Recording "Maybe I'm Amazed"

In late December 1969, Paul McCartney began recording new material using a Studer J37 4-track tape recorder that had recently been installed at his home in London. In early January 1970, he took part in the final Beatles sessions. After a last day of work at home on his solo project on January 17, he moved to EMI Studios, Abbey Road, on January 24 to prepare rough mixes of the work done so far, and spent two other days of work at EMI Studios on February 7 and 8.

From February 10 to 14, Paul, Linda, and their daughters Heather and Mary took a short family trip through the south of England. On this day, February 15, Paul was back at EMI Studios to record, from start to finish, the song “Maybe I’m Amazed,” which would widely be considered the standout track of the “McCartney” album.

Assisted by engineers Phil McDonald and Alan Parsons, Paul took advantage of the eight-track facilities at EMI Studios and built the track in layers. He began with piano on track one and lead vocals on track two, followed by drums on track three and bass on track four. Backing vocals, with Linda contributing, were recorded on tracks five and six, along with an organ part on track six. Guitar overdubs were then added to tracks seven and eight.

After a few hours of work, a rough mix was completed. “Maybe I’m Amazed” would be properly mixed on February 22.

The following day, Paul moved to Morgan Studios to continue work on his album.

Written in London, at the piano, with the second verse added slightly later, as if you cared.

Recorded at EMI, No. 2 Studio. First
1 piano.
2 vocal.
3 drums.
4 bass.
5 and vocal backing.
6 and vocal backing.
7 solo guitar.
8 backing guitars.

Linda and I are the vocal backing group. Mixed at EMI. A movie was made, using Linda’s slides and edited to this track.

Paul McCartney, from the press release of “McCartney”, April 1970

He played every single instrument, did all the vocals with one small contribution from Linda, but it was a song, ‘Maybe I’m Amazed.’ He did the whole thing, start to finish, every instrument, bass, drums, guitars, keyboards, everything, in a day, and I remember being so, so impressed with that.

Alan Parsons – Second engineer – From radio interview with Alan Parsons for “The Track Of My Years”, BBC Radio 2, broadcast September 27, 2019 – Quoted in “The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969 – 73” by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, 2022

There was a Steinway baby grand, which used to get wheeled between the studios ’cause it sounded really good. It’s a great piano part, with this wonderful discord in the right hand with the thumping left hand. It was essentially recorded in one evening, very fast.

Alan Parsons – From “Alan Parson’s Art And Science of Sound Recording. The Book“, 2000 – Quoted in “Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989” by Luca Perasi, 2023

Session activities

1. Maybe I'm Amazed

   Written by Paul McCartney

   Recording

2. Maybe I'm Amazed

   Written by Paul McCartney

   Mixing • Rough mixing

Staff

Musicians on "Maybe I'm Amazed"

Production staff

Going further

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.

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The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969 – 73

In this first of a groundbreaking multivolume set, THE MCCARTNEY LEGACY, VOL 1: 1969-73 captures the life of Paul McCartney in the years immediately following the dissolution of the Beatles, a period in which McCartney recreated himself as both a man and a musician. Informed by hundreds of interviews, extensive ground up research, and thousands of never-before-seen documents THE MCCARTNEY LEGACY, VOL 1 is an in depth, revealing exploration of McCartney’s creative and personal lives beyond the Beatles.

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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.

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