1971 Paul & Linda McCartney – The Back Seat Of My Car (UK:#39)
“The Back Seat Of My Car” is a song written by Paul McCartney, released as the closing track of his and his wife Linda‘s 1971 album, Ram. Several months later, it was released as a single in the UK, peaking at number 39. The song modulates stylistically between a sweeping piano-and-orchestra ballad similar to McCartney’s “The Long and Winding Road” and upbeat rock sections before ending in a raucous and passionate finale.
Recording for Ram began in October 1970 at CBS Recording Studios in New York City. The typical format for a recording session included McCartney, drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist David Spinozza or Hugh McCracken rehearsing a song in the morning and then recording the basic track in the afternoon and evening. Other guitar parts would be overdubbed, along with bass by McCartney. McCartney, Seiwell and McCracken recorded the instrumental backing and vocals for “The Back Seat of My Car” on 22 October 1970.
After recording the album’s basic tracks, the McCartneys went to Phil Ramone’s A & R Recording Studio in New York to record violin, cello and horn overdubs for several songs, including “The Back Seat of My Car”. Beatles producer George Martin scored the song’s orchestral overdubs, and McCartney conducted members of the New York Philharmonic in a mid-January 1971 session.
In March and April 1971, the McCartneys and sometimes Seiwell mixed the album at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. The single version and the mono mix made for the LP differ slightly, with the latter’s fade out described by authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter as “much smoother”, though the two fade outs remain the same.
Album
Ram is the only album credited to the husband-and-wife music duo Paul and Linda McCartney, released on 17 May 1971 by Apple Records. It was recorded in New York with guitarists David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken, and future Wings drummer Denny Seiwell. Three singles were issued from the album: “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (Paul’s first number 1 hit in America without the Beatles), “The Back Seat of My […]
Musicians
Musicians in the tags above are confirmed. For more information click on the album.
Produced By
Paul McCartney
Linda McCartney
Songwriters
Paul McCartney
Charts
US:# –
UK:#39