Article January 1974 • Paul McCartney and John Lennon hint at potential Beatles reunion
Session January - February 1974 • Recording "McGear" album
Session Circa 1974 • Home recordings (aka "The Piano Tape")
Session Early 1974 • Mixing quadraphonic version of "Band On The Run"
From Steve Hoffman’s forums:
I’ve always wondered about the date of the “piano tape” too. Initially when it surfaced people said 1977 cos Mull was on it but then it went back to 1975, then Nashville, 1974 then 1973 but then Paul really threw a wrench in the works when he stated “Woman Kind” was from 1970! Now we have this tape which someone has claimed was recorded at Dustin Hoffman’s house (which by the way was April 1973 I think). The theory that Paul kept a tape recorder next to his piano at home for recording any new “ideas” does make sense but if the “piano tape” is made up of different recordings spanning from 1970 (assuming Paul’s dating is correct and we all know Paul’s memory is perfect lol) to say circa 1974 and even if the tape was only up to 1973… would anyone leave the same tape in their cassette recorder for 3 or 4 years without getting a newer blank tape? Surely in all that time he would have removed it to take to the studio or wherever to listen to his “Ideas” but then would he really take it back and use it again?? Plus to my ears the piano tape sounds like the recordings were done around the same time and not over the course of a few years. This “Hoffman Tape” also sounds a bit like the “Piano Tape” to my ears so I’m a bit dubious about its origins. I think we maybe talking about a horde of “ideas tapes” with some being from just one or two days and others from a few weeks but I highly doubt that one tape spans 3 or 4 years. Therefore the thought that Mull or Getting Closer could have their origins in 1970 is amazing but very possible!
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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.
Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium
We owe a lot to Chip Madinger and Mark Easter for the creation of those session pages, but you really have to buy this book to get all the details!
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.
As the paperback version is out of print, you can buy a PDF version on the authors' website
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