded as a 20 year old kid in Lebanon, TN at Curly (Junior) Putnam’s farm while Paul McCartney and Wings rehearsed. I cannot begin to tell you how much this meant to me. I cried, I laughed, I got the chills. I experienced this with 2 great men that mean a lot to my life. Robert Gannon aka Hubs, set everything up for us to be able to hear them. Dan set the tone by sharing several stories with us. He can sure tell the tale.

We got to hear Jimmy’s voice come back to life, it was eerily beautiful. We got to hear Soily, C Moon,

Jet, Band On The Run, Live and Let Die, My Love,

Wild Life, Let Me Roll It, Hi Hi Hi, Bluebird, Go Now, Maybe I’m Amazed, Little Woman Love and Junior’s Farm!!! It’s something I’ll never ever forget. Dan the Man also had Geoff Britton, former drummer for Wings, call and wish me a very special bday wish! It was amazing!!! I was chuffed! Magpie Latham, thank you both for the call and the wishes and for the music you’ve given us!

Raw y’all. They were raw, like Rock n Roll should be. These tapes are untouched. You could hear the wind and the birds and Rusty the dog barking. I was blown away by the quality and what I heard. It is engraved onto my Soul. To hear Paul and band do Junior’s Farm for the very first time EVER was thrilling. I cannot thank Dan and Bob enough! Dan, I love your Fandom. I love how you love the music just like we do. We live it, daily! You’re one of the best storytellers I’ve ever heard and it was great hanging out with you. Thank you for loving the music and for understanding how we fans cherish each and every note, even the bad ones. Big Hugs Brother!

I heard the tapes y’all. We heard em! EPIC!

4411, IYKYK

MPL Music Publishing y’all need to hear these tapes. It is history. Paul’s voice, the musicianship, the creative process. Hearing Linda working out her parts with the lead guitar was just amazing. Something that should most definitely be in his archives. They’ve never been cleaned up but could be. Even as is, they are unbelievably good.

Thanks Maccawings. Actually, July 16 they recorded “Walking in the Park with Eloise” (which at the moment was just called “Eloise”) and on July 18, they did vocal overdubs on Denny’s “Send Me the Heart.” “Sally G” (and the basic tracks for “Send Me the Heart”) were recorded on July 10, and “Junior’s Farm” was recorded on July 13. We devote a chapter to Nashville and another to the “One Hand Clapping” sessions, although “OHC” returns later in the book as well, since they returned to Abbey Road in October (with Litchfield resuming his filming) to remake three of the songs from the August “OHC” sessions.

From Paul McCartney & Wings 1974 Rehearsal Tape – Page 2 – beatlegdb.com

Related sessions

• 

  Overdubs for "Hey Diddle"

  Jul 08, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Venus And Mars - Archive Collection

• 

  Recording "Sally G"

  Jul 09, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Junior's Farm / Sally G

• 

  Overdubs for "Bridge On The River Suite"

  Jul 11, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Junior's Farm / Sally G

• 

  Recording "Walking In The Park With Eloise"

  Jul 16, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Walking In The Park With Eloise / Bridge On The River Suite

• 

  Recording "Junior's Farm"

  Jul 16 - 18, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Junior's Farm / Sally G

Session activities

1. Junior's Farm

   Written by Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney

   Recording

   AlbumOfficially released on Junior's Farm / Sally G

2. Sally G

   Written by Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney

   Recording

   AlbumOfficially released on Junior's Farm / Sally G

3. Send Me The Heart

   Written by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine

   Recording

   AlbumOfficially released on Japanese Tears

4. Hey Diddle

   Written by Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney

   Recording • Overdubs

5. Bridge On The River Suite

   Written by Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney

   Mixing

6. Wide Prairie

   Written by Linda McCartney

   Recording • Overdubs

   AlbumOfficially released on Wide Prairie

7. Hey Diddle

   Jul 08, 1974 • Overdubs for "Hey Diddle"

8. Sally G

   Jul 09, 1974 • Recording "Sally G"

9. Bridge On The River Suite

   Jul 11, 1974 • Overdubs for "Bridge On The River Suite"

10. Junior's Farm

    Jul 16 - 18, 1974 • Recording "Junior's Farm"

11. Walking In The Park With Eloise

    Jul 16, 1974 • Recording "Walking In The Park With Eloise"

Staff

Production staff

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