Recording studio: Strawberry Studios South, Dorking, Surrey
Session Mar 01, 1981 • Recording "What's That You're Doing", "Tug Of War"
Article Mar 03, 1981 • Paul plays with The Michael Schenker Group
Session March 1981 • Overdubs for "What's That You're Doing?"
Session March / April 1981 ? • Overdubs for "All Those Years Ago"
Session March 11, 1981 - March 1982 • Tug Of War sessions at AIR Studios, London
Some of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "Tug Of War" Official album.
When Stevie Wonder walked into my studio. I’d never met him before, and Paul introduced me and said.’This is Eric from 10cc. You might remember him from his song “I’m Not in Love”. Immediately Stevie said, ’Yes, I love the way you sing “Oh, no, no!” I recognise your voice now. Great to see you man!’ If anyone walked in the room, he clocked straight away who it was, from the sound of your voice. All his senses were multiplied because of his lack of vision. It’s incredible.
George Martin and Paul had wanted to come down to the studio to see what we had. So we recorded Stevie’s backing girls. Wonderlove, there. Having George Martin, Paul, Stevie Wonder and the backing singers in my studio, who were flown over specially … well, that was like being on cloud nine for me. The publicity around that, for the studio, was immense. Though it actually bounced back on us, because we couldn’t then get in our own studio, it was so booked up. We had the Moody Blues there and people would book it for six months at a time. We couldn’t get in the door of our own studio!
Eric Stewart, from Tug Of War Archive Collection, 2015
Written by Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder
Recording
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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George • 3 years ago
Just a small fix suggestion - the Strawberry Studios South location is I think Dorking rather than Dorkins.
The PaulMcCartney Project • 2 years ago
Hi George, you're right - thanks for noticing ! Will be fixed in the next update of the site. Thanks !
