Have the happiest of Easters!

This actually happened.

Yesterday I was at a rehearsal with David Crosby in LA. He and his band are getting ready for the tour that starts next week. Partway through the rehearsal, David stepped outside for some air. A blue Corvette pulled up and the window went down. The driver was Paul McCartney.

"Hello, guys," he said, smiling.

It was one of those moments where time seemed to stand still. The day before, while flying to LA, I watched Ron Howard's new film "Eight Days a Week," a masterful tribute to The Beatles that shows how Paul, John, George and Ringo became the biggest musical stars in history. And there I was, face to face with one of them.

Turns out Paul was rehearsing in the studio next to David's. A couple hours later, he invites David and his band to join him in studio. I follow David. Paul greets everyone. Then he and his band go right into "Junior's Farm."

You should have seen me with the poker man
I had a honey and I bet a grand
Just in the nick of time I looked at his hand

Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go
Down to Junior's farm where I wanna lay low

These guys are jamming and I am one of a handful of people in a studio. My feet are tapping and the hair is up on my arms. The only thing I can compare this to would be having Babe Ruth show up at my Little League game and saying he'd like to take a few swings.

But not even the Babe makes you want to twist and shout.

Next, Paul sung "Drive My Car."

Asked a girl what she wanted to be
She said baby, can't you see
I want to be famous, a star on the screen
But you can do something in between
Baby you can drive my car
Yes I'm gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And maybe I'll love you

When he got to the signature line ­ "Beep Beep'm Beep Beep, Yeah," I was struck by the fact that people around the globe ­ in Russia, Australia, South America, Iceland ­ can sing "Beep beep'm, beep beep, yeah." Paul and John wrote lyrics that became a universal language. It's a language that puts smiles on people's faces. What a gift!
Then he played one of the happiest songs I know ­ "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da."

Desmond has a barrow in the marketplace
Molly is the singer in a band
Desmond says to Molly girl I like your face
And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand

Smiling as he played, he looked at us and invited us to sing along.

Ob la di ob la da life goes on bra
La la how the life goes on
Ob la di ob la da life goes on bra
La la how the life goes on

It is one of the most surreal moments of my life. I'm actually singing along with Paul McCartney. Ob la di, ob la da, life goes on.

David Crosby has given me one of the most memorable moments of my life ­ a private audience with the man whose music has shaped so much of the culture that was my upbringing.

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April 2017

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April 15, 2017 -- National Review

Paul McCartney's Neglected Masterpiece

Flowers in the Dirt, newly rereleased, is Paul at his mature best

Unlike John Lennon, the chronic oversharer avant la lettre, Paul McCartney has always been guarded about his interior life, rarely using his songs to deliver the gossip about what it's like being Paul McCartney. For McCartney, the entertainer's imperative is to entertain, not broadcast his angst. Moreover, he seems to find it necessary to guard, to fence off, his actual self, forever presenting himself to the world as relentlessly afflicted by goofy joy. In the immortal phraseology of a now-defunct music magazine, he is Fab Macca Wacky Thumbs Aloft.

Yet on his 1989 album Flowers in the Dirt, McCartney showed, in the track "Don't Be Careless Love," a tormented side. The speaker, noting "the midnight lamp" burning down, resolves to stay up until his love returns home. He continues:

In my dream you're running nowhere

Every step you've taken turns to glue

Walking down a spiral staircase

Falling through, falling through.

Later the singer worries about his companion being "chopped into little pieces / by some thugs." It might be the most haunted, introspective song McCartney has ever written. For the man with everything, only one thing really mattered: Linda, his wife from 1969 until her death in 1998. McCartney used to say that all the love songs he wrote during their relationship were about her, and in this fragile yet sweeping spiritual he told us everything about what she meant to him.

Fine as it is, though, "Don't Be Careless Love" isn't even one of the five best songs on the masterly Flowers in the Dirt, one of the handful of great albums McCartney did after the 1970s (along with 1982's Tug of War, 1997's Flaming Pie, and 2005's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard). Flowers has just been rereleased in various formats, including a sumptuous boxed set containing the original, remastered album plus unreleased demos (some of them collaborations with Elvis Costello), gorgeous artwork, and charming facsimiles of handwritten letters to McCartney, including one from his new songwriting partner. "Greetings from dirty old Dublin," Costello wrote in an undated note reprinted on pink paper. "We are in our last couple weeks here and the place is going upside down with U2 fever."

It's a cliché to say that Lennon gave McCartney the hard backbone without which his cottony songs would have collapsed, but the value to Flowers of the contributions by the ironical, sentiment-averse Costello and the hard-rock Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour is unmistakable. Costello co-wrote the album's magnificent centerpiece, "That Day Is Done," a slow-burning gospel-infused anthem of confessed "shame" and "sorrow" sung, we come to understand with a shiver, from the grave:

She sprinkles flowers in the dirt

That's when a thrill becomes a hurt

I know I'll never see her face

She walks away from my resting place.

"That Day Is Done," a thing of power and majesty, is more mature and reflective than any of Lennon's supposedly serious efforts. But it is matched in its force by an entrancing hard-edged rock number, "We Got Married," to which Gilmour contributes one of his very best guitar solos, a choppy, furious interlude that turns this love song into a kind of argument with itself. Great love stories almost invariably end in marriage, but what, McCartney asks, happens after that? That's where the work begins, where the real devotion shows.

In McCartney's case, marriage directly preceded the breakup of The Beatles and a bout with depression in the early 1970s, when the four-man fraternity dissolved in an acid bath of litigation, and he felt he had lost his purpose. "Working hard / for the dream / Scoring goals for the other team" appears to be a reference to those times, and as he muses about raising children, he adds, "Place your bets / No regrets / We got married." Juxtaposing such uncharacteristically equivocal thoughts with those fierce, almost bitter, Gilmour guitar licks, McCartney gets at just how much grit and determination it requires to keep any marriage going (not to mention the crystalline vulnerability of celebrity marriage). Coming at the same subject from an oblique angle, "Distractions" not only contains one of the most gorgeous melodies McCartney ever wrote, but it elegantly maps out the mindscape of middle age, when life seems clogged and rerouted by a thousand frustrating irrelevancies, each of them undermining one's hopes to accomplish anything much. As McCartney's late friend once put it, life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.

The singles on Flowers, none of them big hits, weren't well aligned with the musical tastes of 1989, but they're winners, too, showing off both McCartney's bright, bouncy "Hello Goodbye" side and his placid, just-strumming-under-a-tree tenderness. "This One" (a modest hit on the U.K. singles chart) unfolds from a Moody Blues­style intro into a bonanza of happy sounds reminiscent of peak Beatles. "Put It There," the title of which drew on a favorite phrase of Paul's ineffably affable father, Jim, finds McCartney in "Blackbird" mode, building on a gently appealing acoustic-guitar line. "Figure of Eight," an expertly crafted rocker with a hoarse lead vocal, has a touch of mid-'70s Wings. Even the Costello-co-written "My Brave Face," which was the first single chosen for release despite (or maybe because of) its being one of the few slightly generic-sounding tracks, grows infectious after a few listens, and its funny lyrics, about a bewildered middle-aged man who can barely operate a microwave after his woman leaves him, are alive with the self-deprecating mordancy Costello borrowed from Lennon.

Prior to Flowers, the last album of original material McCartney had released, 1986's Press to Play, was so pitiful that even we stalwart Macca defenders found ourselves looking at our shoes and mumbling, "It's not so bad as all that." But long after his detractors simply wrote him off, McCartney was still pushing himself, still proving capable of making exceptional pop music. It's easy to deride his post-Beatles work, or his post-Wings work, as rubbish, but only if you don't actually listen to the best of it.

- Kyle Smith is National Review's critic-at-large.

CLICK TO VIEW FULL SIZE

Last night (APRIL 10), music icon Sir Paul McCartney from The Beatles went to see our show! We're definitely feeling the LOVE

penny lane @hbrister writes...
"So tonight I went to The Beatles Love show in Vegas & sat by Paul McCartney. It was iconic. He's so cool & sang every song."April 15, 2017

Video of Paul walking towards the stage at LOVE

CLICK TO WATCH

Jeni Kay writes...
"A-MAZ-ZING eve at Cirque's Beatles Love...to include a rare visit by the one and only Paul McCartney himself - no kidding! whaaaat?!"

Paul 'Wix' Wickens, who has been part of McCartney's touring group since 1989, will headline the concert at All Cannings, near Devizes on May 20 with what is promised to be al all-star band.

Organisers Richard Baulu, who is landlord of the King's Arms, and McCartney's sound man John 'Grubby' Callis said: "After a recent change to his touring dates we are super excited to announce that Paul "Wix" Wickens will be assembling a very special band to headline Rock against Cancer this year.

"The name may not be that familiar, but "Wix" has been Paul McCartney's keyboard player and musical director for many years and Paul McCartney has kindly shifted some gigs to allow Wix to gather a band for us in May.

"We'll announce who's joining Wix as soon as we can. It will be a fantastic end to the day which will already have seen Alison Moyet, Wilko Johnson, Sweet, Gerry & The Pacemakers and John Coghlan's Quo appearing on the main stage, with some special guests joining these bands too.

"Plus we have upcoming bands Invisible Vegas, Verdisa and Bite the Buffalo performing on the CATK Stage."

Wix joined Paul McCartney's band at the end of the 80s and he's appeared on most studio albums since then and on all of the live McCartney albums. He has performed and recorded with many other artists including Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan, Nik Kershaw, Edie Brickell, Tim Finn, John Kilzer, David Gilmour, and Bill Payne.

Also on the bill on May 20 will be Alison Moyet, Sweet, Wilko Johnson, John Coghlan's Quo, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Invisible Vegas, Verdisa, and Bite The Buffalo.

For tickets go to www.concertatthekings.co.uk/tickets/

Macca? on left by window... his mom Mary? sitting behind him
(photo on right) Mary McCartney 7 years earlier at age 40 -- a striking resemblance???

Renowned Liverpool Beatles historian, Peter Hodgson has discovered what might be a 12 year-old Sir Paul McCartney riding on a tram in early 1955 with his mother Mary. There has never been any footage or photos of Paul at that age with his mother. Mary died at 47 the following year (1956) from breast cancer, the same year Paul found a new friend named John Lennon.

Hodgson contacted Jorie Gracen of The Macca Report (www.maccareport.com) after discovering a black-and-white film documenting the history of the old Liverpool trams. Hodgson, a Liverpool native, has been uncovering rare video and photos of the Fab Four throughout his life, but this discovery could be one of the rarest in Beatles history.

The tram route was one Hodgson was familiar with and it just happened to be a route the McCartney family took on a regular basis to visit Paul's favorite aunt, Gin, the sister of his father Jim.

"I knew that the tram was heading down near to where Aunty Gin lived, so I decided to scrutinise the film, 'cause you never know," recalls Hodgson.

"Also with it only being a five-minute drive from my home etc.

"The Macs were a very close-knit family and may have been visiting Aunty Gin who lived on Dinas Lane, Page Moss, Liverpool," said Hodgson.

Though not seen in the footage, it is likely that Jim is sitting next to Mary (wearing a hat) in the seat behind Paul, who may be sitting next to his brother Michael (obscured by a male passenger).

At 29 minutes and 25 seconds into the film you, can see someone who looks like a young Paul.

Liverpool Trams - Green Goddesses Remembered

CLICK TO WATCH

So what do you think?

You can add your own thoughts on Jorie Gracen's Facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/joriegracen

Special thanks to Peter Hodgson (MACCA REPORTER)

March 27, 2017 -- Macca Report News

Paul rumored to play RAC (UK) charity concert May 20th

The banner that announces the concert says there will be a "Special Guest"

A new All Star Headline Band for 2017!!!

After a recent change to his touring dates we are super excited to announce that Paul "Wix" Wickens will be assembling a very special band to headline Rock Against Cancer this year on May 20, 2017..

Who's he?

OK, so the name may not be familiar, but "Wix" has been Paul McCartney's keyboard player and musical director for many years. He joined Paul McCartney's band in 1988 and he's appeared on most studio albums since then and on all of the live Paul McCartney albums. He has performed and recorded with many artists as well: Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan, Nik Kershaw, Edie Brickell, Tim Finn, John Kilzer, David Gilmour, and Bill Payne too many artists to list.

Paul McCartney has kindly shifted some gigs to allow Wix to gather a band for us in May.

We'll announce who's joining him as soon as we can!

2017 will see us supporting Cancer charities and once again, a portion of the money raised will go to funding projects within the Parish of All Cannings.

For those who can't attend the concert, there will be a LIVE broadcast on BBC Wiltshire and BBC Music 3 to 5pm on May 20th.

The one-day Rock against Cancer concert takes place behind The Kings Arms in All Cannings.

VENUE: (outdoor show)

DATE: May 20, 2017

The Kings Arms
Pub Lane
All Cannings
Devizes
Wiltshire SN10 3PA

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!!
http://www.concertatthekings.co.uk/tickets

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO

Basketball's South Eastern Conference (SEC) had a big game Sunday night at Madison Square Garden between the USC (University of South Carolina) Gamecocks and University of Florida Gators. But for fans of Paul McCartney tonight there was a bigger thrill.

Sports Director Reggie Anderson at WLTX in Columbia, SC was there to watch his team's historic win against Florida's Gators, but what he didn't expect to see was a Beatle! Yes, Sir Paul and his wife Nancy were there to watch the game. One can assume they were rooting for Florida because Nancy's son Arlen (who was there) graduated from a college near Gainesville.

Anderson was surprised as much as anyone else to see a Beatle at a basketball game. He took photos and tweeted as he followed the procession behind Macca. Paul didn't seem to mind as the elite group was led backstage after the game.

Talking to DJ Matt Everitt on BBC Radio 6 Music, the Beatles star recalled the times when the two Beatles would 'spin off each other' when they brainstormed each other for new musical phrases.

"There's a million ways to write, but the way I always used to write was with John and it would be across from each other, either in a hotel bedroom on the twin beds, with an acoustic guitar and we're just looking at each other, " declared the 74-year-old musician.

"It's always my big memory, is seeing John there, him being right-handed, me being left-handed, it felt to me like I was looking in a mirror.' McCartney explained that the reason they worked with such empathy was because they had grown up together

Even when he wrote the album "Flowers In The Dirt" with Elvis Costello, he perusaded his junior partner to work in the same fashion.

CLICK TO LISTEN

Audio clip highlights HERE

The 74-year-old Beatles legend is currently halfway through his first record since 2013's 'New' and while he is thrilled to be working with Kurstin - who worked on Adele's '25' and Beck's 'Morning Phase' - he's worried that will people will think he's chosen Greg because he is the "flavour of the month".

Speaking BBC 6 Music, he revealed: "I'm making a new album which is great fun. I'm in the middle of that. I'm working with a producer I first worked with two years ago on a piece of music I'm doing for an animated film. Since then, he went on to work with Beck and got Best Album of the Year with Beck. Then he went on to work with Adele and has just got Song of the Year, Record of the Year, with Adele, of course and just got Producer of the Year. So my only worry is, people are going to go, 'Oh there's Paul going with the flavour of the month'. But he's a great guy called Greg Kurstin and he's very musical and he's great to work with. So I'm in the middle of that and then shortly, in a couple of weeks, I go off to Japan to do some concerts there in Tokyo which should be great fun. So yeah, I'm at it. Beavering away doing what I love to do. As Ringo says,'It's what we do.'"

Though the 'Let It Be' hitmaker didn't divulge whether there are any collaborations on the new album, McCartney said that despite duetting with Kanye West, Rihanna, Michael Jackson and many more, none of them will be better than his late bandmate John Lennon.

He said: "My thing with collaboration, I know I can never have a better collaborator than John. That is just a fact. It's inescapable. So I don't try and escape it. I just know there's no way I can find someone now who's going to write better stuff with me than I wrote with John. But having said that, I'm interested in working with other people because they bring their own particular thing to it and, it's interesting. It's educational for me to see how they want to work."

In 1989, Paul McCartney shot two videos for the song This One, taken from the album Flowers in the Dirt.

The first, directed by Tim Pope, was filmed at the Albert Wharf Studio in Battersea, London.

Often referred to as the "Eastern" promo, the video featured scenes with meditation and as well as Paul, Linda, the band and Indian dancers.

Photographer Eugene Adebari was on set to capture still photographs on the day.

The second video was directed by 'light painting' photographer Dean Chamberlain and was filmed in a rehearsal barn in the South-East of England in July.

The song reached number 18 on the UK singles chart.

These never-seen-before photos were captured at tour rehearsals and from the video shoot for the song This One.

They will be released as part of the reissue of McCartney's Grammy award-winning Flowers in the Dirt on 24 March.

VIEW PICTURES

Paul on the passing of Chuck Berry: "Chuck Berry sadly passed away over the weekend. He was one of rock 'n' roll's greatest poets. He will be missed but remembered by everyone who ever loved rock 'n' roll.

"From the first minute we heard the great guitar intro to 'Sweet Little Sixteen' we became fans of the great Chuck Berry. His stories were more like poems than lyrics ­ the likes of 'Johnny B Goode' or 'Maybellene'. To us he was a magician making music that was exotic yet normal at the same time. We learnt so many things from him which led us into a dream world of rock 'n' roll music.

"Chuck was and is forever more one of rock 'n' roll's greatest legends all over the world. I was privileged to meet him in his home town St Louis when I played there on tour and it's a memory I will cherish forever. It's not really possible to sum up what he meant to all us young guys growing up in Liverpool but I can give it a try.

Long live rock 'n' roll!

Love you Chuck.
Paul"

Get your LIMITED EDITION "Flowers In the Dirt" CD (reissue) with a bonus 7" vinyl single that includes "My Brave Face" and "Flying To My Home".... for $16.99

CLICK TO ORDER FROM BEST BUY

NOTE: There is a redemption form inside the CD case to order the 7" Vinyl Single while supplies last.

Listen to 'This One (Demo)' below and download for free HERE!

ORDER FLOWERS IN THE DIRT:

Deluxe Edition (3CD/1DVD): Click HERE!
Special Edition (2CD): Click HERE!
Vinyl (2LP): Click HERE!

Apple Music - Click HERE!
Spotify - Click HERE!

Happy St. Paddy's Day! (Paul with "Lucky")

PHOTO: Bill Bernstein/© MPL Communications

The 1980s had not been going well for Paul McCartney. A series of commercial flops left even the artist taking stock. "It was time to prove something to myself," McCartney said back then. That he did. "Flowers in the Dirt," released in 1989, marked a rebirth.

But the most intriguing element of "Flowers" was shelved for decades. In 1987, McCartney had invited Elvis Costello to work with him. Four of their songs ended up on "Flowers," but a few others never came out. And both McCartney and Costello agree that their nine initial demo recordings remain the best part of their collaboration. On March 24, those demos are being released as part of an elaborate, box-set reissue of "Flowers in the Dirt."

We spoke recently with McCartney and Costello, separately and by phone, about their intense writing spurts, the challenges of turning the demos into a polished album and about their obvious differences over a certain synth-pop group.

In 1986, McCartney released his sixth solo studio album, "Press to Play," working with producer Hugh Padgham, known for his work with Phil Collins and the Human League.

McCartney: Sometimes you get caught up in trying to be the current flavor, trying to go along and flavor your cooking with the food of the month, and I think "Press to Play" was certainly that. . . . I remember the records I listened to. "Let's Dance."Or "Drive" by the Cars. Records that were of the time and I probably just thought, "Yeah, it'd be quite nice to get into a bit of that."

PHOTO: Linda McCartney

McCartney's manager suggested he call Costello. Costello, then 33 , came to McCartney's Hog Hill Mill Studio in East Sussex, England. Costello grew up loving the Beatles. But he didn't bring his fan club card.

McCartney: I do get a bit of that in life generally, but I've adapted, I've developed a way of trying to put people at ease that kind of eliminates the vast majority of this syndrome. With Elvis, I didn't need to do it. He's sensible enough to know that. We'd sit around and talk and have a cup of tea. By the time we got down to songwriting, we knew the deal.

We just sat on these couches. Each of us got an acoustic guitar. Sat across from each other. I said to him, "The way I'm used to working with a collaborator is really, mainly with John." And the way we used to do it is sit opposite like this. And the thing for me that was kind of nice . . . because I was left-handed and he was right-handed, as was the case with Elvis, too, it was as if I was looking in the mirror.

Costello: I was sort of a little startled when he made that reference. I think it's more to just try to explain the immediacy of the way we worked rather than put me in the same bracket as Lennon. I don't see myself like that. In terms of the immediacy and just the musical role. . . . I can't sing above him so I would naturally harmonize below. Which is often the relationship of Lennon and McCartney's harmonization. That would draw some comparison. Hey, I sing through my nose some of the time. What can I do?

McCartney: The thing about working with John is that we started songwriting virtually together. We had written a little bit separate from each other. But we grew into songwriting together. . . . You know, the bottom line is I've never had a better collaborator than John and I don't expect to. Because we were pretty hot.

Working with Costello created a sound that was decidedly Beatles-like, something McCartney had tried to avoid for years.

McCartney: By that point, it seemed okay to reference the Beatles, so with Elvis, we tried to keep away from it, but if we fall into anything - like, I think "My Brave Face" has a sort of Beatle-y thing to it - we didn't try to avoid it.

Costello: I learned how to sing two-part harmonies from singing along with Beatles records. So of course, the minute I put my voice next to his, with the somewhat harder edges in my voice, it naturally created some sort of regional echo. I call it the Mersey cadence. I wasn't even born in Liverpool. My family's from Liverpool. But I've got a lot of those sounds in my voice.

When critics heard of the collaboration, they developed a story line - that Costello, the punk-rocking bad boy, represented the darker Lennon. He would push McCartney, the softy who sang "Silly Love Songs." Costello dismisses that.

Costello: Oh, Paul's the ballad guy, the same guy who sang "I'm Down," "She's a Woman" and "Helter Skelter." You can find a contrary thing when people talk about Lennon/McCartney and those simplifications. Yeah, you can go "Instant Karma" and "Revolution" and these things and "Help." But you can also go "Julia" and "Beautiful Boy."

McCartney: The funny thing is, I think a lot of people assume that John and I pushed each other in those ways. . . . That never occurred. We had a very easy manner where both of us knew that the other was only in it to help and we were pooling our resources. So many times I would help John out with a problem in his song, but conversely, he'd do exactly the same with me. We knew that we would do that, and it was perfectly allowed. It's not a question of pushing. It's a question of just being. I'm writing, "It's getting better all the time" and John comes in with, "Couldn't get no worse." Instead of going, "Oh, you're spoiling my lovely song." I go, "Genius, great." I would do the same thing for him. . . . John famously brought in "Come Together" sounding very much like a Chuck Berry song called "You Can't Catch Me." I said, "That's Chuck Berry." He went, "Yeah." I said, "No, no, no." And we swapped it out and slowed it down and made a genius record. I'm allowed to say that now.

PHOTO: Linda McCartney

Costello did politely urge McCartney away from the instrument he was using, a modern bass with five strings. ("A perversion of nature," says Costello.) He asked McCartney to pull out his old Hofner. The bass still had a Beatles set list taped to it.

Costello: I wasn't being funny or being in any way sentimental. I honestly thought [the new bass] disguised his musical personality when he was playing. He actually played his Rickenbacker on a lot of the tracks. He played the Hofner on "Veronica," that he played on my session [for Costello's album "Spike"]. Because he knew I liked the sound of it. But he flew around on that Rickenbacker, and it was suddenly like, "My God, this is one of the great instrumentalists of the rock-and-roll era." His voice comes through. It's as if you gave Louis Armstrong a plastic horn to play.

There was no great strategy as they wrote. It was organic. Costello points to "Tommy's Coming Home," a beautiful, poetic song about a war widow torn between mourning and temptation. (The demo is being released for the first time on the "Flowers" box set.)"Flowers" box set.)

Costello: Paul made the first musical statement. But if you listen to that song, who do you think wrote that? Probably me, less known as a melodist than him. But I think I was the one who suggested [hums the chorus]. Often we exchanged the role as we were doing it because it wasn't considered. All these theories, they don't exist because of who I am. They exist because of who he is and all these associations that people want to read into. None of that was any part of writing any of these songs. It was almost fun really. It was really seeing what we could get. . . . The image of the hawk hovering over the little animals in that song. I said, "How do we get that in the story?" And I had the idea of a war widow on a train, and somehow both of those images ended up in that song. That's proper collaborating. It's not theoretical. It's actual practical work.

In 1988, Costello and McCartney returned to the studio. The idea is that Costello would co-produce the new record. As they worked, they realized they had different ideas. One day, they were talking about "That Day is Done," a gospel-inspired ballad. Costello wanted to use New Orleans brass. McCartney referenced the Human League. Costello left the studio to calm himself down.

McCartney: This is one of the rules of my game. I will say stuff, any idea that comes into my head. And if you don't like it, you just tell me and I'll probably agree. But my method is to throw out a lot of stuff and whittle it down. [Pause.] Actually, he was really not a fan of the Human League. I like "Don't You Want Me." [Hums the chorus.] I think that's, like, a classic pop record. . . . I can now see now that me even mentioning the words Human League would send him off in the wrong direction.

The final studio recording of "That Day is Done," on "Flowers," was actually true to Costello's original idea.

Costello: I think I was just overly sensitive, to be honest, because I did feel so attached to the lyrics.

So why did Costello and McCartney eventually part ways?

McCartney: Thinking back to the time, I didn't just want to just make an Elvis Costello album. There were other things I was interested in. I also wanted to work with this fabulous arranger, Clare Fischer, which may not have happened if I had been working with Elvis. I think I wanted to work with Trevor Horn and Steve Lipson, and things like "Rough Ride" and "Figure of Eight" wouldn't have been there. I wanted some variety, and that led to the decision of writing some stuff with Elvis. And things like "Put It There," I think those were pretty successful.

Of the demos, though, he and Costello agree. They are, indeed, the best versions of their songs. That doesn't mean McCartney has any regrets.

McCartney: Man, are you kidding? It's being reissued like a gazillion years afterward, and people are loving it. And the great thing is that we can now release these hidden treasures. It's actually worked out really well.

'Flowers In The Dirt' - One Week To Go...

LONG AWAITED 10th INSTALMENT OF THE GRAMMY-WINNING ARCHIVE COLLECTION OUT MARCH 24 VIA MPL/Capitol/UMe

DIGITAL PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW - 'YOU WANT HER TOO (ORIGINAL DEMO)' AVAILABLE AS AN INSTANT GRAT FROM TODAY ­ MARCH 17

PHOTO: Peter Mountain

DIGITAL PRE-ORDERS ALSO COME WITH INSTANT GRAT TRACKS - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED DEMO VERSIONS OF 'MY BRAVE FACE', 'THAT DAY IS DONE', AND REMASTERED TRACKS 'THIS ONE', AND 'OÙ EST LE SOLEIL'

Friday March 17 ­ With only one more week to go until the release of the reissue of Paul McCartney's classic Flowers In The Dirt, Paul has released two new photographs to coincide with the song 'You Want Her Too (Original Demo)' becoming available as an Instant Grat track for fans who digitally pre-order the album.

PHOTO: Peter Kernot

Both shots were used during the promotion of the album's original release - a black and white promo shot of Paul, and a black and white shot of Paul and Linda on the set of the 'My Brave Face' video shoot in Liverpool.

PRE-ORDER FLOWERS IN THE DIRT:

Deluxe Edition (3CD/1DVD): Click HERE!
Special Edition (2CD): Click HERE!
Vinyl (2LP): Click HERE!

"I was very saddened to hear that my dear friend, Tommy LiPuma passed away. We had worked together on my album 'Kisses On The Bottom' which he produced. He was a fun loving, thoughtful guy with a vast knowledge of music. He had been a performer in his youth before he took up production and was always happy to sit with us in the studio whilst I and my fellow musicians worked on a track.

"Diana Krall was a very good friend of his and working together with her and Tommynon the album was a special experience. We would often go out to dinner together and on these occasions he was sure to produce a bottle of fine red wine from his briefcase to accompany the meal. He was an extremely generous man who loved his dear wife Gill (for some reason I called her Gail!!) very dearly.

"I will always have very fond memories of our time together and be proud to share his love with his family and many friends."

FLOWERS IN THE DIRT - THE CASSETTE DEMOS WITH ELVIS COSTELLO

With the Flowers In The Dirt Archive Collection edition's March 24th release date via  MPL/Capitol/UMe fast approaching, Paul McCartney has confirmed a very special Record Store Day exclusive. 

To commemorate Record Store Day this April 22nd, a limited edition three-song cassette of Paul and Elvis Costello's Flowers In The Dirt demos will be made available at participating RSD stores. 

The limited edition cassette-only release will be the first time these recordings - 'I Don't Want To Confess', 'Shallow Grave' and 'Mistress And Maid'- will be made available in the same form as when Paul and Elvis first cut them directly to tape.

Speaking about these tracks Paul said: "The demos are red hot off the skillet and that's why we wanted to include them on this boxed set. What's great about these songs is that they've just been written. So there's nothing more hot off the skillet as I say. So that was the kind of great instant thing about them. I hadn't listened to them in ages but when I did I knew we had to put them out. We made a little tape of them and sent them to Elvis, who loved them too. We said we should put out an EP or something and now the moment's finally arrived."

The demos will be made available digitally only as part of the Deluxe Edition when Flowers In The Dirt is released as the 10th installment in the multiple-GRAMMY-winning Paul McCartney Archive Collection. 

The Paul McCartney Archive Collection release of Flowers In The Dirt was, as always, personally curated and overseen by Paul himself. 

For information on formats, tracklistings, pre-orders etc. CLICK HERE!

For a list of Record Store Day participants CLICK HERE!

See below for a sneak peek at the cassette demo experience...

CLICK TO WATCH

PHOTO: Linda McCartney

Those sessions, at McCartney's rustic Hog Hill Mill Studio in East Sussex, England, were intended to yield songs for what became the ex-Beatle's 1989 album Flowers in the Dirt, an Eighties high point. Four tracks, including the playful duet "You Want Her Too," ended up on that LP, two on McCartney's next one (1993's Off the Ground), and the rest on Costello's albums ­ most notably the hit single "Veronica.

But as an upcoming box-set reissue of Flowers in the Dirt reveals, the collaborative recordings ­ rough acoustic versions (long circulated as coveted bootlegs) and, later, full-band Costello-McCartney versions ­ stand on their own as an extraordinary document of a partnership that was probably too perfect to last. "It moved me forward, and it moved him forward," says McCartney, who's equally proud of other Flowers tracks, like the uncharacteristic blues funk of the Trevor Horn­produced "Rough Ride." "That's the best you could hope for. I don't think either of us thought we were gonna become Lennon-McCartney Part Two."

Still, Costello recalls, "There was sort of a plan to work on the sessions together, to co-produce the sessions." (He also insists that he had zero intention of imitating Lennon ­ though learning to sing harmony from Beatles records inevitably influenced Costello's choice of vocal parts.) But McCartney, determined to have an album that would stand up on his first Wings-free solo tour, ended up enlisting an array of producers and collaborators (including David Gilmour) for Flowers, and rendering songs like "My Brave Face" ­ distinctly raw and Beatlesque in its first demo, interestingly reggae-ish in the second ­ in what Costello calls "widescreen? .?.?. ?elaborate productions."

McCartney now acknowledges that "the energy and the performances on the demos were better in some cases. That's really why we wanted to release them: for all the people who don't buy bootlegs." McCartney's impassioned vocal on the original piano-demo version of "The Lovers That Never Were" is particularly striking. "That was the one where I was aware it was good while we were doing it," says Costello, who played piano with McCartney over his shoulder strumming guitar. "You'd have to go some way to beat that performance."

Costello was delighted to learn that McCartney is finally releasing their long-lost joint recordings. "In the continuity of Paul McCartney collaborators," he notes with a laugh, "I'm the person that stands between Michael Jackson and Kanye West and Rihanna. You just didn't know that about me. And that's a pop fact with which you can probably win a bet."

It's competition time! With the release of Flowers In The Dirt on the horizon, we thought we'd give fans the opportunity to get their hands on a copy of the remastered album with a new GIF caption contest!  
 
Your Task:
We'd like you to come up with a brilliant/funny/witty/clever/entertaining caption to go with the GIFs below:

GIF #1


GIF #2


GIF #3

The Prizes:
- We will pick our three favorite entries and each will win a Deluxe Edition of Flowers In The Dirt plus a copy of the album on vinyl
- We will also select three runners up who will each win a copy of the album on CD.
 
How to enter: 
We'll be running the competition on PaulMcCartney.com and Twitter. If you'd like to enter here, please quote the GIF ­ for example GIF1 ­ and then write your caption. If you're entering on Twitter, keep your eyes out for the GIFs and leave your captions by replying to the post. If you're entering via Twitter, please remember to ensure you're following Paul so we can Direct Message you!

Winners will be notified at mid-day (BST) on Friday 31st March (5pm ET), so please remember to check your inboxes!

The 10th installment of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection, 'Flowers In The Dirt' is almost upon us, so we thought we'd treat you to a special bonus edition of 'You Gave Me The Answer' ahead of the 24th March release date.

We love the sound and spirit of every 'Flowers In The Dirt' song and although we tried, we couldn't just pick one favourite! Fortunately we can always rely on Paul's fans to ask interesting questions about every song imaginable, and so we were really excited when we saw that Simon from the UK had been in touch to find out more about 'Distractions'

SIMON: "One of my favourite songs on the album is 'Distractions'. What was your musical reference point that inspired you to write that song?"

PAUL: Thanks for your question, Simon. I like a good love song, you know. And it's always nice to be in the mood to write a ballad and that was the case when I sat down to write this. It just occurred to me that if you love someone, one of the problems is that you don't always spend enough time with that person. Because you've got things to do, you've got work or you've got other obligations to other people or whatever. And so I thought, yeah you could call those distractions from the main event kind of thing. That was basically what this is:

What is this thing in life that persuades me to take time away from you?

Distractions, like butterflies...

I elaborated on that theme, it's just someone wishing they could spend more time with their loved one. And you know for me at that time it was about Linda. But people often say to me, 'Who did you write this about?' and even though then I would have been writing specifically about Linda - because she was the object of my affection - I liked the idea that it could also be the sort of dream of romance. It could just be an ideal - we all love someone and wish we could spend more time with that someone. A romantic ideal! I know that a young couple won't hear this about me and Linda, the guy will hear it about him and his girlfriend, the girl will hear that it's about her and her boyfriend, and I like that. I like that about my songs, that people use them for their own purpose. And I think that's a very romantic idea."

We didn't quite realize who he was when he and James came in. They were dressed all in black - black hat, black sunglasses, black clothes. Paul walked up to the counter and asked Diane, what is this Run Devil Run? And she told him it was aromatherapy for depression.

He said, 'My wife recently passed away. I'm going to buy it. If it works, I'll write a song about you.'

She says, 'Yeah, right.'

We get a lot of people in here saying things like that. We get a lot of artists in here, and people who will buy a mojo bag and say, 'I'm going to win the $10 million lottery and I'm going to give you a million.' But they never show up after they win it! So this fella with a foreign accent - we didn't know who he was and we didn't expect anything.

The next week after he was in here another limousine pulls up. A photographer gets out and starts taking pictures of the store. So I go outside and ask him why he's taking pictures. And in a real nasty voice he says, 'It's my assignment.'

So I said, 'I realize it's your assignment, but this is my store. Are you with the CIA, the IRS, the FBI, am I in trouble?'

He says, 'It's my assignment.' He jumps in the limousine and pulls off. 

It really ticked me off. So the next day I called the limo company with a little lie. I said a photographer had been in and he'd left his camera here. I wanted to return it. They gave me the phone number of the people who rented the limo. I called it up. It was a travel agency in New York City. I talked to the owner and she was real nice. I explained what happened.

She said, 'I'm not supposed to give you the name and all, but let me look it up. When she got back on the phone she said, 'This was really a strange one. We received a wire from overseas with money and instructions to take a professional picture of your store. Spare no expense. So we did it. We don't know who it was that wanted the photo.'

At that point it was a dead end.

About six months later I get a call from the Journal-Constitution. A reporter asks, 'Richard, is that your store on the front of Paul McCartney's new CD?

I say, 'Are you on drugs? What's wrong with you?' He tells me to go to a German website to look at it. So I go to the website and say I see it and say, "Yeah, yeah, that's my store! Well it's basically my store. Paul McCartney put 'Run Devil Run' on the marquee. We never had that there. He added that. And he changed the name from Miller's Rexall to Earl's Quickie Drugs. Earl is his nickname. And he made a lot of other changes. The herbal viagra for women sign, he changed to L.I.L.Y. - Linda, I Love You. So he wrote a song called 'Run Devil Run' in honor of us. All of the other songs were covers of Chuck Berry and various artists that Linda liked. So it was her favorite songs. It was really a tribute to Linda. When that hit the market we became world famous. Every other day someone would run in here and say, "Is this where Paul shops? I gotta buy Run Devil Run!"

We got letters from all over the world: Great Britain, Japan, Israel, you name it. We got letters: Please send the stuff here. So we sent Run Devil Run all around the world.

The photographer - when he found out he'd taken a picture for Paul McCartney - sued and settled out of court for $10,000. He'd also used a picture of the product in the CD. He never asked permission to use it so the manufacturer sued and settled out of court for $10,000. 

So when it came out all of these grimy newspapers showed up here. 'Are you mad at Paul? He didn't pay you to use your store. Are you going to sue him?'

I said, 'No! I'm tickled with Paul. We're world famous now!'

They said, 'We can't sell that. We need a negative story!'

So I said, 'Ok, I'm miffed at Paul.'

They said, 'What do you want, what do you want?!?!'

I said, 'The next time he's in town I want him to call my wife and say hello.'

My wife has been sitting by the phone now for 18 years now, waiting for the phone call. It's never come.

Of course, we didn't give him the number, and we didn't expect it. But we've had fun with it. We're world famous and I've sent two kids to college on Run Devil Run. So it worked out very nicely for us.

February 25, 2017 -- PM.com

'Flowers In The Dirt' - In The Studio Story

Photo by Linda McCartney

With a month to go until the release of the reissue of Paul McCartney's classic album Flowers In The Dirt (the 10th installment of the GRAMMY-winning Paul McCartney Archive Collection) ­ Paul has released some photographs taken by Linda McCartney during the recording of the album.

Photo by Linda McCartney

The photographs show Paul working with Elvis Costello, who he collaborated with on four of the tracks featured on the album ('My Brave Face', 'You Want Her Too', 'Don't Be Careless Love' and 'That Day Is Done') as well as a shared moment with George Martin, who did the string arrangement for 'Put It There'.

Photo by Linda McCartney

The majority of the album was recorded at Paul's Hog Hill Mill studio in East Sussex. This is also where some of the tracks were written with Elvis Costello.

Photo by Linda McCartney

Recalling working with Elvis, Paul said: "I was looking for someone to work with, trying to think of something imaginative to do and one day my manager said 'do you fancy writing with Elvis Costello? It might be a great thing'. I said 'yeah'. He (Elvis) came down to my studio and we sat opposite each other with our guitars because I had said to him early on that this is how I'd written with John, with me being left handed and him being right handed, it was almost like looking in a mirror. We did virtually what John and I did which was just make up a song a day."

Photo by Linda McCartney

Those who pre-order the album digitally from today will get "Instant Grat" tracks ­ previously unreleased original demo versions of 'My Brave Face' and 'That Day Is Done' ­ both recorded at one of the early writing sessions.

Photo by Linda McCartney

"Because we were working above the studio, we'd just go downstairs and make the record, just the two of us singing exactly what we had made up. So there were a few recordings that haven't been released. We keep saying to each other that they're good because they are raw, it's hot off the skillet'.

Photo by Herman Leonard

Listen to 'My Brave Face [Original Demo]'

CLICK TO WATCH

PRE-ORDER FLOWERS IN THE DIRT: 
AVAILABLE MARCH 24TH

Deluxe Edition (3CD/1DVD): Click HERE!
Special Edition (2CD): Click HERE!
Vinyl (2LP): Click HERE!

Each artist will have 300 SM58 microphones produced for the auction, with serial numbers 11-300 listed for sale at a fixed price.  Additionally, Shure will be auctioning off serial numbers 1-10, which feature hand-signed autographs on the microphone handles. The limited edition microphones will be available at auction through eBay for Charity, with 100% of proceeds going directly to each artist's chosen charity. The SM58 50th Anniversary Artist Edition serves as a commemorative purchase and donation, honoring the decades of world-renowned music these artists have produced and their history of charitable activities.

"Paul McCartney and The Who have created some of the most influential music in our lifetimes, and given their impact on the world, we thought it only appropriate to team up with them to create a special 50th Anniversary edition of the SM58 microphone, which has been used to share their voices with fans of all ages for decades," said Mark Brunner, vice president of corporate and government relations at Shure Incorporated. "We also knew that Paul, Roger, and Pete are extremely active in charitable giving, having been major benefactors to, and creators of, charities for quite some time. As such, we're particularly proud to support the musicians' charities of choice by donating 100 percent of the proceeds to each."

Meat Free Monday was launched by Paul, Mary, and Stella McCartney in 2009 with the aim of raising awareness of the damaging environmental impact of livestock production. The campaign encourages people to help slow climate change, preserve precious natural resources and improve their health by having at least one meat free day each week. Teen Cancer America was founded in 2012 by Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, who have been working charitably for teens with cancer in the UK for over 20 years. The goal of the foundation is to help hospitals and healthcare professionals bridge the gap between pediatric and adult oncology care as well as educate and support hospitals and outpatient facilities in the development of specialized units for teens.

"The Shure SM58 has carried my voice to millions around the world over many years, and it still carries millions of voices to audiences every day," said Paul. "I am pleased to join with Shure in offering this special edition 50th Anniversary SM58 in support of a charity that is close to the heart of my family ­ here's to many more years for both of us!"

"As we take a moment to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the SM58, it's important to look back on all that we have accomplished as well as the important work that lies ahead ­ made possible by the power of music and of giving," said Roger Daltrey. "Shure and the SM58 have made my career possible, and we have joined forces on many charitable activities in support of teen cancer treatment thus far. It feels natural that we are working together on this auction in commemoration of this important milestone."

Auction begins March 1st - details are available HERE:
http://www.shure.com/americas/sm58-charity-auction/paul-mccartney

The iconic rockers reunited in the recording studio Sunday, with Ringo Starr's publicist confirming to the Daily News that Paul McCartney stopped by to contribute to his former bandmate's upcoming album.

"Thanks for coming over man and playing Great bass. I love you man ­ peace and love," Starr, 76, tweeted Monday, along with a photo of him with McCartney.

McCartney and Starr - the surviving members of The Beatles - previously released music together in 2010 for Starr's "Y Not" album. McCartney provided vocals on the song "Walk With You" while supplying the bass on "Peace Dream."

It's unknown how McCartney, 74, contributed to Starr's latest work. The upcoming album, which does not have a name or release date, will be Starr's 19th and is expected to drop sometime this year.

Meanwhile, fellow rocker Joe Walsh - who has performed with Starr as a member of his All-Starr Band - also visited Ringo's home studio and jammed with the Beatles legends on Sunday.

"And look out Joe W. came out to play what a day I'm having peace and love," Starr captioned a different photo that featured both Walsh and McCartney.

Bruce Sugar, who is producing Starr's latest album, posted a photo of him with McCartney and Starr on Facebook, with the caption: "Magical day in the studio today with these two."

In early 1971, with The Beatles involved in some bitter legal disputes with each other and with their own management, Paul McCartney recorded Ram with his wife Linda and three hired guns, guitarists David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken, and drummer Denny Seiwell. The album was eviscerated by critics on its release, with Jon Landau and Robert Christgau particularly vicious in their assault on both the album and McCartney's general reputation relative to John Lennon. Some writers were grudgingly complimentary about McCartney's sheer mastery of the craft of production, but almost no one could be heard to support the material itself.

There has certainly been a reappraisal, with some glimmering that Ram represents not a failure to live up to The Beatles (or to the expectations of Village Voice writers), but rather a beginning of something new. Perhaps AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine is correct that "in retrospect it looks like nothing so much as the first indie pop album, a record that celebrates small pleasures with big melodies."

I have always loved Ram ­ it never occurred to me to find it wanting. I listened to it with headphones as a nine year old, and I put the vinyl on in the living room once in a while now.

I don't know that a successful album by Paul McCartney needs defending, so instead I'll mostly just appreciate some aspects of the album that continue to delight and engage me after 45 years of listening.

At the level of form, McCartney extends the episodic, tone-shifting techniques of some late Beatles material with a surer, less purely experimental hand, achieving a sense of authoritatively planned effect rather than found-art collage. That is not to say one is better or worse, simply that McCartney didn't stop learning, and Ram reflects a high degree of technique and confidence in building song stories out of small fragments. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," a huge radio hit, is the most overt example on Ram.

Ram is worth listening to for rock musicians simply because of the tonal range and sheer beauty of its electric guitar parts. I have been unable to find definitive information on who played what, but the three guitarists together had a boatload of great ideas, and they are recorded exquisitely. From the massive, aggressive chugging rhythm guitar in "Smile Away," to the casually brilliant country blues licks of "3 Legs," to the arching, Abbey Road-esque orchestral guitars of "The Back Seat of My Car," Ram exploits the range of the electric guitar in a way virtually unmatched by its contemporaries.

That attention to the guitar tones points to the larger beauty of Ram: the whole thing just sounds amazing, with a warmth and clarity rarely heard outside of jazz and classical recordings at that time. There is no mush, no desperate layered glue to cover flaws ­ everything is heard, and everything counts in these arrangements. The orchestral arrangements are, like those in The Beatles' best work, integral to the instrumentation, rather than grafted on. "The Back Seat of My Car" is gloriously and goofily grandiose, with one of the biggest sounds I am aware of on record in the period, but it never seems to quite get away from itself.

Paul's voice is passionate and engaged and fully in character on "The Back Seat of My Car," keeping up with the film score-level drama without difficulty. This contrasts strikingly with the halting, uptight delivery of "She's Leaving Home" on Sgt. Pepper, for example. Paul was a thoroughly grown up singer by 1971, and Ram features some of his most fluid, confidently virtuosic vocal performances.

The songs themselves range in quality from slightly banal to truly sublime. But each is cared for very well, each has a distinctive and intimate voice. They are, with one exception, about small topics on a domestic scale. Married sex, broken friendships, lonely old people, casual boasting between friends, teenage romance. "Monkberry Moon Delight" is the outlier here: if you figure out what that song is about, please let me know in the comments.

The songwriting on Ram was a particular focus of scorn in some quarters. It's fair to say that many high profile cool rock dudes characterized the album in terms such as suburban, trivial, empty, bland, irrelevant. I think they missed the boat. By insisting that McCartney be "relevant," they ignored the ways in which he was advancing songwriting and recording along with others. Ram is highly relevant to these art forms, it simply didn't show much interest in political culture as understood by the rock press of the time.

Put some headphones on, take a listen to Ram, and forget if you can that this is an album by a former Beatle. I think that just about any musician would be thrilled to have created something so beautiful and compelling. Life is not just the bigger picture, in fact life is mostly the small details, the close in. With Ram, McCartney nudged pop songwriting in the direction of this understanding, and it remains one of his finest works.

George Harrison would have been 74 today...

Previously unreleased demo of Paul McCartney's 'Twenty Fine Fingers' available on Vevo

Co-written and performed with Elvis Costello - This rarity is taken from the forthcoming reissue of Paul's 1989 Flowers In The Dirt album - available from March 24th.

One of the most critically acclaimed albums of the eighties, nominated for both BRIT and Grammy Awards, Flowers In The Dirt saw McCartney team up with Elvis Costello to co-write a third of the album ('My Brave Face', 'You Want Her Too', 'Don't Be Careless Love' and 'That Day is Done') as well as boasting production credits from producers such as Mitchell Froom, Trevor Horn, David Foster, Steve Lipson, Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney himself. Pink Floyd guitar legend David Gilmour makes an appearance on 'We Got Married' and George Martin's string arrangement on 'Put It There' is amongst the many album highlights.

The reissue of Flowers In The Dirt is available from March 24th. Formats include a deluxe boxset which contains previously unreleased demos, unseen archival video, notebook of Paul's handwritten lyrics and notes, Linda McCartney Flowers In The Dirt exhibition catalogue, 112-page hardcover book documenting the making of album and more.

Listen to the demo of 'Twenty Fine Fingers' below: better showcase of McCartney and Costello's easy chemistry than the duet that actually ended up on the album. Hear it below.

Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello - Twenty Fine Fingers (Original Demo/Audio)

CICK TO LISTEN

The deluxe reissue of Flowers in the Dirt will be available March 24th via MPL/Capitol/UMe, and will include nine previously unreleased McCartney/Costello demos.

Left-to-Right: Paul 'Wix' Wickens, Chris Whitten, Linda McCartney, Paul, Robbie McIntosh, Hamish Stuart. Promotional shoot for the 'World Tour', 1989

"John Hurt and Keith Moon, two legends photographed by Linda at a Buddy Holly celebration which tragically turned out to be the last night of Keith Moon's life. We remember both with fondness - and always will.

"I knew John from his earliest days when he was in 'Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs' and continued a friendship through the years often visiting him in his house in Hampstead and having fun together on many other occasions. I asked him to play the part of a Brian Epstein type manager for our video 'Take It Away', which he did with great skill. 

"Though it is really sad to lose such a great mate and talent, the memories I have of him will always be with me."
- Paul McCartney 

Watch the music video for 'Take It Away' below:

Paul McCartney - Take It Away

CLICK TO WATCH

---

February 5, 2017 -- Variety

Paul McCartney Sues Sony to Reclaim Beatles Song Rights

Paul McCartney filed a lawsuit against Sony/ATV Music Publishing, seeking a court's declaration that he can reclaim outright many of his The Beatles compositions from the 1960s and 70s.

In his lawsuit, filed in a New York federal court, McCartney cites The Beatles songs that he and John Lennon jointly created from 1962 to 1971, noting that during that time they typically assigned their copyright interests to publishers in exchange for royalties.

A provision of the Copyright Act allows authors and co-authors to reclaim the copyrights in their works after a set period of time, provided that they serve termination notices on the current rights holder. One aspect of the law gives authors who transferred their interests in their works before Jan. 1, 1978, the ability to reclaim the rights.

The works at issue include some of The Beatles' best known songs, including "Yesterday," "Hey Jude," "Let It Be," "Love Me Do," "P.S. I Love You," "Thank You Girl," "Bad to Me," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and "All You Need Is Love."

McCartney began to serve termination notices in October 2008. The terminations begin to be effective in 2018.

"For years following the service of the first termination notices, defendants gave no indication to Paul McCartney that they contested the efficacy of Paul McCartney's termination notices," the lawsuit states. But McCartney's lawsuit notes that Sony/ATV did challenge termination notices made by Duran Duran in a lawsuit filed in the United Kingdom. The High Court concluded that Duran Duran made agreements that precluded them from exercising their termination rights, but they based their decision on English law and "did not explicitly refer to U.S. termination rights," according to McCartney's lawsuit.

McCartney notes in the lawsuit that Sony/ATV executives "indicated to Paul McCartney's representatives that Sony/ATV would try to use" the Duran Duran decision against him.

Although Martin Bandier, Sony/ATV chairman and CEO, acknowledged that McCartney's termination notices were valid, McCartney's attorneys are seeking assurances that the publisher still will not take legal action against him. Otherwise, McCartney's lawsuit stated, litigation would cloud his title to The Beatles' works.

"Rather than provide clear assurances to Paul McCartney that defendants will not challenge his exercise of his termination rights, defendants are clearly reserving their rights pending the final outcome of the Duran Duran litigation in the U.K.," McCartney's lawsuit claims. "If that goes as defendants hope, defendants evidently intend to challenge Paul McCartney's exercise of his termination rights on similar contractual grounds."

A spokeswoman for Sony/ATV said, in a statement, "Sony/ATV has the highest respect for Sir Paul McCartney with whom we have enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding relationship with respect to the treasured Lennon & McCartney song catalog. We have collaborated closely with both Sir Paul and the late John Lennon's Estate for decades to protect, preserve, and promote the catalog's long-term value. We are disappointed that they have filed this lawsuit which we believe is both unnecessary and premature."

Here's the full complaint:
https://www.scribd.com/document/336935184/Mccartney-termination

McCartney told The Rolling Stone magazine last year :
"I'll put out my next album, but I won't think I'm gonna sell a lot. I'm putting it out because I have songs that I like. And I will do my best job. The scene has changed, but it doesn't disturb me, because I had the best of it."

CLICK FOR MORE INFO

Gets ONE ON ONE with Japan
First 2017 Tour Dates Confirmed

27th April: The Dome, TOKYO
29th April: The Dome, TOKYO
30th April: The Dome, TOKYO

Paul McCartney will be getting 'One On One' with Japan this April ­ his first set of live dates to be announced in 2017.

Speaking about his forthcoming visit Paul said: "I'm really excited to be taking the 'One On One' Tour to Japan. We always have an amazing time there and the audiences have always been so brilliant. We have such special memories from our last trip and we look forward to making many more this time round. Let's rock Japan!"

His new 'One On One' Tour launched in the US in 2016 and saw him play 41 shows across 12 different countries to over 1.2 million people, winning rave reviews from both concert-goers and the media. The final run of shows in 2016 concluded with Paul's headlining performance at the already now legendary Desert Trip festival in the US.

Since visiting Japan with his sold-out 'Out There' Tour in 2015, which involved an historic evening at The Budokan, his new 'One On One' show includes a dazzling re-designed production as well as previously never performed classics from the most beloved catalogue in popular music. The 'One On One' Tour spans Paul's entire career ­ from his earliest work with The Quarrymen through to his most recent collaboration with Kanye West and Rihanna ­ as well as global treasures from The Beatles, Wings and his solo catalogue ­ there is no shortage of surprises.

The Paul McCartney live experience is everything any music lover could ever want from a rock show - and so much more: Nearly three hours worth of the greatest moments from the last 50 years of music, dozens of songs that have formed the soundtracks of our lives. Paul and his band have played an unparalleled range of venues and locations: outside the Coliseum in Rome, Moscow's Red Square, Buckingham Palace, The White House, a free show in Mexico for over 400,000 people, the last ever show at San Francisco's Candlestick Park where The Beatles played their final concert 1966, and even one performance broadcast live into Space! Featuring Paul's band of the last 10+ years ­ Paul "Wix" Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (bass/guitar), Rusty Anderson (guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums) ­ the show is never anything short of life-changing.

The 'One On One' Tour features a brand new production, as always, utilising state of the art audio and video technology and to ensure an unforgettable experience from every seat in the house. Employing massive screens, lasers, fireworks and, of course, a staggering selection of the best songs ever written or performed, every Paul McCartney show promises a once in a lifetime evening that transcends and elevates the potential of live music.

Registered members of PaulMcCartney.com will be eligible to buy pre-sale tickets through the website soon. Keep checking back to PaulMcCartney.com for details and for further announcements.

TICKET UPDATE HERE

Should WINGS be nominated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? There's a debate amongst Beatles/Paul McCartney fans whether Wings is covered by Paul's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a "solo artist." Does Wings qualify as a band and are they worthy with a string of number one hits during the '70s? Should its band members be recognized for their contributions?

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION

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Macca Report Blog READ
NEW TOPIC!!!
WHAT CITY SHOULD PAUL PLAY?
POST: blog@themaccareport.com

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Macca Report news continues with January to October 2016

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Macca Report current Paul News!!!

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Jorie Gracen