Wings Rehearse in Nashville β 10 June 1974
Monday 10 June 1974 | Rehearsal | Curly Putman's Farm, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
On 10 June 1974, Wings began rehearsals at a farm in Nashville, Tennessee, owned by country songwriter Claude 'Curly' Putman Jr. The group had travelled to Nashville earlier in the month, renting the property for $2,000 a week. The first day was an extended jam session rather than focused rehearsal β more structured work on the band's songs began the following day. The Nashville visit would directly inspire Wings' November 1974 single 'Junior's Farm'.
Paul McCartney later described the purpose of the trip in The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present (2021):
"Wings went to Nashville to bond as a band. We'd lost a guitarist and drummer before we recorded Band on the Run, and now we had two new members. So the idea was to rehearse and record a couple of songs, this being one of them. We stayed at the home of a songwriter called Curly Putman, who wrote 'The Green, Green Grass of Home'. I think he and his wife had gone on holiday, so we had the place to ourselves."
β Paul McCartney, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present
The New Wings Lineup
The Nashville rehearsals were designed to break in two new members who had joined Wings following the recording of Band on the Run:
- Jimmy McCulloch β lead guitar. Born in Glasgow in 1953, McCulloch had been a child prodigy, playing with Thunderclap Newman at the age of fifteen and appearing on their 1969 UK number one 'Something in the Air'. He was twenty years old at the time of the Nashville rehearsals.
- Geoff Britton β drums. A karate black belt and former British karate champion, Britton had been selected from an open audition to replace Denny Seiwell, who had left Wings just days before the group flew to Lagos to record Band on the Run in August 1973.
The rest of the lineup comprised Paul McCartney (bass, vocals), Linda McCartney (keyboards, vocals), and Denny Laine (guitar, vocals).
Curly Putman's Farm
Claude 'Curly' Putman Jr was one of the most successful country songwriters of his generation, having written 'Green Green Grass of Home' β an international hit for Tom Jones in 1966 β and 'D-I-V-O-R-C-E', a number one for Tammy Wynette in 1968. Putman's farm, rented by Wings for $2,000 a week, provided both accommodation and a rehearsal space in the garage.
'Junior's Farm': The Song the Farm Inspired
'Junior's Farm' was written by Paul McCartney during the Nashville visit and recorded at Curly Putman's farm. Released as a single in November 1974, it reached number three in the UK and number seven in the US. The title refers to the farm itself β 'Junior' being a nickname for Putman. Its B-side, 'Sally G', was a country-influenced song also written and recorded in Nashville, featuring pedal steel guitar and fiddle. In the US, country radio stations played 'Sally G' rather than 'Junior's Farm', and the single charted on the country charts β an unusual achievement for a British rock musician.
The Context: After Band on the Run
Band on the Run β recorded in Lagos in autumn 1973 and released in December of that year β had been a critical and commercial triumph, reaching number one in both the UK and the US. The success gave McCartney the confidence to rebuild Wings as a functioning band. The group that emerged from Nashville would go on to record Venus and Mars (1975) and Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976), and to undertake the Wings Over the World Tour of 1975β76.
Key Facts: 10 June 1974
- Date: Monday 10 June 1974
- Location: Curly Putman's farm, Nashville, Tennessee
- Activity: First day of Wings rehearsals (extended jam session)
- Rental: $2,000 per week; rehearsal space in the garage
- New members: Jimmy McCulloch (guitar), Geoff Britton (drums)
- Full lineup: Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, Geoff Britton
- Song inspired: 'Junior's Farm' (November 1974, UK #3, US #7)
- Farm owner: Claude 'Curly' Putman Jr (writer of 'Green Green Grass of Home', 'D-I-V-O-R-C-E')
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Wings go to Nashville in 1974?
To rehearse and bond as a band following the recruitment of Jimmy McCulloch and Geoff Britton. McCartney wanted the group to develop its collective sound away from the pressures of the music industry. The visit produced 'Junior's Farm' and its B-side 'Sally G'.
Whose farm did Wings stay at in Nashville?
Wings rented the farm of country songwriter Claude 'Curly' Putman Jr for $2,000 a week. Putman wrote 'Green Green Grass of Home' (a hit for Tom Jones in 1966) and 'D-I-V-O-R-C-E' (a number one for Tammy Wynette in 1968).
What is Junior's Farm about?
Written by McCartney during the Nashville visit, it takes its title from Curly Putman's farm β 'Junior' being a nickname for Putman. Released November 1974, it reached UK #3 and US #7.
Who were the new members of Wings in 1974?
Jimmy McCulloch (lead guitar, formerly of Thunderclap Newman) and Geoff Britton (drums, former British karate champion, selected from open audition).
What happened to Wings before Band on the Run?
Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell left days before the Lagos sessions in August 1973. McCartney, Linda, and Denny Laine completed Band on the Run as a trio. The album reached number one in the UK and US.
β 10 June in Beatles History
β Paul McCartney | George Harrison | Ringo Starr
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