Video: 'Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington (2012 Remaster)' (11 clips)

(Tuesday, June 15, 1971) — Recording sessions for Thrillington, an orchestral/instrumental cover version of Paul and Linda McCartney’s album Ram, which had been released just a month ago in the U.S. and UK, began today at EMI Studio Two in London.

Produced by the former Beatle under the pseudonym Percy “Thrills” Thrillington, morning and afternoon sessions on this first day of recording captured the backing tracks for all eleven songs. The musicians included guitarist Vic Flick, drummer Clem Cattini, bassist Herbie Flowers, pianist Steve Grey, organist Roger Coulan, and Jim Lawless on percussion.

Strings were recorded during the evening session.

The second day, the 16th, featured a morning session to work on woodwinds and the boys choir heard on “Ram On.” In the afternoon, the French singing group the Swingle Singers added their dulcet tones to five songs, while in the evening yet more strings and the Carl Dolmetsch family playing recorders were overdubbed onto various tracks.

The last day of recording, on June 17, 1971, consisted of more overdubs (likely brass), all recorded in the larger Studio One.

The next day, McCartney’s 29th birthday, the LP was mixed and in the can.

The album was shelved upon the formation of McCartney’s new band, Wings, and not released for nearly six years.

McCartney initially kept his involvement with the project a secret; nevertheless, the project’s nature and the rather bizarre pseudonym chosen for the credited artist led the few contemporary reviewers who wrote about Thrillington to conclude that “Percy Thrillington” was in fact McCartney working incognito.

When Thrillington was finally issued in the spring of 1977, it did not attract much attention, and did not chart.

McCartney formally revealed himself to be Percy Thrillington in 1989, and the following year also admitted to being “Clint Harrigan”, who wrote the album’s liner notes.