A Toot and a Snore in '74
On the 28th of March 1974, Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney walked into Burbank Studios in Los Angeles. They arrived after the first night of recording sessions for Harry Nilsson's album Pussy Cats. John Lennon was producing that project at the time. The two former Beatles had not seen each other in three years. Their public relationship had been strained by harsh words exchanged in the press. Yet they resumed their friendship as if nothing had happened. May Pang, Lennon's partner during his separation from Yoko Ono, later described this reunion. She noted how easily they slipped back into their old dynamic. Stevie Wonder, Jesse Ed Davis, Mal Evans, Bobby Keys, and producer Ed Freeman joined them. It became an impromptu jam session known as the Jim Keltner Fan Club Hour.
John Lennon lived in Los Angeles with May Pang while separated from Yoko Ono. This period is popularly referred to as his lost weekend. The recording captured a specific moment within that chaotic chapter of his life. Lennon appeared to be under the influence of cocaine during the session. He offered Stevie Wonder a snort on the first track. Later he asked someone to give him a snort on the fifth track. The album title originated from these moments when Lennon asked, You wanna snort Steve? A toot? It's goin' round. The audio quality suffered because Lennon seemed to have trouble with his microphone and headphones. His complaints about the sound grew louder over time. The studio eventually changed the microphone levels on the recording itself rather than fixing the performers' headphones. Most of his lead vocals could no longer be heard by the end.
The performance proved not very productive musically. Paul McCartney played Ringo Starr's drums even though Starr was recording with Nilsson at the time but not present. Starr complained the next day that McCartney always messes up my drums. Stevie Wonder sang and played electric piano while Linda McCartney played organ. Harry Nilsson provided vocals and Jesse Ed Davis played guitar. Bobby Keys played saxophone despite being questioned multiple times later without recalling any details. The group played a few bars of Little Bitty Pretty One by Thurston Harris before John said he could not remember the rest. They attempted Sleep Walk, the 1959 Santo & Johnny instrumental hit, under the name Nightmares. Stevie Wonder tried steering the group into a medley of Cupid, Chain Gang, and Take This Hammer after the general chaos. Rock's Backpages described the musicians as proceeding to jam and to get high. Uncut magazine called it unspectacular banter and similarly unlegendary music.
This rare bootleg first appeared in 1992 on the Mistral label. It remained unknown for nearly two decades after the original session. Lennon mentioned the event briefly in a 1975 interview. More details emerged in May Pang's 1983 book Loving John. Paul McCartney made reference to the session in a 1997 interview with Australian writer Sean Sennett. He told Sennett that the session was hazy for a number of reasons. Jimmy Iovine witnessed the session and noted that McCartney chose to play drums because he realized this was not how the Beatles were getting back together. McCartney reflected in 2007 that he thought it was rather heady and not very good. The recording exists only as a private document from that night at Burbank Studios.
In 2015, Uncut ranked A Toot and a Snore in '74 at number 40 in their list of the 50 best bootlegs. They described its sound quality as documentarily satisfactory yet quiet and poor. Wonder attempts magnificently to paper over the cracks according to their review. Erik Himmelsbach wrote that despite being notable as Lennon and McCartney's final recording together, the title says it all. The music was a mess but Lennon was apparently a gracious host. Jayson Greene of Pitchfork stated that the bootleg title came from cocaine and it sounds that way. James A. Mitchell noted the performance would never have been officially released due to scattered bits pulled from strained memories. It was fun but the time and place were not feted for anything further. The album remains the only known instance of Lennon and McCartney playing together after 1970.
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Common questions
When did Paul McCartney and John Lennon record A Toot and a Snore in '74?
Paul McCartney and John Lennon recorded the session on the 28th of March 1974 at Burbank Studios in Los Angeles. This event occurred during Harry Nilsson's Pussy Cats album sessions while Lennon was producing that project.
What is the origin of the title A Toot and a Snore in '74 for the bootleg album?
The title originated from moments when John Lennon asked Stevie Wonder if he wanted to snort cocaine during the recording. Lennon stated You wanna snort Steve? A toot? It's goin' round which became the namesake for the audio document.
Who played drums on the track where Paul McCartney performed instead of Ringo Starr?
Paul McCartney played Ringo Starr's drums because Starr was recording with Harry Nilsson but not present at the studio. Starr later complained that McCartney always messes up his drums after witnessing the performance.
Why does the audio quality sound poor on the A Toot and a Snore in '74 bootleg?
John Lennon appeared to be under the influence of cocaine and had trouble with his microphone and headphones during the session. The studio eventually changed the microphone levels on the recording itself rather than fixing the performers' headphones so most lead vocals could no longer be heard by the end.
When did the A Toot and a Snore in '74 bootleg first become available to the public?
This rare bootleg first appeared in 1992 on the Mistral label after remaining unknown for nearly two decades following the original 1974 session. More details emerged in May Pang's 1983 book Loving John and Paul McCartney referenced it in a 1997 interview with Sean Sennett.