Monday 2 November 1970 | Recording and mixing | Studio B, CBS Studio Building, New York City | By Beatles Fabdom
On 2 November 1970, Paul McCartney worked on “Oh Woman, Oh Why” and “Sunshine Sometime” at CBS Studio B in New York. The session formed part of the wider recording period that produced RAM and the related “Another Day” single.
McCartney rehearsed “Oh Woman, Oh Why” with guitarist Hugh McCracken and drummer Denny Seiwell, but no successful master was recorded. The day ended with mixing work on “Sunshine Sometime”, a song he had considered for a proposed Rupert the Bear animated film.
The results belonged to different stages of production: one song still needed a satisfactory basic recording, while the other was ready for a preliminary stereo mix.
| Date | Monday 2 November 1970 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Studio B, CBS Studio Building, New York City |
| Historic address | 49 East 52nd Street, Manhattan, New York |
| Producer | Paul McCartney |
| Session musicians | Paul McCartney, Hugh McCracken and Denny Seiwell |
| Oh Woman, Oh Why | Rehearsals; no successful master recorded that day |
| Sunshine Sometime | Preliminary stereo mixing |
| Wider project | The RAM-era New York sessions |
The New York sessions behind RAM
McCartney’s New York recording period began in October 1970. Rather than making every part alone, he worked with session musicians, including drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarists David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken.
By the beginning of November, McCracken was working alongside Paul and Seiwell. The songs recorded during this period did not all end up on the original RAM album: the work also produced material for singles and recordings that remained unreleased for many years.
Our article on A Love For You and Long Haired Lady on 27 October 1970 follows an earlier session in the same New York period.
The 2 November date continues that chronology, with “Oh Woman, Oh Why” receiving attention as a recording project and “Sunshine Sometime” reaching an early mixing stage.
Rehearsing Oh Woman, Oh Why
Paul and Hugh McCracken both played electric guitar during the “Oh Woman, Oh Why” rehearsals, with Denny Seiwell on drums. The musicians worked through the song, at times moving into improvisation.
The day did not produce a conclusive master. That matters when identifying this date in the song’s history: it was a rehearsal and development session, not the day on which the finished record was completed.
The trio returned to the song on 3 November. On that following day, they recorded the basic track, again with Paul and McCracken on electric guitars and Seiwell on drums.
The 2 November work therefore belongs immediately before the successful basic recording. It established the musicians’ work on the song without yet supplying the performance that would underpin the released version.
Who played at the session?
| Musician | Instrument |
|---|---|
| Paul McCartney | Electric guitar |
| Hugh McCracken | Electric guitar |
| Denny Seiwell | Drums |
This is a useful reminder that McCartney was not confined to bass during his post-Beatles sessions. For these rehearsals, his role was electric guitarist alongside McCracken.
Seiwell’s presence also connects the New York work with the next phase of McCartney’s career. He would later become a member of the original Wings line-up, but this session took place before Wings had been formed.
A collectible connection with McCartney’s early solo years
The McCartney Photo black T-shirt features a portrait design associated with Paul’s solo identity, rather than a Beatles-era group image.
Mixing Sunshine Sometime
The session ended with a different task. “Sunshine Sometime” had already been recorded on 29 October, and McCartney now worked on a preliminary stereo mix.
Recording and mixing are separate stages. The earlier session captured the musical performance; the 2 November work concerned the presentation and balance of that recorded material.
The dated account states that McCartney took away a preliminary stereo mix at the end of the day. The song did not then appear on the original RAM album or accompany “Another Day” on its single release.
Instead, “Sunshine Sometime” remained an outtake until its official appearance as “Sunshine Sometime (Earliest Mix)” in the 2012 RAM Archive Collection.
The Rupert the Bear film connection
McCartney had considered “Sunshine Sometime” for a proposed animated film based on Rupert the Bear. That connection places the song alongside interests extending beyond a conventional album or single.
The project was still prospective at this stage. It should not be described as a completed 1970 film for which the song had already been released.
The distinction helps explain the track’s position in the session history. It was recorded during the RAM period, but its intended possibilities were wider than the eventual album track list.
From Oh Woman, Oh Why to the Another Day single
“Oh Woman, Oh Why” eventually became the B-side of “Another Day”, McCartney’s first solo single. His official discography dates that release to 19 February 1971.
The two tracks were products of the RAM-era work, but they were released as a non-album single ahead of the LP. Neither was part of the original twelve-track RAM sequence.
Their later inclusion on expanded editions can blur that original distinction. The single and album belong to the same recording period, but they were separate releases.
Sunshine Sometime and the 2012 RAM Archive Collection
The expanded 2012 RAM edition brought several recordings from the period into its bonus material. Paul McCartney’s official listing includes “Another Day”, “Oh Woman, Oh Why” and “Sunshine Sometime (Earliest Mix)”.
For “Sunshine Sometime”, this was its first official release. The “Earliest Mix” title preserves the distinction between an early studio presentation and a song that had received a normal commercial release in 1970 or 1971.
The reissue therefore gave listeners access to two different outcomes from the same working period: a familiar single B-side and a long-unreleased outtake.
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| 29 October 1970 | Sunshine Sometime recorded |
| 2 November 1970 | Oh Woman, Oh Why rehearsed; Sunshine Sometime mixed |
| 3 November 1970 | Basic track for Oh Woman, Oh Why recorded |
| 19 February 1971 | Another Day / Oh Woman, Oh Why released |
| 2012 | Sunshine Sometime (Earliest Mix) released on the RAM Archive Collection |
From Denny Seiwell’s session work to Wings
Seiwell’s work with McCartney continued beyond these New York sessions. His later place in Wings connects the musicians heard in the RAM period with the band McCartney formed in 1971.
The Wildlife black T-shirt refers to that subsequent Wings chapter, rather than to the 2 November 1970 session itself.
CBS Studio B location map: 49 East 52nd Street
The session took place in Studio B at the CBS Studio Building, 49 East 52nd Street, Manhattan, New York City. Studio B was located on the building’s second floor.
The map marks the historic studio-building address. It is not a general New York marker and does not indicate that the former recording room is open to visitors.
Open the historic CBS Studio B address in Google Maps.
Frequently asked questions
What did Paul McCartney work on on 2 November 1970?
He rehearsed “Oh Woman, Oh Why” and worked on a preliminary stereo mix of “Sunshine Sometime”.
Who played with him?
Hugh McCracken played electric guitar and Denny Seiwell played drums. McCartney also played electric guitar during the Oh Woman, Oh Why rehearsals.
Was the master of Oh Woman, Oh Why recorded that day?
No. No successful master was recorded on 2 November. The basic track was recorded the following day.
When was Oh Woman, Oh Why released?
It was released as the B-side of “Another Day” on 19 February 1971.
When was Sunshine Sometime first officially released?
It appeared as “Sunshine Sometime (Earliest Mix)” on the 2012 RAM Archive Collection.
Where was CBS Studio B?
It was on the second floor of the CBS Studio Building at 49 East 52nd Street in Manhattan, New York City.
Official release information: Another Day and RAM Archive Collection.
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