CLUB SANDWICH 71

WINGS IN NASHVILLE

            On July 17th Wings arrived back in England after seven weeks of rehearsing and recording m Nashville, Tennesse.
            The McCartneys had rented a 133 acre ranch near Lebanon from songwriter Curley Putman, who wrote 'Green Green Grass of I ome". Most of their stay was spent rehearsing Wings and jamming with local musicians, including Chet Atkins, country pianist Floyd Crammer, fiddle player Vassal Clements, banjo player Bobby Thompson, and the Gate Sisters. Among the tracks recorded was a song called 'Eloise', written by Paul's father twenty years ago. Also recorded was a 'country flavoured' song called "Sally G', written by Paul after visiting a country music club in Printers' Alley. He was impressed not only with Nashville, but with the musicians and the 'Sound Shop' studios where he worked, usually from 6 p.m. to midnight.
            "We had great fun using pedal guitars, fiddles and banjos. The musicians out in Nashville are a great pleasure to work with because they are so sharp and professional."
            In an informal press conference held on the from porch of the ranch Payl said:
            " I came here, because Nashville is the music centre; I hope to return sometime in the near future to do an American tour. If it does develop, there are definite plans for a Nashville concert. We just couldn't skip Nashville, we have too many friends here. The trouble is that since I've been here I promised a lot of people that I would write songs for them. It's amazing the people who want songs, like Johnny Cash and Charlie Rich. You'd think they'd have plenty of material but they all tell us they don't have enough good songs."
            During their stay, Paul and Linda visited the new Opry land, an enormous park with four or five stages, each with different kinds of music living performed – folk, Dixieland, country etc. They attended a fiddle contest, and saw Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner and Gordon Stoker, lead singer with Presley's backing group The Geordinaires. Also they frequented then favourite local restaurant 'The Loveless Motel', and a few drive in movies. One evening Roy Orbison came over for a supper cooked by Linda.
            Linda told reporters:
            "One of the best times we had in Nashville was on Paul's birthday. I'd bought him a lighter from River gate, and in the evening we had a barbecue down on a lake, but the next day we were back to rehearsing for possible future tours and recordings. Most of the time we rehearsed in a garage next to the house."
            Among the thirty pieces of luggage loaded into the rented car and truck en route for New York, was a Honda motorcycle.
            Paul's immediate plans are to do a follow up album to 'Band on the Run’ in the near future.
            "Beyond that, I don't know. I could, for all I know, write a great rock and roll epic. And then I could do nothing."