A Toot and a Snore in '74 is a bootlegalbum consisting of the only known recording session in which John Lennon and Paul McCartney played together after the break-up of the Beatles in 1970. First mentioned by Lennon in a 1975 interview,[1] more details were brought to light in May Pang's 1983 book, Loving John, and it gained wider prominence when McCartney made reference to the session in a 1997 interview. Talking with Australian writer Sean Sennett in his Soho office, McCartney said the "session was hazy... for a number of reasons".
Lennon was separated from Yoko Ono and living in Los Angeles with Pang in a period of his life popularly referred to as his "lost weekend". Although he and McCartney had not seen each other in three years and had lashed out at each other in the press, according to Pang they resumed their friendship as if nothing had happened. The jam session proved not very productive musically. Lennon sounds to be on cocaine and is heard offering Wonder a snort on the first track, then asking someone to give him a snort on the fifth. This is also the origin of the album title, where John Lennon clearly asks: "You wanna snort, Steve? A toot? It's goin' round". In addition, Lennon seems to be having trouble with his microphone and headphones.
Lennon is on lead vocal and guitar, and McCartney sings harmony and plays Ringo Starr's drums (Starr, who was recording with Nilsson at the time but not present at the session, complained at the next day's recording session that "[McCartney] always messes up my drums!").[2] Stevie Wonder sings and plays electric piano, Linda McCartney is on organ, Pang plays tambourine, Nilsson provides vocals, Davis is on guitar, Freeman (who was producing Don McLean in the neighboring studio) fills in on bass, and Keys plays saxophone.[3] Keys was questioned a number of times about the session, but could not recall any of it.
It remains the only known instance of Lennon and McCartney playing together after 1970. Aside from informal, special occasions such as weddings, collaborations of more than two ex-Beatles had been rare since the band's 1969–70 split.
Mostly Lennon complaining about the sound in his headphones and reminiscing about how it was better half an hour ago.
"Stand by Me" – 3:41
Lennon complains about the sound again, saying that it was better two hours ago.
"Stand by Me" – 6:04
Because of Lennon's complaints, the studio has changed the microphone levels on the recording itself (rather than the performers' headphones), and most of his lead vocals can no longer be heard.
Medley – 3:10
After the general chaos of the Lennon-led session, Stevie Wonder tries steering the group into the following medley.
Stevie Wonder – electric piano, vocals (mostly on "Cupid")
Linda McCartney and Freeman are not credited on the bootleg's back cover. After the musicians, Mal Evans is credited with "Tea" and Pang with "Sympathy."[5]
^John Lennon "Lost Weekend" Interviews. Event occurs at 1:45. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2009-12-29. I jammed with Paul, I did actually play with Paul, yeah. We did a lot of stuff in L.A., but there was 50 other people playing—they were all just watching me and Paul ...
^Engelhardt, Kristofer (1 March 2010). Beatles Deeper Undercover (Updated version ed.). Collectors Guide Publishing. p. 234. ISBN9781926592091. The historic evening ended with a jam of "Lucille", "Sleepwalk" (sic), "Stand By Me", "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Take This Hammer".