Paul McCartney
Classic Beatles songs, such as 'Let It Be,' take on different meanings for him now. 'Sometimes they surprise me,' he says. By Geoff Boucher LA Times April 12, 2009
Reporting from New York -- A chilly morning wind was blowing down Sixth Avenue, but it was warm inside Radio City Music Hall even though the grand old palace was hushed and its balconies deserted. A production team was busy preparing for the night's concert, an all-star charity event, and a few dozen lucky VIPs were loitering in the back and craning their necks to see the stage. There, loose-limbed and cheery in the spotlight, stood Paul McCartney, a performer who has been in the ear of the world so famously and for so long that it's a bit startling to see him in a quiet moment and realize that he is in fact an actual human being, not just a songbook with a voice and a name.
After playing the brassy Beatles classic "Got to Get You Into My Life," McCartney sat at a piano and, without looking down, his fingers found the familiar first notes to "Let It Be." It's a song that could make a bare cinder-block building feel like a cathedral, but there, echoing in the regal hall's empty corners, it had witnesses dabbing their eyes. After the church-steeple finale, a cheer went up and McCartney acknowledged what might be one of the smaller ovations of his career: "Thank you for that ripple of kindness pouring down the red-velvet rows. . . . "
Less than an hour later, sitting backstage, McCartney mentioned that "Let It Be" sounds very different to him now than when he recorded it in 1969. "In truth, a lot of them mean new things to me, I hear stuff I didn't hear in the past," said the 66-year-old singer. Like a man thumbing through a box of old love letters, he sees unexpected between-the-lines messages, such as hints of mysticism he now detects in the simple lyrics of "Got to Get You Into My Life."
"I remember roughly what I meant when I wrote them and sometimes they surprise me," said McCartney, who was relaxed and munching grapes with a gently puffing humidifier at his feet.
McCartney certainly has the old songs close at hand; he and the other gatekeepers of the Beatles industrial complex signed off on a series of legacy projects in recent years that put the classics in new contexts on film, television and the stage. There's more coming this September when the entire Beatles catalog will be reissued in remastered form and also featured in a new video game, "Rock Band: Beatles," a venture that has him especially excited (even though, he confessed, he's "not a video game guy and probably won't be any good at playing it").
Friday, McCartney will bring the Beatles songs to the California low desert as the headliner for the opening night of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, a franchise usually defined by alt-rock heroes, not knighted senior citizens. It's not an entirely foreign sector to McCartney -- he played England's massive and muddy Glastonbury Festival in 2004, for instance -- but he seemed intrigued by the challenge of finding more young listeners and new meanings.
"I enjoy playing the old songs, and some of them, as I say, like 'Long and Winding Road,' have new things for me," he said. "What it means to me here and now, from this perspective, when it has been a long and winding road for me, well, it's so different. When I wrote that song, it already had been a long road, you know, from my youth up to that point. We were going through quite a lot. But now I look back and that song . . . "
His voice trailed off. The road has certainly had some brutal patches. He lost his wife of 29 years, Linda Eastman McCartney, to cancer in 1998. In 2002 he married former model Heather Mills but that ended with a nasty separation in 2006 and a firefight that continued through last year's legal settlement. The court awarded Mills about $50 million, but the biggest beneficiary was Fleet Street, which over the course of turmoil sold a mountain of tabloid pulp. McCartney, who had always been guarded in interviews anyway, may still be rattled; as he answered questions, two publicists leaned on a nearby wall in case of topic emergency.
McCartney was the cute Beatle, the sunny one as well, a description that certainly wasn't a compliment in the churning late 1960s. He acknowledged that the last few years tested that old expectation.
"It's not easy, but it's never easy to stay positive," he said. "But to do that -- I think it's my natural character. You get into situations that can be difficult. But my natural reaction isn't to then go swinging a hatchet. I don't like that. Even though things get difficult I try to stay positive. You do come out the other side of it, and if you've been positive the whole time, you're glad for that."
He paused again and then seemed to compare his two famous divorces. "The breakup of the Beatles was very difficult. The separation of the last couple of years was difficult. But I think you look to the positive things. I've tried it the other way, and you kind of get down. 'This is going nowhere. OK, what can we do about this? What is good about this? Ah, that,' and you just grab hold of it."
McCartney was at Radio City for a fundraiser for filmmaker David Lynch's foundation, which aspires to teach meditation techniques to a million at-risk youngsters around the world. Given the deep list of modern global calamity, that inspired some eye-rolling from the union guys working backstage, but plenty of big-name stars came to play for the cause, among them Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow and Donovan. The biggest draw, though, was clearly McCartney and an old friend: Ringo Starr.
There are four living former U.S. presidents but only two surviving Beatles. Seeing the two Beatles, it's impossible to not think of the missing John Lennon and George Harrison, and despite any past rivalries or icy years, McCartney is now in a place where he speaks about them only with ease and affection. Asked about how he writes his music these days, his first instinct was to compare it to those long-gone years with Lennon.
"I do it in the same form that John and I used to do," he said. He said he has about 20 new songs written and, elaborating on his method, he said: "There's a spot in my house. It's like my den. There's my piano and my acoustic guitar. The piano is the old one that I wrote 'Let It Be' and 'Hey Jude' on, so it's an old friend of mine. A good old friend."
At the rehearsal, McCartney stood alone on stage, with his voice (which, it must be said, remains supple and evocative) echoing in a spectral-sounding reverb, and sang an acoustic version of his 1982 song "Here Today," a poignant what-if conversation with the late Lennon: What about the time we met? / Well I suppose that you could say that we were playing hard to get / Didn't understand a thing / But we could always sing.
The screen behind McCartney filled with famous Beatles photographs, the present backlighted by the past. Then Paul asked his crew, "We going to do the one with Ringo now?" Out walked the world's most famous drummer, looking tan, lean and unhurried in sunglasses, like a well-heeled tourist on holiday in Greece. McCartney feigned as if he would kiss Starr full on the lips, and Starr responded with a mock sneer and a pantomime slap. Then they sang "With a Little Help From My Friends."
Later, at the actual concert, McCartney introduced Starr as "Billy Shears," a wink to the Beatles lyric, and the crowd went wild. The pair led an all-star jam on "I Saw Her Standing There," an ode to the beguiling charms of a 17-year-old girl who, of course, must now be eligible for Social Security. Whoever she is, she'd be lucky to look as good as McCartney who, like Starr, is trim and fit. The man who wrote "Yesterday" may dye his hair, but his hours spent running and riding horses show in his nimble navigation of the stage.
Talking about his touring band these days, all players in their 20s and 30s, McCartney sounded as eager as ever: "We have this sneaky feeling that someone is going to tap us on the shoulder and say, 'You've played long enough, you've had too much fun, you been bad boys.' We enjoyed turning people on and that seems to happen, touch wood. I love playing with the band. I'm lucky to have them."
Some megastars, like Bob Dylan or Michael Jackson, put up layers of mystery or masquerade, but McCartney the showman is far too eager to please to ever wear a shroud in the spotlight. Still, he enjoys occasional flirtation with anonymity (he used to check into hotels under the name Paul Ramon, which would inspire the name for the Ramones), and he had some of that with the Fireman, the moniker for his ongoing electronica moonlighting with music producer Youth (a.k.a. Martin Glover of Killing Joke). They had two albums in the 1990s that didn't have the former Beatle's name printed on the packaging, but the third collaboration, last year's "Electric Arguments," featured McCartney's unmistakable vocals and was openly promoted as his work.
"We had such fun, it was like improvisational theater," he said. "You're reaching into the void and pulling ideas out. It's like a game. People say you've been working and I laugh and say, 'No, I've been playing.' "
The album was well reviewed and McCartney said he might weave some of it into his Coachella set. Then he seemed to have second thoughts. "It seems like the natural spot for it, but I'm not saying too much because when we rehearse if we don't like the noise we make, it'll get cut."
The time at Coachella, of course, might be better served in the name of legacy. "People come up and say, 'You're the soundtrack of my life; thanks, man, for the music,' and they all have a little story. Now a lot of the time it's not even the Beatles songs, it's [the 1971 album] 'Ram' or Wings . . . I like that. Of course I like that."
News Blog Archives
- 2013 (61)
- April (14)
- Second Dates Added In Austin, Orlan...
- Indianapolis Date Added To 'Out The...
- 'Wings over America' - What's in th...
- 'Wings over America' To Be Reissued...
- Orlando / Austin / Memphis / Tulsa ...
- Memphis, Orlando and Seattle Added ...
- UPDATE: SECOND ORLANDO DATE ADDED! ...
- Paul Confirms New Date 'Out There' ...
- Paul Will Be Getting 'Out There' In...
- Austin, Texas Date Confirmed For 'O...
- The Beatles 'Let It Be… Naked' Ma...
- EXTRA BOSTON TICKETS RELEASED / Fan...
- Paul Is Getting 'Out There' In Bost...
- Paul Pays Tribute To Friend Phil Ra...
- March (18)
- 'What's That You're Doing? (No.3/Vo...
- UPDATED: Tickets On Sale Now! Veron...
- 'You Gave Me The Answer:' James Fro...
- UPDATED: Pre-Sale Ticket Links / Pa...
- Website Exclusive - New Q Magazine ...
- A Deeper Shade Of Blue: US Showings...
- UPDATED: TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Vienn...
- UPDATED: TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Paul ...
- Meat Free Monday – Check Out The ...
- Track Of The Week: 'Too Many People...
- Developing: Photographs by Mary McC...
- Welcome To The New PaulMcCartney.co...
- Track Of The Week: 'Hi, Hi, Hi'
- 'Maybe I'm Amazed' 12" Confirmed Fo...
- Paul Backs Climate Week
- A Photo From Lily Cole
- Paul in Paris for Stella Fashion Sh...
- UPDATED: Dave Grohl's 'Sound City' ...
- February (12)
- 'What's That You're Doing? (No.2/Vo...
- Red Nose Day 2013 T-Shirts Designed...
- Track Of The Week: 'With A Little L...
- 'You Gave Me The Answer': Luana fro...
- War Child Celebrates Its 20th Anniv...
- Paul Confirmed For Bonnaroo 2013
- Tony Sheridan: 1940 - 2013
- Track Of The Week: 'Jet (Live)'
- Send 'My Valentine' To Your Valenti...
- UPDATED: 'Kisses On The Bottom' Win...
- Track Of The Week: 'You Gave Me The...
- 'You Gave Me The Answer' - Submit Y...
- January (17)
- 'What's That You're Doing?' - New M...
- ‘Heart Of The Country (2013)’
- ‘My Life As A Vegetarian’ by Pa...
- UPDATED: Paul Interview Available T...
- Track Of The Week: 'Calico Skies'
- New Collection: Houston, November 2...
- Image Of The Day: Minute Maid Park,...
- Paul and Elvis Collaboration Reveal...
- Track Of The Week: 'Ballroom Dancin...
- New Collection: SNL Holiday Special...
- Image Of The Day: SNL Holiday Speci...
- Image Of The Day: SNL Holiday Speci...
- Sir Richard Rodney Bennett: 1936 - ...
- Track Of The Week: 'Twenty Flight R...
- 'On The Run' In St Louis - New Phot...
- Image Of The Day: Paul 'On The Run'...
- Help Improve PaulMcCartney.com
- April (14)
- 2012 (189)
- December (21)
- For Whom The Bell Tells… Issue 22...
- Paul On SNL: New Photo Collection
- Track Of The Week: 'The Christmas S...
- 12-12-12 Backstage: Photo Collectio...
- '12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Re...
- 12-12-12 Concert: Photo Collection
- Hillsborough Tribute Single Reaches...
- Paul On Saturday Night Live Plus Ne...
- 12-12-12 Rehearsals: Photo Collecti...
- Track Of The Week: 'Here Today'
- Paul Performs With Nirvana at 12-12...
- Paul Discusses 12-12-12 Benefit In ...
- Paul Nominated For Three GRAMMY Awa...
- Linda McCartney – New Comprehensi...
- Bid On Paul’s ‘Blackbird’ Ska...
- Paul Confirmed for SNL Holiday Show
- Paul McCartney Calls Upon Climate T...
- Track Of The Week: 'Let Me Roll It ...
- 12-12-12 To Be Broadcast Live On Pa...
- Watch The Video For 'He Ain't Heavy...
- XMAS UPDATE: Paul Supports New Pro-...
- November (18)
- 'Band On The Run' Inducted Into GRA...
- 12-12-12: Tickets On Sale Now!
- Track Of The Week: 'My Valentine (L...
- Bid For Paul's Signed Tie In Charit...
- ‘Kisses On The Bottom - Complete ...
- Track Of The Week: 'Listen To What ...
- Live Kisses News - ITV1 Broadcast T...
- Paul To Perform At Hurricane Sandy ...
- New Collection - St. Louis Rehearsa...
- 'Live Kisses' - Film Trailer
- UPDATED: Paul Has Spent 99 Weeks at...
- Track Of The Week: 'Flaming Pie'
- 'Live Kisses' Teaser #6
- Track Of The Week: 'Rockestra Theme...
- Paul McCartney And The Band Send A ...
- 'Live Kisses' Teaser #5
- A Big Thank You From PaulMcCartney....
- 'Live Kisses' - Out Now!
- October (19)
- 'Live Kisses' - A First Look At Pau...
- Paul Visits Paris Fashion Week
- The Beatles ‘Magical Mystery Tour...
- French Légion d’honneur – Cere...
- Track of the Week: 'C Moon'
- Third 'Live Kisses' Teaser Released
- 'Live and Let Die' Recognised For O...
- Track Of The Week: 'Junior's Farm'
- New 'Live Kisses' Teaser
- Track Of The Week: 'Hope Of Deliver...
- Paul Backs Campaign To Stop Sea Tur...
- Image Of The Day: Paul And Liam Gal...
- 'Holidays Rule' / 'Christmas Rules'...
- Track Of The Week: 'Let 'Em In'
- Fourth 'Live Kisses' Teaser Release...
- From The Archives: BBC Electric Pro...
- From The Archives: Paris, Olympia -...
- Track Of The Week: 'Brown Eyed Hand...
- Five Albums Now Available For Strea...
- September (27)
- Track of the Week: 'Fine Line'
- 'Live And Let Die' Voted Best Bond ...
- 'Abbey Road' Anniversary Photo Coll...
- New Motown Project: Harmony Collect...
- Track(s) of the Week: 'Ocean's King...
- Ocean's Kingdom Gala Performance - ...
- Paul Helps Restore Historic Motown ...
- Paul Featured In New Africa Express...
- Video: Paul at the Steinway Hall, N...
- Paul lends his support to the Unive...
- Paul lends his support to the Unive...
- 'Abbey Road' Anniversary Photo Col...
- New Motown Project: Harmony Collect...
- Track(s) of the Week: 'Ocean's King...
- Ocean's Kingdom Gala Performance - ...
- Paul Helps Restore Historic Motown ...
- Paul Featured In New Africa Express...
- Track of the Week: 'Fine Line'
- This Time Last Year: Paul At The Oc...
- Track of the Week: 'Only Mama Knows...
- UPDATED: On The Run Tour Returns To...
- Track of the Week: 'Another Day'
- Paul At Africa Express
- Paul McCartney awarded France’s L...
- Paul Joins The French Foreign Legio...
- DIARY REMINDER: 'Live Kisses' To Be...
- Second Edmonton Show Announced and ...
- August (11)
- This Time Last Year: Ocean's Kingdo...
- UPDATE:: Paul Backs Campaign To Rel...
- Paul Sends His Support To Russian B...
- Track of the Week: 'Temporary Secre...
- Track of the Week: Maybe I'm Amazed
- Paul McCartney Biography By Eddie I...
- Liverpool Street Celebrates After T...
- Track of the Week: 'Nothing Too Muc...
- Wings Over Europe: 40th Anniversary...
- Behind the Scenes at the Olympics O...
- Track of the Week: 'Live and Let Di...
- July (25)
- What’s Your Favourite Song On ‘...
- Paul Featured In Grammy Awards Docu...
- For Whom The Bell Tells… Issue 20
- Paul Announces He Is Working On Mus...
- From The Archives: (I Want To) Come...
- From The Archives: Wings Over Europ...
- From The Archives: ICA, iTunes Fest...
- From The Archives: RFK Stadium, Was...
- From The Archives: Halifax Common, ...
- Paul Supports Humane Society Intern...
- Paul Sends A Message To The UK Olym...
- Olympics One Week From Today ('Who ...
- Paul Backs War Child’s Children O...
- Paul Backs LIPA's Student Led Olymp...
- ‘On The Run’ Tour – New Photo...
- From The Archives: Paul on Letterma...
- From The Archives: Live Aid, July 1...
- Paul Attends LIPA Graduation
- Paul discusses the Olympics with Sh...
- Paul at the Diamond Jubilee Concert...
- Paul Interviewed On 6Music
- 'Live and Let Live' - Paul Supports...
- Come Together, To Save The Arctic -...
- Track of the Week: Band on the Run
- Paul Delivers Thrilling Finale At T...
- June (16)
- Paul Weller covers ‘Birthday’ f...
- Memory Almost Full – New Premium ...
- Paul to appear on Ronnie Wood’s T...
- ‘Take It Away’ - Released 30 ye...
- Who Is Percy Thrillington? Instagra...
- Victor Spinetti 1929 - 2012
- Paul Records Meat Free Monday Video...
- ¡NO MAS! Corridas de toros en Colo...
- Paul at the Diamond Jubilee Concert
- ‘Memory Almost Full’ celebrates...
- ‘Yellow Submarine’ - Film Out N...
- Paul Duets On Jimmy Fallon Album
- Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographi...
- Meat Free Monday – 3 Years Old Th...
- One From The Archives: Amoeba Music...
- UPDATED: Paul's Donated Signed Hofn...
- May (4)
- April (6)
- March (13)
- Paul and Linda McCartney's Legendar...
- On The Run In Mexico
- Paul's 'iTunes Live from Capitol St...
- Still Buzzing on LA
- Paul McCartney VIP Soundcheck Packa...
- Congratulations!
- Extraordinary Lives by Glenn Aitken
- Oor.nl interviews Paul
- A night of tears and triumph at the...
- Zurich goes wild for Macca
- Macca Rocks Rotterdam!
- New 2012 Tour Dates Announced & Tic...
- A night to remember in Antwerp!
- February (19)
- Paul to perform at The Royal Albert...
- Photos: Musicares & Grammy Awards 2...
- Photos: Paul playing live at Capito...
- Photos; Paul receives his star on t...
- Paul McCartney's Band On The Run De...
- New Track 'My Valentine' Added for ...
- Share The Love!
- Paul is honoured with star on The H...
- Thinking of proposing this Valentin...
- Paul To Rock The Palace For The Que...
- 'Kisses On The Bottom' Released Tod...
- iTunes Live from Capitol Studios: P...
- UK News: Chris Evans Interview & Ex...
- U.S NEWS: Buy A Bunch, Get A Kiss!
- Paul to be honored with star on The...
- Quincy Jones "The songs Paul chose ...
- Jamie Cullum Interviews Paul on 'Ki...
- Listen Again: Interview with Jamie ...
- Paul Gets Back Out 'On The Run' - P...
- January (10)
- Paul is named the first-ever Ultima...
- Paul Talks About Kisses On The Bott...
- First Listen: 'Kisses On The Bottom...
- Tiffany&Co.; Offer Exclusive Preview...
- 'Kisses On The Bottom' Mastered For...
- Paul confirms brand new album title...
- Paul and Stevie Wonder
- UK News: Tune In To Radio 2 Tonight...
- Paul To Perform At This Year's GRAM...
- Paul McCartney Live Webstream - Wat...
- December (21)
- 2011 (58)
- December (5)
- November (14)
- Abu Dhabi; Time Out Exclusive
- Pm.com Exclusive; Paul talks On The...
- Paul to Restore Motown Museum’s G...
- Absolute Support For MFM
- ‘On The Run’ tour revs up for a...
- Paul's comments on the enforced pro...
- Paul honoured by PETA's 'Vegetarian...
- On The Run is back up and running
- Bologna, we love you!
- ‘On The Run’ tour ready for a s...
- The Love We Make; Out on 28th Novem...
- The Italian Job – Paul triumphs i...
- Bologna; Set list
- On our way to Abu Dhabi...
- October (13)
- Paul & Nancy With Friends In New Yo...
- 'Ocean's Kingdom' Remains Number On...
- Paul Sets A New Record...
- ‘Ocean's Kingdom’ Tops The Clas...
- Our Wedding Day!
- ‘On The Run’ dates sell out!
- And The Winner Of The Artwork Compe...
- Paul, Peter and Sara talk Ocean's K...
- Paul McCartney is ‘On The Run’
- Paul Lends Support To Tiger Time
- Meat Free Monday Cookbook
- Ocean's Kingdom - Out Now
- Paul Remembers Steve Jobs
- September (10)
- Ocean's Kingdom - EPK - Part 1
- Ocean's Kingdom - Exclusive Video E...
- The Hillsborough Disaster
- Paul McCartney, Musicares Person Of...
- Vote For Paul
- The Love We Make - 8th September Th...
- Artwork Competition; Voting Opens
- Paul’s first ever UAE performance...
- New Ocean's Kingdom Preview
- Pre-Order Ocean's Kingdom
- August (4)
- July (5)
- June (4)
- May (1)
- February (2)
- 2010 (43)
- December (6)
- November (5)
- October (4)
- September (4)
- August (3)
- July (3)
- June (6)
- May (5)
- April (2)
- March (1)
- February (2)
- January (2)
- 2009 (33)
- December (6)
- November (5)
- October (4)
- August (1)
- July (2)
- June (2)
- May (5)
- April (3)
- March (2)
- February (1)
- January (2)
- 2008 (31)
- December (4)
- November (8)
- September (3)
- August (1)
- July (4)
- June (5)
- May (2)
- April (2)
- February (2)
- 2007 (42)
- December (2)
- November (2)
- October (5)
- September (2)
- August (3)
- July (3)
- June (13)
- May (9)
- April (2)
- March (1)
- 2006 (28)
- December (3)
- November (3)
- October (3)
- September (5)
- August (2)
- July (3)
- May (1)
- February (4)
- January (4)
- 2005 (3)
- December (2)
- November (1)