On This Day in Beatles History: Paul and Linda McCartney Record ‘Dear Boy’ – 9 March 1971

On Tuesday 9 March 1971, Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney continued recording the song ‘Dear Boy’ during the sessions for their album Ram. The session took place at Studio B of Sound Recorders Studio in Los Angeles, with Jim Guercio producing and Armin Steiner serving as engineer.

The session marked an important stage in the development of one of the most distinctive songs on Ram, a track notable for its rich harmonies and intricate production.

The Ram recording sessions

Following the release of his debut solo album McCartney in 1970, Paul McCartney began work on his second post-Beatles album, Ram, which was credited to Paul and Linda McCartney.

Recording for the album took place in several locations, including New York City and Los Angeles, with McCartney assembling a small group of musicians to help realise the complex arrangements he had in mind.

By March 1971 the sessions had moved to Los Angeles, where work continued on several tracks, including ‘Dear Boy’.

The first Los Angeles session with Denny Seiwell

The 9 March 1971 session was particularly notable because it was the first recording date in Los Angeles involving drummer Denny Seiwell, who had already worked on earlier Ram sessions in New York.

Seiwell later recalled that he arrived at Sound Recorders Studio at 4pm with Paul and Linda McCartney, and the musicians worked on the song until midnight.

The session also featured an unusual recording technique designed to create a distinctive stereo drum effect.

Seiwell later explained:

“Guercio took half the drum kit away, so I could just play the kick and the snare, on one take, and on the next take he’d take those drums away and I played the tom-toms. He did it for a stereo effect, but that really wasn’t the way I normally recorded. It took away a little of the spontaneity and the realness of the drum part, although it came out okay. It was difficult, a real challenge.”

Experimenting with sound and texture

The recording session also involved creative experimentation with guitar and percussion sounds.

Seiwell described how Paul McCartney worked through the song’s chords while exploring different textures during the session:

“Paul was sitting with his guitar in his lap, and he would play the chords with his fingers, or a slide, and I would play triplets on the strings with very light timbale sticks. It was a very unique sound.”

This collaborative approach contributed to the distinctive sonic character that would later make Ram one of the most musically adventurous albums of McCartney’s early solo career.

‘Dear Boy’ and the Ram album

‘Dear Boy’ became one of the standout tracks on Ram, featuring elaborate vocal harmonies and layered instrumentation. Although the album initially received mixed critical reactions, it has since become widely regarded as one of Paul McCartney’s strongest post-Beatles works.

Released in May 1971, Ram showcased McCartney’s increasingly experimental songwriting and production style, combining melodic pop with inventive studio arrangements.

Recording Session – Quick Facts

Date: 9 March 1971

Song: ‘Dear Boy’

Artists: Paul and Linda McCartney

Album: Ram

Studio: Sound Recorders Studio (Studio B), Los Angeles

Producer: Jim Guercio

Engineer: Armin Steiner

Notable detail: First Los Angeles session for drummer Denny Seiwell during the Ram recordings.

Recording Location

Sound Recorders Studio – Los Angeles

Why 9 March 1971 Matters

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