Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: Paul McCartney
Engineers: Tony Clark, Alan Parsons
Wings worked on the song ‘Love Is Strange’ on 3 October 1971.
The song began as a jam known as ‘Half Past Ten’, but Paul McCartney noted its similarity to ‘Love Is Strange’, originally released by Mickey & Sylvia in 1956. The song was written by Bo Diddley, and based on a guitar riff by Jody Williams.
‘Love Is Strange’ was widely covered. McCartney is likely to have first heard skiffle performer Lonnie Donegan’s recording, the b-side of his 1957 single ‘Cumberland Gap’, but the song was a hit for The Everly Brothers in 1965 and Buddy Holly posthumously in 1969.
We were in Scotland one summer, I was painting the roof and Linda’s got this reggae record, one of the Tighten Up records. We were just playing it and it was great music. We just loved it, so we started with a backing track.
The Beatles: The Dream Is Over – Off The Record 2, Keith Badman
During this session Wings overdubbed lead and backing vocals. McCartney also added a guitar solo, and he and Denny Seiwell recorded more drums and percussion to complete the song.