Paul’s track-by-track guide

In addition to his self-interview, Paul McCartney included a track-by-track commentary of his debut solo album with promotional copies.

1: THE LOVELY LINDA

When the Studer 4 track was installed at home, this was the first song I recorded, to test the machine. On the first track was vocal and guitar, second – another acoustic guitar – then overdubbed hand slaps on a book, and finally bass. Written in Scotland, the song is a trailer to the full song which will be recorded in the future.

2: THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING

This song was written in Scotland in 1969 and recorded at home in London – mixed later at EMI (No. 2). I only had one mike, as the mixer and VU meters hadn’t arrived (still haven’t).

1 vocal, guitar
2 tom-tom and cymbal
3 electric guitar
4 bass

3: VALENTINE DAY

Recorded at home. Made up as I went along – acoustic guitar first, then drums (maybe drums were first). Anyway – electric guitar and bass were added and the track is all instrumental. Mixed at EMI. This one and MOMMA MISS AMERICA were ad-libbed, with more concern for testing the machine than anything else.

4: EVERY NIGHT (Blues)

This came from the first two lines, which I’ve had for a few years. They were added to in 1969 in Greece (Benitses) on holiday.

This was recorded at EMI with:

1 vocal and
2 acoustic guitar.
3 drums.
4 bass.
5 lead guitar (acoustic).
6 harmony to the lead guitar.
7 double-tracked vocal in parts.
8 ? electric guitar (not used).
9 track.

5: HOT AS SUN

A song written in about 1958 or 9 or maybe earlier, when it was one of those songs that you play now and then. The middle was added in Morgan Studio, where the track was recorded recently.

1 acoustic guitar.
2 electric guitar.
3 drums.
4 rhythm guitar.
5 organ.
6 maracas.
7 bass.
8 bongos.

6: GLASSES

Wineglasses played at random and overdubbed on top of each other – the end is a section of a song called SUICIDE – not yet completed.

7: JUNK

Originally written in India, at Maharishi’s camp, and completed bit by bit in London. Recorded vocal, two acoustic guitars, and bass at home, and later added to (bass drum, snare with brushes, and small xylophone and harmony) at Morgan.

8: MAN WE WAS LONELY

The chorus (“Man We Was Lonely”) was written in bed at home, shortly before we finished recording the album. The middle (“I used to ride…”) was done one lunchtime in a great hurry, as we were due to record the song that afternoon. Linda sings harmony on this song, which is our first duet together. The steel-guitar sound is my Telecaster played with a drum peg.

1 guitar.
2 voices (two tracks).
3 bass drum
4 bass.
5 steel guitar.

9: OO YOU

The first three tracks were recorded at home as an instrument that might someday become a song. This, like MAN WE WAS LONELY, was given lyrics one day after lunch, just before we left for Morgan Studios, where it was finished that afternoon.

Vocals, electric guitar, tambourine, cow bell, and aerosol spray were added at Morgan, and it was mixed there.

On the mix, tape echo was used to move feedback from guitar from one side to another.

10: MOMMA MISS AMERICA

An instrumental recorded completely at home. Made up as I went along – first a sequence of chords, then a melody on top.

Piano, drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar.

Originally it was two pieces, but they ran into each other by accident and became one.

Paul McCartney's handwritten lyrics for Teddy Boy

11: TEDDY BOY

Another song started in India, and completed in Scotland and London, gradually. This one was recorded for the Get Back film, but later not used.

Rerecorded partly at home … (guitar, voices and bass) … and finished at Morgan.

Linda and I sing the backing harmonies on the chorus, and occasional oos.

12: SINGALONG JUNK

This was take 1, for the vocal version, which was take 2, and a shorter version.

Guitars, and piano and bass, were put on at home, and the rest added at Morgan Studios.

The strings are Mellotron, and they were done at the same time as the electric guitar, bass drum, and sizzle cymbal.

13: MAYBE I’M AMAZED

Written in London, at the piano, with the second verse added slightly later, as if you cared.

Recorded at EMI, No. 2 Studio. First

1 piano.
2 vocal.
3 drums.
4 bass.
5 and vocal backing.
6 and vocal backing.
7 solo guitar.
8 backing guitars.

Linda and I are the vocal backing group.

Mixed at EMI.

A movie was made, using Linda’s slides and edited to this track.

14: KREEN-AKRORE

There was a film on TV about the Kreen-Akrore Indians living in the Brazilian jungle, their lives, and how the white man is trying to change their way of life to his, so the next day, after lunch, I did some drumming. The idea behind it was to get the feeling of their hunt. So later piano, guitar and organ were added to the first section.

The second had a few tracks of voices (Linda and I) and the end had overdubbed breathing, going into organ, and two lead guitars in harmony.

Done at Morgan. Engineer, Robin Black.

The end of the first section has Linda and I doing animal noises (speeded up) and an arrow sound (done live with bow and arrow – the bow broke), then animals stampeding across a guitar case.

There are two drum tracks.

We built a fire in the studio but didn’t use it (but used the sound of the twigs breaking).


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