Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
"McCartney" sessions at EMI Studios, Abbey Road
February 21 to March 1970
Other songs from the "McCartney" instrumental medley
Officially appears on McCartney
Officially appears on McCartney - Archive Collection
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Song facts
“Glasses” is a fragment of a 3-parts instrumental on the 1970 “McCartney” album – the two other parts being “Hot As Sun” and a very few seconds of “Suicide“.
Wineglasses played at random and overdubbed on top of each other – the end is a section of a song called Suicide – not yet completed.
Paul McCartney, from the press release of “McCartney”, April 1970
The title “Glasses” was fun as we ended up with a huge amount of glasses all filled with water on a big table in Number 3. All glasses were meticulously filled with water to the desired pitch of the song. It seemed a very personal and warm album to do at the time, and good fun.
Phil McDonald – Engineer – From “McCartney – Archive Collection” book, 2011
Paul McCartney revisited his wine glasses technique in 1995 and in 2005. In 1995, for the Oobu Joob radio program, he and Linda recorded an improvisation with Linda playing the wine glasses:
Inspired by Mozart’s ‘Glass Menagerie Music For Glass Harmonica‘, this bit was recorded “at the end of a rehearsal session.” In a new attempt at using a technique first heard on the McCartney LP, Linda plays wine glasses as Paul plays piano, trying to determine the key.
From “Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium” by Chip Madinger and Mark Easter
In 2005, in the PBS TV special Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road, Paul demonstrated how the technique works, using a 4-track Studer machine, recording two tracks of wine glasses, one track of harmonium, and a second track of harmonium while singing the lyrics of his 1973 hit “Band On The Run“.
Last updated on April 13, 2022
Variations
Officially appears on
LP • Released in 1970
0:29 • Studio version • A • Stereo • Medley with "Hot As Sun", "Suicide"
- Paul McCartney :
- Glasses, Piano, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer
- Session Recording:
- Feb 21 to 25, 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Late February 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
McCartney (by DCC Compact Classics)
CD • Released in 1992
0:29 • Studio version • A1992 • Stereo • Medley with "Hot As Sun", "Suicide"
- Paul McCartney :
- Glasses, Piano, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer
- Steve Hoffman :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Feb 21 to 25, 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Late February 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
0:29 • Studio version • A1993 • Stereo • Medley with "Hot As Sun", "Suicide"
- Paul McCartney :
- Glasses, Piano, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Feb 21 to 25, 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Late February 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
McCartney - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2011
0:29 • Studio version • A2011 • Stereo • Medley with "Hot As Sun", "Suicide"
- Paul McCartney :
- Glasses, Piano, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Steve Rooke :
- Remastering
- Simon Gibson :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Feb 21 to 25, 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Late February 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
LP • Released in 2017
0:29 • Studio version • A2011 • Stereo • Medley with "Hot As Sun", "Suicide"
- Paul McCartney :
- Glasses, Piano, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Steve Rooke :
- Remastering
- Simon Gibson :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Feb 21 to 25, 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Late February 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2020
0:29 • Studio version • A2020 • Medley with "Hot As Sun", "Suicide"
- Paul McCartney :
- Glasses, Piano, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer
- Miles Showell :
- Mastering
- Session Recording:
- Feb 21 to 25, 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Late February 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
McCartney I II III Limited Edition Colour 3LP Box Set
LP • Released in 2022
0:29 • Studio version • A2011 • Stereo • Medley with "Hot As Sun", "Suicide"
- Paul McCartney :
- Glasses, Piano, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Steve Rooke :
- Remastering
- Simon Gibson :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Feb 21 to 25, 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Late February 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2022
0:29 • Studio version • A2011 • Stereo • Medley with "Hot As Sun", "Suicide"
- Paul McCartney :
- Glasses, Piano, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Steve Rooke :
- Remastering
- Simon Gibson :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Feb 21 to 25, 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Late February 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Bootlegs
Unofficial album • Released in 2014
0:29 • Studio version • A2011 • Stereo • Complete version of "Hot As Sun / Glasses / Suicide" medley
- Paul McCartney :
- Glasses, Piano, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Steve Rooke :
- Remastering
- Simon Gibson :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Feb 21 to 25, 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Late February 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
McCartney - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
0:29 • Studio version • A2011 • Stereo • Medley with "Hot As Sun", "Suicide"
- Paul McCartney :
- Glasses, Piano, Producer, Recording engineer, Vocals
- Phil McDonald :
- Mixing engineer
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Steve Rooke :
- Remastering
- Simon Gibson :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Feb 21 to 25, 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Late February 1970
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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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