Paul McCartney & Wings 1974 Rehearsal Tape

[Maccawings]

Hey Gang,

I wasn't sure whether the long or short version was proper here so I decided on the short version. I just got back yesterday from my 17 day trip to SC and TN last night. While I was in TN, I visited my friend Dan who spent time on Junior's Farm hanging out with Paul McCartney & Wings at Junior Putnam's Farm. Most of his interactions were with the band members but some great stories. So when I let him know that I would be in the area, he invited me back for a visit and stories of his time there. Last time, my trip out to his house was impromptu but was a great day with a very gracious host who even to this day, beams while telling these stories.

Well, I knew he had made a tape of Wings rehearsing down on the farm but also knew that he was very protective and only allowed very few friends to hear it. So I decided to ask if maybe I could hear the tape during my visit and to my surprise, he said "YES". The tape has never been circulated and still remains in the possession of the person who recorded it 50 years ago. Of course, you must realize that in 1974, technology was not very sophisticated , so taped on a hand held recorder with a mic plugged in that he secreted onto the farm and recorded while sitting in a field while listening to the rehearsal some ways from the open garage.

The tape itself was better than I expected given the conditions. With some of course a little rougher at moments. I'm sure in the hands of someone who knew what they were doing, it could be cleaned up and made to sound better. Well, anyway, the tape is around an hour and 20 minutes and from memory......at least 15 songs. I am currently listening to the OHC cd's as I write this. Since there was no touring planned that year, I believe that these rehearsals were to get ready for Abbey Rd Studios where they would be playing many of this songs while being filmed, Was surprised that he gave me permission to chat about it but he gave me the green light. So I figured that I'd share this cool experience with those who could appreciate it.

And to address the elephant in the room, No, I did not receive a copy of the tape. I asked early to hear it as it is usually stored in a safety deposit box. He has no plans on releasing it but I appreciate the opportunity that I got to hear it. (Well, that's the short version)

[WOA76]

i think saw a post on our friend Dan's page or his wings group .....
such a cool guy glad to know him just sucks didn't meet him earlier I was in the area in 2011.....

[Maccawings]

i think saw a post on our friend Dan's page or his wings group .....
such a cool guy glad to know him just sucks didn't meet him earlier I was in the area in 2011.....

A very cool guy and very generous with his time. He really does beam while telling these stories!! You can tell that it meant/ still means a lot to him. But yes, if you plan to visit TN in the future, reach out to him and you may find yourself where I found myself

[WOA76]

i think saw a post on our friend Dan's page or his wings group .....
such a cool guy glad to know him just sucks didn't meet him earlier I was in the area in 2011.....

A very cool guy and very generous with his time. He really does beam while telling these stories!! You can tell that it meant/ still means a lot to him. But yes, if you plan to visit TN in the future, reach out to him and you may find yourself where I found myself

Dan has said to pop in and see him I like Elivs so he said show me stuff...as only saw Graceland and Sun Studios 2011

and yes he is I hope HE gets interviewed in the coming months about what happened he part of Wings history my mind and class act....

[Maccawings]

i think saw a post on our friend Dan's page or his wings group .....
such a cool guy glad to know him just sucks didn't meet him earlier I was in the area in 2011.....

A very cool guy and very generous with his time. He really does beam while telling these stories!! You can tell that it meant/ still means a lot to him. But yes, if you plan to visit TN in the future, reach out to him and you may find yourself where I found myself

Dan has said to pop in and see him I like Elivs so he said show me stuff...as only saw Graceland and Sun Studios 2011

and yes he is I hope HE gets interviewed in the coming months about what happened he part of Wings history my mind and class act....

I believe at least one is coming in October

[webvan]

Lucky you !
Do you remember hearing the song ""Send Me The Pillow You Dream On" that Ernie Winfrey say Wings recorded in Nashville with him.

[Maccawings]

No, this was not the studio tapes from Nashville. This recording is one of the many rehearsals that Wings had on Curly “Junior” Putnam’s farm while staying in the Nashville area. Recording was made with a hand held portable tape recorder which he was able to secret onto the farm once they became comfortable with him being around

From memory, there were at least 14 songs played with the most time devoted to the new song at the time (Junior’s Farm). This tape is about a month prior to Wings recording the song officially July 16th-18th. You could hear the band trying to figure out their parts

[darth9neo]

The Nashville rehearsals (etc) and One Hand Clapping are covered in The McCartney Legacy Vol. 2 1974-1980, due out on Dec. 10, 2024. The reason for the rehearsals was not so much to get ready for working at Abbey Road as to have some time away from England (and Scotland) so that the band, with two new members, could get to know each other, musically and otherwise, and to get the existing repertoire under the new guys' fingers. The One Hand Clapping sessions were in some ways an extension of that: Paul wanted to see how the band looked, so he booked time at Abbey Road, and engaged David Litchfield to videotape the sessions. (It was only later that Macca and Litchfield began to think of the recordings as the basis of a TV special... which they were then unable to interest the BBC in airing, for various reasons (which, again, we get into in the book).

d9n

[Maccawings]

The rehearsal tape from the farm is from June of 1974. The song “Junior’s Farm” was a work in progress at the time and this tape shows the band trying to work out their parts.

Junior’s Farm and Sally G were subsequently recorded at Sound Shop Studios in Nashville between July 16th and 18th

The June rehearsal tapes show them going through songs that ultimately were filmed as part of One Hand Clapping in August 1974

[Maccawings]

Interesting that Litchfield then produced a second documentary “Empty Hand” under the MPL flag with Paul doing the music for it. Basically about Geoff and karate. Interesting times In Wings