Wings Record ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ – 29 March 1972

Wings Recording ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ – 29 March 1972

Wednesday 29 March 1972 | Paul McCartney, Studio, Wings

On 29 March 1972, Paul McCartney and Wings continued recording their second single, ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’, at Studio One, Olympic Studios in London.

The song was recorded over three consecutive days during the sessions for their second album, Red Rose Speedway, though it was issued as a standalone single in May 1972.

Session Details

• Producer: Glyn Johns
• Engineers: Phil Chapman
• Overdubs included xylophone, mandolin, penny whistle, bongos, and percussion
• The session marked a turning point as producer Glyn Johns walked out, frustrated by Wings’ disorganised approach

Paul McCartney on the Song

"Geminis are supposed to be changeable and I don’t know if that’s true or not but I’m a Gemini and I know one minute I might be doing ‘Ireland’ and the next I’ll be doing ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’. I can see how that would look from the sidelines, but the thing is we’re not either of those records, but we are both of them. ‘Mary’ is just a kids’ song. It was written for one of our kids, whose name is Mary and I just realised if I sang that, she’d understand."

– Paul McCartney, Sounds, 1972

"Paul was difficult to work with for a producer, because he held the reins so tight. He was a great producer himself. All the experimentation that he did with the Beatles and everything. He’s difficult to work with, at times, because he took his music so personal."

– Denny Seiwell, 2016, The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969-73

Location: Olympic Studios, London

FAQs

Who performed on ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’?

Paul McCartney and Wings, with various overdubs including xylophone, mandolin, penny whistle, bongos, and percussion.

Where was it recorded?

Studio One, Olympic Studios, Barnes, London, England.

Who produced the session?

Glyn Johns produced the session, with Phil Chapman as engineer.

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