Tuesday 2 November 1976 | Mixing | Abbey Road Studios, London | By Beatles Fabdom
Wings continued mixing Wings Over America at Abbey Road Studios on 2 November 1976. Paul McCartney produced the session, with engineers Phil McDonald, Mark Vigars and Tom Walsh.
It was the second of 13 mixing sessions for the live album. The songs worked on were “Venus and Mars” and “Rock Show”, both recorded at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati on 27 May 1976.
| Date | Tuesday 2 November 1976 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Abbey Road Studios, London |
| Producer | Paul McCartney |
| Engineers | Phil McDonald, Mark Vigars and Tom Walsh |
| Session number | Second of 13 mixing sessions |
| Songs | Venus and Mars; Rock Show |
| Source concert | Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, 27 May 1976 |
| Album | Wings Over America |
| Release | 10 December 1976, as listed in Paul McCartney’s official discography |
From Cincinnati to Abbey Road
The recordings came from Wings’ North American tour earlier in the year. Our article on the Riverfront Coliseum concert of 27 May 1976 covers the performance that supplied these tracks.
“Venus and Mars” and “Rock Show” formed part of the concert’s opening sequence with “Jet”. On the finished live album, the three songs appear together as the opening medley.
The 2 November session concerned the first two songs. Work on “Jet” belongs to the following day’s mixing session, when “Venus and Mars” was also revisited.
The band on the Cincinnati recordings
By the 1976 North American tour, Wings consisted of Paul and Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English. They were joined by a four-player horn section.
| Musician | Role |
|---|---|
| Paul McCartney | Bass and lead vocals |
| Linda McCartney | Keyboards and vocals |
| Denny Laine | Guitar and vocals |
| Jimmy McCulloch | Guitar and vocals |
| Joe English | Drums and vocals |
| Howie Casey | Saxophone |
| Thaddeus Richard | Saxophone |
| Steve Howard | Trumpet and percussion |
| Tony Dorsey | Trombone and tambourine |
These are the concert-performance credits. They identify the musicians heard on the recordings, rather than a group assembled to perform the songs anew at Abbey Road on 2 November.
Wings Over America merchandise
The Wings Over America black T-shirt features concert artwork on the front and a Wings emblem on the back.
The first three mixing sessions
The album’s mixing sessions began on 1 November, when “Venus and Mars” was worked on. McCartney and the engineering team continued with that song and “Rock Show” on 2 November.
On 3 November, attention returned to “Venus and Mars”, alongside “Jet”. All three performances came from the Cincinnati concert.
| Date | Session | Songs worked on |
|---|---|---|
| 1 November 1976 | First | Venus and Mars |
| 2 November 1976 | Second | Venus and Mars; Rock Show |
| 3 November 1976 | Third | Venus and Mars; Jet |
Mixing a live album from several shows
Wings Over America was not a recording of one complete concert. Paul McCartney’s official album account describes it as selected from around 90 hours of recordings, taped at several American shows and mixed to play as a single performance.
The Cincinnati opening medley was therefore part of a wider selection process. Other performances from that night also appeared on the album, including “Let Me Roll It”, “Medicine Jar”, “Call Me Back Again” and “Bluebird”.
The album combined Wings songs, McCartney solo material, Beatles favourites and performances associated with other members of the band. Its original release occupied three vinyl records.
Two years after the first Rock Show sessions
Exactly two years earlier, on 2 November 1974, Wings had added guitars, Minimoog synthesizer and chimes to an early version of “Rock Show” at EMI Studios on Abbey Road.
Our article on the Rock Show recording session of 2 November 1974 follows that first version. It was not the finished album master: further recording followed before the song appeared on Venus and Mars in 1975.
By November 1976, the song had become part of Wings’ live repertoire, and McCartney was working on a concert performance for a different album.
Wings Over America ’76 T-shirt
The Wings Over America ’76 charcoal-grey T-shirt carries Paul McCartney and Wings lettering over the band’s winged emblem.
The December 1976 release and later Archive Collection
Paul McCartney’s official discography dates Wings Over America to 10 December 1976. The album opens with “Venus and Mars / Rock Show / Jet”, followed by “Let Me Roll It”, “Spirits Of Ancient Egypt” and “Medicine Jar”.
The record reached number one in the United States, becoming Wings’ fifth consecutive US number-one album.
A remastered Archive Collection edition followed in 2013, with its official listing dated 27 May. The opening medley remained the first track, preserving the album’s presentation of the Cincinnati performances.
Abbey Road Studios location map
The mixing took place at Abbey Road Studios, 3 Abbey Road, St John’s Wood, London NW8 9AY. The session account identifies the studio complex but does not specify an individual mixing room.
The map marks Abbey Road Studios itself. It remains a working recording facility and is not open to the general public for routine visits or tours.
Open Abbey Road Studios in Google Maps.
Frequently asked questions
What did Wings work on on 2 November 1976?
Venus and Mars and Rock Show were mixed for Wings Over America at Abbey Road Studios.
Where were those performances recorded?
Both came from the Riverfront Coliseum concert in Cincinnati on 27 May 1976.
Who produced and engineered the mixing session?
Paul McCartney produced it, with Phil McDonald, Mark Vigars and Tom Walsh engineering.
Which mixing session was this?
It was the second of 13 sessions. The first took place on 1 November 1976.
Was Jet also worked on that day?
The dated account lists Venus and Mars and Rock Show for 2 November. Jet was worked on with Venus and Mars on 3 November.
When was Wings Over America released?
Paul McCartney’s official discography lists its release as 10 December 1976.
Official album information: Wings Over America and the 2013 Archive Collection edition.
0 comments