Recording studio: EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Previous session Jul 16 - 18, 1974 • Recording "Junior's Farm"
Article Jul 27, 1974 • "We're Over The Moon" ad
Article August 1974 • Rumors about Wings splitting
Session August - November 1974 • "One Hand Clapping" sessions
Album Aug 06, 1974 • "I Survive" by Adam Faith released in the UK
Interview Aug 17, 1974 • Denny Laine interview for New Musical Express (NME)
Next session Aug 26, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 1
AlbumSome of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "One Hand Clapping (2 LP and 7”)" LP
After the success of the album “Band on the Run,” recorded by Paul and Linda McCartney and Denny Laine, Paul recruited guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton to form a new Wings line-up. To put the group together, they went to Nashville where they spent a few weeks recording new tracks.
Back in London, they started filming a documentary at Abbey Road Studios in late August. The documentary, “One Hand Clapping,” directed by David Litchfield, showcased the band working together and Paul’s musical talent. It featured performances of several tracks from “Band on the Run,” along with other familiar and unreleased songs, including some Beatles tracks.
“One Hand Clapping” — music and video — was recorded at Abbey Road Studios over five consecutive days, from August 26 to August 30, 1974. Some tracks were re-recorded on October 8 and 9, 1974.
Filming began with two days of “tracking” after which the band was videotaped watching and listening to the dailies. Day Three was dedicated to Paul’s “cabaret sequence” and on the fourth date orchestral and instrumental overdubs were added to selected tracks from Days One and Two. Taping concluded with shooting of The Backyard and the “Piano Thing” in Studio Two. Audio and video were edited and mixed sporadically through early November
From Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium by Chip Madinger and Mark Easter
Despite its promise, “One Hand Clapping” was never officially released. There have been speculations about this, including Paul’s dissatisfaction with the final product and the changing dynamics within the band. Geoff Britton left Wings in March 1975, which may have contributed to the decision to shelve the documentary.
Although “One Hand Clapping” was unreleased, bootleg copies of the soundtrack have been circulated among fans, and some parts of the film have been included in special editions of Paul’s albums. For example, the 2010 reissue of “Band on the Run” includes excerpts from the film, sparking renewed interest in this hidden gem.
Finally, in 2024, a more complete soundtrack album was released to the public.
The table below lists all the songs recorded during the “One Hand Clapping” sessions. Despite the 2024 release of the “One Hand Clapping” album, some tracks are still not officially released and are only available as bootlegs.
Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 1
Aug 26, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on One Hand Clapping (2 LP and 7”)
Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 2
Aug 27, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Band On The Run - Archive Collection
Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Venus And Mars - Archive Collection
Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 4
Aug 29, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The In-Laws (Music From The Motion Picture)
Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Band On The Run - Archive Collection
Sep 27, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Band On The Run - Archive Collection
Sep 29, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Band On The Run - Archive Collection
Re-recording tracks for "One Hand Clapping"
October 8-9, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on One Hand Clapping (2 LP and 7”)
Oct 09, 1974 • Songs recorded during this session appear on One Hand Clapping (2 LP and 7”)
Written by Mitch Murray, Peter Callander
Recording
Aug 26, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 1
Aug 26, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 1
Aug 26, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 1
Aug 26, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 1
Aug 26, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 1
Aug 26, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 1
Aug 26, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 1
Aug 26, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 1
Aug 27, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 2
Aug 27, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 2
Aug 27, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 2
Aug 27, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 2
Aug 27, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 2
Jam
Aug 27, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 2
Aug 27, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 2
Aug 27, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 2
Aug 27, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 2
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 28, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 3
Aug 29, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 4
Aug 29, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 4
Aug 29, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 4
Aug 29, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 4
Aug 29, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" - Day 4
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Aug 30, 1974 • Recording "One Hand Clapping" / "The Backyard" - Day 5
Sep 27, 1974 • Mixing "One Hand Clapping" #1
Sep 27, 1974 • Mixing "One Hand Clapping" #1
Sep 29, 1974 • Mixing "One Hand Clapping" #2
Sep 29, 1974 • Mixing "One Hand Clapping" #2
Sep 29, 1974 • Mixing "One Hand Clapping" #2
Sep 29, 1974 • Mixing "One Hand Clapping" #2
Sep 29, 1974 • Mixing "One Hand Clapping" #2
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five
Sep 29, 1974 • Mixing "One Hand Clapping" #2
October 8-9, 1974 • Re-recording tracks for "One Hand Clapping"
October 8-9, 1974 • Re-recording tracks for "One Hand Clapping"
Oct 09, 1974 • Recording "Soily"
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989
With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.
Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium
We owe a lot to Chip Madinger and Mark Easter for the creation of those session pages, but you really have to buy this book to get all the details!
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.
As the paperback version is out of print, you can buy a PDF version on the authors' website
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