Tuesday 27th February 1979 | Paul McCartney, Studio, Wings

Replica Studio, London

Producers: Paul McCartney, Chris Thomas

On 27th February 1979, Wings mixed the songs After The Ball and Million Miles in stereo at Replica Studio, London.

Both tracks were prepared for inclusion on the band's seventh studio album, Back To The Egg.

Although recorded separately during the album sessions, the two songs were ultimately presented as a continuous medley on the finished LP — one of several structural experiments that gave Back To The Egg its distinctive late-1970s edge.

Production Context

Producers:

• Paul McCartney
• Chris Thomas

By early 1979, Wings were finalising mixes for what would become one of McCartney's most rock-driven post-Beatles albums. The project featured a tighter, more contemporary production style compared to the polished pop of Wings At The Speed Of Sound.

The medley structure of After The Ball/Million Miles reflected McCartney's continued interest in linking song fragments — a technique dating back to the Abbey Road suite era.

Laurence Juber on the Mixing Session

Wings guitarist Laurence Juber later recalled the creative atmosphere during the Back To The Egg sessions:

"Paul gave me a great deal of latitude on Back To The Egg. There I'd offer up an idea and he'd either nod or he'd kind of raise an eyebrow and then I'd tweak it. I remember very specifically when we were mixing 'After The Ball', I'd played an acoustic slide part and sat there just thinking, 'I'd like to get my hand on that fader.' I'd never been an engineer at that point and Paul noticed my discomfort and said, 'Laurence, you run that fader.' Not only did he accept my contribution but encouraged me to put it to the forefront."

— Laurence Juber, Guitar With Wings

This anecdote illustrates McCartney's collaborative studio approach during the late Wings era, allowing band members creative input during final mixing.

Shop Paul McCartney & Wings Merchandise:
Explore our Wings Over America '76 T-Shirt and Wings Over Europe T-Shirt.