Released in 1970
Written by Paul McCartney • Instrumental
Last updated on April 3, 2022
Album This song officially appears on the McCartney LP.
Timeline This song was officially released in 1970
Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1969, when Paul McCartney was 27 years old)
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
Late December 1969 to Jan 03, 1970
Apr 09, 1970 • From Apple Records
“Valentine Day” is an instrumental track from Paul McCartney’s debut solo album, “McCartney“, released in April 1970.
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.
Paul McCartney, from the press release of “McCartney”, April 1970
What I did was to just go into the studio each day and just start with a drum track. Then I built it up a bit without any idea of how the song was going to turn out. It’s like a reverse way of working. After laying down the drum track I added guitars and bass, building up the backing track.
Paul McCartney, interviewed by Paul Gambaccini, 1970
LP • Released in 1970
1:44 • Studio version • A • Stereo
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Producer, Recording engineer Phil McDonald : Mixing engineer
Session Recording: Late December 1969 • Studio At home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Session Mixing: Feb 22, 1970 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
McCartney (by DCC Compact Classics)
CD • Released in 1992
1:44 • Studio version • A1992 • Stereo • 1992 remaster
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Producer, Recording engineer Phil McDonald : Mixing engineer Steve Hoffman : Remastering
Session Recording: Late December 1969 • Studio At home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Session Mixing: Feb 22, 1970 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
1:44 • Studio version • A1993 • Stereo • 1993 remaster
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Producer, Recording engineer Phil McDonald : Mixing engineer Peter Mew : Remastering
Session Recording: Late December 1969 • Studio At home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Session Mixing: Feb 22, 1970 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
McCartney - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2011
1:44 • Studio version • A2011 • Stereo • 2011 remaster
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Producer, Recording engineer Phil McDonald : Mixing engineer Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Simon Gibson : Remastering
Session Recording: Late December 1969 • Studio At home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Session Mixing: Feb 22, 1970 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
LP • Released in 2017
1:44 • Studio version • A2011 • Stereo • 2011 remaster
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Producer, Recording engineer Phil McDonald : Mixing engineer Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Simon Gibson : Remastering
Session Recording: Late December 1969 • Studio At home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Session Mixing: Feb 22, 1970 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2020
1:44 • Studio version • A2020 • 2020 half-speed mastering
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Producer, Recording engineer Phil McDonald : Mixing engineer Miles Showell : Mastering
Session Recording: Late December 1969 • Studio At home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Session Mixing: Feb 22, 1970 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
McCartney I II III Limited Edition Colour 3LP Box Set
LP • Released in 2022
1:44 • Studio version • A2011 • Stereo • 2011 remaster
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Producer, Recording engineer Phil McDonald : Mixing engineer Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Simon Gibson : Remastering
Session Recording: Late December 1969 • Studio At home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Session Mixing: Feb 22, 1970 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2022
1:44 • Studio version • A2011 • Stereo • 2011 remaster
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Producer, Recording engineer Phil McDonald : Mixing engineer Guy Massey : Remastering Steve Rooke : Remastering Simon Gibson : Remastering
Session Recording: Late December 1969 • Studio At home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Session Mixing: Feb 22, 1970 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
McCartney - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
1:44 • Studio version • A2011
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Producer, Recording engineer Phil McDonald : Mixing engineer
Session Recording: Late December 1969 • Studio At home, Cavendish Avenue, London
Session Mixing: Feb 22, 1970 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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.
If we modestly consider the Paul McCartney Project to be the premier online resource for all things Paul McCartney, it is undeniable that The Beatles Bible stands as the definitive online site dedicated to the Beatles. While there is some overlap in content between the two sites, they differ significantly in their approach.
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