Lennon and McCartney Reunite

March 30, 2008 8:19 PM

Lennon and McCartney's Studio Reunion. On March 28, 1974, John Lennon was in a Burbank studio producing Harry Nilsson's "Pussy Cats" album when Paul McCartney dropped in. The room froze and remained silent until John said, "Valiant Paul McCartney, I presume?" Paul responded: "Sir Jasper Lennon, I presume?" The tension broken, a jam session [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] ensued featuring Lennon on guitar and vocals, McCartney on drums and vocals, Stevie Wonder on electric piano and vocals, Harry Nilsson on vocals, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar and Bobby Keys on saxophone. A bootleg of the session has circulated under the title "A Toot and a Snore in '74".
posted by New Frontier (25 comments total)

i think the wiki sums it up nicely:
"What followed was not very productive."
posted by Merik at 8:30 PM on March 30, 2008

oh, yeah, drugs make you play SO good ... actually it's reassuring to hear the greats sucking this hard - (well, stevie's good, anyway)

bobby keys was with the stones and i think jesse ed davis played with taj mahal early on
posted by pyramid termite at 8:40 PM on March 30, 2008

Here's a transcript of the jam session.
posted by New Frontier at 8:42 PM on March 30, 2008

Previously...
posted by pascal at 8:47 PM on March 30, 2008

This is the sort of thing I would love to have a read an article about in a music magazine in 1991 before anyone had turned the internet into a mall of instant getification, and before I could tap out a Google search and be faced with it in its awfulness. I still miss you though, John.
posted by littlerobothead at 8:54 PM on March 30, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Here's a transcript of the jam session.

that's "sleepwalk" by santo and johnny, not "midnight" by the shadows
posted by pyramid termite at 8:56 PM on March 30, 2008

It sure is a deep well for Beatleologists -by now it really is the richest bunch or discourse ever amassed around a pop group.

inspired nuggets:
The "Drunk John Lennon" (group) does Mongoloid by DEvo.



"Lennon and McCartney" jam again (good acting)



PS That Jesse Ed Davis did the solo on Doctor my Eyes . the guy was a natural.
posted by celerystick at 8:56 PM on March 30, 2008

http://www.youtube.com/v/vGoDnXhU7Fo
posted by celerystick at 8:59 PM on March 30, 2008

It was probably for the best that they broke up.
posted by PHINC at 9:09 PM on March 30, 2008

Jesse Ed Davis although probably best known for that solo on Doctor My Eyes did so much more. His body of work is worthy of its own FPP.
posted by Sailormom at 9:43 PM on March 30, 2008

Thanks for this - I've always heard that this really sucks and is basically like a boombox recording of your friend's crappy band at a bonged-out drunken jam session, except your friend's band happens to be composed of Lennon, McCartney and Stevie Wonder, so I've never really sought it out. Since it's right there, it'll be interesting to listen to, at least for the curiosity value.

Contrary to popular belief, Lennon and McCartney never really hated each other, at least not in the way, say, Grant Hart and Bob Mould hate each other. Things were tense for a while, but by the mid-70s they were hanging out again. The relationship soured again later because Paul kept turning up at John's door with a guitar, and John was in his house-husband phase and basically said "I'm busy with the baby, we're not teenagers anymore, can you call before you come over?" Paul was offended and they never really spent time together anymore until John's death, although they talked on the phone and such.
posted by DecemberBoy at 10:39 PM on March 30, 2008

People underestimate the power of someone like George Martin to bring coherency to existing talent.
posted by spiderskull at 12:01 AM on March 31, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

OK, I'm just going to stick with the *idea* of Lennon, McCartney, Wonder, Nilsson, Davis, and Keys playing together, making awesome music, and not click on the links. Man, that's one fantastic collection of talent.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 5:13 AM on March 31, 2008

Cocaine's a helluva oh f'gettit.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 5:20 AM on March 31, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

This is not much different than National Lampoon's version "Beat the Meatles."
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:30 AM on March 31, 2008

Paul leads them into a short version of 'Take This Hammer'. The track is faded out, just as the three of them start singing.

It was Rose Mary Woods running the mixer.
posted by StickyCarpet at 7:40 AM on March 31, 2008

How could so much awesome in one room result in such epic fail?
posted by tommasz at 9:31 AM on March 31, 2008

"How could so much awesome in one room result in such epic fail?"

What Fuzzy Skinner started to say.
posted by stenseng at 9:40 AM on March 31, 2008

Thanks for the transcript link, New Frontier. Made the whole thing (what there was of it) much easier to follow. As for the end result, as John says, "Let's not get too serious. We're not getting paid; we ain't doing nothing but sitting here together."

Interesting to hear that even though they're millionaires, their equipment fails just like the stuff used by us lesser mortals. Unless the microphones (and headsets) have been tooting and snorting, not them...
posted by LeLiLo at 12:15 PM on March 31, 2008

I would like to hear drunk John Lennon doing "Jocko Homo".
posted by Meatbomb at 1:13 PM on March 31, 2008

What strikes me about these recordings is that no one sounds like they're having much fun.
posted by Chinese Jet Pilot at 1:17 PM on March 31, 2008

Reminds me of the story, supposedly from Paul, that when Lorne Michaels went on SNL during the original cast era to offer the Beatles $3,000 for a reunion gig on the show, John and Paul were sitting in the Dakota, getting high and watching the show, and debated crashing the show and playing a number.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:50 PM on March 31, 2008

What strikes me about these recordings is that no one sounds like they're having much fun.

Coke'll do that to ya.
posted by Item at 2:30 PM on March 31, 2008

Twenty-three years later, Paul McCartney's recollections of the session were a little hazy.
posted by New Frontier at 4:24 PM on March 31, 2008

when Lorne Michaels went on SNL...

I happened to be watching that night (hey, it was only the 18th SNL ever, and — unlike Metafilter — the show hadn't had time to go downhill). Michaels said, among other things, that the Beatles could take the money and "divide it up any way you want. If you want to give less to Ringo, that's up to you — I'd rather not get involved."

More about the Beatles and Saturday Night Live...
posted by LeLiLo at 8:51 PM on March 31, 2008