"Suzy And The Red Stripes" sessions

November 26

Paul, Linda and Denny travel to Paris to work on more recordings, notably another version of Linda’s ‘Seaside Woman’, ‘Wide Prairie’ and ‘I Got Up’. Sessions at the Pathe Marconi Studio last from 12.45am to 5.30am, the first time that the studios had been used throughout the night. Following the all night recording, the group return to the George V Hotel to get some sleep. They awake at 5.30pm to do interviews for the French magazines Paris Match and Français. Joining them at the session is Davy Lutton, the ex-drummer of the sixties chart group Love Affair, and the guitarist Jimmy McCulloch. (Paul, Linda and Denny return home later the same evening.) Prior to their departure, Paul gives an interview at his offices in Soho Square, London, to BBC Radio One.

Badman, Keith. The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After The Break-Up 1970-2001 . Music Sales. Kindle Edition.

Just before Christmas Wings set off to Paris via Ferry with Jimmy McCullough ex Blue guitarist & Dave Lutton ex Ellis Drummer. The Ferry landed at Calais, and Ian, faithful roadie for Wings drove + hours to Paris’s plush hotel – The George cinq. The McCartneys stayed in rooms 119, 124 & 125 and after dumping all their stuff down and having something to eat set off again in a Black Caddilac at the dead of night to the Pathe Marconi studios in Bologne. Which is where at approx 12.45am Wings made history. This was the first time the studios had been used overnight.

At 8.30am they were all back at the hotel and went to bed… at 5.30pm they all woke up. Paul did some interview with Paris Match & Francais.

On the 7th floor some more illustrious stars were getting themselves ready for a gig. Yes, you’ve guessed it ….. none other than the fabulous Osmond Brothers. The kids wanted to get the Osmonds autographes so at approx 6.30pm the following bit of dialogue takes place between Paul & little Jimmy:

Paul: Are you going to do ‘Long Haired Lover from L’pool?

Jimmy: Sure Paul, You bet!

Wings arrived in Paris on Wednesday and were due to leave on Friday. But the tracks cut in the studios had been so good that they wanted to get a cassette made for the car so they could listen to the muzac all the way home. Unfortunately the cassette wasn’t ready in time so they missed the ferry. That evening Paul and Linda went to a very jet setty club, and the next day before they left, Linda managed to do a bit of shopping and bought some jewelry & snazy sunglasses in the shape of Christmas trees & tennis rackets.

They caught the 9.0 ‘clock ferry home.

From Wings Fun Club newsletter #6

After leaving Blue in September 1973, Jimmy did a session in Paris with Paul & Linda McCartney, Denny Laine and Davy Lutton for Linda’s Suzy and the Red Stripes project.

Shortly thereafter, Jimmy received two job opportunities on the same day. An invitation from Angie Bowie to work with David and the other from MPL to work with Paul McCartney.

Jack McCulloch recalled in Little Wing: The Jimmy McCulloch Story that “The fact that Jimmy was available was pretty well known in the business because Stone the Crows had split up and I was getting him bits and pieces of work, session work and all that. Obviously, he was doing some session work with McCartney at this time over at the Pathe recording studio in France. They did the Suzy and the Redstripes which was Linda’s stuff. We were just waiting really until the job was confirmed because we knew that McCartney wanted to put a band together and all that sort of stuff. When Angie Bowie phoned up, I took the call because I was acting as his manager, and she said “David would like Jimmy to play in his new band, would he be prepared to come?” and I said “I can’t commit him at the moment because he’s got a couple of things in the pipeline that he’s got to honor.” and she said “Well, I need to get an answer today.” I said “Well, tell David we’re sorry but we can’t do the gig.” and that was it. Then later that day, McCartney phoned and he was in Wings. All in the same day. There was no way he was going to work for David anyway because at that time it was all nutty. Andy Newman knew Angie Bowie well and we got enough information down the line of how they worked. At that particular time, they weren’t very professional because Angie was calling all the shots, it wasn’t David at that time. This was after Spiders From Mars. She was too difficult to work with shall we say.”

From Jimmy McCulloch – After leaving Blue in September 1973, Jimmy did… | Facebook

Session activities

1. Luxy

   Written by Paul McCartney

   Recording

2. Wide Prairie

   Written by Linda Eastman / McCartney

   Recording

3. I Got Up

   Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney

   Recording

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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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.

As the paperback version is out of print, you can buy a PDF version on the authors' website

Buy on Amazon