Tape copying for the "McCartney" album

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, to continue the album. He spent time there on January 24, on February 7 and 8 and again on February 15.

On this day, February 16, Paul relocated to Morgan Studios, where he would continue recording until February 20. As with the EMI sessions, studio time at Morgan had been booked by Linda McCartney under a pseudonym to maintain the project’s secrecy. She chose the name “Billy Martin,” after the American baseball player and manager.

Paul was already familiar with Morgan Studios, having produced recordings for Mary Hopkin there in 1968 and 1969. As with the earlier move from his home to EMI, Mal Evans was asked to handle the transport of Paul’s equipment — this time from EMI to Morgan.

By the next week, Mal found himself behind the wheel of the Apple van, moving Paul’s gear from EMI Studios to Morgan Studios, another Northwest London facility where Paul could work incognito. At one point, Neil cornered Mal about Paul’s surreptitious recording sessions, demanding to know more. “Where’s Paul?” he asked, to which Mal tersely replied, “Not telling you.”

From “Living the Beatles Legend: The untold story of Mal Evans” by Kenneth Womack, 2023

Robin Black, then a junior engineer at Morgan, was assigned to assist during these sessions. On this first day, they transferred the 4-track tapes recorded at home onto 8-track master tapes.

When McCartney came in, I thought Glyn Johns was supposed to be there. Paul said to me, ‘Who’s engineering?’ I said, ‘Well, actually I thought I was supposed to show Glyn how to work the desk.’ He said to me, ‘I don’t think Glyn’s going to turn up today. Can you do it?’ With wobbly knees, and a quick prayer to God, I said, ‘Yes please, I’d love to.’ And it was great. He wanted a closed session. He didn’t actually want an assistant. So, really it was just Paul, and Linda, and myself.

Robin Black – Interview with Adrian Sinclair, 2016 – From “The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969 – 73” by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, 2022

Session activities

1. Junk

   Written by Paul McCartney

   Tape copying • Tape copy of Studer four-tracks tape to eight-track

2. Singalong Junk

   Written by Paul McCartney

   Tape copying • Tape copy of Studer four-tracks tape to eight-track

3. Oo You

   Written by Paul McCartney

   Tape copying • Tape copy of Studer four-tracks tape to eight-track

4. Teddy Boy

   Written by Paul McCartney

   Tape copying • Tape copy of Studer four-tracks tape to eight-track

Staff

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.

Buy on Amazon

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.

Buy on Amazon

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.

Buy on Amazon