6th March 1972: Wings Begin Recording Red Rose Speedway With “Big Barn Bed”

On 6th March 1972, Wings began recording their second album Red Rose Speedway at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London.

The session took place in Studio One and was produced by Glyn Johns, with engineering by Phil Chapman.

The first track tackled for the album was Big Barn Bed, which would later open the finished record.

A Song With Roots in the Ram Era

Although the recording began in 1972, the origins of “Big Barn Bed” dated back two years.

An early version of the song appeared briefly on Ram, where Paul McCartney sang the opening lines at the end of Ram On.

At the time, the idea was known as “Sleepin’ On A Big Barn Bed.”

By the time Wings entered Olympic Studios in March 1972, McCartney had developed the fragment into a full song.

The Recording Session

Work began with rehearsals in the studio before the band moved on to recording the backing track.

The lineup for the session was:

• Paul McCartney – bass guitar, vocals
• Denny Laine – acoustic guitar
• Henry McCullough – electric guitar
• Denny Seiwell – drums
• Linda McCartney – vibraslap

By mid-afternoon, the basic backing track had been completed.

Overdubs and Harmony Vocals

After the main track was finished, several overdubs were added during the session.

These included:

• Piano, played by Paul McCartney
• Second acoustic guitar, performed by Denny Laine
• Group harmony vocals from the band

The recording established the energetic, upbeat sound that would make the track a fitting opening song for the album.

Final Touches Later in 1972

Although the core recording was completed on 6th March 1972, the song was not fully finished until later in the year.

Additional overdubs were recorded at Abbey Road Studios on 17th November 1972, including:

• A re-recorded drum track by Denny Seiwell
• Additional backing vocals
• Extra percussion

These final touches completed the version of “Big Barn Bed” that appeared on Red Rose Speedway when the album was released in 1973.

The Start of a New Wings Chapter

The session on 6th March 1972 marked the beginning of a new phase for Wings.

Following the band’s debut album Wild Life and several tours, McCartney was now focusing on producing a more polished studio record. The energetic recording of “Big Barn Bed” set the tone for what would become Wings’ first UK number-one album.