Paul McCartney
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| Paul McCartney
<tr style="text-align: center;"><td colspan="3">Image:Paul McCartney on stage in Prague.jpg </td></tr> | ||
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| Background information
<tr><td>Birth name</td><td colspan="2">James Paul McCartney</td></tr><tr><td>Born</td><td colspan="2">June 18, 1942 |
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, (born June 18 1942, Liverpool) is an English songwriter, musician and singer, who is best known as a former Beatle, a member of Wings (with Linda McCartney) and as a solo artist. Following the announcement of his departure from The Beatles on 10 April 1970, McCartney launched a successful solo career, and then formed Wings. McCartney has also worked in the classical music field (with works such as Liverpool Oratorio) and ambient/electronic music (under the pseudonym of The Fireman). He has released a large catalogue of songs as a solo artist, and has taken part in many other musical projects to financially assist international charities.
McCartney is listed in The Guinness Book Of Records as the most successful musician in popular music history, and the most successful popular-music composer ever, with sales of 100 million singles and 60 gold discs. McCartney's song "Yesterday" is listed as the most covered song in history and it has been played more than 7,000,000 times on American TV and radio. After its release - in 1977 - the Wings single "Mull of Kintyre" became the highest-selling record in British chart history, and remained so until 1984. McCartney's company (MPL) owns the copyrights to more than three thousand songs, including all of the songs written by Buddy Holly, and owns the publishing rights to musicals such as Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line, and Grease.
Aside from his musical work, McCartney is a painter, a strong advocate for animal rights, vegetarianism, music education (LIPA), and is active against landmines, and Third World debt.
McCartney was awarded the MBE on October 16 1965, by Queen Elizabeth II, and on 11 March 1997, he was knighted (Knight Bachelor) for his services to music.
[edit] Early years: 1942-1957
James Paul McCartney was born, in the Walton General Hospital in Liverpool, England, where his mother Mary had worked as a nursing sister in the maternity ward, while his father was a firefighter in Liverpool during World War II.<ref name="SpitzPage75"> “Spitz”. p75</ref> His brother, Michael, was born nearly two years later (7 January 1944).<ref name="MilesPage4"> Miles. p4.</ref> McCartney was baptized as a Roman Catholic, but was raised non-denominationally; his mother was a Roman Catholic and his father, James 'Jim' McCartney, was a Protestant.<ref name="MilesPage4"> Miles. p4.</ref> Like many in Liverpool, McCartney has some Irish heritage,<ref name="parents3"> Miles. p3.</ref> owed to his maternal grandfather, Owen Mohin/Mohan who was born in 1880, in Tullynamalrow, County Monaghan, Ireland, and who married Mary Theresa Danher (from Toxteth, Liverpool) in 1905.<ref name="MilesPage4"> Miles. p4.</ref>
In 1947, when Michael was three years old, Mary McCartney became a domiciliary midwife.<ref name="MilesPage5"> Miles. p5.</ref> forcing her to be on-call at all hours of any day or night.<ref name="MilesPage5"> Miles. p5.</ref> Her job, however, allowed the McCartney family to move to Sir Thomas White Gardens, off St. Domingo Road in Everton, to live in a rent-free flat, that was supplied by her employers.<ref name="MilesPage5"> Miles. p5.</ref> They moved again shortly after, to 72 Western Avenue in Speke,<ref name="MilesPage5"> Miles. p5.</ref> and then to 12 Ardwick Road - also in Speke <ref name="MilesPage9"> Miles. p9.</ref> - which was part of a new estate in the suburbs of Liverpool. McCartney remembered lots of mud on the unfinished roads and the feeling of being "on the edge of the world, like Christopher Columbus".<ref name="MilesPage5"> Miles. p5.</ref> It was noted in those early days that McCartney, with his dark hair and expressive eyes, "could charm the skin off a snake"; meaning that he could talk and charm his way out of an uncomfortable situation when involved in any kind of mischief.<ref name=" SpitzPage80-81"> Spitz. pp80-81</ref> It was while the McCartneys were living in Speke that the young Paul McCartney would often wander off to local woods and streams, and read "book after book".<ref name="SpitzPage81"> Spitz. p81</ref>
Money was always a problem in the McCartney house, as Jim McCartney only earned up to £6.00 a week working for the A. Hannay cotton company - which was less than his wife,<ref name="MilesPage5"> Miles. p5.</ref> and because of this the McCartney family did not own a television until The Queen's coronation in 1953, and never owned a car.<ref name="MilesPage6"> Miles. p6.</ref>
After leaving the Stockton Wood Road Primary school,<ref name="Beatlesschools">Photos of Beatles schools Retrieved: 25 November, 2006 </ref>in All Saints Road, Speke, McCartney went to the Joseph Williams Junior School, in Naylorsfield Drive, Liverpool.<ref name="Beatlesschools"/><ref>Site of Joseph Williams School in Naylorsfield Drive Multimap.com </ref> Paul took the 11-plus exam in 1953, and passed.<ref name="MilesPage9"> Miles. p9.</ref> Of the 90 children from the Joseph Williams school that took the exam, only three others passed, earning them places at the Liverpool Institute in Mount Street, which was Liverpool's top grammar school.<ref name="MilesPage9"> Miles. p9.</ref> He befriended future bandmate George Harrison on the bus back home,<ref name="SpitzPage125"> Spitz. p125</ref> as they lived only a block away from each other - Harrison was then living at 24 Upton Green, Allerton.<ref name="MilesPage9"> Miles. p9.</ref> Passing the 11-plus exam meant that McCartney and Harrison would not have to go to a Secondary modern school, where most pupils only attended until they were eligible to work,<ref name="SpitzPage82"> Spitz. p82</ref> but it also meant that pupils who were offered a place at a grammar school lost all their friends - such was the division between the two school systems.<ref name="SpitzPage83"> Spitz. p83</ref>
In 1955, the McCartney family moved again, to 20 Forthlin Road;<ref>Photo of Forthlin Road</ref> a council house in Allerton.<ref name="MilesPage14"> Miles. p14.</ref> The house is now owned by The National Trust. Mary McCartney - who was a heavy smoker - <ref name="SpitzPage77"> Spitz. p77</ref> had to ride a bicycle in all weathers to the houses where she was needed as a midwife,<ref name="SpitzPage77"> Spitz. p77</ref> and one of McCartney's earliest memories is of her setting off to deliver a baby at someone's house when it was snowing heavily.<ref name="MilesPage6"> Miles. p6.</ref> Mary McCartney died of an embolism<ref name="SpitzPage90"> Spitz. p90</ref> - after a mastectomy operation that was carried out to try to curb her breast cancer - on 31 October 1956,<ref name="MilesPage20"> Miles. p20.</ref> when McCartney was 14. It later created an additional bond between him and John Lennon, whose mother Julia Lennon died on 15 July 1958 when Lennon was 17.<ref name="MilesPage31"> Miles. p31.</ref>
McCartney came from a musical family, as his father was a self-taught trumpet player and pianist who had his own band called "Jim Mac's jazz Band" in the 1920s,<ref name="MilesPage22"> Miles. p22.</ref> and encouraged his two sons to be musical. Jim had an upright piano in their front room that he had bought from Harry Epstein's store in Everton,<ref name="SpitzPage71"> “Spitz”. P71</ref> and McCartney's grandfather, Joe McCartney, played an E-flat tuba; the bass instrument in a brass band.<ref name="MilesPage23-24"> Miles. pp23-24.</ref> McCartney said that his father used to point out the different instruments in songs on the radio, and often took Paul to brass band concerts in Sefton park.<ref name="MilesPage23-24"> Miles. pp23-24.</ref> Jim McCartney gave Paul a nickel-plated trumpet after the death of his wife Mary,<ref name="SpitzPage86"> Spitz. p86</ref> but when skiffle music became popular, McCartney swapped the trumpet at Rushworth and Dreapers<ref name="MilesPage21"> Miles. p21.</ref> (the largest musical instrument suppliers on Merseyside at the time) for a £15 Framus Zenith (model 17) acoustic guitar, which he still owns.<ref name="MilesPage21"> Miles. p21.</ref>
McCartney, being left handed, found the guitar impossible to play.<ref name="MilesPage21"> Miles. p21.</ref> He had never seen a left-handed guitarist, until he saw a poster advertising Slim Whitman<ref name="MilesPage21"> Miles. p21.</ref> (who was playing at the Liverpool Empire) and realised that Whitman played left-handed, and also noticed that his guitar was strung the opposite way to a right-handed player.<ref name="MilesPage21"> Miles. p21.</ref><ref name="Guitars">Early guitars McCartney played</ref><ref name="Larkin">Larkin, Colin. The Guinness Who's Who Of Country Music: Slim Whitman entry, Guinness Publishing, 1993. ISBN 085511276.</ref> McCartney wrote "I Lost My Little Girl" on the Zenith, which was his first song.<ref name="MilesPage21"> Miles. p21.</ref> McCartney played his father's Framus Spanish guitar when writing early songs with bandmate John Lennon.<ref name="Guitars"/> He later started playing piano (using his father's upright piano) and composed the melody to "When I'm Sixty-Four".<ref name="MilesPage23"> Miles. p23.</ref> His father advised him to take some music lessons, which he did, but McCartney realised that he preferred to learn 'by ear',<ref name="MilesPage22-23"> Miles. pp22-23.</ref> as he never paid attention in music classes.<ref>McCartney never paid attention in music classes FemaleFirst - 2 October 2006 </ref>
[edit] 1957-1960: The Quarrymen and The Silver Beetles
Ivan Vaughan introduced the fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney to John Lennon and The Quarrymen at the Woolton (St. Peter's church hall) fête on 6 July 1957.<ref name="SpitzPage93"> Spitz. p93</ref> McCartney played "Twenty Flight Rock", "Be-Bop-A-Lula", and a medley of Little Richard hits to Lennon and the band in the scout hut after the fête.<ref name="MilesPage25"> Miles. p25.</ref> According to Colin Hanton, there is no truth to the myth that Lennon - or any other members of the band - had been drinking alcohol that day, before meeting McCartney.<ref name="SpitzPage94"> Spitz. p94</ref> A few days later McCartney was invited by Quarryman Pete Shotton to join the group as a guitarist,<ref name="MilesPage26"> Miles. p26.</ref> and McCartney's first gig with The Quarrymen was on October 18 1957 for a Conservative Club social, at the New Clubmoor Hall in Norris Green, Liverpool.<ref name="SpitzPage108"> Spitz. p108</ref><ref name="MilesPage29"> Miles. p29.</ref> At the start of their friendship Lennon's Aunt wangi disapproved of McCartney because he was, she said, "working class", and called McCartney, "John's little friend".<ref name="MilesPage44"> Miles. p44.</ref> McCartney's father told Paul that John would get him "into trouble",<ref name="MilesPage32"> Miles. p32.</ref> although he later allowed The Quarrymen to rehearse in the front room at 20 Forthlin Road.<ref name="MilesPage38"> Miles. p38.</ref><ref name="ForthlinRoadSite">Inside ForthlinRoad 12 November 2006 </ref> Jim McCartney's fears about Lennon's influence on Paul were realised when Lennon encouraged McCartney to shoplift/steal cigarettes, candy, or books from shops, although McCartney was never caught,<ref name="SpitzPage113"> Spitz. p113</ref> and they both found a shared interest in playing pranks on band members, and teachers.<ref name="MilesPage107"> Miles. p107</ref>
McCartney formed a close-working relationship with John Lennon and they collaborated on many songs - Lennon called it "writing eyeball-to-eyeball",<ref name="MilesPage107"> Miles. p107</ref> or "playing into each other's noses".<ref name="SpitzPage133"> Spitz. p133</ref> Lennon and McCartney's first compositions were written at 20 Forthlin Road, at Mimi's house at 251 Menlove Avenue, or at the Liverpool Institute.<ref name="MilesPage34"> Miles. p34.</ref> McCartney wrote the chords and words down in a schoolbook, and prefaced each one with lines like, "A Lennon-McCartney original", or, "Another Lennon-McCartney original". <ref name="MilesPage36"> Miles. p36.</ref> Their first songs were heavily inspired by The Everly Brothers, and Buddy Holly,<ref name=" SpitzPage131-132"> Spitz. pp131-132</ref> and they often invited friends to Forthlin Road, such as George Harrison, Nigel Whalley, Barbara Baker, and Lennon's art school colleagues, to listen to their performances of new songs.<ref name="SpitzPage135"> Spitz. p135</ref>
After Lennon's disagreement with McCartney that Harrison should join the Quarrymen<ref name=" SpitzPage126-127"> Spitz. pp126-127</ref> (because of Harrison's young age) he was impressed with Harrison's playing after a rehearsal (specifically arranged by McCartney) on March 12 1958.<ref name=" SpitzPage126-127"> Spitz. pp126-127</ref> Harrison joined later (after further pressure on Lennon by McCartney that Harrison should join the band)<ref name=" SpitzPage126-127"> Spitz. pp126-127</ref> as lead guitarist.<ref name="MilesPage47"> Miles. p47.</ref> He was followed by the addition of Lennon's art school friend, Stuart Sutcliffe, on bass,<ref name="MilesPage50"> Miles. p50.</ref> whom McCartney later bickered with about Sutcliffe's musical ability.<ref name="CynthiaLennonJohnPage94"> Cynthia Lennon “John”. p94.</ref> By May 1960, they had tried several new names, including the "Silver Beetles", before changing it to The Beatles for their performances in Hamburg in August 1960.<ref name="CynthiaLennonJohnPage67"> Cynthia “John”. P67.</ref><ref name=" Kaiserkellerposters ">Original Posters from the Kaiserkeller </ref>
[edit] 1960-1970: The Beatles
The Beatles released studio and film soundtrack albums in the 1960s: Please Please Me, (1963) With the Beatles, (1963) A Hard Day's Night, (1964) Beatles for Sale, (1964 ) Help! (1965 film soundtrack) Rubber Soul (1965) Revolver (1966) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1966) The Beatles (1968) Yellow Submarine (1969 film soundtrack) Abbey Road (1969) and Let It Be (1970 released with a TV special/film)
Allan Williams started managing The Beatles in May 1960, and booked them into Bruno Koschmider's Indra club in Hamburg,<ref name="MilesPage56"> Miles. p56.</ref><ref name="HamburgBeatleClubs">Photos of Clubs in Hamburg </ref> and Pete Best joined them on drums as soon as the Hamburg season was confirmed.<ref name="MilesPage57"> Miles. p57.</ref> Pete Best's mother ran the Casbah Club in Liverpool,<ref name="TheCasbahClub ">Photos of The Casbah Club </ref> where The Beatles had played a few times in August 1959.<ref name="MilesPage57"> Miles. p57.</ref>
McCartney's father was reluctant to let the teenage Paul go to Hamburg, until Paul pointed out how much money he would earn there, which was £2.50 per day, per musician. As this was more than his father earned, Jim finally agreed.<ref name="MilesPage57"> Miles. p57.</ref> They first started playing at the Indra<ref name="HamburgBeatleClubs"/> club - sleeping in small, dirty rooms in the Bambi Kino<ref name="HamburgBeatleClubs"/> - and then later moved (after the closure of the Indra) to the Kaiserkeller,<ref name="HamburgBeatleClubs"/> which was much bigger.<ref name="MilesPage57-58"> Miles. pp57-8.</ref> In October 1960, they left Koschmider's club and worked at the "Top Ten Club",<ref name="CynthiaLennonJohnPage93"> Cynthia Lennon “John”. p93.</ref><ref name="HamburgBeatleClubs"/> which was run by Peter Eckhorn.<ref name="MilesPage71-72"> Miles. pp71-72.</ref> When McCartney and Pete Best went back to the Bambi Kino to get their belongings they found it in almost total darkness.<ref name="MilesPage72"> Miles. p72.</ref> As a snub to Koschmider, they found a condom, attached it to a nail on the concrete wall of their room, and set fire to it.<ref name="MilesPage72"> Miles. p72.</ref> There was no chance of it causing any great damage, but Koschmider reported them for attempted arson, and McCartney and Best spent three hours in a local jail. This led to George Harrison being deported back to the UK for being under the age limit of 18 and working, and Best and McCartney were also later deported.<ref name="MilesPage72-73"> Miles. pp72-73.</ref>
Although they returned to Hamburg (when Harrison became 18-years-old) Sutcliffe had left the band, and Paul was coerced into playing bass.<ref name="MilesPage74"> Miles. p74.</ref> He played Sutcliffe's bass guitar, and then bought a Höfner bass, which the left-handed McCartney was able to turn upside down without the volume controls restricting his playing.<ref name="MilesPage74"> Miles. p74.</ref><ref>Sculpture in Hamburg </ref> He later bought a left-handed Hofner bass.<ref>Left-handed Hofner bass at the Cavern </ref>
Upon their return from Hamburg to Liverpool, The Beatles played their first of many concerts at the Cavern club, on February 9 1961.<ref name="Page80"> Lewisohn. p80</ref> McCartney knew that other bands were playing the same songs that they played, which prompted him and Lennon to write more of their own material.<ref name="MilesPage81-82"> Miles. pp81-82.</ref> It was at the Cavern that Brian Epstein first saw The Beatles playing live,<ref name="MilesPage85"> Miles. p85.</ref> and later signed them to a management contract. Epstein managed his family's NEMS record shop, and was known as being a homosexual, but it never personally bothered McCartney.<ref name="MilesPage88"> Miles. p88</ref> McCartney explained that Epstein used to take them to after-hours late-night drinking clubs that they had previously never had access to, and greatly encouraged them when record companies refused to give them a contract.<ref name="MilesPage88"> Miles. p88</ref> McCartney knew what being gay meant, but he was never propositioned, and didn't see it as any problem at all.<ref name="MilesPage88"> Miles. p88</ref> McCartney played at the Cavern Club again, in 1999, with David Gilmour and Ian Paice,<ref>McCartney plays the Cavern bbc.co.uk 14 December, 1999</ref> in aid of the "Linda McCartney Centre",<ref>Linda McCartney Centre Retrieved: 2 November 2006</ref> which is a specialist cancer unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.<ref name="LindaCentre">Linda McCartney Centre bbc.co.uk - 6 September, 2002 </ref>
The Beatles signed a record contract that Epstein had arranged on May 9 1962, with Parlophone records,<ref name="MilesPage90"> Miles. p90</ref> having previously been auditioned - but turned down - by Decca records, whose A&R manager, Dick Rowe, told Epstein that "Groups of guitars are on the way out, Mr Epstein - you really should stick to selling records in Liverpool."<ref name="MilesPage89"> Miles. p89</ref> "Love Me Do" was released on October 5 1962,<ref name="MilesPage90"> Miles. p90</ref> and featured McCartney singing solo on the chorus line.<ref name="MilesPage91"> Miles. p91</ref>
All the Lennon-McCartney songs on the first pressing of Please Please Me album (recorded in one day on February 11 1963)<ref name="MilesPage93"> Miles. p93</ref> as well as the single "From Me to You", and its B-side, "Thank You Girl", are credited to "McCartney-Lennon", although this would later be changed to "Lennon-McCartney".<ref name="Daybyday">The Beatles : Day-by-Day, Song-by-Song, Record-by-Record, by Cross, Craig, iUniverse.com, 14 May 2005, ISBN 0595346634 </ref> For McCartney, the move to London, from Liverpool, was an exciting one,<ref name="MilesPage100"> Miles. p100</ref> and he made many trips to Charing Cross Road, just to visit the plethora of guitar shops there, even though he couldn't afford to buy a new guitar at the time.<ref name="MilesPage100"> Miles. p100</ref> McCartney and Lennon wrote their songs - during the sixties - in many places, when they had time to spare.<ref name="MilesPage149"> Miles. p149</ref> They only needed an hour or two to finish a song, which were finalised in hotel rooms after a concert, at Wimpole Street, at Cavendish Avenue,<ref name="MilesPage149"> Miles. p149</ref> or at Kenwood (John Lennon's house).<ref name="MilesPage171"> Miles. p171</ref> McCartney also wrote songs for other artists, such as Billy J. Kramer, Cilla Black, Badfinger, and Mary Hopkin.<ref name="MilesPage180-181"> Miles. pp180-181</ref>
After recording sessions, Lennon, Harrison and Starr retreated to secure country houses in the so-called 'stockbroker belt' <ref name="MilesPage166-167"> Miles. pp166-167</ref><ref>Stockbroker belt explanation </ref> of southern England, but McCartney continued to live in central London: in Jane Asher's parents' house in the centre of town (57 Wimpole Street) and then at Cavendish Avenue, St John's Wood - a short distance from the Abbey Road Studios.<ref name="MilesPage166-167"> Miles. pp166-167</ref> It was at Cavendish Avenue that McCartney bought his first Old English Sheepdog called "Martha" - which he later wrote about - <ref name="MilesPage262"> Miles. p262</ref> and three cats called Jesus, Mary and Joseph.<ref name="MilesPage263"> Miles. p263</ref>
McCartney often went to nightclubs alone, which offered 'dining and dancing until 4.00 a.m.', and featured cabaret acts.<ref name="MilesPage129"> Miles. p129</ref> McCartney would get preferential treatment everywhere he went, which he readily accepted,<ref name="MilesPage130-131"> Miles. pp130-131</ref> - even once accepting an offer from a Policeman to be allowed to park McCartney's car. <ref name="MilesPage129"> Miles. p129</ref> He later took to going to gambling clubs after 4.00 in the morning, such as 'The Curzon House' (in Curzon Street, London) where he would often see Brian Epstein.<ref name="MilesPage131"> Miles. p131</ref> The Ad Lib club - above the Prince Charles Theatre at 7 Leicester Place - was later opened to cater for the emerging 'Rock and Roll' crowd of musicians, and tolerated their unusual lifestyle.<ref name="MilesPage132-133"> Miles. pp132-133</ref> After the Ad Lib fell out of favour, McCartney moved on to the Scotch of St James,<ref name="Scotch of St James">Friends of the Scotch of St James 11 November 2006</ref> at 13 Masons yard.<ref name="MilesPage134"> Miles. p134</ref><ref name="ClubsinLondon">Scotch of St. James, 13 Masons Yard </ref> He also frequented The Bag o'Nails club<ref>The Bag o’Nails bbc.co.uk: 13 May, 2003 16 November 2006</ref> at 8 Kingly Street in Soho, London, which is where he met Linda McCartney.
The Beatles stopped touring in mid-1966, after their last concert in Candlestick Park, San Francisco, on August 29 1966. The other three Beatles had often advocated the idea of stopping touring, but McCartney had resisted. After the Candlestick Park concert, and after having played so many concerts where they couldn't be heard, and being totally exhausted, he finally agreed with the rest of the band that they should stop playing live concerts.<ref name="MilesPage293-295"> Miles. pp293-295.</ref>
McCartney was the first to be involved in a musical project outside of The Beatles, when he composed the score for the feature film The Family Way, in 1966. The soundtrack was later released as an album (also called The Family Way), and won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Instrumental Theme. Also, in 1966, he was asked by Kenneth Tynan to write the songs for the National Theatre's production of As You Like It by William Shakespeare, starring Laurence Olivier, but declined.<ref name="MilesPage124"> Miles. p124</ref> McCartney also wrote songs for and produced other artists including Mary Hopkin, Badfinger, and The Bonzo Dog Band.
During the recording of Sgt. Pepper a rumour (or Urban legend) emerged that McCartney had died in a car crash, and was replaced by a look-alike; Paul is dead.
McCartney later attempted to convince The Beatles to return to the stage, suggesting the project "Get Back", which evolved into the film and album Let It Be. The Beatles had had a tense meeting to sign a new contract with Capitol Records, and during the meeting McCartney suggested "going back to our roots", and performing on stage again, to which John Lennon replied, "I think you're mad!"<ref name="WingspanPage9"> “Wingspan”. p9</ref>
Although all the other members had previously left The Beatles at various times (and then returned) McCartney was the one who publicly announced the break-up on 10 April 1970,<ref name="Party"> DiLello, Richard: The Longest Cocktail Party, Canongate Books Ltd, 16 June 2005, ISBN 1841956023 </ref> a week before releasing his first solo album, McCartney. It included a press-release inside with a self-written interview explaining the end of The Beatles and his hopes about the future. The Beatles' partnership was legally dissolved after McCartney filed a lawsuit on 31 December 1970.
[edit] 1970s: Paul McCartney & Wings
In the 1970s, McCartney released: McCartney, (1970 - solo) Ram, (1971 - with Linda McCartney). Albums with Wings: Wild Life, (1971 Red Rose Speedway, (1973) Band on the Run, (1973) Venus and Mars, (1975) Wings at the Speed of Sound, (1976) Wings over America, (1976 – live album) Thrillington, (1977 – instrumental cover of Ram) London Town, (1978) Wings Greatest, (1978 – hits compilation) London Town, (1978) and Back to the Egg, (1979)
As Phil Spector was putting the finishing touches to Let It Be and as The Beatles were breaking up in 1970, McCartney was working on his debut solo album, McCartney. He played all the instruments: bass, drums, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, piano, Mellotron, organ, toy xylophone, bow and arrow,<ref>http://www.paulmccartney.fm/downloads/maccafm1w.PDF Paul McCartney PDF FileRetrieved: 14 November 2006 </ref> and sang all the lead vocals. Backing vocals were provided by his wife, Linda, whom he had married the previous year. Along with "Every Night", the album also contained "Maybe I'm Amazed" - one of McCartney's many love songs for Linda - <ref name="Page12"> Lewisohn. p12.</ref> and was called "one of the best songs McCartney has ever written"<ref name="AMGWingSpan>Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Wingspan: Hits and History. All Music Guide. Retrieved: -11-06.</ref> and is #338 on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.<ref>338) Maybe I'm Amazed, Rolling Stone #963, 2004-12-09. Retrieved on 2006-11-06.</ref> He followed his debut album with a solo single on 19 February 1971, entitled "Another Day". McCartney's second solo album, Ram, was credited to both Paul and Linda McCartney. Later that year the McCartneys formed a new band called Wings, with ex-Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine and drummer Denny Seiwell, and released their debut album, Wild Life. McCartney insisted - from the beginning of their marriage - that his wife should be involved in his professional life and later tour in his band, so that they did not have to be apart during those periods.<ref name="Page48"> Lewishon, p48.</ref>
In 1972, Paul and Linda McCartney took their new band on an unplanned tour of British universities and small European venues - turning up unannounced - and collected a small entry fee at the door for their performances.<ref name="MPL">Paul McCartney biography(2003). MPL Communications. Retrieved on 2006-11-06.</ref> In February 1972 Wings released a single called "Give Ireland Back to the Irish",<ref>BBC Radio Leeds interview Retrieved: 21 November 2006 </ref> which was written after the events of Bloody Sunday, that was banned by the BBC.<ref name="Singlesbanned">The seven ages of Paul McCartney, BBC News, 2006-06-17. Retrieved on 2006-11-06.</ref> McCartney said,
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Wings also embarked on the 26-date Wings Over Europe Tour, with added lead guitarist Henry McCullough.
In 1973, Wings released Red Rose Speedway, and during the same year, McCartney starred in a TV 'special' (a variety show) called James Paul McCartney.<ref>James Paul McCartney (TV), Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 11 June 2006.</ref> Later that year, the band released Band on the Run,<ref name="Bandontherun">McGee, Garry (2003). Band on the Run: A History of Paul McCartney and Wings. Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 0878333045.</ref> which won two Grammy Awards<ref name=Page88> Lewishon. p88</ref> and is Wings most lauded work. A contemporary review by Jon Landau in Rolling Stone (issue #153) described the album as "the finest record yet released by any of the four musicians who were once called The Beatles".<ref>Landau, Jon. Wings:Band on the Run review, Rolling Stone #153, 1974-01-31. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> In retrospective reviews, Q magazine placed the album at #75 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever, and it was ranked #418 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.<ref>418)Band on the Run, Rolling Stone #963, 2004-12-09. Retrieved: 11 June2006.</ref>
In late 1973, McCartney wrote the theme song for the James Bond film, Live and Let Die.<ref name="MPL"/> On December 5, Wings released the single "Jet,"<ref>“Jet” chart postion Retrieved: 16 November 2006 </ref> and in 1974, "Band on the Run" and "Junior's Farm".<ref>http://www.connollyco.com/discography/paul_mccartney/index.html</ref> In 1975, and 1976, the band embarked on the ambitious Wings Over the World tour, which was released on the album Wings over America. A jam session, involving Lennon and McCartney, reportedly took place in California, in 1974, and was released on the bootleg, A Toot and a Snore in '74.
In 1977, Wings released "Mull of Kintyre"; a song about McCartney's Scottish home. McCartney explained how the song came into being:
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McCartney's relationship with John Lennon after The Beatles split in 1970 was troubled, although the pair reconciled before Lennon's death.<ref name="MilesPage587"> Miles. p587</ref> Lennon took up residence with Yoko Ono in New York City's Dakota building in 1973, and McCartney would often call him, but was never sure what reception he would get,<ref name="MilesPage588"> Miles. p588</ref> such as when McCartney once called Lennon and was told, "You're all pizza and fairytales!"<ref name="MilesPage588"> Miles. p588</ref> McCartney realised that he couldn't phone Lennon and only talk about business, so they often talked about cats, baking bread, or babies.<ref name="MilesPage590"> Miles. p590</ref> Lennon was taking care of Sean Lennon at the time, which gave rise to his own title for himself as "house-husband".<ref name="MilesPage593"> Miles. p593</ref>
Before Christmas of 1979, McCartney released his Wonderful Christmastime single.<ref>Wonderful Christmastime Retrieved: 27 November 2006 </ref>
[edit] Solo
[edit] 1980s
McCartney released studio albums, a film soundtrack, and a compilation album in the 1980s: McCartney II, (1980 studio album) Tug of War, (1982) Pipes of Peace,(1983) Give My Regards to Broad Street, (1998 film soundtrack) Press to Play (1986) All the Best (1987 hits compilation) Снова в СССР (1988 only released in Russia – World, 1991) and Flowers in the Dirt (1986)
Wings resumed activity in the autumn of 1980, but McCartney was arrested for being in possession of cannabis in Tokyo whilst on tour with Wings, and was held in custody for ten days before being deported to the UK.
In a 1980 interview with Playboy magazine,"<ref name="Playboy">Playboy interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. "The Beatles Ultimate Experience Database". Playboy Press (1980). Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> Lennon said that he hadn't seen any of The Beatles for "I don't know how much time." He also said that the last time he had seen McCartney they had both watched the episode of Saturday Night Live - in May 1976 - where Lorne Michaels made his $3,200 cash offer to get The Beatles to reunite on the show. McCartney and Lennon had seriously considered going to the studio as a joke, but were too tired.<ref name="MilesPage592"> Miles. p592</ref>
On the morning of 9 December 1980, McCartney woke to the news that Lennon had been murdered outside his Dakota building home.<ref name="FentonBresler">Bresler, Fenton (1990). Who Killed John Lennon?, reprint ed., St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0312923678.</ref> Lennon's death caused an outpouring of grief around the world and a media frenzy around the surviving members of The Beatles.<ref>The Last Day in the Life</ref> On the evening of 9 December, when McCartney was outside an Oxford Street recording studio, he was surrounded by dozens of reporters and was asked for his reaction about Lennon's death, he said, "I was very shocked, this is terrible news." He also said that he had spent part of the day in the studio listening to some material because he "just didn't want to sit at home."<ref name="MilesPage593"> Miles. p593</ref> When asked why, he replied, "I didn't feel like it." He later added, "It's a drag, isn't it?"<ref>ABC News (1980), Paul McCartney interview [videotape news report], London. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> When publicised, his "drag" remark was criticised, and even McCartney himself regretted the remark.<ref name="MilesPage594"> Miles. p594</ref> In a later interview, McCartney insisted he had intended no disrespect whatsoever and simply could not say more, given the shock and sadness he felt over Lennon's murder.<ref name="MilesPage594"> Miles. p594</ref>
In a Playboy interview in 1984,<ref name="1984PlayboyInterview">McCartney’s 1984 Playboy Interview Retrieved: 14 November 2006 </ref> McCartney talked again about the death of Lennon. He said that night he had gone home and watched the news on television - whilst sitting with all his children - and had cried all evening. McCartney also said that his last telephone call to John, which was just before Lennon and Yoko released Double Fantasy, was a very happy one. During the call, Lennon said (laughing) to McCartney, "This housewife wants a career!"<ref name="1984PlayboyInterview">McCartney’s 1984 Playboy Interview Retrieved: 14 November 2006 </ref> which referred to Lennon's "house-husband" years, whilst he was looking after Sean Lennon. McCartney carried on recording after the death of Lennon, but did not play any live concerts for some time. He explained that this was because he was nervous that he would be "the next" to be murdered.<ref name="MilesPage594"> Miles. p594</ref><ref name="Musicexpress">Bonici, Ray. Paul McCartney Wings It Alone, Music Express issue #56, 1982. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> This led to a disagreement with Denny Laine who wanted to continue touring, and subsequently left Wings.<ref name=" Musicexpress"/> Wings later disbanded in 1981.<ref name="Page168"> Lewisohn. p168.</ref>
McCartney II was released in May 1980. As with McCartney before it, Paul played every instrument on the album himself, with an emphasis this time on synthesizers instead of acoustic guitars.<ref>Holden, Stephen. Paul McCartney: McCartney II review. Rolling Stone #322, 1980-07-22. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref><ref>Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. McCartney II review. All Music Guide. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> The accompanying single, "Coming Up", reached #2 in the British chart and (in a live version) #1 in the USA.<ref>“Coming Up” chart posotion Retrieved: 16 November 2006 </ref>
McCartney's next album reunited him with Beatles producer George Martin. 1982's Tug of War,<ref>Calkin, Graham. Tug of War. Graham Calkin's Beatles Pages. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> and McCartney sang a duet, "Ebony and Ivory", with Stevie Wonder.<ref name="UKtop40database"> UK top 40 database</ref> Two further duets followed, this time with Michael Jackson: "The Girl is Mine",<ref name="UKtop40database"/> and "Say Say Say,"<ref name="UKtop40database"/> on 1983's "Pipes of Peace" (from the album of the same name).
McCartney wrote and starred in the 1984 film Give My Regards to Broad Street. The film and soundtrack featured the US and UK Top 10 hit<ref>“No more Lonely Nights” chart position in US Retrieved: 16 November 2006 </ref> "No More Lonely Nights", but the film did not do well commercially<ref>“Broad Street” a flop bbc.co.uk: 17 June 2006 </ref> and received a negative critical response. Roger Ebert, for example, awarded the film a single star and wrote "you can safely skip the movie and proceed directly to the sound track".<ref>Ebert, Roger (1984-01-01). Give My Regards to Broad Street review. RogerEbert.com. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref>
In the second half of the decade McCartney would find new collaborators. Eric Stewart had appeared on McCartney's Pipes of Peace album,<ref>Pipes of Peace, 9 August 1993, Catalogue number: CDP7892672</ref> and he co-wrote most of McCartney's 1986 album, Press to Play<ref>Press to Play, 9 August 1993, Catalogue number: CDP7892692</ref>. McCartney returned the favour by co-writing two songs for Stewart's band, 10cc - "Don't Break the Promises" (...Meanwhile, 1992), and "Yvonne's the One" (Mirror Mirror, 1995).
McCartney released All The Best in 1987, which was a compilation album of McCartney's and Wings' hits. In 1998 McCartney released Снова в СССР, which was a collection of old rock and roll hits - written by others - that McCartney had admired over the years. It was originally released in 1988 only in the USSR, but with the addition of one extra track, the album had an international release in 1991.
McCartney also began a musical partnership with singer-songwriter Elvis Costello (Declan Macmanus).<ref name="Costello">Interview with McManus-Costello about McCartney </ref> The resulting songs would appear on several singles and albums by both artists, notably "Veronica" from Costello's album Spike, and "My Brave Face" from McCartney's Flowers in the Dirt, both released in 1989.<ref> McCartney and Costello collaborations </ref> Further McCartney/Macmanus compositions that were originally slated for "Flowers in the Dirt" would surface on the 1991 album Mighty Like a Rose (Costello) and 1993's Off the Ground (McCartney). Costello talked about their collaboration:<ref name="Costello"/>
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[edit] 1990s
McCartney released live, studio and classical albums in the 1990s: Tripping the Live Fantastic, (1990 Live album) Unplugged (The Official Bootleg), (1991) Off the Ground,(1993), Paul is Live, (1993 Live album) Flaming Pie (1997), and the 1999 covers album, Run Devil Run. The decade also saw him venture into classical music, with 1991's Liverpool Oratorio followed by Standing Stone (1997) and Working Classical (1999).
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society wanted to celebrate its 150th year in existence, and in 1991, they commisioned a musical piece by McCartney.<ref name="CAO">Contemporary Authors Online, Thomson Gale, 2006.</ref> McCartney collaborated with Carl Davis to release a latin-language musical piece named Liverpool Oratorio.<ref>"McCartney seeks chorus of approval for Latin piece", Vancouver Sun, August 3, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. (in English)</ref> EMI Classics recorded the premiere of the oratorio and released it on a 2-CD album.<ref name="Worldbio">"Paul McCartney." Encyclopedia of World Biography Supplement, Vol. 24. Thomson Gale, 2005.</ref>
In 1994, McCartney worked with Youth, a former member of Killing Joke, to write ambient music. Under the name of The Fireman, they released an album named Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest, in 1993.<ref name="Worldbio"/> His interest in writing classical music was still high just a few years after the release of the 'Oratorio',
and under the label EMI, he released The Leaf (1995), which is a solo piano piece played by the Royal College of Music gold-medal winner, Anya Alexeyev.<ref>Anya Alexeyev’s web page Retrieved: 28 November 2006 </ref> Subsequently, the Prince of Wales honoured McCartney with the prestigious title of Fellow of The Royal College of Music.<ref name="Worldbio"/>
In the early 1990s, the three surviving Beatles — McCartney, Harrison and Starr — reunited to work on Apple's The Beatles Anthology, a comprehensive retrospective consisting of a documentary series; three double albums of alternative takes, live recordings and remixes of Beatles songs (the first of which, Anthology 1 was released in 1995); and a photobook (released in 2000). They also created two new Beatles songs, "Free as a Bird" (1995) and "Real Love" (1996) by layering new music onto unfinished tracks Lennon had made before his death fifteen years earlier.
During the filming of The Beatles Anthology, McCartney and Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono set to work in his home-studio on an extreme avant-garde musical piece called "Hiroshima Sky". The McCartney-Ono tape consists of E-minor chords played by Linda on keyboards, with Paul playing double bass, with Sean Lennon and younger members of McCartney’s family playing whatever they could lay their hands on, whilst Yoko sang.<ref name="TheUnknownPaulReview">“The Unknown Paul McCartney” review bbc.co.uk Retrieved: 16 November 2006 </ref> The tape has never been officially released.<ref name="TheUnknownPaulReview">“The Unknown Paul McCartney” review bbc.co.uk Retrieved: 16 November 2006 </ref>
[edit] 2000s
In the 2000s, McCartney released: Wingspan: Hits and History, (2001 (compilation of hits album) Driving Rain, (2001) Back in the U.S.,(2003) Back in the World, (2003 (Live album) Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, (2005), and the 2006 classical album, Ecce Cor Meum.
Wingspan: An Intimate Portrait (2001)<ref>Wingspan, DVD, Catalogue number: 4779109, 19 November 2001 </ref> is a documentary that features a collection of behind-the-scenes films and intimate photographs that Paul and Linda McCartney took of their family and bands over the years. Interspersed throughout the (88 mins) film is an interview by Mary McCartney with her father, Paul McCartney. Mary is the baby inside McCartney's jacket on the back cover photograph of his first solo album, McCartney, and was one of the producers of the documentary.<ref name="Page21"> Lewisohn. p21</ref>
On 20 October 2001, McCartney took a lead role in organising The Concert for New York City in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks.<ref>Various Artists, The Concert for New York City, 01/29/2002, COLUMBIA, 054205 (1C2D54205 ) Discs: 2</ref> A few days before the concert, McCartney was involved in a car crash at a crossroads in New York's East Hampton resort. He complained of back pains but did not need hospital treatment.<ref>McCartney car crashbbc.co.uk, Monday, 29 October, 2001</ref>
After recovering from the car crash, McCartney received word that his longtime classmate, friend and ex-Beatles' lead guitarist George Harrison died of cancer on 29 November 2001. McCartney told Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Today and Extra about George being like his "baby brother" in The Beatles, even though Harrison was only nine months younger than McCartney. George Harrison died in a Hollywood Hills mansion that was once leased by Sir Paul McCartney, and was previously owned by Courtney Love.<ref>Where George Harrison died</ref> On 29 November, 2002, on the first anniversary of Harrison's death, McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Jeff Lynne, Billy Preston, Joe Brown, Jools Holland, Sam Brown, Olivia Harrison, Dhani Harrison, among many others that attended the Concert For George <ref>The Concert for George, Catalogue number: 0349702412</ref> at the Royal Albert Hall in London. McCartney played "Something", and started the song by playing a ukulele unaccompanied. He explained this by saying that when he and George got together, they would often play Beatles songs (and their own) on a ukulele. McCartney, Clapton and Starr reunited on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" for the first time since the song was recorded. The profits from the concert went to Harrison's charity, the Material World Charitable Foundation.<ref>Material World Charitable Foundation</ref>
In 2002, McCartney went on another major American tour. The tour continued around the rest of the world in 2003, and 2004. His backing band, formed for the 2002 tour and continuing with the same musicians to this day, includes Rusty Anderson (guitar/vocals), Brian Ray (guitar/bass/vocals), Paul 'Wix' Wickens (keyboards, guitar, accordion, vocals), and Abe Laboriel Jr. (drums, vocals). He also contributed to an album titled Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy Of Sun Records, which included a version of the Elvis Presley hit "That's All Right (Mama)" recorded with Presley musicians Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana.<ref>Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy Of Sun Records (DVD) Director: Bruce Sinofsky, October 8, 2002 </ref>
McCartney performed during the pre-game ceremonies at the NFL's Super Bowl XXXVI on 3 February 2002, and was the half-time performer at Super Bowl XXXIX on 6 February 2005. Unlike previous years, he was the 'only' performer in the entire half-time show. His set consisted of "Drive My Car", "Get Back", "Live and Let Die" and "Hey Jude".
Early in 2003, McCartney went to Russia to play a concert in Red Square. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, gave McCartney a tour of Red Square, and McCartney played a solo (private) version of "Let It Be" for the President. Whilst singing "Hey Jude" - during the concert - he called out to President Putin to sing along.<ref>McCartney plays Red Square Saturday, 24 May, 2003</ref>
In June 2004, McCartney headlined the Glastonbury Festival - which was his first ever appearance at a British music festival.<ref>"NME.com McCARTNEY WOWS GLASTO", New Musical Express, IPC Media, July 27, 2004.</ref> McCartney and festival organiser Michael Eavis picked up the NME Award on behalf of the Festival which won 'Best Live Event' in the 2005 awards.<ref>New Musical Express, NME.com 17 February 2005</ref> McCartney performed at the main Live 8 concert on 2 July 2005, playing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with U2 to open the Hyde Park event (the song choice reflecting the 20 years after Live Aid), then returning almost ten hours later to close the show with "Get Back", "Drive My Car" (sharing the vocals with George Michael), "Helter Skelter", "The Long And Winding Road", and an ensemble rendition of the refrain from "Hey Jude". Ringo Starr reproached McCartney for not asking him to play with him at Live 8.<ref>Starr Slams McCartney for not inviting him to Live 8 (July 10, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-05-17.</ref>
On 18 June 2006, McCartney celebrated his 64th birthday, an event prefigured in his song, "When I'm Sixty-Four". It was a widely celebrated event for, as the cultural commentator Paul Vallely noted in The Independent:
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McCartney joined Jay-Z and Linkin Park onstage at the 2006 Grammy Awards in a performance of his Beatles' classic "Yesterday" to commemorate the recent passing of Coretta Scott King, while also performing "Fine Line" and "Helter Skelter" on his own. McCartney later noted that it was the first time he had performed at the Grammys and said, "I finally passed the audition", which was a reference to the statement made by John Lennon at the end of The Beatles' rooftop concert - shown in the Let It Be film.
[edit] Family life
McCartney was the last Beatle to marry,<ref name="Whitall">Whitall, Susan, "Women swoon as Paul McCartney is single again", The Detroit News, 24 May 2006 (link)</ref> but, in the 1960s, he enjoyed a five-year relationship<ref name="MilesPage452"> Miles. p452</ref> and a long engagement with actress Jane Asher.<ref name="MaccaSMH">"McCartney's lament: I can't buy your love", Sydney Morning Herald, 12 June 2004 (link)</ref> Asher and McCartney split in 1968, and the following year McCartney married American photographer Linda Eastman. The McCartneys would remain married and devoted to each other until Linda's death from breast cancer in 1998, after having had three children during their marriage. In 2002 McCartney married former model Heather Mills. The couple had one child but announced their separation in 2006.
[edit] Relationship with Jane Asher
Paul McCartney first met British actress Jane Asher on 18 April 1963, when The Beatles were performing at the Royal Albert Hall in London as part of a BBC concert broadcast.<ref name="MilesPage101"> Miles. p101.</ref> As they were waiting around for the finale, a photographer who was working for the BBC's Radio Times asked them to pose with Asher - a seventeen-year-old red-headed actress who had previously appeared as a panellist on the Juke Box Jury pop music show.<ref name="MilesPage102"> Miles. p102.</ref> She was asked to do an interview with The Beatles by the BBC, and was photographed screaming at them like a fan.<ref name="MilesPage102"> Miles. p102.</ref> After the concert was over, they all went back to the Royal Court hotel, and then on to a journalist's apartment on King's Road in London.<ref name="MilesPage102"> Miles. p102.</ref> McCartney then pursued Asher as much as he could in an effort to persuade her to become his girlfriend.<ref name="MilesPage102"> Miles. p102.</ref>
McCartney soon met Jane's family. Margaret Asher, Jane's mother, combined her life as the mother of three children with a full-time career as a music teacher,<ref name="MilesPage104"> Miles. p104.</ref> and Jane's father, Richard, was a physician.<ref name="MilesPage104"> Miles. p104.</ref> Jane's brother, Peter, was a member of Peter and Gordon,<ref name="MilesPage104"> Miles. p104.</ref> and Jane's younger sister, Clare, was also an actress.<ref name="MilesPage104"> Miles. p104.</ref> McCartney later gave "A World Without Love", one of his early songs,<ref name="MilesPage112">Miles. p112.</ref> to Peter and Gordon.<ref name="Webb">Brennan, Joseph (1996).Songs the Beatles Didn't Do. The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> According to Cynthia Lennon, Paul was "as proud as a peacock" to have Jane as a girlfriend,<ref name="CynthiaLennontwist">Lennon, Cynthia (1980). A Twist of Lennon. Avon Books (New York). ISBN 0380454505.</ref> and saw her as "a great prize".<ref name="MilesPage103"> Miles. p103.</ref>
McCartney eventually took up residence at the Ashers' house at 57 Wimpole Street, London, and lived there for two and a half years.<ref name="MilesPage106"> Miles. p106.</ref> The Ashers' house was a place of intellectual stimulation for McCartney,<ref name="MilesPage106"> Miles. p106</ref> and he wrote several songs there, alone (Yesterday) and with John Lennon, in the basement music room they were allowed to use. Jane herself inspired many songs, and McCartney composed "And I Love Her", "Every Little Thing", "Eleanor Rigby", "I've Just Seen a Face", "You Won't See Me", and "I'm Looking Through You" while living there.<ref name="MilesPage108"> Miles. p108</ref> On 27 May 1965, McCartney and Asher flew to Lisbon for a holiday in the Algarve, and he borrowed an acoustic guitar from Bruce Welch - whose house they were staying in - and worked on Yesterday.<ref name="MilesPage204-205"> Miles. pp204-205</ref>
It was during his time at the Asher's house that McCartney met writers such as Bertrand Russell, Harold Pinter and Len Deighton.<ref name="MilesPage125-126"> Miles. pp125-126</ref> Because of the fans that gathered outside, McCartney would often climb out of the window of his garret bedroom, slowly walk along a narrow parapet, climb through a neighbour's window, take the lift down to a basement flat of a couple next door, run through Browning Mews, and then meet his driver in New Cavendish Street.<ref name="MilesPage116-117"> Miles, pp116-117.</ref> On 13 April 1965, McCartney bought a three-storey Regency house, in Cavendish Avenue, London, for £40,000, and then spent a further £20,000 renovating it.<ref name="MilesPage254"> Miles. p254</ref> It was on the top floor of the house that McCartney created a music room, where he wrote alone, and with John Lennon. As a thank-you to the Ashers, he paid for the decoration of the front of their house in Wimpole Street.<ref name="MilesPage254"> Miles. p254</ref>
On 15 May 1967, McCartney met American photographer Linda Eastman at a Georgie Fame concert at the Bag O'Nails club in London;<ref name="Nails">Newman, Raymond (2006-08-20). The Beatles' London, 1965-66 Abracadabra! Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> Eastman was in the UK on an assignment to take photographs of musicians in what Time magazine called "swinging London".<ref name="MilesPage117"> Miles. p117.</ref> McCartney, Linda and members of the The Animals went on to The Speakeasy, a club on Margaret Street,<ref> Deep Purple Atlas. 48 Margaret Street, London.The Deep Purple Appreciation Society. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> and Eastman later accompanied McCartney back to his house in Cavendish Avenue.<ref>Multimap.com. Map of Cavendish Avenue. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> The two met again four days later, at a launch party for the Sgt. Pepper album at Brian Epstein's house in Belgravia. Linda had a four-year-old daughter back in New York City, and flew back to New York when her assignment was completed.
Six weeks later, McCartney and Jane Asher flew to Greece with the other Beatles and their wives on a sailing trip, as The Beatles had decided to look for an island to buy that they could all live on.<ref name="MilesPage119-120"> Miles. pp119-120.</ref> On 25 December 1967, McCartney and Asher announced their engagement, although Marianne Faithfull remembered Paul and Jane "never getting on very well", and described one evening (at Cavendish Avenue) when Paul wanted a window to be open, and Jane wanted it shut. Paul would frequently get up and open the window, and then Jane would get up and close it, although neither of them made any comment about it during the whole evening.<ref name="MilesPage453"> Miles. p453.</ref> McCartney didn't stop having sexual relationships - one-night stands - with other women during his time with Asher,<ref name="MilesPage142-143"> Miles. pp142-143</ref> because he felt that as they were not married, it was allowed.<ref name="MilesPage142-143"> Miles. pp142-143</ref> Asher broke off the engagement in July 1968, after coming back from Bristol and finding Paul in bed with another woman.<ref name="MilesPage452"> Miles. p452</ref> Jane Asher has constantly refused to discuss that part of her life.<ref>Mitchison, Amanda 2005-10-03). Butter wouldn't melt. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref>
[edit] Marriage to Linda Eastman
In September of 1968, McCartney phoned Linda Eastman, the woman he said that "gave me the strength and courage to work again",<ref name="Sequel">"SEQUEL: ALL TOGETHER NOW Thirty years later, the surviving Beatles get back to where they once belonged", People, February 14, 1994. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. (in English)</ref> in New York and asked her to fly over to London. Linda brought her daughter Heather with her. McCartney and Eastman married at a small civil ceremony (when Linda was four months pregnant with McCartney's child) at Marylebone Registry Office on 12 March 1969. As they lived on a farm in East Sussex,<ref name="Sequel"/> Paul adopted Linda's daughter from her first marriage, Heather Louise (born in 1962 and now a pottery designer) and they went on to have three other children together: Mary Anna, born in 1969 and named after Paul's late mother, she is now a photographer; Stella Nina, born in 1971, and now an award-winning fashion designer,<ref name="StellaTriumphs">Stella triumphs in New York bbc.co.uk - 21 October, 2000</ref> and James Louis, born in 1977) and named after Paul's late father James and Linda's late mother Louise. James played guitar on his father's albums Flaming Pie and Driving Rain, and his mother's posthumous Wide Prairie.<ref>Wild Prairie bbc.co.uk September 3, 1998 </ref> In 1973, he wrote My Love - a song to commemorate that he loved his wife and which became Wings' first number one single hit in England.<ref name="NPR 98">Bob Edwards. "Linda McCartney Dies", Morning Edition (NPR), April 4, 1998. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. (in English)</ref>
Ordinary life went on at the farm as Linda made the beds, and local kids were invited to dance at parties in the couple's barn.<ref name="Sequel"/> When she was interviewed on National Public Radio, she stated that the couple weren't together for the press or the public and at that time, Paul McCartney felt pressure in the band, so she was there to relieve that pressure.<ref name="NPR 98"/> The McCartneys would remain married to each other until Linda McCartney's death from breast cancer in 1998. Of all The Beatles, McCartney was the last to marry and the only one whose first marriage did not end in divorce. The McCartneys reportedly spent less than a week apart during their entire marriage, interrupted only by Paul's brief incarceration in Tokyo on drug charges in January 1980.<ref name="McCartneypedia">Harry. page numbers needed.</ref> Linda McCartney died in Tucson, Arizona, on April 17 1998,<ref name="Linda’sdeath"/> and McCartney later denied rumours that her death was an assisted suicide.<ref name="Linda’sdeath">[ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/82362.stm Linda’s death] bbc.co.uk - April 23, 1998 </ref><ref>Linda’s Obituary bbc.co.uk - April 19, 1998</ref> Linda left her entire fortune to McCartney which is almost totally free from taxation because of a special trust fund she set up before her death.<ref name="Linda’sWill">[ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/676911.stm Linda’s Will and Trust Fund] bbc.co.uk - 14 March, 2000</ref> McCartney will have access to any royalties from books, records and any financial renumeration for the use of his wife's photographs. Paul pledged to continue her line of vegetarian food, and to keep it free from genetically modified organisms.<ref>McCartney vows to keep his wife’s work aliveThe Himalayan Times, October 15, 2006 </ref> McCartney now has three grandsons: Mary's two sons Arthur Alistair Donald (born 3 April 1999) and Elliot Donald (born 1 August 2002); and Stella's son Miller Alasdhair James Willis (born 25 February 2005).<ref>Sir Paul and Lady Heather McCartney Marriage Profile</ref>
In 2006, tapes recorded by Peter Cox - with whom Linda wrote a vegetarian cookery book before her death - were offered for sale. The tapes were conversations about Linda's marriage problems with McCartney.<ref>The Linda tapes The Daily Mail - 29th October 2006 </ref> McCartney reportedly paid £200,000 to Cox for the tapes in November 2006, after he met Cox in a London café.<ref>McCartney buys tapes Ireland on-line - 6 November 2006 </ref> When McCartney met Cox in the café, he was not unduly bothered about other people overhearing his conversation with Cox, even though he had made attempts to avoid the Media following him there.<ref>Paul’s conversation in the cafe Rootsmagic.com: November 6 2006 </ref>
[edit] Marriage to Heather Mills
After having sparked the tabloids with questions about his appearance with Heather Mills<ref>Heather Mills web page Retrieved: 2 November 2006</ref> at different events, McCartney first appeared publicly beside Miss Mills at a party in January of 2000 to celebrate her 32nd birthday.<ref>"Heather Mills." Biography Resource Center Online. Gale Group, 2000.</ref> On June 11 2002, McCartney married Heather Mills, a former model and anti-landmines campaigner, in an elaborate ceremony at Castle Leslie in Glaslough, County Monaghan, Ireland where more than 300 guests where invited and the reception included a vegetarian banquet.<ref name="Uebelherr">Uebelherr, Jan. "They can't work it out; For these couples, summer wasn't all sunshine", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 21,2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. (in English)</ref>
On October 28 2003, Mills McCartney gave birth to a daughter, Beatrice Milly McCartney.<ref>Heather Mills profile, Hello! Magazine (link)</ref> The baby was reportedly named after Heather's late mother Beatrice and Sir Paul's Aunt Milly.<ref>King, Larry. "Legal Analysis of Scott Peterson Preliminary Hearing Day Two; Interview With Paul Burrell", CNN Larry King Live (transcript), October 30 2003. Retrieved on [[2006-11-10]]. (in English)</ref> The problems in their relationship were brought to the attention of the media when Mrs McCartney threw both the diamond and sapphire engagement rings from a hotel balcony in Florida, following a fight.<ref name="Uebelherr"/>
In May 2006, after events such as McCartney changing the locks of their home,<ref>McCartney changed locks bbc.co.uk: 8 August 2006</ref> he and his wife Heather announced their separation, claiming that the constant media attention they received was detrimental to maintaining a harmonious relationship.<ref>"McCartney and Mills to separate", BBC, 17May, 2006.</ref> Not long after, on July 29 2006 British newspapers announced that Sir Paul had filed for divorce from Heather.<ref>Pete Norman. Paul McCartney Files For Divorce. People. Retrieved on 2006-11-10.</ref> McCartney blamed his estranged wife for the split, saying that her behaviour was rude and argumentative.<ref name="Uebelherr"/> She responded with the accusation that McCartney was a "controlling husband".<ref name="Uebelherr"/> McCartney and Mills have hired the same lawyers who represented Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales respectively when they were divorcing.<ref>Royal legal team for divorce</ref><ref name="Uebelherr"/>
Announcement of the impending divorce sparked a press furore,<ref>The Times called it "one of the most high-profile marriage breakdowns in history". Stowe, Marilyn, "My advice to Sir Paul? Pay up now - and get a gagging order", The Times (London), October 18 2006</ref> with sections of the British press claiming that Mills was formerly a prostitute<ref>Daily Mail accusation that Mills was a prostitute Retrieved: June 12 2006</ref> and pornography model,<ref name="GlovesOff">White, Richard, and Smart, Gordon, "Gloves off in Macca-Mills war", The Sun Retrieved: 19 October 2006</ref> and Mills alleging that McCartney had stabbed her in the arm with a broken wine glass.<ref>Bonnici, Tony, "Heather Mills: Macca beat me up", The Sun, October 18 2006</ref><ref name="GlovesOff"/> Speculation was also rife over the size of any divorce settlement, with estimates ranging from £50 million. and Heather's bid for "half his £1billion fortune".<ref>Smart, Gordon; Whitaker, Thomas; and Hamilton, Sean, "Macca is seeing a shrink", The Sun, October 20 2006</ref> Paul and Heather made no prenuptial agreement.<ref>"Why Sir Paul's 'genius' could save him millions", BBC, 18 May, 2006.</ref>
A 2004 article reported "widespread animosity towards Paul McCartney and his wives",<ref name="MaccaSMH"/> which McCartney felt dated back to the late 1960s. "[The British public] didn't like me giving up on Jane Asher," McCartney said. "I married a New York divorcee with a child, and at the time they didn't like that."<ref name="MaccaSMH"/>
[edit] Art, writing and classical music
During his time in The Beatles, McCartney was often seen at major cultural events, such as the launch party for The International Times, and at The Roundhouse (January 28 and February 4 1967).<ref name="CarnivalofLightInterview">“The Carnival of Light” interview Retrieved: 16 November 2006 </ref><ref name="UnknownPaul">The Unknown Paul McCartney, by Ian Peel, Paperback, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 7 November, 2002 ISBN 1903111366 </ref> He also avidly delved into the visual arts, becoming a close friend of leading art dealers and gallery owners, explored experimental film, and regularly attended movie, theatrical and classical music performances.<ref name="UnknownPaul"/> Before the filming of A Hard Day's Night began, it was McCartney who suggested to producer Walter Shenson<ref>Walter Shenson - IMDb Retrieved: 13 November 2006 </ref> that Alun Owen, a Liverpudlian Welshman who had previously written dramas for television, be asked to write the script.<ref name="MilesPage158"> Miles. p158</ref>
His first contact to the London avant-garde scene in London was through John Dunbar,<ref name="UnknownPaul"/> who introduced him to the art dealer Robert Fraser, who then introduced Paul to an array of writers and artists.<ref name="UnknownPaul"/> McCartney later became involved in the renovation and publicising of the Indica Gallery, which was in Mason's Yard - off Duke Street, London. John Lennon met Yoko Ono at the same venue when she had an exhibition there.<ref name="UnknownPaul"/><ref name="Indicagallery">Indica Gallery bbc.co.uk - 12 November 2006</ref> The Indica Gallery brought McCartney into contact with Barry Miles, whose underground newspaper - The International Times - McCartney helped to start.<ref name="MilesPage232"> Miles. p232</ref> Miles would become de facto label manager<ref name="MilesPage472"> Miles. p472</ref> for The Beatles' shortlived Zapple Records label, and wrote McCartney's official biography, Many Years From Now (1998).
Paul McCartney is lead patron of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, an arts school in the building formerly occupied by the Liverpool Institute for Boys. The 1837 building, known to McCartney from his schooldays, had become derelict by the mid-1980s. On 7 June 1996, Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the redeveloped building. He has also written and released several pieces of modern classical music and ambient electronica, besides writing poetry and painting.
[edit] Animated films
McCartney has been interested in animated films since he was a child, and later in his life he had the financial resources to fulfill his wish to be involved in the making of some.<ref>Movie Habit - The Music and Animation Collection Retrieved: November 23 2006 </ref> In 1981, McCartney teamed up with Geoff Dunbar, and asked him to direct a short, animated film called the Rupert and the Frog Song. McCartney wrote the music, the script, and was the producer, as well as adding some of the characters voices, with Windsor Davies and June Whitfield. Dustin Hoffman narrated the film.<ref>Geoff Dunbar Interview Retrieved: November 23 2006 </ref> The single from the film - "We All Stand Together" - reached UK #3 in 1984. Dunbar worked with McCartney on an animated film about the work of French artist Honore Daumier in 1992, which won the both of them a Bafta award.<ref name="Animatedfilm1992"> Animated film won a Bafta bbb.co.uk Sunday, 29 February, 2004 </ref> McCartney worked again with Dunbar in 1997, and produced Tropic Island Hum,<ref>Tropic Island Hum Covers Retrieved: November 23 2006 </ref> in 2001.
[edit] Classical music
In 1991, McCartney made his first complete foray into classical music, collaborating with Carl Davis to compose the quasi-autobiographical Liverpool Oratorio. The Oratorio was premiered in Liverpool - in the Anglican Cathedral - and had its North American premiere in Carnegie Hall in New York on 18 November 1991, with Davis conducting.<ref>Liverpool Oratorio, Paul McCartney (with Carl Davis) 30 September 1996, Cat. No. CDS7543712 ,2 CDs</ref> McCartney's singers and musicians included the opera singers: Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sally Burgess,<ref>Sally Burgess’ page Retrieved: 30 November 2006 </ref> Jerry Hadley and Willard White, with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the choir of Liverpool Cathedral.<ref name="OratorioStandingStone">Oratorio and StandingStone premiers bbc.co.uk - 4th July 2003 </ref>In 1997, McCartney made his second venture into classical music with Standing Stone,<ref>Standing Stone (Foster, LSO), Producer: John Fraser, 29 September 1997, Catalogue number: CDC5564842,</ref> which was commissioned by EMI Records to mark EMI's 100th anniversary in the autumn of 1997.<ref name="OratorioStandingStone"/> In 1999, McCartney released Working Classical.<ref>Working Classical, Paul McCartney, Producer: John Fraser, Cat. number: CDC556897218 October 1999</ref>
In 2000, McCartney released A Garland for Linda;<ref name="GarlandforLinda">A Garland for Linda bbc.co.uk - May 17, 1999 </ref> a choral tribute album for Linda, with compositions from eight other contemporary composers: John Tavener, Judith Bingham, John Rutter, David Matthews, Roxanna Panufnik, Michael Berkeley, Giles Swayne and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. <ref>A Garland for Linda, Paul McCartney, EMI - Catalogue No.: CDC 5 56961 2, Recorded in All Saints Church, Tooting, London. 1999</ref> The music was performed by "The Joyful Company of Singers" - in commemoration of Linda - to raise funds for The Garland Appeal, which is a fund to aid cancer sufferers.<ref>Garland for Linda cancer fund</ref>
In March 2006, McCartney finished composing a 'modern classical' musical work named Ecce Cor Meum; it was later recorded at Abbey Road Studios with some well known musicians, including the Academy of St Martins in the Fields, and the boys of King's College Choir and Magdalen College, Oxford. The piece was released by EMI Classics on 25 September, 2006.<ref>Ecce Cor Meum [Jewel Case], 25 September 2006, Catalogue number: EMI 3704242</ref>. It received its live world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 3 November, 2006, with McCartney, family and friends, and Sir George Martin in attendance.<ref name="Ecce Cor MeumPerformance">Ecce Cor Meum Performancebbc.co.uk - 4 November 2006</ref>
[edit] Electronica
After the recording of Yesterday with a string quartet, McCartney contacted the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in Maida Vale, London, to see if they could record an electronic version of Yesterday.<ref name="MilesPage207"> Miles. p207</ref> Even though he visited them and proposed the idea, he never followed it up.<ref name="MilesPage207"> Miles. p207</ref>
Before visiting John Dunbar's flat at 29 Lennox Gardens, London, McCartney would take along tapes he had compiled at Jane Asher's house.<ref name="MilesPage218"> Miles. p218</ref> The tapes were mixes of various songs, musical pieces and comments made by McCartney that he had Dick James make into a demo record for him.<ref name="MilesPage217"> Miles. p217</ref> He later made tape loops by recording voices, guitars and bongos on a Brenell tape machine, and gluing together the various loops by himself with a bottle of EMI glue.<ref name="MilesPage219"> Miles. p219</ref> He reversed the tapes (which was an effect later used on Beatles recordings) speeded them up, and slowed them down to create the effects he wanted.<ref name="MilesPage219-220"> Miles. pp219-220</ref> McCartney referred to them as electronic symphonies,<ref name="MilesPage219"> Miles. p219</ref> and was heavily influenced by John Cage at the time.<ref name="MilesPage235"> Miles. pp236</ref>
In the spring of 1966, McCartney rented a ground floor and basement flat from Ringo Starr which was at 34 Montagu Square,<ref name="MilesPage238-239"> Miles. pp238-239</ref> and which was used by McCartney as a small demo studio for poets and avant-garde musicians to record in.<ref name="MilesPage239"> Miles. pp239</ref> The flat could only be reached by going down the steps from the street to the basement door. The idea of a small recording studio for artists later later led to Apple Records creating their own Zapple sub-label. <ref name="MilesPage239"> Miles. pp239</ref> Ian Sommerville installed two Revox reel-to-reel machines in there, and worked extensively with William Burroughs.<ref name="MilesPage240"> Miles. pp240</ref> Sommerville had the idea that he was working exclusively for McCartney, so he often put off people who wanted to record there.<ref name="MilesPage242"> Miles. pp242</ref> McCartney later gave up the flat and it remained empty until Ringo rented it to Jimi Hendrix,<ref>Hendrix outside Montagu Place bbc.co.uk: 6 October, 2006 </ref> in December of 1966.<ref name="MilesPage242"> Miles. pp242</ref>
In 1995, McCartney recorded a radio series called, "Oobu Joobu"<ref name="Oobu Joobu">Oobu Joobu CDs and Mp3s 18 November 2006 </ref><ref>Oobu Joobu bbc.co.uk 9 November 2006 </ref> for the American network Westwood One,<ref name="MilesPage218-219"> Miles. pp218-219</ref> which McCartney described as being "wide-screen radio".<ref name="MilesPage218-219"> Miles. pp218-219</ref><ref>Oobu Joobu track list 9 November 2006 </ref>
In the 1990s, McCartney collaborated with Youth of Killing Joke under the name of The Fireman,<ref name="TheUnknownPaulReview"/> and they have released two ambient albums; Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest (in 1994) and Rushes, in 1998. In 2000, he released an album, Liverpool Sound Collage,<ref>Liverpool Sound Collage (CD) Capitol, September 26, 2000 </ref> with Super Furry Animals and Youth, utilising collage and musique concrete techniques which fascinated him in the mid-1960s. Most recently, in 2005, he has worked on a project with bootleg producer and remixer Freelance Hellraiser, under the name Twin Freaks.<ref>Twin Freaks LP Parlophone, Cat. No. 311 30011, 4th June 2005 </ref>
[edit] Painting
Don Andrew - McCartney's school friend - remembered that McCartney showed an early talent for painting and drawing when at the Liverpool Institute - even making his own Christmas cards.<ref name="SpitzPage84"> Spitz. p84</ref> McCartney's love of painting would only surface much later after watching his friend, Willem de Kooning, painting in Kooning's Long Island barn.<ref name="SpitzPage84"> Spitz. p84</ref>
McCartney met Robert Fraser in the spring of 1966, and Fraser had an art gallery - at 69 Duke Street - near his home at 20 Mount Street, which was an 'open-house', and was frequented by many well-known artists.<ref name="MilesPage243"> Miles. p243</ref> It was at Fraser's flat that McCartney met Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Peter Blake, and Richard Hamilton, and learned about art appreciation.<ref name="MilesPage243"> Miles. p243</ref> It was around that time that McCartney started buying paintings by Magritte.<ref name="MilesPage256"> Miles. p256</ref> He used Margritte's painting of an apple as the inspiration for the Apple Records logo,<ref name="MilesPage267"> Miles. p267</ref> and he now owns Magritte's original easel, and his spectacles.<ref name="MilesPage266-267"> Miles. pp266-267</ref>
McCartney later started painting, in 1983.<ref name="MilesPage266"> Miles. p266</ref> In April 1999, he exhibited 70 of his paintings (featuring McCartney's portraits of John Lennon, Andy Warhol, David Bowie and other friends) for the first time in Siegen, Germany.<ref name="Painter">"McCartney gets arty"bbc.co.uk - Friday, April 30, 1999</ref> The exhibition also included photographs taken by his late wife, Linda.<ref name="Painter"/> He chose the obscure gallery to show his paintings because he believed that Wolfgang Suttner (local events organiser) was genuinely interested in his art.<ref name="Painter"/> The positive reaction to this first exhibition led to McCartney showing his work in galleries across the UK.<ref name="Painter"/> The first UK exhibition of Sir Paul McCartney's art work was opened in Bristol, England with more than 500 paintings on display.<ref name="Painter"/> McCartney had previously believed that "only people that had been to Art school were allowed to paint", (as John Lennon had) but when he reached the age of 40, he realised that this was not true.<ref name="Painter"/>
In October, 2000, Yoko Ono and McCartney both presented art exhibitions in New York and London, respectively. McCartney said,
| I've been offered an exhibition of my paintings at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool where John and I used to spend many a pleasant afternoon. So I am really excited about it. I didn't tell anybody I painted for 15 years but now I'm out of the closet.<ref>McCartney and Yoko art exhibitions, 20 October, 2000</ref><ref>Walker Gallery Exhibition: 24 May - 4 August 2002 Retrieved: 2 November 2006</ref> |
[edit] Writing and poetry
When McCartney was young, his mother (Mary) used to read poems to him, and encouraged him to read as much as he could.<ref name="SpitzPage82"> Spitz. p82</ref> McCartney's father was interested in crosswords, and always invited the two young McCartneys (Paul and Michael) to solve them with him, and to increase their "word power".<ref name="SpitzPage82"> Spitz. p82</ref> McCartney was later inspired - in his school years - by Alan Durband,<ref name="MilesPage40"> Miles. p40.</ref> who was McCartney's English literature teacher at the Liverpool Institute. Durband was a co-founder and fund-raiser at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool, when Willy Russell also worked there.<ref name="MilesPage41"> Miles. p41.</ref> Durband introduced the young McCartney to Geoffrey Chaucer, and the The Miller's Tale.<ref name="MilesPage41"> Miles. p41.</ref> McCartney later took his A-level exams, but only passed in English.<ref name="MilesPage42"> Miles. p42.</ref>
When Lennon and McCartney were still teenagers, they tried to write a play together (based on the styles of John Osbourne and Harold Pinter) about a Jesus-like character called 'Pilchard'.<ref name="MilesPage39"> Miles. p39.</ref> Lennon had already started writing his Lewis Carroll-inspired verses,<ref name="MilesPage39"> Miles. p39.</ref> and McCartney had previously written poems, such as "The Worm Chain Drags Slowly".<ref name="MilesPage40"> Miles. p40.</ref> As a joke in Hamburg, McCartney would open up a copy of Yevtushenko poetry and read it aloud when a certain sax player walked into the room. Everybody in the room would listen attentively until the sax player left, and then burst into laughter.<ref name="MilesPage83"> Miles. pp83.</ref>
In 2001 McCartney published 'Blackbird Singing',<ref name="FaberandFaber"> 'Blackbird Singing' Poem Book - Saturday October 14, 2006</ref> a volume of poems, some of which were lyrics to his songs, and gave readings in Liverpool and New York - the selections being serious ("Here Today" - about John Lennon) and humorous ("Maxwell's Silver Hammer").<ref> Blackbird Singing - Poems and Lyrics 1965-1999, Paul McCartney, Faber and Faber, 4 March 2002, ISBN 0571209920</ref> In the foreword of the book, McCartney explains that when he was a teenager, he had "an overwhelming desire" to have a poem of his published in the school magazine. He wrote something "deep and meaningful", but it was rejected, and he feels that he has been trying to get some kind of revenge ever since.<ref name="Blackbirdsinging">McCartney’s foreword to “Blackbird singing” </ref> His first real poem - after having written song lyrics for The Beatles - was about the death of his childhood friend, Ivan Vaughan. The poem, "Ivan", led McCartney to write more, like "Full Moon's Eve":<ref name="Blackbirdsinging"/>
| Old loves return,
To kiss the lips, In case the empty gallery, Should fill with whispering strangers, Like a flood.<ref>Blackbird Singing "Full Moon’s Eve"</ref> |
In October 2005, McCartney released a children's book called "High In The Clouds: An Urban Furry Tail",<ref>High in the clouds, Paul McCartney and Philip Ardagh , Faber Children's Books, 5 October 2006, ISBN 0571225020</ref><ref>“High in the clouds”</ref> which tells the story of a frog and a squirrel who save the lives of other animals. McCartney said - in a press report about the release of the (High In The Clouds) book - that he had loved reading for as long as he could remember.<ref>“High in the Clouds” press release</ref> McCartney collaborated with veteran children's book author Philip Ardagh, and animator Geoff Dunbar, to write the book.<ref>Geoff Dunbar IMDb</ref>
[edit] Lifestyle
McCartney's lifestyle was greatly altered by the success of The Beatles, and the income he earned. The advent of the contraceptive pill and the availabilty of cannabis changed many people's opinions - as well as McCartney's - about marriage, and sexual relationships.<ref name="MilesPage142"> Miles. p142</ref>
[edit] Recreational drug use
McCartney's introduction to drugs started in Hamburg, Germany.<ref name="MilesPage66-67"> Miles. pp66-67.</ref> As The Beatles had to play long sets, they were often given "Prellies" (Preludin) by the German customers, or they were supplied by Astrid Kirchherr, who got her mother to buy them.<ref name="MilesPage66-67"> Miles. pp66-67.</ref> McCartney would usually take one, while Lennon would take four or five.<ref name="MilesPage66-67"> Miles. pp66-67.</ref>
After having been introduced to cannabis, by Bob Dylan and journalist Al Aronowitz, in New York on 24 August 1964,<ref name="MilesPage185"> Miles. p185</ref> McCartney remembered getting "very high" and giggling uncontrollably.<ref name="MilesPage188-189"> Miles. pp188-189</ref> After that first experiment, McCartney's use of cannabis became regular,<ref name="MilesPage185"> Miles. p185</ref> and any future Beatles/McCartney lyrics that contained the words "high", or "grass", were intentionally written as a reference to cannabis.<ref name="MilesPage190"> Miles. p190</ref> The song, Got to Get You into My Life, was written as a direct reference to it.<ref name="MilesPage190"> Miles. p190</ref><ref>Rolling joints Retrieved: 16 November 2006 </ref> John Dunbar's flat at 29 Lennox Gardens, in London, became a regular hang-out for McCartney, where he could talk to musicians, writers and artists, and smoke cannabis.<ref name="MilesPage216"> Miles. p216</ref> It was at Lennox Gardens that McCartney first saw someone injecting heroin, and didn't enjoy watching the experience at all.<ref name="MilesPage217"> Miles. p217</ref>
Dick Lester said that during the filming of Help!, he overheard "two of the most beautiful women I have ever seen", trying to cajole Paul into taking heroin, but McCartney had refused,<ref name="MilesPage67-68"> Miles. pp67-68.</ref> although The Beatles would occasionally smoke a spliff in the car on the way to the studio during the filming of Help!,<ref name="MilesPage198"> Miles. p198</ref> which often made them forget their lines.<ref name="MilesPage198"> Miles. p198</ref>
In 1965, Barry Miles lived at 15 Hanson Street, London, and he and his wife introduced McCartney to Hash Brownies by using a recipe for Hash fudge which they had found in the Alice B. Toklas Cookbook.<ref name="MilesPage232"> Miles. p233</ref> McCartney was introduced to Cocaine by Robert Fraser,<ref name="MilesPage247"> Miles. p247</ref> and it was sometimes available in the studio at the time of the recording of the Sgt. Pepper album.<ref name="MilesPage191"> Miles. p191</ref> McCartney admitted once sniffing heroin with Fraser, but didn't feel any effect, and never took it again.<ref name="MilesPage252-253"> Miles. pp252-253</ref> Mick Jagger often visited McCartney's house in Cavendish Avenue, and McCartney believes he was the first one to introduce the Rolling Stone to pot.<ref name="MilesPage261"> Miles. p261</ref>
McCartney's attitude about cannabis was made public during the Summer of Love, in the 1960s. McCartney put his name to a full-page advertisement in The Times, on July 24 1967, which asked for the legalisation of the possession of cannabis, the release of all prisoners imprisoned because of possession charges, and government research into marijuana's medical uses. The advertisement, which was sponsored by a group called Soma, was signed by 65 people, including all four of The Beatles, their manager Brian Epstein, author Graham Greene, psychologist R.D. Laing, 15 doctors, and two members of Parliament.<ref name="Tokyo">Paul McCartney’s arrest in Japan </ref>
On a sailing trip to Greece in 1967 with The Beatles, McCartney said that the whole band sat around on the boat and took acid,<ref name="MilesPage379"> Miles. p379</ref> although McCartney had first taken it with his friend Tara Browne, in 1966.<ref name="MilesPage380"> Miles. p380</ref> He took his second "trip" with John Lennon on 21 March 1967, after a studio session.<ref name="MilesPage382"> Miles. p382</ref> McCartney was the first British pop star to openly admit to using LSD, in an interview in the now-defunct "Queen" magazine.<ref name="MilesPage393"> Miles. p393</ref> The admission was followed by a national TV interview in the UK on Independent Television News on 19 June 1967, when McCartney was asked about his recent admission of LSD use:
| {{{1}}} |
In spite of his statements then, and his admission in 2004 that he had also used cocaine regularly at that time,<ref>McCartney’s drug use</ref> McCartney was fortunate to be one of the few leading British pop stars who was not arrested by Norman Pilcher's Drug Squad, as had Lennon, Harrison and many other friends, including Donovan, and several members of The Rolling Stones,<ref name="McCartneypedia "/> although in 1972, the Police found cannabis plants growing on his farm in Scotland.<ref name="MilesPage395"> Miles. p395</ref>
On 16 January 1980, McCartney and Wings went to Tokyo for a series of 11 concerts in Japan.<ref name="Bandontherun"/> While going through customs at Narita Airport, officials found 7.7 ounces (218.3 g) of herbal cannabis in McCartney's luggage.<ref name="Bandontherun"/> He was arrested and taken to a Tokyo prison whilst the Japanese government decided what to do. McCartney had been previously denied a visa to Japan (in 1975) because he had been convicted twice in Europe for possession of cannabis.<ref>Sir Paul reveals Beatles drug use </ref> During the ten days he spent in prison he made a mental list of all the drugs that are legal, but still dangerous. He thought about the fact that many people are addicted to legal drugs, such as cigarettes, whiskey, aspirin, and valium, but cannabis was still illegal.<ref name="Tokyo"/> Some public figures called for a trial by jury of McCartney for drug-smuggling. If he had been convicted, he would have faced up to seven years in prison.<ref name="Bandontherun"/> The other members of Wings cancelled the tour and left Japan. After his time in jail, McCartney was released without charge and deported. He was told that he would not be welcome again in Japan for quite some time to come.<ref name="McCartneypedia "/>
[edit] Meditation
On 24 August 1967, McCartney met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for the first time at the London Hilton, and later went to Bangor, in north Wales, to attend a weekend 'initiation' conference.<ref>Beatles in Bangor bbc.co.uk 16 November 2006 </ref> McCartney has said that although he doesn't daily meditate, he still uses the mantra that the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi gave him in Bangor.<ref name="MilesPage396"> Miles. p396</ref> The time McCartney later spent in India at the Maharishi's ashram was highly productive, as practically all of the songs that would later be recorded for The White Album and Abbey Road were composed there by McCartney, Lennon, or both together.<ref name="MilesPage397"> Miles. p397</ref> Although McCartney was told that he was never to repeat the mantra to anyone else, he did tell Linda McCartney - when they both decided to reaffirm their faith in each other<ref name="MilesPage404"> Miles. p404</ref> - and said that he meditated a lot, whilst he was in prison, in Japan.<ref name="MilesPage396"> Miles. p396</ref>
[edit] Activism
Paul and Linda McCartney became outspoken vegetarians and animal-rights activists. They said that their vegetarian instincts were realised when they happened to see lambs frolicking in a field as they ate a meal of lamb.<ref name="Linda">Linda McCartney, by Danny Fields, Time Warner Paperbacks, 1 February 2001, ISBN 0751529850 </ref> McCartney has also credited the 1942 Disney film Bambi - in which the young deer's mother is shot by a hunter - as the original inspiration for him to take an interest in animal rights:
| {{{1}}} |
In 1991, Linda McCartney introduced her own line of vegetarian meals to the general market and wrote a book on the subject.<ref name="Veggie">Linda McCartney's World of Vegetarian Cooking, by Linda McCartney (Little, Brown) 6 July 2000, ISBN 0316854875 </ref><ref name="Linda"/> Paul McCartney remains a committed vegetarian and is a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In his first interview after Linda's death, he promised to continue working for animal rights,<ref>McCartney vows to keep animal rights torch alight bbc.co.uk - 5 August, 1998 </ref><ref name="PETA">"Babe actor arrested after protest", BBC News, 4 July 2001, passim. (link)</ref> although, in 1998, he stepped back from his stance about testing drugs on animals, after he found out that the drugs Linda McCartney was taking before her death had been tested on animals.<ref>McCartney and drug testing on animals Retrieved: October 26 1998 </ref>
In 1999, McCartney spent £3,000,000 to make sure that Linda McCartney's food range will remain free of GM ingredients.<ref>GM-free ingredients bbc.co.uk - June 10, 1999 </ref>
In 2002, McCartney gave his support to a campaign against a proposed ban on the sale of certain vitamins, herbs and mineral products in the European Union.<ref name="naturalprotest"> Protest at ban on ‘mineral’ products, BBC News, 19 November 2002</ref> Following his marriage to Heather Mills, McCartney joined with her to campaign against landmines;<ref>McCartney calls for landmine ban</ref><ref>McCartney biog, plus ‘landmines’ commentbbc.co.uk - Friday, 20 April, 2001</ref> both husband and wife are patrons of Adopt-A-Minefield.<ref name="AdoptAMinefield">http://landmines.org.uk/299</ref> In 2003, he played a personal concert for the wife of a wealthy banker and donated his one million dollars to the charity. <ref>McCartney plays for Ralph Whitworth</ref> He also wore an anti-landmines t-shirt on the following Back in the World tour.<ref name="AdoptAMinefield"/>
In 2006, the McCartneys travelled to Prince Edward Island to bring international attention to the seal hunt. Their arrival on the floes sparked much attention in Newfoundland and Labrador where the hunt is of cultural and economic significance.<ref name="Sealcull">Paul and Heather call for seal cull ban, Friday, 3 March 2006</ref> The couple also debated with Newfoundland's Premier Danny Williams on the CNN show Larry King Live; they stated that the fishermen should quit hunting seals and begin a seal watching business.<ref>Interview transcript, McCartney and Heather, Larry King Live, Seal cullCNN - Aired March 3, 2006 - 21:00 ET</ref> McCartney has also criticised China's fur trade,<ref>"McCartney attacks China over fur"bbc.co.uk - 28 November 2005</ref><ref>The McCartneys call for ban on fur trade</ref> and supports the Make Poverty History campaign.<ref>Make Poverty History Retrieved: 2 December 2006 </ref>
McCartney has been involved with a number of charity recordings and performances. In 2004, he donated a song to an album to aid the "US Campaign for Burma", in support of Burmese Nobel Prize winner Suu Kyi,<ref name="Burmaprotest"> US campaign for Burma protest bbb.co.uk 20 June, 2005 </ref> and he had previously been involved in the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea,<ref name="ConcertforKampuchea">Concert for Kampuchea 9 November 2006</ref> Ferry Aid,<ref name=" FerryAidSinglecovers ">Ferry Aid Single covers 9 November 2006</ref> Band Aid, Live Aid, and the recording of "Ferry Cross the Mersey" (released May 8, 1989) following the Hillsborough disaster.
[edit] Business
McCartney's first contract - with the other Beatles - was with Brian Epstein in January 1962, and it stated that Epstein would take 25 per cent of McCartney's gross income after a certain threshold had been reached,<ref name="MilesPage88"> Miles. p88</ref> which meant that Epstein took 25 per cent of the Gross income, and then The Beatles would receive an equal share of the Net income, after expenses had been deducted.<ref name="MilesPage144-145"> Miles. pp144-145</ref><ref name="CynthiaLennonJohnPage103"> Cynthia “John”. P103.</ref> James Trevor Isherwood<ref name="James Isherwood">James Isherwood 9 November 2006</ref> (who worked for Epstein) was shocked that Epstein's percentage was larger than the normal ten per cent that agents normally charged.<ref name="MilesPage144-145"> Miles. pp144-145</ref> McCartney's second contract was with EMI records, which paid The Beatles one farthing per single sold. This royalty rate was reduced for overseas sales, and The Beatles received half of one penny (split between the whole band) for singles sales outside of the UK. George Martin said later that it was a "pretty awful" contract.<ref>"Beatles History -- 1962" at Beatles Discography. </ref> Nevertheless, McCartney is today one of Britain's wealthiest men, with an estimated fortune of £760 million.<ref name="McCartneymoney">McCartney’s Money Virgin.net Tuesday, 31 October 2006 </ref> In addition to his interest in The Beatles' Apple Corps, McCartney's MPL Communications owns a significant music publishing catalogue.<ref>List of MPL subsidiary companies Retrieved: 20 November 2006 </ref>
McCartney earnt £40 million in 2003, making him Britain's highest media earner.<ref>"McCartney tops media rich list", BBC News, 30 October 2003 (link)</ref> This had risen to £48.5 million by 2005.<ref>48 million in 2005 The Telegraph 18/05/2006 </ref> In the same year he joined the top American talent agency Grabow Associates, who arrange private performances for their richest clients. McCartney reportedly demands at least £1m for a two-hour performance.<ref name="McCartneyspeaker">Guest speaker Evening News - Sat 21 May 2005</ref> An insider from the agency said, "He won't return any calls about offers he considers derisory. Even for offers he might consider taking up - those in excess of the £1 million mark - he takes a couple of days to get back to us. So to say that Sir Paul won't get out of bed for less than a million pounds is a very good way of putting it."<ref name="McCartneyspeaker"/>
[edit] The Beatles Catalogue
The Beatles' partnership was replaced in 1968 by a jointly held company, Apple Corps. Apple continue to oversee The Beatles' commercial interests and McCartney retains his share in the company. Most of The Beatles recordings are owned by EMI, with Apple just collecting the royalties, but the company's Apple Records imprint owns a catalogue of records by other artists including Badfinger and Billy Preston.
Most Lennon/McCartney songs are published by Northern Songs, a company established in the 1960s by Dick James, Brian Epstein, and The Beatles. Northern was purchased by Associated TeleVision in 1969 and sold on in 1985 to McCartney's then-friend, Michael Jackson. For many years McCartney was unhappy about Jackson's purchase and handling of Northern Songs, and when he appeared on NBC's programme "Later" - in the late '80s - Bob Costas asked McCartney how much he was annoyed to hear Beatles songs used in commercials. McCartney's reply was, "A lot."<ref>McCartney’s frustration at sale of catalogue Retrieved: 29 November 2006 </ref> Nonetheless, in recent years McCartney has made it clear that he does not wish to acquire The Beatles catalogue, and has said, "I do get some cash from the publishing already, and in a few years more of the rights will automatically be reverting to me. The only annoying thing is when I tour America, I have to pay to play some of my own songs."<ref>McCartney talking about The Beatles catalogue</ref>
[edit] MPL Communications
MPL Communications is the umbrella company for McCartney's business interests. In addition to handling McCartney's post-Beatles work, MPL (McCartney Productions Limited) has become one of the world's largest privately-owned music publishers through its acquisition of numerous other publishing companies.<ref name="MPLpublishing"> MPL music publishing</ref>
MPL publishing owns a wide range of copyrighted material - covering nearly 100 years of music - by composers including McCartney, Buddy Holly (his childhood idol) Jerry Herman, Frank Loesser, Meredith Willson, Harold Arlen and many others,<ref name="MPLpublishing"/> with songs such as, “Rock-a-bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” (which was made famous by Al Jolson) in its catalogue. He also owns the publishing rights to musicals such as Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line, and Grease.<ref name="Grease"> McCartney and the Musical “Grease”</ref> MPL also controls 25 subsidiary companies.<ref name="MPLsubsidiary"> List of MPL subsidiary companies</ref>
In October of 2006, the Trademark Registry in London reported that MPL Communications had started a process to trademark Paul McCartney's name.<ref name="Business"> Trademark The Guardian - Saturday October 14, 2006</ref>
[edit] Pseudonyms
Over the years, McCartney has released work under a number of pseudonyms.
Prior to the success of The Beatles, McCartney would sometimes use the stage name Paul Ramon(e), a name that inspired The Ramones to name their band.<ref>The Ramones name Retrieved: 13 November 2006 </ref> 'Paul Ramone' was McCartney's credited name as guest performer (drums and backing vocals) on the song by The Steve Miller Band, "My Dark Hour".
In 1964, McCartney wrote Peter and Gordon's first three hit singles ("A World Without Love", "Nobody I Know", and "I Don't Want To See You Again").<ref name="Webb"/> McCartney was curious to see if their next single would sell without a famous name on it. Paul wrote the song, "Woman", but it was credited as having been written by 'Bernard Webb' (i.e. McCartney) and it was also a hit. 'Bernard Webb' was substituted for 'A. Smith' in the U.S.<ref name="Webb"/> McCartney's pseudonyms have usually been reserved for more experimental, and less-commercial material. In 1968, he produced the song "I'm The Urban Spaceman" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and McCartney was credited as "Apollo C. Vermouth", due to contractual restrictions (he was not allowed to have his name credited on a rival record label's record).<ref>Inside The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, (DVD) Catalogue number: CRP1848, 22 August 2005 </ref>
In 1974, McCartney recorded an instrumental, "Walking in the Park with Eloise"<ref>“Walking in the Park with Eloise” Apple, 18th October 1974, Catalogue No: EMI 2220</ref>, which had been written by his father, James. The song (and the B-side, "Bridge Over The River Suite") was released on a 1974 single by "The Country Hams", which featured Paul, Linda, Floyd Cramer and Chet Atkins. Both tracks were later featured on the CD Wings at the Speed of Sound.<ref>Wings At The Speed Of Sound, (CD) June 1993; Cat. number CDP78914027 </ref>
In 1977, McCartney released an orchestral version (with no vocals) of the Ram album, under the name "Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington" - "That's no joke," said the album's press release.<ref>Thrillington, EMI, Catalogue number: CZ543, Original Release: May 17, 1977</ref> The British tabloid press often refer to McCartney as "Macca", or ""Mr Thumbs-aloft".<ref>Return of the Macca, and “Mr Thumbs-aloft” bbc.co.uk: November 27 2006 </ref>
[edit] Achievements and critique
[edit] Critique
When Stella McCartney was out riding with her father, she once asked him if he was the same famous Paul McCartney that she had heard about at school,<ref name="MilesPage598"> Miles. p598</ref> and McCartney said that there is a difference between the McCartney that is seen in public, and the private McCartney, who he thinks is just, "This kid from Liverpool".<ref name="MilesPage598"> Miles. p598</ref>
McCartney wrote - in the concert programme for his 1989 World Tour - that John Lennon received all the credit for being the avant-garde Beatle,<ref name="MilesPage232"> Miles. p232</ref> and McCartney was known as 'baby-faced', which he totally disagreed with.<ref name="MilesPagexi"> Miles. pxi</ref> People also assumed that Lennon was the 'hard-edged one', and McCartney was the 'soft-edged' Beatle,<ref name="MilesPage31"> Miles. p31</ref> although McCartney admitted to often 'bossing Lennon around', by saying hurtful things like, "Where's yer dad, you bastard?"<ref name="MilesPage32"> Miles. p32</ref> and talking about Julia Lennon - the mother of Lennon - 'living in sin' with another man. Linda McCartney told Paul that he had a hard-edge, and that it was not just on the surface - which she knew about, after all the years she had spent living with him.<ref name="MilesPage31"> Miles. p31</ref><ref>The Linda McCartney Tapes Retrieved: 5th November 2006 </ref> McCartney sometimes meditates, which he said is better than, "sleeping, eating, or shouting at someone".<ref name="MilesPage404"> Miles. p404</ref> In June 1983, McCartney wrote We All Stand Together for an animated film, which was successful, but was widely ridiculed as being one of the worst songs in recent years.<ref>“We All Stand Together” from the "Frog Chorus" bbc.co.uk: 2 August, 2004 </ref>
[edit] Record-breaker
McCartney is listed in The Guinness Book Of Records<ref>Guinness Book of Records </ref> as the most successful musician, and most successful popular-music composer in popular music history,<ref name="HardTalk">"Sir Paul McCartney - music legend", BBC News review of a HARDtalk Extra television interview(video). Retrieved: 11 June 2006</ref> with sales of 100 million singles, and 60 gold discs.<ref>Dattani, Meera. "Sir Paul McCartney", Virgin.net Moneymakers. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref><ref>100 million records sold</ref>
He has achieved twenty-nine U.S. No. 1 singles, twenty of them with The Beatles, the rest with Wings, and as a solo artist.<ref name="HardTalk">"Sir Paul McCartney - music legend", BBC News review of a HARDtalk Extra television interview (video). Retrieved: 11 June 2006. McCartney has been involved in more Number #1 singles than any other artist under a variety of credits, although Elvis Presley has achieved more as a solo artist. McCartney has achieved 24 Number #1s: Solo (1), Wings (1), with Stevie Wonder (1), Ferry Aid (1), Band Aid (1), Band Aid 20 (1) and The Beatles (17). <ref>Number 1 singles </ref> While most artists have hits with same combination of musicians, McCartney is the only artist to reach the UKs #1 spot as a soloist ("Pipes of Peace"), as part of a duo ("Ebony and Ivory" with Stevie Wonder), a trio ("Mull of Kintyre" with Wings), a quartet ("She Loves You", with The Beatles), a quintet ("Get Back", The Beatles with Billy Preston) and a sextet ("Let It Be" with Ferry Aid).
McCartney's song "Yesterday" is listed as the most covered song in history with more than 2,000 versions recorded,<ref name=BBCYesterday>"Sir Paul is Your Millennium's greatest composer", May 3 1999, at BBC.co.uk; last accessed November 3 2006.</ref> and has been played more than 7,000,000 times on American TV and radio (for which McCartney was given an award).<ref name=BBCYesterday2>"McCartney's Yesterday earns US accolade", Sigourney's Hollywood star, BBC News, 1999-12-17. Retrieved: 11 June 2006.</ref> After its release - in 1977 - the Wings single "Mull of Kintyre" became the highest-selling record in British chart history, and remained so until 1984.<ref name="Singlesbanned"/>
On 2 July, 2005, he was involved with the fastest-released single in history. His performance of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with U2 at Live 8<ref name="Live8">Live 8 (DVD) Various Artists, 7 November 2005, Cat. No: ANGELDVD5</ref> was released only 45 minutes after it was performed, and before the end of the Live 8 concert. The single reached number 6 on the Billboard charts just hours after the single release, and hit number 1 on numerous online download charts across the world.<ref>Live 8 singlebbc.co.uk, Wednesday July 13 2005 </ref>
McCartney played for the largest stadium audience in history when 184,000 people paid to see him perform at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on April 21, 1990,<ref>One Year Ago: Internet Gives McCartney All-Time Largest Album Promo</ref> and he played his 3,000th concert in front of 60,000 fans in St Petersburg, Russia, on June 20, 2004. <ref>Sir Paul hits 3,000 in Russia</ref> McCartney has played 2,523 gigs with The Beatles, 140 with Wings, and 285 as a solo artist.<ref>3,000 concerts played (20 June, 2004)</ref>
[edit] Awards
McCartney was awarded the MBE on October 16 1965, by Queen Elizabeth II, and, on 11 March 1997, he was knighted (Knight Bachelor) for his services to music. He dedicated his knighthood to fellow Beatles John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr and to the people of Liverpool.<ref name="Knighted">"Beatle McCartney knighted Sir Paul by the Queen", CNN, 11 March, 1997.</ref>
McCartney is the only Beatle to ever have been nominated for an Academy Award in his own right, for the title songs to the films Vanilla Sky, and Live and Let Die. He has also received an honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Sussex.
In February 1990, McCartney was awarded a Grammy as lifetime-achievement award.<ref>Brown, Mark. "SOMEWHERE MAN WITH A TOUR TO RAVE ABOUT, MCCARTNEY'S STILL GOING PLACES", News Popular Music Critic, Denver Rocky Mountain News, May 4, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. (in English)</ref>
In March 1999, McCartney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, having already been inducted with the rest of The Beatles in 1988.
The minor planet 4148, discovered on July 11 1983 by E. Bowell at the Anderson Mesa Station of the Lowell Observatory, was named 'McCartney' in honour of Sir Paul. <ref>Planet called McCartney </ref>
[edit] The Beatles and Paul McCartney Discographies
- For detailed discographies see: The Beatles discography and the Paul McCartney discography
[edit] Song samples
Many Beatles songs are attributed to having been written by McCartney entirely alone, or with minimal help from John Lennon, and include, "Can't Buy Me Love", "Hello, Goodbye", "Hey Jude", "Let It Be", and "The Long and Winding Road".
There was, however, a substantial disagreement between Lennon and McCartney over the authorship of only two songs: "Eleanor Rigby", and "In My Life", which are included here.<ref name="MilesPage277"> Miles. p277.</ref> Although Lennon said that McCartney only helped with the middle eight of "In My Life",<ref name="MilesPage278"> Miles. p278.</ref> McCartney claims that he wrote the whole melody by taking inspiration from two Smokey Robinson and the Miracles songs: "You've Really Got a Hold on Me", and "Tears of a Clown",<ref name="MilesPage277"> Miles. p277.</ref> and said that he wrote "Eleanor Rigby" on an upright piano in the Asher's music room in Wimpole Street,<ref name="MilesPage281"> Miles. p281.</ref> and later played it to Donovan before it was finished - which Donovan confirmed.<ref name="MilesPage282"> Miles. p282.</ref> Lennon claimed, in 1972, that he wrote 70% of the "Eleanor Rigby" lyrics,<ref name="MilesPage283"> Miles. p283.</ref> but Pete Shotton - a childhood friend - remembered Lennon's contribution as being "absolutely nil".<ref name="MilesPage284"> Miles. p284.</ref>
[edit] 1963
[edit] 1965
[edit] 1966
[edit] 1967
[edit] 1968
[edit] 1969
[edit] Notes
<references/>
[edit] References
- Davies, Hunter (2004). The Beatles. Cassell|Cassell Illustrated (revised). ISBN 1844031047.
- Harry, Bill (2002). The Paul McCartney Encyclopedia. Virgin Books. ISBN 0753507161.
- Lennon, Cynthia (1980). A Twist of Lennon. Avon Books. ISBN 0380454505.
- Lennon, Cynthia (2006). John. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0340898283.
- Lewisohn, Mark (2002). Wingspan. Little, Brown and Company (New York). ISBN 0316860328.
- McGee, Garry (2003). Band on the Run: A History of Paul McCartney and Wings. Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 0878333045.
- Miles, Barry (1998). Many Years From Now. Vintage-Random House. ISBN 0-7493-8658-4.
- Peel, Ian (2002). The Unknown Paul McCartney. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. ISBN 1903111366.
- Spitz, Bob (2006). The Beatles: The Biography. Little, Brown and Company (New York). ISBN 1845131606.
[edit] External links
- Paul McCartney Official site
- Paul McCartney Animation site
- Paul McCartney at the Internet Movie Database
- Official UK/US Discography
- Paul McCartney International FanClub
- Paul McCartney Albums
- The Art of Paul McCartney - Exhibition 2002
- Macca Central, important non-official Paul McCartney fansite
- Paul McCartney Ecce Cor Meum audio Podcast
<span class="FA" id=" no" style="display:none;" />
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | McCartney, Paul |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Rock musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 18, 1942 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Liverpool, England, United Kingdom |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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