Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
, for whom he played
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
. One of
the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...
vocal range, and
musical eclecticism, exploring styles ranging from
pre–rock and roll pop to
classical and
electronica. His
songwriting partnership with Lennon remains the most successful in history.
Born in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, McCartney
taught himself piano, guitar and songwriting as a teenager, having been influenced by his father, a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
player, and
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
performers such as
Little Richard and
Buddy Holly. He began his career when he joined Lennon's
skiffle
Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United State ...
group,
the Quarrymen
The Quarrymen (also written as "the Quarry Men") are a British skiffle/ rock and roll group, formed by John Lennon in Liverpool in 1956, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Originally consisting of Lennon and several schoolfriends, the Q ...
, in 1957, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Sometimes called "the cute Beatle", McCartney later involved himself with the London
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
and spearheaded the incorporation of
experimental
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a ...
aesthetics into the Beatles'
studio productions. Starting with the 1967 album ''
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'', he gradually became the band's ''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' leader, providing the creative impetus for most of their music and film projects. Many of his Beatles songs, including "
And I Love Her
"And I Love Her" is a song recorded by English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It is the fifth track of their third UK album '' A Hard Day's Night'' and was released ...
", "
Yesterday", "
Eleanor Rigby
"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. It was also issued on a double A-side single, paired with " Yellow Submarine". The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to L ...
", and "
Blackbird", rank among the most
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
songs in history. While primarily a bassist with the Beatles, in various songs he played a number of other instruments, including keyboards, guitars, and drums.
After the
Beatles disbanded, he debuted as a solo artist with the 1970 album ''
McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
'' and formed the band
Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
with his first wife,
Linda
Linda may refer to:
As a name
* Linda (given name), a female given name (including a list of people and fictional characters so named)
* Linda (singer) (born 1977), stage name of Svetlana Geiman, a Russian singer
* Anita Linda (born Alice Lake i ...
, and
Denny Laine
Denny Laine (born Brian Frederick Hines, 29 October 1944) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, known as a founder of two major rock bands: the Moody Blues, with whom he played from 1964 to 1966, and Wings, with whom he played from 1 ...
. Led by McCartney, Wings was one of the most successful bands of the 1970s, and he wrote or co-wrote their US or UK number-one hits "
My Love", "
Band on the Run", "
Listen to What the Man Said
"Listen to What the Man Said" is a hit single from Wings' 1975 album '' Venus and Mars''. The song featured new member Joe English on drums, with guest musicians Dave Mason on guitar and Tom Scott on soprano saxophone. It was a number 1 single ...
", "
Silly Love Songs
"Silly Love Songs" is a song by the British–American rock band Wings that was written by Paul and Linda McCartney. The song first appeared in March 1976 on the album '' Wings at the Speed of Sound,'' then it was released as a single backed wit ...
", and "
Mull of Kintyre
The Mull of Kintyre is the southwesternmost tip of the Kintyre Peninsula (formerly ''Cantyre'') in southwest Scotland. From here, the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland is visible on a calm and clear day, and a historic lighthouse, the second ...
". He resumed his solo career in 1980 and has toured as a solo artist since 1989. Without Wings, his UK or US number-one hits have included "
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is a song by Paul and Linda McCartney from the album ''Ram''. Released in the United States as a single on 2 August 1971, it reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on 4 September 1971, making it the first o ...
" (with Linda), "
Coming Up", "
Pipes of Peace
''Pipes of Peace'' is the fourth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Paul McCartney, released on 31 October 1983. As the follow-up to the popular ''Tug of War'', the album came close to matching the commercial success of its predeces ...
", "
Ebony and Ivory
"Ebony and Ivory" is a song that was released in 1982 as a single by Paul McCartney featuring Stevie Wonder. It was issued on 29 March that year as the lead single from McCartney's third solo album, ''Tug of War'' (1982). Written by McCartney ...
" (with
Stevie Wonder), and "
Say Say Say
"Say Say Say" is a song written and performed by English musician Paul McCartney and American musician Michael Jackson, released in October 1983 as the lead single to McCartney's 1983 album ''Pipes of Peace''. Produced by George Martin, the son ...
" (with
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
). Beyond music, he has taken part in projects to promote international charities related to such subjects as
animal rights
Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their Utilitarianism, utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding s ...
,
seal hunting,
land mines
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
,
vegetarianism, poverty, and
music education.
McCartney has written or co-written a record 32 songs that have topped the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and, , had sales of 25.5 million
RIAA-certified units in the US. His honours include
two inductions into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1999), an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, a
Primetime Emmy Award, 18
Grammy Awards, an appointment as a
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 1965 and a
knighthood
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the ...
in 1997 for services to music. As of 2020, he is one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with an estimated fortune of £800 million.
Early life
![20 forthlin road](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/20_forthlin_road.jpg)
McCartney was born on 18 June 1942 at Walton Hospital in the
Walton Walton may refer to:
People
* Walton (given name)
* Walton (surname)
* Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer
Places
Canada
* Walton, Nova Scotia, a community
** Walton River (Nova Scotia)
*Walton, Ontario, a hamlet
United Kingdo ...
area of
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, where his mother, Mary Patricia (née Mohin), had qualified to practise as a nurse. His father, James ("Jim") McCartney, was absent from his son's birth, due to his work as a volunteer firefighter during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. Both of his parents were of Irish descent. McCartney has a younger brother,
Peter Michael, and a younger stepsister, Ruth, born to his father's second wife Angie during her first marriage. Paul and Michael were baptised in their mother's
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
faith, even though their father was a former
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
who had turned
agnostic. Religion was not emphasised in the household.
According to his biographer
Peter Ames Carlin
Peter Ames Carlin (born March 13, 1963) is an American journalist, critic and biographer who has written for publications such as ''People'' magazine, ''The New York Times Magazine'', '' The Los Angeles Times Magazine'', and ''The Oregonian''. Seve ...
, McCartney's parents came from the "lowest rungs of the working class",
[.] but had experienced some upward
social mobility during their lifetimes. Before the war, Jim had worked as a salesman for the cotton merchants A. Hannay and Co., having been promoted from his job as a sample boy in their warehouse; when the war broke out, Hannay's was shuttered and Jim was employed as a lathe turner at
Napier's defence engineering works, volunteering for the fire brigade at night. The growing family was rehoused at a flat in
Knowsley in 1944 and then in a
council housing development in
Speke
Speke () is a suburb of Liverpool. It is southeast of the city centre. Located near the widest part of the River Mersey, it is bordered by the suburbs of Garston and Hunts Cross, and nearby to Halewood, Hale Village, and Widnes. The rural are ...
in 1946. After the war, Jim returned to his job at the cotton merchants though with a reduced income. Mary's work as a visiting midwife was much more remunerative.
McCartney attended Stockton Wood Road Primary School in Speke from 1947 until 1949, when he transferred to Joseph Williams Junior School in
Belle Vale
Belle Vale is a district of south-east Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward that covers both Belle Vale and Netherley.
Description
The Belle Vale area shares borders with Huyton, Netherley, Gateacre and Childwall ...
because of overcrowding at Stockton. In 1953, he was one of only three students out of 90 to pass the
11-Plus
The eleven-plus (11+) is a standardized examination administered to some students in England and Northern Ireland in their last year of primary education, which governs admission to grammar schools and other secondary schools which use academi ...
exam, meaning he could attend the
Liverpool Institute
The Liverpool Institute High School for Boys was an all-boys grammar school in the English port city of Liverpool.
The school had its origins in 1825 but occupied different premises while the money was found to build a dedicated building on ...
, a
grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
rather than a
secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Schools of this type continue in Northern Ireland, where they are usuall ...
. In 1954, he met schoolmate
George Harrison on the bus from his suburban home in Speke. The two quickly became friends; McCartney later admitted: "I tended to talk down to him because he was a year younger."
McCartney's mother, Mary, was a
midwife
A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery.
The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; co ...
and the family's primary wage earner; her earnings enabled them to move into
20 Forthlin Road in
Allerton, where they lived until 1964. She rode a bicycle to her patients; McCartney described an early memory of her leaving at "about three in the morning
hestreets ... thick with snow". On 31 October 1956, when McCartney was 14, his mother died of an
embolism
An embolism is the lodging of an embolus, a blockage-causing piece of material, inside a blood vessel. The embolus may be a blood clot (thrombus), a fat globule (fat embolism), a bubble of air or other gas ( gas embolism), amniotic fluid (am ...
as a complication of surgery for breast cancer. McCartney's loss later became a connection with
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
, whose mother,
Julia
Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g ...
, had died when he was 17.
McCartney's father was a trumpet player and pianist who led Jim Mac's Jazz Band in the 1920s. He kept an
upright piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
in the front room, encouraged his sons to be musical and advised McCartney to take piano lessons. However, McCartney preferred to
learn by ear. When McCartney was 11, his father encouraged him to audition for the
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool, and the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. It may be referred to as the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool (as recorded in th ...
choir, but he was not accepted. McCartney then joined the choir at
St Barnabas' Church, Mossley Hill
St Barnabas' Church is in Smithdown Place, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It stands at the junction of Allerton Road, Smithdown Road, and Penny Lane. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Liverpool South Childw ...
. McCartney received a nickel-plated trumpet from his father for his fourteenth birthday, but when
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
became popular on
Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg).
The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...
, McCartney traded it for a £15
Framus
Framus is a German string instrument manufacturing company, that existed from 1946 until going bankrupt in 1975. The Framus brand was revived in 1995 as part of Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG, in Markneukirchen, Germany. The company's cu ...
Zenith (model 17)
acoustic guitar, since he wanted to be able to sing while playing. He found it difficult to play guitar right-handed, but after noticing a poster advertising a
Slim Whitman
Ottis Dewey Whitman Jr. (January 20, 1923 – June 19, 2013), known as Slim Whitman, was an American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist known for his yodeling abilities and his use of falsetto. He claimed he had sold in excess of ...
concert and realising that Whitman played left-handed, he reversed the order of the strings. McCartney wrote his first song, "
I Lost My Little Girl
"I Lost My Little Girl" is one of the first songs written by Paul McCartney and the first he wrote for guitar. McCartney wrote the song in 1956 or 1957, around the age of 14 or 15, shortly after his mother's death.
Composition
Some writers, includ ...
", on the Zenith, and composed another early tune that would become "
When I'm Sixty-Four
"When I'm Sixty-Four" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and released on their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. McCartney wrote the song when he was ab ...
" on the piano. American
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
influenced him, and
Little Richard was his schoolboy idol; "
Long Tall Sally
"Long Tall Sally", also known as "Long Tall Sally (The Thing)", is a rock and roll song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, and Little Richard. Richard recorded it for Specialty Records, which released it as a single in March ...
" was the first song McCartney performed in public, at a
Butlin's Filey
Filey Holiday Camp was a Butlin's holiday camp near Filey, North Yorkshire, England, built for Billy Butlin's holiday organisation. Construction of the camp began in 1939. From 1939 to 1945, the camp was used as a military training base, as RAF H ...
holiday camp talent competition.
Career
1957–1960: The Quarrymen
At the age of fifteen on 6 July 1957, McCartney met John Lennon and his band, the Quarrymen, at the St Peter's Church Hall fête in
Woolton
Woolton (; ) is an affluent suburb of Liverpool, England. It is located southeast of the city and is bordered by Allerton, Gateacre, Halewood, and Hunt's Cross. At the 2011 Census, the population was 12,921.
Overview
Originally a standalone ...
. The Quarrymen played a mix of rock and roll and
skiffle
Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United State ...
, a type of
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
with
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
,
blues and
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
influences. Soon afterwards, the members of the band invited McCartney to join as a rhythm guitarist, and he formed a close working relationship with Lennon. Harrison joined in 1958 as lead guitarist, followed by Lennon's art school friend
Stuart Sutcliffe
Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe (23 June 1940 – 10 April 1962) was a Scottish painter and musician best known as the original bass guitarist of the English rock band the Beatles. Sutcliffe left the band to pursue his career as a paint ...
on bass, in 1960. By May 1960, the band had tried several names, including ''Johnny and the Moondogs'', ''Beatals'' and ''the Silver Beetles''. They adopted the name ''the Beatles'' in August 1960 and recruited drummer
Pete Best
Randolph Peter Best (né Scanland; born 24 November 1941) is an English musician known as the drummer of the English rock band the Beatles who was dismissed immediately prior to the band achieving worldwide fame. Fired from the group in 1962 ...
shortly before a five-engagement residency in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
.
1960–1970: The Beatles
![Paul McCartney Headshot (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Paul_McCartney_Headshot_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In 1961, Sutcliffe left the band and McCartney reluctantly became their bass player. While in Hamburg, they recorded professionally for the first time and were credited as the Beat Brothers, who were the backing band for English singer
Tony Sheridan
Anthony Esmond Sheridan McGinnity (21 May 1940 – 16 February 2013), known professionally as Tony Sheridan, was an English rock and roll guitarist who spent much of his adult life in Germany. He was best known as an early collaborator of th ...
on the single "
My Bonnie
My or MY may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* My (radio station), a Malaysian radio station
* Little My, a fictional character in the Moomins universe
* ''My'' (album), by Edyta Górniak
* ''My'' (EP), by Cho Mi-yeon
Business
* Mar ...
". This resulted in attention from
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein (; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was a British music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967.
Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put him i ...
, who was a key figure in their subsequent development and success. He became their manager in January 1962.
Ringo Starr replaced Best in August, and the band had their first hit, "
Love Me Do
"Love Me Do" is the official debut single by the English rock band the Beatles, backed by " P.S. I Love You". When the single was originally released in the United Kingdom on 5 October 1962, it peaked at number 17. It was released in the Unite ...
", in October, becoming popular
in the UK in 1963, and
in the US a year later. The fan hysteria became known as "
Beatlemania", and the press sometimes referred to McCartney as the "cute Beatle". McCartney co-wrote (with Lennon) several of their early hits, including "
I Saw Her Standing There
"I Saw Her Standing There" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It is the opening track on the band's 1963 debut UK album '' Please Please Me'' and their debut US album '' Introducing... The ...
", "
She Loves You
"She Loves You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and recorded by English rock band the Beatles for release as a single in 1963. The single set and surpassed several sales records in the United Kingdom charts, and set a record i ...
", "
I Want to Hold Your Hand
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and recorded on 17 October 1963, it was the first Beatles record to be made using four-track equipment.
With advance orders ...
" (1963) and "
Can't Buy Me Love
"Can't Buy Me Love" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in March 1964 as the A-side of their sixth single. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The song was included ...
" (1964).
In August 1965, the Beatles released the McCartney composition "
Yesterday", featuring a
string quartet. Included on the ''
Help!
''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the singles " Help!" and " Ticket to Ride", ...
'' LP, the song was the group's first recorded use of classical music elements and their first recording that involved only a single band member. "Yesterday" became one of the most covered songs in popular music history. Later that year, during recording sessions for the album ''
Rubber Soul
''Rubber Soul'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 3 December 1965 in the United Kingdom, on EMI's Parlophone label, accompanied by the non-album double A-side single " Day Tripper" / " We Can ...
'', McCartney began to supplant Lennon as the dominant musical force in the band.
Musicologist
Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...
Ian MacDonald
Ian MacCormick (known by the pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British music critic and author, best known for both '' Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of the Beatles which borrowed techniques from ...
wrote, "from
965nbsp;...
cCartneywould be in the ascendant not only as a songwriter, but also as instrumentalist, arranger, producer, and ''de facto'' musical director of the Beatles." Critics described ''Rubber Soul'' as a significant advance in the refinement and profundity of the band's music and lyrics. Considered a high point in the Beatles catalogue, both Lennon and McCartney said they had written the music for the song "
In My Life
"In My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It appeared on their 1965 album '' Rubber Soul''. Its lyrics were written primarily by John Lennon, credited to Lennon–McCartney. George Martin contributed the piano solo bridge.
...
". McCartney said of the album, "we'd had our cute period, and now it was time to expand." Recording engineer
Norman Smith stated that the ''Rubber Soul'' sessions exposed indications of increasing contention within the band: "the clash between John and Paul was becoming obvious ...
ndas far as Paul was concerned, George
arrisoncould do no right—Paul was absolutely finicky."
In 1966, the Beatles released the album ''
Revolver''. Featuring sophisticated lyrics, studio experimentation, and an expanded repertoire of
musical genres
This is a list of music genres and styles. Music can be described in terms of many music genre, genres and styles. Classifications are often arbitrary, and may be disputed and closely related forms often overlap. Larger genres and styles comprise ...
ranging from innovative string arrangements to
psychedelic rock, the album marked an artistic leap for the Beatles. The first of three consecutive McCartney
A-sides, the single "
Paperback Writer
"Paperback Writer" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, the song was released as the A-side of their eleventh single in May 1966. It topped sin ...
" preceded the LP's release. The Beatles produced a short promotional film for the song, and another for its B-side, "
Rain
Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water ...
". The films, described by Harrison as "the forerunner of
videos
Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...
", aired on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...
'' and ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
'' in June 1966. ''Revolver'' also included McCartney's "
Eleanor Rigby
"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. It was also issued on a double A-side single, paired with " Yellow Submarine". The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to L ...
", which featured a
string octet
A string octet is a piece of music written for eight string instruments, or sometimes the group of eight players. It usually consists of four violins, two violas and two cellos, or four violins, two violas, a cello and a double bass.
Notable s ...
. According to Gould, the song is "a neoclassical tour de force ... a true hybrid, conforming to no recognizable style or genre of song". Except for some backing vocals, the song included only McCartney's lead vocal and the strings arranged by producer
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the " Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the ...
.
![McCartney (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/McCartney_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The band gave their final commercial concert at the end of their
1966 US tour. Later that year, McCartney completed his first musical project independent of the group—a
film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
for the UK production ''
The Family Way
''The Family Way'' is a 1966 British comedy-drama film about the marital difficulties of a young newlywed couple living in a crowded house with the husband's family. Based on Bill Naughton's play '' All in Good Time'' (1963), the film began lif ...
''. The score was a collaboration with Martin, who used two McCartney themes to write thirteen variations. The soundtrack failed to chart, but it won McCartney an
Ivor Novello Award
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...
for Best Instrumental Theme.
Upon the end of the Beatles' performing career, McCartney sensed unease in the band and wanted them to maintain creative productivity. He pressed them to start a new project, which became ''
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'', widely regarded as rock's first
concept album. McCartney was inspired to create a new
persona
A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatr ...
for the group, to serve as a vehicle for experimentation and to demonstrate to their fans that they had musically matured. He invented the fictional band of the album's
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
. As McCartney explained, "We were fed up with being the Beatles. We really hated that fucking four little
mop-top
The English rock band the Beatles are commonly regarded as the foremost and most influential band in popular music history. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they sparked the " Beatlemania ...
approach. We were not boys we were men ... and
ethought of ourselves as artists rather than just performers."
Starting in November 1966, the band adopted an experimental attitude during recording sessions for the album. Their recording of "
A Day in the Life" required a forty-piece orchestra, which Martin and McCartney took turns conducting. The sessions produced the
double A-side single "
Strawberry Fields Forever
"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on 13 February 1967 as a double A-side single with " Penny Lane". It represented a departu ...
"/"
Penny Lane
"Penny Lane" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in February 1967 as a double A-side single with "Strawberry Fields Forever". It was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songw ...
" in February 1967, and the LP followed in June. Based on an ink drawing by McCartney, the LP's cover included a collage designed by
pop artists
Peter Blake and
Jann Haworth
Jann Haworth (born 1942) is a British-American pop artist. A pioneer of soft sculpture, she is best known as the co-creator of The Beatles' ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' album cover. Haworth is also an advocate for feminist rights e ...
, featuring the Beatles in costume as the
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, standing with
a host of celebrities. The cover piqued a frenzy of analysis.
Epstein's death in August 1967 created a void, which left the Beatles perplexed and concerned about their future. McCartney stepped in to fill that void and gradually became the ''de facto'' leader and business manager of the group that Lennon had once led. In his first creative suggestion after this change of leadership, McCartney proposed that the band move forward on their plans to produce a film for television, which was to become ''
Magical Mystery Tour
''Magical Mystery Tour'' is a record by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double EP in the United Kingdom and an LP in the United States. It includes the soundtrack to the 1967 television film of the same name. The EP ...
''. According to Beatles historian
Mark Lewisohn
Mark Lewisohn (born 16 June 1958) is an English historian and biographer. Since the 1980s, he has written many reference books about the Beatles and has worked for EMI, MPL Communications and Apple Corps. , the project was "an administrative nightmare throughout". McCartney largely directed the film, which brought the group their first unfavourable critical response. However, the
film's soundtrack was more successful. It was released in the UK as a six-track double
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. disc (EP), and as an identically titled LP in the US, filled out with five songs from the band's recent singles. The only Capitol compilation later included in the group's official canon of studio albums, the ''Magical Mystery Tour'' LP achieved $8 million in sales within three weeks of its release, higher initial sales than any other Capitol LP up to that point.
The Beatles' animated film ''
Yellow Submarine'', loosely based on the imaginary world evoked by McCartney's 1966
composition
Composition or Compositions may refer to:
Arts and literature
*Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography
*Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...
, premiered in July 1968. Though critics admired the film for its visual style, humour and music, the
soundtrack album issued six months later received a less enthusiastic response. By late 1968, relations within the band were deteriorating. The tension grew during the recording of their eponymous double album, also known as the "
White Album
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
". Matters worsened the following year during the ''
Let It Be
Let It Be most commonly refers to:
* ''Let It Be'' (Beatles album), the Beatles' final studio album, released in 1970
* "Let It Be" (Beatles song), the title song from the album
It may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Let It Be'' (1970 ...
'' sessions, when a camera crew filmed McCartney lecturing the group: "We've been very negative since Mr. Epstein passed away ... we were always fighting
isdiscipline a bit, but it's silly to fight that discipline if it's our own".
In March 1969, McCartney married his first wife,
Linda Eastman
Linda Anne Eastman (July 7, 1867 – April 5, 1963) was an American librarian. She was selected by the American Library Association (ALA) as one of the 100 most important librarians of the 20th century.
Eastman served as the head Librarian of ...
, and in August, the couple had their first child,
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
, named after his late mother. ''
Abbey Road
''Abbey Road'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It is the last album the group started recording, although '' Let It Be'' was the last album completed before the band's break-up in April 1970. It was mostly ...
'' was the band's last recorded album, and Martin suggested "a continuously moving piece of music", urging the group to think
symphonically. McCartney agreed, but Lennon did not. They eventually compromised, agreeing to McCartney's suggestion: an LP featuring individual songs on side one, and a long
medley on side two. In October 1969,
a rumour surfaced that McCartney had died in a car crash in 1966 and was replaced by a lookalike, but this was quickly refuted when a November ''
Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...
'' magazine cover featured him and his family, accompanied by the caption "Paul is still with us".
John Lennon privately left the Beatles in September 1969, though agreed to not go public with the information so as to not jeopardize ongoing business negotiations. McCartney was in the midst of business disagreements with his bandmates, largely concerning
Allen Klein
Allen Klein (December 18, 1931 July 4, 2009) was an American businessman whose aggressive negotiation tactics affected industry standards for compensating recording artists. He founded ABKCO Music & Records Incorporated. Klein increased profits ...
's management of the group, when he announced his own departure from the group on 10 April 1970. He filed a suit for the band's formal dissolution on 31 December 1970, and in March 1971 the court appointed a
receiver to oversee the finances of the Beatles' company
Apple Corps
Apple Corps Limited (informally known as Apple) is a multi-armed multimedia corporation founded in London in January 1968 by the members of the Beatles to replace their earlier company (Beatles Ltd.) and to form a conglomerate. Its name (pron ...
. An English court legally dissolved the Beatles' partnership on 9 January 1975, though sporadic lawsuits against their record company
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
, Klein, and each other persisted until 1989.
1970–1981: Wings
As the Beatles were
breaking up in 1969–70, McCartney fell into a depression. His wife helped him pull out of that condition by praising his work as a songwriter and convincing him to continue writing and recording. In her honour, he wrote "
Maybe I'm Amazed
"Maybe I'm Amazed" is a song written by English musician Paul McCartney that was first released on his 1970 debut solo album ''McCartney''.
Although the original recording has never been released as a single, a live performance by McCartney's l ...
", explaining that with the Beatles breaking up, "that was my feeling: Maybe I'm amazed at what's going on ... Maybe I'm a man and maybe you're the only woman who could ever help me; Baby won't you help me understand ... Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time, hung me on the line, Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you." He added that "every love song I write is for Linda."
In 1970, McCartney continued his musical career with his first solo release, ''
McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
'', a US number-one album. Apart from some vocal contributions from Linda, ''McCartney'' is a one-man album, with McCartney providing compositions, instrumentation and vocals. In 1971, he collaborated with Linda and drummer
Denny Seiwell
Denny Seiwell (born July 10, 1943) is an American drummer and a founding member of Wings. He also drummed for Billy Joel and Liza Minnelli and played in the scores for the films ''Waterworld'', '' Grease II'', and ''Vertical Limit''. His d ...
on a second album, ''
Ram
Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:
Animals
* A male sheep
* Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish
People
* Ram (given name)
* Ram (surname)
* Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director
* RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch
* ...
''. A UK number one and a US top five, ''Ram'' included the co-written US number-one
hit single "
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is a song by Paul and Linda McCartney from the album ''Ram''. Released in the United States as a single on 2 August 1971, it reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on 4 September 1971, making it the first o ...
". Later that year,
ex-Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine joined the McCartneys and Seiwell to form the band
Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
. McCartney had this to say on the group's formation: "Wings were always a difficult idea ... any group having to follow
he Beatles'success would have a hard job ... I found myself in that very position. However, it was a choice between going on or finishing, and I loved music too much to think of stopping." In September 1971, the McCartneys' daughter
Stella was born, named in honour of Linda's grandmothers, both of whom were named Stella.
Following the addition of guitarist
Henry McCullough
Henry Campbell Liken McCullough (21 July 1943 – 14 June 2016) was a Northern Irish guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was best known for his work as a member of Spooky Tooth, The Grease Band and Paul McCartney and Wings. He also perf ...
, Wings' first concert tour began in 1972 with a debut performance in front of an audience of seven hundred at the
University of Nottingham
, mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom
, established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status
, type = Public
, chancellor ...
. Ten more gigs followed as they travelled across the UK in a van during an unannounced
tour of universities, during which the band stayed in modest accommodation and received pay in
coin
A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...
age collected from students, while avoiding Beatles songs during their performances. McCartney later said, "The main thing I didn't want was to come on stage, faced with the whole torment of five rows of press people with little pads, all looking at me and saying, 'Oh well, he is not as good as he was.' So we decided to go out on that university tour which made me less nervous ... by the end of that tour I felt ready for something else, so we went into Europe." During the seven-week, 25-show
Wings Over Europe Tour
In the summer of 1972, Paul McCartney's newly formed band, Wings, set out on a concert tour of Europe, in a double decker bus, WNO 481.
Promotion
Coming on the heels of a tour of English universities, the Wings Over Europe Tour was intended to ...
, the band played almost solely Wings and McCartney solo material: the Little Richard cover "
Long Tall Sally
"Long Tall Sally", also known as "Long Tall Sally (The Thing)", is a rock and roll song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, and Little Richard. Richard recorded it for Specialty Records, which released it as a single in March ...
" was the only song that had previously been recorded by the Beatles. McCartney wanted the tour to avoid large venues; most of the small halls they played had capacities of fewer than 3,000 people.
In March 1973, Wings achieved their first US number-one single, "
My Love", included on their second LP, ''
Red Rose Speedway
''Red Rose Speedway'' is the second studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, although credited to "Paul McCartney and Wings". The album was released by Beatles-owned label Apple Records in April 1973, preceded by its lead single, ...
'', a US number one and UK top five. McCartney's collaboration with Linda and former Beatles producer Martin resulted in the song "
Live and Let Die", which was the theme song for the
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
film
of the same name. Nominated for an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, the song reached number two in the US and number nine in the UK. It also earned Martin a
Grammy for his orchestral arrangement. Music professor and author Vincent Benitez described the track as "
symphonic rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initi ...
at its best".
![Paul McCartney with Linda McCartney - Wings - 1976](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Paul_McCartney_with_Linda_McCartney_-_Wings_-_1976.jpg)
After the departure of McCullough and Seiwell in 1973, the McCartneys and Laine recorded ''
Band on the Run''. The album was the first of seven platinum Wings LPs. It was a US and UK number one, the band's first to top the charts in both countries and the first ever to reach ''
Billboard'' magazine's charts on three separate occasions. One of the best-selling releases of the decade, it remained on the UK charts for 124 weeks. ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' named it one of the Best Albums of the Year for 1973, and in 1975, Paul McCartney and Wings won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance for the song "Band on the Run" and
Geoff Emerick
Geoffrey Ernest Emerick (5 December 1945 – 2 October 2018) was an English sound engineer and record producer who worked with the Beatles on their albums ''Revolver'' (1966), ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' (1967) and ''Abbey Road'' ...
won the Grammy for Best Engineered Recording for the album. In 1974, Wings achieved a second US number-one single with
the title track. The album also included the top-ten hits "
Jet" and "
Helen Wheels
"Helen Wheels" is a song by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings. The song was named after Paul and Linda McCartney's Land Rover, which they nicknamed "Hell on Wheels".
Release
The song was released as a single (with " Count ...
", and earned the 418th spot on ''Rolling Stone's'' list of
the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indust ...
. In 1974, McCartney hired guitarist
Jimmy McCulloch
James McCulloch (4 June 1953 – 27 September 1979) was a Scottish musician best known for playing lead guitar and bass, as a member of Paul McCartney's band Wings from 1974 to 1977. McCulloch was a member of the Glasgow psychedelic band One i ...
and drummer
Geoff Britton
Geoffrey Britton (born 1 August 1943) is an English rock drummer known for his work with Wings from August 1974 to January 1975, where he was featured on the '' Venus and Mars'' album.
Career
Britton was born in Lewisham, South East London). H ...
to replace McCullough and Seiwell. Britton subsequently quit during recording sessions in 1975 and was replaced by
Joe English.
Wings followed ''Band on the Run'' with the chart-topping albums ''
Venus and Mars'' (1975) and ''
Wings at the Speed of Sound
''Wings at the Speed of Sound'' is the fifth studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released on 25 March 1976. Issued at the height of the band's popularity, it reached the top spot on the US album chart—the band's fourth cons ...
'' (1976). In 1975, they began the fourteen-month
Wings Over the World Tour
The Wings Over the World tour was a series of concerts in 1975 and 1976 by the British–American rock band Wings performed in Britain, Australia, Europe, the United States and Canada. The North American leg constituted band leader Paul McCartne ...
, which included stops in the UK, Australia, Europe and the US. The tour marked the first time McCartney performed Beatles songs live with Wings, with five in the two-hour
set list
A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance.
A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
: "
I've Just Seen a Face
"I've Just Seen a Face" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released in August 1965 on their album ''Help!'', except in North America, where it appeared as the opening track on the December 1965 release ''Rubber Soul''. Writ ...
", "Yesterday", "
Blackbird", "
Lady Madonna
"Lady Madonna" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. In March 1968, it was released as a mono single, backed with "The Inner Light". The song was recorded on 3 a ...
" and "The Long and Winding Road". Following the second European leg of the tour and extensive rehearsals in London, the group undertook an ambitious US
arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
tour that yielded the US number-one
live triple LP ''
Wings over America
''Wings over America'' is a triple live album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in December 1976. The album was recorded during the American leg of the band's 1975–76 Wings Over the World tour. It peaked at number 8 on the ...
''.
In September 1977, the McCartneys had a third child, a son they named
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguati ...
. In November, the Wings song "
Mull of Kintyre
The Mull of Kintyre is the southwesternmost tip of the Kintyre Peninsula (formerly ''Cantyre'') in southwest Scotland. From here, the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland is visible on a calm and clear day, and a historic lighthouse, the second ...
", co-written with Laine, was quickly becoming one of the best-selling singles in UK chart history. The most successful single of McCartney's solo career, it achieved double the sales of the previous record holder, "
She Loves You
"She Loves You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and recorded by English rock band the Beatles for release as a single in 1963. The single set and surpassed several sales records in the United Kingdom charts, and set a record i ...
", and went on to sell 2.5 million copies and hold the UK sales record until the 1984 charity single, "
Do They Know It's Christmas?
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...
"
![Paul McCartney 930-6404](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Paul_McCartney_930-6404.jpg)
''
London Town'' (1978) spawned a US number-one single ("
With a Little Luck
"With a Little Luck" is a single by the band Wings from their 1978 album '' London Town''.
Writing, recording and release
"With a Little Luck" was written in Scotland and was Wings' follow-up single to the then best-selling UK Single of all tim ...
"), and continued Wings' string of commercial successes, making the top five in both the US and the UK. Critical reception was unfavourable, and McCartney expressed disappointment with the album. ''
Back to the Egg
''Back to the Egg'' is the seventh and final studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in June 1979 on Columbia Records in America (their first for the label), and on Parlophone in the UK. Co-produced by Chris Thomas, ...
'' (1979) featured McCartney's assemblage of a rock
supergroup dubbed "Rockestra" on two tracks. The band included Wings along with
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s.
Townsh ...
,
David Gilmour,
Gary Brooker
Gary Brooker (29 May 1945 – 19 February 2022) was an English singer and pianist, and the founder and lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum.
Early life
Born in Hackney Hospital, East London, on 29 May 1945, Brooker grew up in Hackney ...
,
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...
,
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove ...
and others. Though certified platinum, critics panned the album. Wings completed their final concert tour in 1979, with
twenty shows in the UK that included the live debut of the Beatles songs "
Got to Get You into My Life
"Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, first released in 1966 on their album ''Revolver''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is a homage to the Motown Sound, wit ...
", "
The Fool on the Hill
"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 EP and album '' Magical Mystery Tour''. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The lyrics describe the ...
" and "Let It Be".
In 1980, McCartney released his second solo LP, the self-produced ''
McCartney II'', which peaked at number one in the UK and number three in the US. As with his first album, he composed and performed it alone. The album contained the song "
Coming Up", the live version of which, recorded in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Scotland, in 1979 by Wings, became the group's last number-one hit. By 1981, McCartney felt he had accomplished all he could creatively with Wings and decided he needed a change. The group discontinued in April 1981 after Laine quit following disagreements over
royalties and salaries.
1982–1990
In 1982, McCartney collaborated with
Stevie Wonder on the Martin-produced number-one hit "
Ebony and Ivory
"Ebony and Ivory" is a song that was released in 1982 as a single by Paul McCartney featuring Stevie Wonder. It was issued on 29 March that year as the lead single from McCartney's third solo album, ''Tug of War'' (1982). Written by McCartney ...
", included on McCartney's ''
Tug of War
Tug of war (also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war, rope pulling, or tugging war) is a sport that pits two teams against each other in a test of strength: teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal being to bring the rope a certa ...
'' LP, and with
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
on "
The Girl Is Mine
"The Girl Is Mine" is a song recorded by American singer Michael Jackson and English musician Paul McCartney. The track was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. It was released as the first single for Jackson's sixth s ...
" from ''
Thriller''. "Ebony and Ivory" was McCartney's record 28th single to hit number one on the
''Billboard'' 100. The following year, he and Jackson worked on "
Say Say Say
"Say Say Say" is a song written and performed by English musician Paul McCartney and American musician Michael Jackson, released in October 1983 as the lead single to McCartney's 1983 album ''Pipes of Peace''. Produced by George Martin, the son ...
", McCartney's most recent US number one . McCartney earned his latest UK number one with the title track of his
LP release that year, "
Pipes of Peace
''Pipes of Peace'' is the fourth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Paul McCartney, released on 31 October 1983. As the follow-up to the popular ''Tug of War'', the album came close to matching the commercial success of its predeces ...
".
In 1984, McCartney starred in the musical ''
Give My Regards to Broad Street
''Give My Regards to Broad Street'' is the fifth solo studio album by Paul McCartney and the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The album reached number 1 on the UK chart. The lead single, " No More Lonely Nights", was BAFTA and Golden ...
'', a feature film he also wrote and produced which included Starr in an acting role. It was disparaged by critics: ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' described the film as "characterless, bloodless, and pointless"; while
Roger Ebert awarded it a single star, writing, "you can safely skip the movie and proceed directly to the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...
". The album fared much better, reaching number one in the UK and producing the US top-ten hit single "
No More Lonely Nights
"No More Lonely Nights" is a song written and performed by Paul McCartney, first released on 24 September 1984 on the soundtrack ''Give My Regards to Broad Street'' (1984).
Release
Two versions of the single on both 7" and 12", and a 12" picture ...
", featuring David Gilmour on lead guitar. In 1985,
Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
commissioned McCartney to write a song for the comedic feature film ''
Spies Like Us
''Spies Like Us'' is a 1985 American spy comedy film directed by John Landis, and starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Forrest and Donna Dixon. The film presents the comic adventures of two novice intelligence agents sent to the Soviet Un ...
''. He composed and recorded
the track
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
in four days, with
Phil Ramone
Philip Ramone (né Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934March 30, 2013) was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who in 1958 co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio with business pa ...
co-producing. McCartney participated in
Live Aid, performing "Let it Be", but technical difficulties rendered his vocals and piano barely audible for the first two verses, punctuated by squeals of
feedback. Equipment technicians resolved the problems and
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Alison Moyet, Pete Townshend and
Bob Geldof joined McCartney on stage, receiving an enthusiastic crowd reaction.
McCartney collaborated with
Eric Stewart
Eric Michael Stewart (born 20 January 1945) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known as a founding member of the rock groups the Mindbenders with whom he played from 1963 to 1968, and likewise of 1 ...
on ''
Press to Play
''Press to Play'' is the sixth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 25 August 1986. It was McCartney's first album of entirely new music since ''Pipes of Peace'' in 1983, and his first solo album to be issued interna ...
'' (1986), with Stewart co-writing more than half the songs on the LP. In 1988, McCartney released ''
Снова в СССР'', initially available only in the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, which contained eighteen
covers; recorded over the course of two days. In 1989, he joined forces with fellow
Merseyside
Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Mersey Estuary and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wi ...
rs
Gerry Marsden
Gerard Marsden MBE (24 September 1942 – 3 January 2021) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and television personality, best known for being leader of the Merseybeat band Gerry and the Pacemakers. He was the younger brother of fellow b ...
and
Holly Johnson
William Holly Johnson (born 9 February 1960) is an English artist, musician, and writer, best known as the lead vocalist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who achieved huge commercial success in the mid-1980s. Prior to that, in the late 1970s he wa ...
to record an updated version of "
Ferry Cross the Mersey
"Ferry Cross the Mersey" is a song written by Gerry Marsden. It was first recorded by his band Gerry and the Pacemakers and released in late 1964 in the UK and in 1965 in the United States. It was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reachin ...
", for the
Hillsborough disaster appeal fund. That same year, he released ''
Flowers in the Dirt
''Flowers in the Dirt'' is the eighth studio solo album by Paul McCartney. The album was released on 5 June 1989 on Parlophone, as he was embarking on his first world tour since the Wings Over the World tour in 1975–76. It earned McCartney som ...
''; a collaborative effort with
Elvis Costello that included musical contributions from Gilmour and
Nicky Hopkins
Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. Hopkins performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, most notably ...
.
McCartney then formed a band consisting of himself and Linda, with
Hamish Stuart
James Hamish Stuart (born 8 October 1949) is a British guitarist, bassist, singer, composer and record producer. He was an original member of the Average White Band.
Biography
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Stuart attended Queens Park School in ...
and
Robbie McIntosh
Robbie McIntosh (born 25 October 1957) is an English guitarist. McIntosh is well known as a session guitarist and member of The Pretenders from 1982 until 1987. In 1988 he began doing session guitar work for Paul McCartney joining his band fu ...
on guitars,
Paul "Wix" Wickens
Paul Wickens (born 27 March 1956) is an English musician, composer, and record producer, professionally known as Wix. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Wickens has worked with artists including Nik Kershaw, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bon ...
on keyboards and
Chris Whitten on drums. In September 1989, they launched
the Paul McCartney World Tour
The Paul McCartney World Tour was a worldwide concert tour by Paul McCartney, notable for being McCartney's first tour under his own name, and for the monumental painted stage sets by artist Brian Clarke. The 103-gig tour, which ran from 1989 th ...
, his first in over a decade. During the tour, McCartney performed for the largest paying stadium audience in history on 21 April 1990, when 184,000 people attended his concert at
Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. That year, he released the triple album ''
Tripping the Live Fantastic
''Tripping the Live Fantastic'' is Paul McCartney's first official solo live album and his first release of concert material since Wings' 1976 ''Wings over America'' live package. It was released in 1990 as triple LP, double cassette and double ...
'', which contained selected performances from the tour.
1991–1999
McCartney ventured into
orchestral music
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...
in 1991 when the
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society commissioned a musical piece by him to celebrate its
sesquicentennial
An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saint ...
. He collaborated with composer
Carl Davis
Carl Davis, (born October 28, 1936) is an American-born conductor and composer who has lived in the United Kingdom since 1961.
He has written music for more than 100 television programmes, but is best known for creating music to accompany si ...
, producing ''
Liverpool Oratorio
''Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio'' is a live album by Paul McCartney and Carl Davis, released in 1991. It is McCartney's first major foray into classical music. Composed in collaboration with Carl Davis to commemorate the Royal Liverpool ...
''. The performance featured opera singers
Kiri Te Kanawa, Sally Burgess,
Jerry Hadley
Jerry Hadley (June 16, 1952 – July 18, 2007) was an American operatic tenor. He received three Grammy awards for his vocal performances in the recordings of ''Jenůfa'' (2004 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording), ''Susannah'' (1995 Grammy Awar ...
and
Willard White
Sir Willard Wentworth White, OM, CBE (born 10 October 1946) is a Jamaican-born British operatic bass baritone.
Early life
White was born into a Jamaican family in Kingston. His father was a dockworker, his mother a housewife. White first beg ...
with the
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmon ...
and the choir of
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool, and the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. It may be referred to as the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool (as recorded in th ...
. Reviews were negative. ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' was especially critical, describing the music as "afraid of anything approaching a fast tempo", and adding that the piece has "little awareness of the need for recurrent ideas that will bind the work into a whole". The paper published a letter McCartney submitted in response in which he noted several of the work's faster
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
s and added, "happily, history shows that many good pieces of music were not liked by the critics of the time so I am content to ... let people judge for themselves the merits of the work." ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' was slightly more generous, stating, "There are moments of beauty and pleasure in this dramatic miscellany ... the music's innocent sincerity makes it difficult to be put off by its ambitions". Performed around the world after its London premiere, the ''Liverpool Oratorio'' reached number one on the UK classical chart, ''Music Week''.
In 1991, McCartney performed a selection of
acoustic-only songs on ''
MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' and released a live album of the performance titled ''
Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)
''Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)'' is a live unplugged performance by Paul McCartney, recorded and released in 1991. Following the vastness of his world tour recently captured on '' Tripping the Live Fantastic'', McCartney relished the oppor ...
''. During the 1990s, McCartney collaborated twice with
Youth
Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Yo ...
of
Killing Joke as the musical duo
"the Fireman". The two released their first
electronica album together, ''
Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest
''Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest'' is the first album by the Fireman, released in 1993.
Background
The album consists of samples of McCartney material, mostly from the sessions that spawned his '' Off the Ground'' album, as well as samples of ...
'', in 1993. McCartney released the rock album ''
Off the Ground
''Off the Ground'' is the ninth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, released on 2 February 1993. As his first studio album of the 1990s, it is also the follow-up to the well received ''Flowers in the Dirt'' (1989).
Recording and structure
Afte ...
'' in 1993. The subsequent
New World Tour followed, which led to the release of the ''
Paul Is Live
''Paul Is Live'' is a live album by Paul McCartney, released in 1993 during his New World Tour in support of his studio album ''Off the Ground'', released that same year. ''Paul Is Live'' contains live recordings of McCartney and his touring ...
'' album later that year.
Starting in 1994, McCartney took a four-year break from his solo career to work on Apple's ''
Beatles Anthology
''The Beatles Anthology'' is a multimedia retrospective project consisting of a television documentary, a three-volume set of double albums, and a book describing the history of the Beatles. Beatles members Paul McCartney, George Harrison and R ...
'' project with Harrison, Starr and Martin. He recorded a radio series called ''
Oobu Joobu'' in 1995 for the American network
Westwood One
Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming.
The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The compan ...
, which he described as "widescreen radio". Also in 1995,
Prince Charles presented him with an Honorary
Fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
ship of the
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including performanc ...
—"kind of amazing for somebody who doesn't read a note of music", commented McCartney.
In 1997, McCartney released the rock album ''
Flaming Pie
''Flaming Pie'' is the tenth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 5 May 1997 by Parlophone in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. His first studio album in over four years, it was mostly recorded after McCartney's ...
''. Starr appeared on drums and backing vocals in "
Beautiful Night". Later that year, he released the classical work ''
Standing Stone'', which topped the UK and US classical charts. In 1998, he released ''
Rushes'', the second electronica album by the Fireman. In 1999, McCartney released ''
Run Devil Run''. Recorded in one week, and featuring
Ian Paice
Ian Anderson Paice (born 29 June 1948) is an English musician, best known as the drummer and last remaining original member of the rock band Deep Purple.
He is often cited as one of the greatest drummers of all-time. He remains the only membe ...
and David Gilmour, it was primarily an album of covers with three McCartney originals. He had been planning such an album for years, having been previously encouraged to do so by Linda, who had died of cancer in April 1998.
McCartney did an unannounced performance at the benefit tribute, "
Concert for Linda
The Concert for Linda was a benefit tribute to Linda McCartney, wife of Paul McCartney. It was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 10 April 1999. ", his wife of 29 years who died a year earlier. It was held at the
Royal Albert Hall in London on 10 April 1999, and was organised by two of her close friends,
Chrissie Hynde and
Carla Lane
Romana Barrack (5 August 1928 – 31 May 2016), known professionally as Carla Lane, was an English television writer responsible for several successful British sitcoms, including '' The Liver Birds'' (co-creator, 1969–1979), ''Butterflies'' (1 ...
. Also during 1999, he continued his experimentation with orchestral music on ''
Working Classical''.
2000–2009
In 2000, he released the electronica album ''
Liverpool Sound Collage'' with
Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band formed in Cardiff in 1993. For the duration of their professional career, the band consisted of Gruff Rhys (lead vocals, guitar), Huw Bunford (lead guitar, vocals), Guto Pryce (bass guitar), Cian Ciar ...
and Youth, using the sound collage and
musique concrète techniques that had fascinated him in the mid-1960s. He contributed the song "Nova" to a tribute album of classical,
choral music
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...
called ''
A Garland for Linda'' (2000), dedicated to his late wife.
Having witnessed the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
from the
JFK airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the New ...
tarmac, McCartney was inspired to take a leading role in organising
the Concert for New York City
The Concert for New York City was a benefit concert, featuring many famous musicians, that took place on October 20, 2001 at Madison Square Garden in New York City in response to the September 11 attacks. Aside from performing for charity, the co ...
. His studio album release in November that year, ''
Driving Rain'', included the song "
Freedom", written in response to the attacks. The following year, McCartney went out on tour with
a new band that included guitarists
Rusty Anderson
Rusty Anderson is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who is best known for his work as the lead guitarist for Paul McCartney's touring band though he has worked with an extensive list of artists in addition to his own solo career.
Ca ...
and
Brian Ray
Brian Thomas Ray (born January 4, 1955) is an American session musician, guitarist, bassist, singer–songwriter, and musical director. He is best known for his work as a bass, rhythm, and lead guitarist with Paul McCartney's touring band, ...
, accompanied by
Paul "Wix" Wickens
Paul Wickens (born 27 March 1956) is an English musician, composer, and record producer, professionally known as Wix. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Wickens has worked with artists including Nik Kershaw, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bon ...
on keyboards and
Abe Laboriel Jr.
Abraham Laboriel Jr. (born March 23, 1971) is an American session drummer. He is the son of Mexican bass guitarist Abraham Laboriel, nephew of Mexican rocker Johnny Laboriel, and brother of record producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo ...
on drums. They began the
Driving World Tour
The Driving World Tour was a concert tour by English musician Paul McCartney. It marked his first tour of the 21st century and of any kind since 1993's New World Tour. For the first time in nearly a decade, McCartney returned to the road follow ...
in April 2002, which included stops in the US, Mexico and Japan. The tour resulted in the
double
A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another.
Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to:
Film and television
* Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character
* ...
live album ''
Back in the US
''Back in the U.S.'' (subtitled ''Live 2002'') is a double live album by Paul McCartney from his spring 2002 Driving USA Tour in the US in support of his 2001 release '' Driving Rain''. It was released with an accompanying DVD to commemorate ...
'', released internationally in 2003 as ''
Back in the World
''Back in the World'' (subtitled ''Live'') is a live album by Paul McCartney composed of highlights from his spring 2002 "Driving USA" tour in the United States in support of McCartney's 2001 release '' Driving Rain''. It was released internati ...
''. The tour earned a reported $126.2 million, an average of over $2 million per night, and ''Billboard'' named it the top tour of the year. The group continues to play together; McCartney has played live with Ray, Anderson, Laboriel, and Wickens longer than he played live with the Beatles or Wings.
In July 2002, McCartney married
Heather Mills
Heather Anne Mills (born 12 January 1968) is an English former model, businesswoman and activist.
Mills first came to public attention in 1993 when she was a model and was involved in a traffic collision with a police motorcycle in London. T ...
. In November, on the first anniversary of George Harrison's death, McCartney performed at the
Concert for George
The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 as a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organised by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and his son, Dhani, and arrang ...
. He participated in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
's
Super Bowl, performing "Freedom" during the pre-game show for
Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
in 2002 and headlining the halftime show at
Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. The English
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovere ...
honoured McCartney in 2002 by granting him a
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
. His crest, featuring a
Liver bird
The liver bird is a mythical creature which is the symbol of the English city of Liverpool. It is normally represented as a cormorant, and appears as such on the city's arms, in which it bears a branch of laver seaweed in its beak as a furth ...
holding an acoustic guitar in its claw, reflects his background in Liverpool and his musical career. The shield includes four curved emblems which resemble
beetle
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
s' backs. The arms' motto is ''Ecce Cor Meum'', Latin for "Behold My Heart".
In 2003, the McCartneys had a child, Beatrice Milly.
In July 2005, he performed at the
Live 8 event in
Hyde Park, London, opening the show with "
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (with
U2) and closing it with "
Drive My Car" (with
George Michael), "
Helter Skelter", and "
The Long and Winding Road
"The Long and Winding Road" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album '' Let It Be''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. When issued as a single in May 1970, a month after the Beatl ...
". In September, he released the rock album ''
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard'', for which he provided most of the instrumentation. In 2006, McCartney released the classical work ''
Ecce Cor Meum
''Ecce Cor Meum'' (Latin for ''Behold My Heart'') is the fourth classical album by Paul McCartney. The album was released on 25 September 2006 by EMI Classics. An oratorio in four movements, it is produced by John Fraser, written in Latin and En ...
''. The rock album ''
Memory Almost Full
''Memory Almost Full'' is the fourteenth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney. It was released in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2007 and in the United States a day later. The album was the first release on Starbucks' Hear Music la ...
'' followed in 2007. In 2008, he released his third Fireman album, ''
Electric Arguments
''Electric Arguments'' is the third album by the Fireman. The album was first announced 29 September 2008, on Paul McCartney's website, and was released on 24 November 2008 on the duo's website. It is the first Fireman release to be publicly ackn ...
''. Also in 2008, he performed at a concert in Liverpool to celebrate the city's year as
European Capital of Culture. In 2009, after a four-year break, he returned to touring and has since performed over 80 shows. More than forty-five years after the Beatles first appeared on American television during ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', he returned to the same New York theatre to perform on ''
Late Show with David Letterman''. On 9 September 2009, EMI reissued the Beatles catalogue following a four-year digital remastering effort, releasing a music video game called ''
The Beatles: Rock Band'' the same day.
McCartney's enduring fame has made him a popular choice to open new venues. In 2009, he performed three sold-out concerts at the newly built
Citi Field
Citi Field is a baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City, United States. It opened in 2009 and is the home field of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. The stadium was built as a replacement for the adjacent ...
, a venue constructed to replace
Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City. in
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
, New York. These performances yielded the double live album ''
Good Evening New York City
''Good Evening New York City'' is a CD/DVD double live album by Paul McCartney consisting of material performed over three nights as the inaugural concerts at New York City's Citi Field, 17, 18 and 21 July 2009, part of his Summer Live '09 conce ...
'' later that year.
2010–present
![Paul McCartney live in Dublin2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Paul_McCartney_live_in_Dublin2.jpg)
In 2010, McCartney opened the
Consol Energy Center
PPG Paints Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Pittsburgh, that serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). It previously was the home of the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2 ...
in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
; it was his first concert in Pittsburgh since 1990 due to the old Civic Arena being deemed unsuitable for McCartney's logistical needs. In July 2011, McCartney performed at two sold-out concerts at the new
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...
. A ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' review of the first concert reported that McCartney was "not saying goodbye but touring stadiums and playing marathon concerts". McCartney was commissioned by the New York City Ballet, and in September 2011, he released his first score for dance, a collaboration with Peter Martins called ''Ocean's Kingdom''. Also in 2011, McCartney married Nancy Shevell.
He released ''Kisses on the Bottom'', a collection of standard (music), standards, in February 2012, the same month that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences honoured him as the MusiCares Person of the Year, two days prior to his performance at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards.
McCartney remains one of the world's top draws. He played to over 100,000 people during two performances in Mexico City in May, with the shows grossing nearly $6 million. In June 2012, McCartney closed Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Concert held outside Buckingham Palace, performing a set that included "Let It Be" and "Live and Let Die". He closed the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London on 27 July, singing "The End (Beatles song), The End" and "Hey Jude" and inviting the audience to join in on the coda (music), coda. Having donated his time, he received £1 from the Olympic organisers.
On 12 December 2012, McCartney performed with three former members of Nirvana (band), Nirvana (Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl, and guest member Pat Smear) during the closing act of 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief, seen by approximately two billion people worldwide. On 28 August 2013, McCartney released the title track of his upcoming studio album ''New (album), New'', which came out in October 2013. A primetime entertainment special was taped on 27 January 2014 at the Ed Sullivan Theater with a 9 February 2014 CBS airing. The show featured McCartney and Ringo Starr, and celebrated the legacy of the Beatles and their groundbreaking 1964 performance on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...
''. The show, titled ''The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles'', featured 22 classic Beatles songs as performed by various artists, including McCartney and Starr.
In May 2014, McCartney cancelled a sold-out tour of Japan and postponed a US tour to October due to begin that month after he contracted a virus. He resumed the tour with a high-energy three-hour appearance in Albany, New York, Albany, New York on 5 July 2014.
On 14 August 2014, McCartney performed in the final concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California before its demolition; this was the same venue at which the Beatles played their final concert in 1966. In 2014, McCartney wrote and performed "Hope for the Future", the ending song for the video game ''Destiny (video game), Destiny''.
In November 2014, a 42-song tribute album titled ''The Art of McCartney'' was released, which features a wide range of artists covering McCartney's solo and Beatles work. Also that year, McCartney collaborated with American rapper Kanye West on the single "Only One (Kanye West song), Only One", released on 31 December. In January 2015, McCartney collaborated with West and Barbadian singer Rihanna on the single "FourFiveSeconds". They released a music video for the song in January and performed it live at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on 8 February 2015. McCartney featured on West's 2015 single "All Day (Kanye West song), All Day", which also features Theophilus London and Allan Kingdom.
![Show Paul McCartney São Paulo-26 de março de 2019 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Show_Paul_McCartney_S%C3%A3o_Paulo-26_de_mar%C3%A7o_de_2019_04.jpg)
In February 2015, McCartney performed with Paul Simon for the ''Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special''. McCartney and Simon performed the first verse of "
I've Just Seen a Face
"I've Just Seen a Face" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released in August 1965 on their album ''Help!'', except in North America, where it appeared as the opening track on the December 1965 release ''Rubber Soul''. Writ ...
" on acoustic guitars, and McCartney later performed "
Maybe I'm Amazed
"Maybe I'm Amazed" is a song written by English musician Paul McCartney that was first released on his 1970 debut solo album ''McCartney''.
Although the original recording has never been released as a single, a live performance by McCartney's l ...
". McCartney shared lead vocals on the Alice Cooper-led ''Hollywood Vampires (band), Hollywood Vampires'' supergroup's cover of his song "Come and Get It (Badfinger song), Come and Get It", which appears on their debut album, released on 11 September 2015. On 10 June 2016, McCartney released the career-spanning collection ''Pure McCartney (Paul McCartney album), Pure McCartney''. The set includes songs from throughout McCartney's solo career and his work with Wings and the Fireman, and is available in three different formats (2-CD, 4-CD, 4-LP and Digital). The 4-CD version includes 67 tracks, most of which were top-40 hits.
McCartney appeared in the 2017 adventure film ''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'', in a cameo role as Uncle Jack (Pirates of the Caribbean), Uncle Jack.
In January 2017, McCartney filed a suit in United States district court against Sony/ATV Music Publishing seeking to reclaim ownership of his share of the Lennon–McCartney song catalogue beginning in 2018. Under US copyright law, for works published before 1978 the author can reclaim copyrights assigned to a publisher after 56 years. McCartney and Sony agreed to a confidential settlement in June 2017. On 20 June 2018, McCartney released "I Don't Know (Paul McCartney song), I Don't Know" and "Come On To Me (Paul McCartney song), Come On to Me" from his album ''Egypt Station'', which was released on 7 September through Capitol Records. ''Egypt Station'' became McCartney's first album in 36 years to top the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200, and his first to debut at number one.
On 26 July 2018 McCartney played at The Cavern Club, with his regular band of Anderson, Ray, Wickens and Abe Laboriel Jr. The gig was filmed and later broadcast by BBC, on Christmas Day 2020, as ''Paul McCartney at the Cavern Club.''
McCartney's 18th solo album, ''McCartney III'', was released on 18 December 2020, via Capitol Records. An album of "reinterpretations, remixes, and covers" titled ''McCartney III Imagined'' was released on 16 April 2021.
McCartney's book ''The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present'' was released in November 2021. Described as a "self-portrait in 154 songs", the book is based on conversations McCartney had with the Irish poet Paul Muldoon. ''The Lyrics'' was named Book of the Year by both Barnes & Noble and Waterstones.
McCartney's "Got Back" tour ran from 28 April 2022 to 16 June 2022 in the United States, his first in the country since 2019. The tour concluded on 25 June 2022 when McCartney headlined Glastonbury Festival, a week after his 80th birthday. Performing on the Pyramid Stage, he became the oldest solo headliner at the festival. Special guests were Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen. In 2022, he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, as a producer for the documentary ''The Beatles: Get Back''.
Musicianship
McCartney is a largely self-taught musician, and his approach was described by musicologist
Ian MacDonald
Ian MacCormick (known by the pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British music critic and author, best known for both '' Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of the Beatles which borrowed techniques from ...
as "by nature drawn to music's formal aspects yet wholly untutored ... [he] produced technically 'finished' work almost entirely by instinct, his harmonic judgement based mainly on perfect pitch and an acute pair of ears ... [A] natural melodist—a creator of tunes capable of existing apart from their harmony." McCartney likened his approach to "the primitive cave artists, who drew without training".
Early influences
McCartney's earliest musical influences include Elvis Presley,
Little Richard,
Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, and Chuck Berry. When asked why the Beatles did not include Presley on the ''Sgt. Pepper'' cover, McCartney replied, "Elvis was too important and too far above the rest even to mention ... so we didn't put him on the list because he was more than merely a ... pop singer, he was Elvis the King." McCartney stated that for his bassline for "
I Saw Her Standing There
"I Saw Her Standing There" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It is the opening track on the band's 1963 debut UK album '' Please Please Me'' and their debut US album '' Introducing... The ...
", he directly quoted Berry's "I'm Talking About You".
McCartney called Little Richard an idol, whose falsetto Vocal music, vocalisations inspired McCartney's own vocal technique. McCartney said he wrote "I'm Down" as a vehicle for his Little Richard impersonation. In 1971, McCartney bought the publishing rights to Holly's catalogue, and in 1976, on the fortieth anniversary of Holly's birth, McCartney inaugurated the annual "Buddy Holly Week" in England. The festival has included guest performances by famous musicians, songwriting competitions, drawing contests and special events featuring performances by the Crickets.
Bass guitar
![DesertTrip2016-117 (30018692150)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/DesertTrip2016-117_%2830018692150%29.jpg)
Best known for primarily using a plectrum or Guitar pick, pick, McCartney occasionally plays Fingerstyle guitar, fingerstyle. He was strongly influenced by Motown artists, in particular James Jamerson, whom McCartney called a hero for his Melody, melodic style. He was also influenced by Brian Wilson, as he commented: "because he went to very unusual places". Another favourite bassist of his is Stanley Clarke. McCartney's skill as a bass player has been acknowledged by bassists including Sting (musician), Sting, Dr. Dre bassist Mike Elizondo, and Colin Moulding of XTC.
During McCartney's early years with the Beatles, he primarily used a Höfner 500/1 bass, although from 1965, he favoured his Rickenbacker 4001S for recording. While typically using Vox (musical equipment), Vox amplifiers, by 1967, he had also begun using a Fender Bassman for amplification. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he used a Wal (bass), Wal 5-String, which he said made him play more thick-sounding basslines, in contrast to the much lighter Höfner, which inspired him to play more sensitively, something he considers fundamental to his playing style. He changed back to the Höfner around 1990 for that reason. He uses Mesa Boogie#Bass amps, Mesa Boogie bass amplifiers while performing live.
MacDonald identified "She's a Woman" as the turning point when McCartney's bass playing began to evolve dramatically, and Beatles biographer Chris Ingham singled out ''Rubber Soul'' as the moment when McCartney's playing exhibited significant progress, particularly on "The Word (song), The Word". Bacon and Morgan agreed, calling McCartney's Groove (music), groove on the track "a high point in pop bass playing and ... the first proof on a recording of his serious technical ability on the instrument." MacDonald inferred the influence of James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" and Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour", American Soul music, soul tracks from which McCartney absorbed elements and drew inspiration as he "delivered his most spontaneous bass-part to date".
Bacon and Morgan described his bassline for the Beatles song "Rain" as "an astonishing piece of playing ...
cCartneythinking in terms of both rhythm and 'lead bass' ... [choosing] the area of the neck ... he correctly perceives will give him clarity for melody without rendering his sound too thin for groove." MacDonald identified the influence of Indian classical music in "exotic melismas in the bass part" on "Rain" and described the playing as "so inventive that it threatens to overwhelm the track". By contrast, he recognised McCartney's bass part on the Harrison-composed "Something (Beatles song), Something" as creative but overly busy and "too fussily extemporised". McCartney identified ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' as containing his strongest and most inventive bass playing, particularly on "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".
Acoustic guitar
McCartney primarily Flatpicking, flatpicks while playing acoustic guitar, though he also uses elements of Fingerstyle guitar, fingerpicking. Examples of his acoustic guitar playing on Beatles tracks include "Yesterday", "Michelle (song), Michelle", "
Blackbird", "I Will", "Mother Nature's Son" and "Rocky Raccoon". McCartney singled out "Blackbird" as a personal favourite and described his technique for the guitar part in the following way: "I got my own little sort of cheating way of [fingerpicking] ... I'm actually sort of pulling two strings at a time ... I was trying to emulate those Folk music, folk players." He employed a similar technique for "Jenny Wren". He played an Epiphone Texan on many of his acoustic recordings, but also used a Martin HD-7, Martin D-28.
Electric guitar
![Paul-mccartney-1350317931](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Paul-mccartney-1350317931.jpg)
McCartney played lead guitar on several Beatles recordings, including what MacDonald described as a "fiercely angular slide guitar solo" on "
Drive My Car", which McCartney played on an Epiphone Casino. McCartney said of the instrument: "if I had to pick one electric guitar it would be this." McCartney bought the Casino in 1964, on the knowledge that the guitar's hollow body would produce more feedback. He has retained that original guitar to the present day. He contributed what MacDonald described as "a startling guitar solo" on the Harrison composition "Taxman" and the "shrieking" guitar on "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "
Helter Skelter". MacDonald also praised McCartney's "coruscating pseudo-Indian" guitar solo on "Good Morning Good Morning". McCartney also played lead guitar on "Another Girl".
During his years with Wings, McCartney tended to leave electric guitar work to other group members, though he played most of the lead guitar on ''Band on the Run''. In 1990, when asked who his favourite guitar players were he included Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton and
David Gilmour, stating, "but I still like Jimi Hendrix, Hendrix the best". He has primarily used a Gibson Les Paul for electric work, particularly during live performances.
In addition to these guitars, McCartney is known to use and own a range of other electric guitars, usually favouring the Fender Esquire and its subsequent incarnation, the Fender Telecaster, using the latter with a sunburst finish on Wings' tours in the 1970s. He also owns a rare Ampeg Dan Armstrong Plexi guitar, the only left handed one known to be in existence, which appeared in the Wings video for "
Helen Wheels
"Helen Wheels" is a song by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings. The song was named after Paul and Linda McCartney's Land Rover, which they nicknamed "Hell on Wheels".
Release
The song was released as a single (with " Count ...
".
Vocals
McCartney is known for his Belting (music), belting power, versatility and wide tenor vocal range, spanning over four octaves. He was ranked the 11th greatest singer of all time by ''Rolling Stone'', voted the 8th greatest singer ever by ''NME'' readers and number 10 by ''Music Radar'' readers in the list of "the 30 greatest lead singers of all time". Over the years, McCartney has been named a significant vocal influence by Chris Cornell, Billy Joel, Steven Tyler, Brad Delp, and Axl Rose.
McCartney's vocals have crossed several music genres throughout his career. On "Call Me Back Again", according to Benitez, "McCartney shines as a
bluesy solo vocalist", while MacDonald called "I'm Down" "a Rock and roll, rock-and-roll classic" that "illustrates McCartney's vocal and stylistic versatility". MacDonald described "Helter Skelter" as an early attempt at Heavy metal music, heavy metal, and "Hey Jude" as a "pop/rock hybrid", pointing out McCartney's "use of Gospel music, gospel-style melismas" in the song and his "pseudo-Soul music, soul shrieking in the fade-out". Benitez identified "Hope of Deliverance" and "Put It There" as examples of McCartney's folk music efforts while musicologist Walter Everett (musicologist), Walter Everett considered "
When I'm Sixty-Four
"When I'm Sixty-Four" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and released on their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. McCartney wrote the song when he was ab ...
" and "Honey Pie" attempts at vaudeville. MacDonald praised the "Swing music, swinging beat" of the Beatles' Twelve-bar blues, twenty-four bar blues song, "She's a Woman" as "the most extreme sound they had manufactured to date", with McCartney's voice "at the edge, squeezed to the upper limit of his chest register and threatening to crack at any moment." MacDonald described "I've Got a Feeling" as a "raunchy, mid-tempo rocker" with a "robust and soulful" vocal performance and "Back in the U.S.S.R." as "the last of
he Beatles'up-tempo rockers", McCartney's "Belting (music), belting" vocals among his best since "Drive My Car", recorded three years earlier.
McCartney also teasingly tried out classical singing, namely singing various renditions of "Besame Mucho" with the Beatles. He continued experimenting with various musical and vocal styles throughout his post-Beatles career. "Monkberry Moon Delight" was described by ''Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork''s Jayson Greene as "an absolutely unhinged vocal take, Paul gulping and sobbing right next to your inner ear", adding that "it could be a latter-day Tom Waits performance".
Keyboards
![Paul McCartney in The White House](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Paul_McCartney_in_The_White_House.jpg)
McCartney played piano on several Beatles songs, including "She's a Woman", "For No One", "
A Day in the Life", "Hello, Goodbye", "
Lady Madonna
"Lady Madonna" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. In March 1968, it was released as a mono single, backed with "The Inner Light". The song was recorded on 3 a ...
", "Hey Jude", "Martha My Dear", "Let It Be (Beatles song), Let It Be" and "
The Long and Winding Road
"The Long and Winding Road" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album '' Let It Be''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. When issued as a single in May 1970, a month after the Beatl ...
". MacDonald considered the piano part in "Lady Madonna" as reminiscent of Fats Domino, and "Let It Be" as having a gospel rhythm. MacDonald called McCartney's Mellotron intro on "
Strawberry Fields Forever
"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on 13 February 1967 as a double A-side single with " Penny Lane". It represented a departu ...
" an integral feature of the song's character. McCartney played a Moog synthesizer on the Beatles song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and the Wings track "Loup (1st Indian on the Moon)". Ingham described the Wings songs "
With a Little Luck
"With a Little Luck" is a single by the band Wings from their 1978 album '' London Town''.
Writing, recording and release
"With a Little Luck" was written in Scotland and was Wings' follow-up single to the then best-selling UK Single of all tim ...
" and "London Town (Wings song), London Town" as being "full of the most sensitive pop synthesizer touches".
Drums
McCartney played drums on the Beatles' songs "Back in the U.S.S.R.", "Dear Prudence", "Martha My Dear", "Wild Honey Pie" and "The Ballad of John and Yoko". He also played all the drum parts on his albums ''McCartney'', ''McCartney II'' and ''McCartney III'', as well as on Wings' ''Band on the Run'', and most of the drums on his solo LP ''Chaos and Creation in the Backyard''. His other drumming contributions include Paul Jones (singer), Paul Jones' rendition of "And the Sun Will Shine#Paul Jones version, And the Sun Will Shine" (1968), Steve Miller Band's 1969 tracks "Celebration Song" and "My Dark Hour", and "Sunday Rain" from the Foo Fighters' 2017 album ''Concrete and Gold''.
Tape loops
In the mid-1960s, when visiting artist friend John Dunbar (artist), John Dunbar's flat in London, McCartney brought Magnetic tape, tapes he had compiled at then-girlfriend Jane Asher's home. They included mixes of various songs, musical pieces and comments made by McCartney that Dick James made into a demo for him. Heavily influenced by American
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
musician John Cage, McCartney made tape loops by recording voices, guitars and bongos on a Brenell Engineering, Brenell Reel-to-reel audio tape recording, tape recorder and splicing the various loops. He referred to the finished product as "electronic symphonies". He reversed the tapes, sped them up, and slowed them down to create the desired effects, some of which the Beatles later used on the songs "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "
The Fool on the Hill
"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 EP and album '' Magical Mystery Tour''. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The lyrics describe the ...
".
Personal life
Creative outlets
While at school during the 1950s, McCartney thrived at art assignments, often earning top accolades for his visual work. However, his lack of discipline negatively affected his academic grades, preventing him from earning admission to art college. During the 1960s, he delved into the visual arts, explored experimental cinema, and regularly attended film, theatrical and classical music performances. His first contact with the London
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
scene was through artist John Dunbar (artist), John Dunbar, who introduced McCartney to art dealer Robert Fraser (art dealer), Robert Fraser. At Fraser's flat he first learned about art appreciation and met Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg,
Peter Blake, and Richard Hamilton (artist), Richard Hamilton. McCartney later purchased works by Magritte, whose painting of an apple had inspired the Apple Records logo. McCartney became involved in the renovation and publicising of the Indica Gallery in Mason's Yard, London, which Barry Miles had co-founded and where Lennon first met Yoko Ono. Miles also co-founded ''International Times'', an underground paper that McCartney helped to start with direct financial support and by providing interviews to attract advertiser income. Miles later wrote McCartney's official biography, ''Many Years from Now'' (1997).
McCartney became interested in painting after watching artist Willem de Kooning work in de Kooning's Long Island studio. McCartney took up painting in 1983, and he first exhibited his work in Siegen, Germany, in 1999. The 70-painting show featured portraits of Lennon, Andy Warhol, and
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
. Though initially reluctant to display his paintings publicly, McCartney chose the gallery because events organiser Wolfgang Suttner showed genuine interest in McCartney's art. In September 2000, the first UK exhibition of McCartney's paintings opened, featuring 500 canvases at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, England. In October 2000, McCartney's art debuted in his hometown of Liverpool. McCartney said, "I've been offered an exhibition of my paintings at the Walker Art Gallery ... where John and I used to spend many a pleasant afternoon. So I'm really excited about it. I didn't tell anybody I painted for 15 years but now I'm out of the closet". McCartney is lead patron of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, a school in the building formerly occupied by the Liverpool Institute for Boys.
When McCartney was a child, his mother read him poems and encouraged him to read books. His father invited Paul and his brother Michael to solve crosswords with him, to increase their "word power", as McCartney said. In 2001, McCartney published ''Blackbird Singing'', a volume of poems and lyrics to his songs for which he gave readings in Liverpool and New York City.
In the foreword of the book, he explains: "When I was a teenager ... I had an overwhelming desire to have a poem published in the school magazine. I wrote something deep and meaningful—which was promptly rejected—and I suppose I have been trying to get my own back ever since". His first children's book was published by Faber & Faber in 2005, ''High in the Clouds: An Urban Furry Tail'', a collaboration with writer Philip Ardagh and animator Geoff Dunbar. Featuring a squirrel whose woodland home is razed by developers, it had been scripted and sketched by McCartney and Dunbar over several years, as an animated film. ''The Observer'' labelled it an "anti-capitalist children's book". In 2018, he wrote the children's book ''Hey Grandude!'' together with illustrator Kathryn Durst, which was published by Random House Books in September 2019. The book is about a grandpa and his three grandchildren with a magic compass on an adventure. A follow-up, titled ''Grandude's Green Submarine'', was released in September 2021.
In 1981, McCartney asked Geoff Dunbar to direct a short animated film called ''Rupert and the Frog Song''; McCartney was the writer and producer, and he also added some of the character voices. His song "We All Stand Together" from the film's soundtrack reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart. In 1992, he worked with Dunbar on an animated film about the work of French artist Honoré Daumier, which won them a BAFTA award.
In 2004, they worked together on the animated short film ''Tropic Island Hum''. The accompanying single, "Tropic Island Hum"/"We All Stand Together", reached number 21 in the UK.
McCartney also produced and hosted ''The Real Buddy Holly Story'', a 1985 documentary featuring interviews with Keith Richards, The Everly Brothers, Phil and Don Everly, the Holly family, and others. In 1995, he made a guest appearance on the ''The Simpsons, Simpsons'' episode "Lisa the Vegetarian" and directed a short documentary about the Grateful Dead.
Business
Since the Sunday Times Rich List, Rich List began in 1989, McCartney has been the UK's wealthiest musician, with an estimated fortune of £730 million in 2015.
In addition to an interest in Apple Corps and MPL Communications, an umbrella company for his business interests, he owns a significant Music publisher (popular music), music publishing catalogue, with access to over 25,000 copyrights, including the publishing rights to the musicals ''Guys and Dolls'', ''A Chorus Line'', ''Annie (musical), Annie'' and ''Grease (musical), Grease''.
[For MPL's ownership of over 25,000 songs see: ; : MPL's ownership of ''Guys and Dolls'', ''A Chorus Line'', and ''Grease''; : MPL's ownership of ''Annie''.] He earned £40 million in 2003, the highest income that year within media professions in the UK.
This rose to £48.5 million by 2005.
McCartney's 18-date On the Run (Paul McCartney), On the Run Tour grossed £37 million in 2012.
McCartney signed his first recording contract, as a member of the Beatles, with Parlophone Records, an
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
subsidiary, in June 1962. In the United States, the Beatles recordings were distributed by EMI subsidiary Capitol Records. The Beatles re-signed with EMI for another nine years in 1967. After forming their own record label, Apple Records, in 1968, the Beatles' recordings would be released through Apple although the masters were still owned by EMI. Following the break-up of the Beatles, McCartney's music continued to be released by Apple Records under the Beatles' 1967 recording contract with EMI which ran until 1976. Following the formal dissolution of the Beatles' partnership in 1975, McCartney re-signed with EMI worldwide and Capitol in the US, Canada and Japan, acquiring ownership of his solo catalogue from EMI as part of the deal. In 1979, McCartney signed with Columbia Records in the US and Canada—reportedly receiving the industry's most lucrative recording contract to date, while remaining with EMI for distribution throughout the rest of the world. As part of the deal, CBS offered McCartney ownership of Frank Music, publisher of the catalogue of American songwriter Frank Loesser. McCartney's album sales were below CBS' expectations and reportedly the company lost at least $9 million on the contract. McCartney returned to Capitol in the US in 1985, remaining with EMI until 2006.
[: McCartney's discography, with release label detail; : McCartney discography with release label detail.] In 2007, McCartney signed with Hear Music, becoming the label's first artist.
[For McCartney's current record label see: ; For his joining Hear as their first artist see: ] He returned to Capitol for 2018's ''Egypt Station''.
In 1963, Dick James established Northern Songs to publish the songs of Lennon–McCartney. McCartney initially owned 20% of Northern Songs, which became 15% after a public stock offering in 1965. In 1969, James sold a controlling interest in Northern Songs to Lew Grade's Associated Television (ATV) after which McCartney and John Lennon sold their remaining shares although they remained under contract to ATV until 1973. In 1972, McCartney re-signed with ATV for seven years in a joint publishing agreement between ATV and MPL Communications, McCartney Music. Since 1979, MPL Communications has published McCartney's songs.
McCartney and Yoko Ono attempted to purchase the Northern Songs catalogue in 1981, but Grade declined their offer. Soon afterward, ATV Music's parent company, Associated Communications Corp., was acquired in a takeover by businessman Robert Holmes à Court, who later sold ATV Music to
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
in 1985. McCartney has criticised Jackson's purchase and handling of Northern Songs over the years. In 1995, Jackson merged his catalogue with Sony for a reported £59,052,000 ($95 million), establishing Sony/ATV Music Publishing, in which he retained half-ownership.
Northern Songs was formally dissolved in 1995, and absorbed into the Sony/ATV catalogue.
[: McCartney was unhappy about Jackson's purchase and handling of Northern Songs; : Northern Songs dissolved and absorbed into Sony/ATV.] McCartney receives writers' royalties which together are percent of total commercial proceeds in the US, and which vary elsewhere between 50 and 55 percent. Two of the Beatles' earliest songs—"
Love Me Do
"Love Me Do" is the official debut single by the English rock band the Beatles, backed by " P.S. I Love You". When the single was originally released in the United Kingdom on 5 October 1962, it peaked at number 17. It was released in the Unite ...
" and "P.S. I Love You (Beatles song), P.S. I Love You"—were published by an EMI subsidiary, Ardmore & Beechwood, before signing with James. McCartney acquired their publishing rights from Ardmore in 1978, and they are the only two Beatles songs owned by MPL Communications.
[: The only Beatles songs owned by MPL Communications; : McCartney acquired the publishing rights for "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You".]
Drugs
McCartney first used drugs in the Beatles'
Hamburg
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Hamburgian(s)
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days when they often used Preludin to maintain their energy while performing for long periods. Bob Dylan introduced them to cannabis (drug), marijuana in a New York hotel room in 1964; McCartney recalls getting "very high" and "giggling uncontrollably". His use of the drug soon became habitual, and according to Miles, McCartney wrote the lyrics "another kind of mind" in "
Got to Get You into My Life
"Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, first released in 1966 on their album ''Revolver''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is a homage to the Motown Sound, wit ...
" specifically as a reference to cannabis. During the filming of ''Help! (film), Help!'', McCartney occasionally smoked a Joint (cannabis), joint in the car on the way to the studio during filming, and often forgot his lines. Director Richard Lester overheard two physically attractive women trying to persuade McCartney to use heroin, but he refused. Introduced to cocaine by Robert Fraser, McCartney used the drug regularly during the recording of ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'', and for about a year in total but stopped because of his dislike of the unpleasant melancholy he felt afterwards.
Initially reluctant to try Lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD, McCartney eventually did so in late 1966, and took his second "Psychedelic experience, acid trip" in March 1967 with Lennon after a ''Sgt. Pepper'' studio session. He later became the first Beatle to discuss the drug publicly, declaring: "It opened my eyes ...
ndmade me a better, more honest, more tolerant member of society."
McCartney made his attitude about cannabis public in 1967, when he, along with the other Beatles and Epstein, added his name to a July advertisement in ''The Times'', which called for its legalisation, the release of those imprisoned for possession, and research into marijuana's medical uses.
In 1972, a Swedish court fined McCartney £1,000 for cannabis possession. Soon after, Scottish police found marijuana plants growing on his farm, leading to his 1973 conviction for Cannabis cultivation, illegal cultivation and a £100 fine.
As a result of his drug convictions, the US government repeatedly denied him a visa until December 1973. Arrested again for marijuana possession in 1975 in Los Angeles, Linda took the blame, and the court soon dismissed the charges.
In January 1980, when Wings flew to Tokyo for a tour of Japan, customs officials found approximately of cannabis in his luggage. Years later, McCartney said, "I don't know what possessed me to just stick this bloody great bag of grass in my suitcase. Thinking back on it, it almost makes me shudder."
[''Performing Songwriter'']
Paul McCartney: 9 Days in a Tokyo Jail
Lydia Hutchinson, 16 January 2011. They arrested McCartney and brought him to a local jail while the Japanese government decided what to do. After ten days, they released and deported him without charge.
In 1984, while McCartney was on holiday in Barbados, authorities arrested him for possession of marijuana and fined him $200. Upon his return to England, he stated that cannabis was less harmful than the legal substances alcohol, tobacco and Inhalant, glue, and that he had done no harm to anyone.
In 1997, he spoke out in support of decriminalisation of cannabis: "People are smoking pot anyway and to make them criminals is wrong." McCartney quit cannabis in 2015, citing a desire to set a good example for his grandchildren.
Vegetarianism and activism
![Paul McCartney and Putin 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Paul_McCartney_and_Putin_3.jpg)
Since 1975, McCartney has been a vegetarian. He and his wife Linda were vegetarians for most of their 29-year marriage. They decided to stop consuming meat after Paul saw lambs in a field as they were eating a meal of lamb. Soon after, the couple became outspoken
animal rights
Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their Utilitarianism, utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding s ...
activists. In his first interview after Linda's death, he promised to continue working for animal rights, and in 1999, he spent £3,000,000 to ensure Linda McCartney Foods remained free of Genetic engineering, genetically engineered ingredients. In 1995, he narrated the documentary ''Devour the Earth'', written by Tony Wardle. McCartney is a supporter of the animal-rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He has appeared in the group's campaigns, and in 2009, McCartney narrated a video for them titled "Glass Walls", which was harshly critical of slaughterhouses, the meat industry, and their effect on animal welfare. McCartney has also supported campaigns headed by the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, World Animal Protection, and the David Shepherd (artist), David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.
Following McCartney's marriage to Mills, he joined her in a campaign against land mines, becoming a patron of Adopt-A-Minefield. In a 2003 meeting at the Moscow Kremlin, Kremlin with Vladimir Putin, ahead of a concert in Red Square, McCartney and Mills urged Russia to join the anti-landmine campaign. In 2006, the McCartneys travelled to Prince Edward Island to raise international awareness of
seal hunting. The couple debated with Danny Williams (Canadian politician), Danny Williams, Newfoundland's then Premier, on ''Larry King Live'', stating that fishermen should stop hunting seals and start seal-watching businesses instead. McCartney also supports the Make Poverty History campaign.
McCartney has participated in several charity recordings and performances, including the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea, Ferry Aid, Band Aid (band), Band Aid,
Live Aid, Live 8, and the recording of "Ferry Cross the Mersey". In 2004, he donated a song to an album to aid the "US Campaign for Burma", in support of Burmese Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. In 2008, he donated a song to Aid Still Required's CD, organised as an effort to raise funds to assist with the recovery from the devastation caused in Southeast Asia by the 2004 tsunami.
In 2009, McCartney wrote to 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, asking him why he was not a vegetarian. As McCartney explained, "He wrote back very kindly, saying, 'my doctors tell me that I must eat meat'. And I wrote back again, saying, you know, I don't think that's right ... I think he's now being told ... that he can get his protein somewhere else ... It just doesn't seem right—the Dalai Lama, on the one hand, saying, 'Hey guys, don't harm sentient beings ... Oh, and by the way, I'm having a steak.
In 2012, McCartney joined the Anti-fracking movement, anti-fracking campaign Artists Against Fracking.
Save the Arctic is a campaign to protect the Arctic and an international outcry and a renewed focus concern on Petroleum exploration in the Arctic, oil development in the Arctic, attracting the support of more than five million people. This includes McCartney, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and 11 Nobel Peace Prize winners.
In 2015, following British prime minister David Cameron's decision to give Members of Parliament a free vote on amending the law against fox hunting, McCartney was quoted: "The people of Britain are behind this Conservative Party (UK), Tory government on many things but the vast majority of us will be against them if hunting is reintroduced. It is cruel and unnecessary and will lose them support from ordinary people and animal lovers like myself."
After the Orlando nightclub shooting, 2016 Orlando shooting, McCartney expressed his solidarity for the victims during a concert in Berlin.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, McCartney called for Chinese wet markets (which sell live animals, including wild ones) to be banned. He expressed concern over both the health impacts of the practice as well as its cruelty to animals.
McCartney is one of the 100 contributors to the book ''Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You'', of which all proceeds go to NHS Charities Together and The Lullaby Trust.
Football
McCartney has publicly professed support for Everton F.C. and has also shown favour for Liverpool F.C. In 2008, he ended speculation about his allegiance when he said: "Here's the deal: my father was born in Everton, Liverpool, Everton, my family are officially Evertonians, so if it comes down to a derby match or an FA Cup final between the two, I would have to support Everton. But after a concert at Wembley Arena I got a bit of a friendship with Kenny Dalglish, who had been to the gig and I thought 'You know what? I am just going to support them both because it's all Liverpool.
Relationships
Girlfriends
= Dot Rhone
=
McCartney's first serious girlfriend in Liverpool was Dorothy "Dot" Rhone, whom he met at the The Casbah Coffee Club, Casbah club in 1959. According to Spitz, Rhone felt that McCartney had a compulsion to control situations. He often chose clothes and makeup for her, encouraging her to grow her blonde hair to simulate Brigitte Bardot's hairstyle, and at least once insisting she have her hair restyled, to disappointing effect. When McCartney first went to Hamburg with the Beatles, he wrote to Rhone regularly, and she accompanied Cynthia Lennon to Hamburg when they played there again in 1962. The couple had a two-and-a-half-year relationship, and were due to marry until Rhone's miscarriage. According to Spitz, McCartney, now "free of obligation", ended the engagement.
= Jane Asher
=
McCartney first met British actress Jane Asher on 18 April 1963 when a photographer asked them to pose at a Beatles performance at the
Royal Albert Hall in London. The two began a relationship, and in November of that year he took up residence with Asher at her parents' home at Wimpole Street, 57 Wimpole Street in Marylebone, central London. They had lived there for more than two years before the couple moved to McCartney's own home in St John's Wood in March 1966. He wrote several songs while living with the Ashers, including "Yesterday", "
And I Love Her
"And I Love Her" is a song recorded by English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It is the fifth track of their third UK album '' A Hard Day's Night'' and was released ...
", "You Won't See Me" and "I'm Looking Through You", the latter three having been inspired by their romance. They had a five-year relationship and planned to marry, but Asher broke off the engagement after she discovered he had become involved with Francie Schwartz, an American screenwriter who moved to London at age 23 thinking she could sell a script to the Beatles. She met McCartney and he invited her to move into his London house, where events ensued that possibly broke up his relationship with Asher.
Wives
= Linda Eastman
=
Linda Eastman
Linda Anne Eastman (July 7, 1867 – April 5, 1963) was an American librarian. She was selected by the American Library Association (ALA) as one of the 100 most important librarians of the 20th century.
Eastman served as the head Librarian of ...
was a music fan who once commented, "all my teen years were spent with an ear to the radio." At times, she Truancy, skipped school to see artists such as Fabian Forte, Fabian, Bobby Darin and Chuck Berry. She became a popular photographer with several rock groups, including the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Grateful Dead, the Doors and the Beatles, whom she first met at Shea Stadium in 1966. She commented, "It was John who interested me at the start. He was my Beatle hero. But when I met him the fascination faded fast, and I found it was Paul I liked." The pair first became properly acquainted on 15 May 1967 at a Georgie Fame concert at The Bag O'Nails club, during her UK assignment to photograph rock musicians in London. As Paul remembers, "The night Linda and I met, I spotted her across a crowded club, and although I would normally have been nervous chatting her up, I realised I had to ... Pushiness worked for me that night!"
Linda said this about their meeting: "I was quite shameless really. I was with somebody else [that night] ... and I saw Paul at the other side of the room. He looked so beautiful that I made up my mind I would have to pick him up." The pair married in March 1969. About their relationship, Paul said, "We had a lot of fun together ... just the nature of how we aren't, our favourite thing really is to just hang, to have fun. And Linda's very big on just following the moment." He added, "We were crazy. We had a big argument the night before we got married, and it was nearly called off ... [it's] miraculous that we made it. But we did."
After the break-up of the Beatles, the two collaborated musically and formed Wings in 1971. They faced derision from some fans and critics, who questioned her inclusion. She was nervous about performing with Paul, who explained, "she conquered those nerves, got on with it and was really gutsy." Paul defended her musical ability: "I taught Linda the basics of the keyboard ... She took a couple of lessons and learned some bluesy things ... she did very well and made it look easier than it was ... The critics would say, 'She's not really playing' or 'Look at her—she's playing with one finger.' But what they didn't know is that sometimes she was playing a thing called a Minimoog, which could only be played with one finger. It was Monophonic synthesizer, monophonic." He went on to say, "We thought we were in it for the fun ... it was just something we wanted to do, so if we got it wrong—big deal. We didn't have to justify ourselves." Former Wings guitarist McCullough said of collaborating with Linda, "trying to get things together with a learner in the group didn't work as far as I was concerned."
They had four children—Linda's daughter Heather McCartney, Heather (legally adopted by Paul),
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
,
Stella and
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguati ...
—and remained married until Linda's death from breast cancer at age 56 in 1998. After Linda died, Paul said, "I got a counsellor because I knew that I would need some help. He was great, particularly in helping me get rid of my guilt [about wishing I'd been] perfect all the time ... a real bugger. But then I thought, hang on a minute. We're just human. That was the beautiful thing about our marriage. We were just a boyfriend and girlfriend having babies."
= Heather Mills
=
In 2002, McCartney married
Heather Mills
Heather Anne Mills (born 12 January 1968) is an English former model, businesswoman and activist.
Mills first came to public attention in 1993 when she was a model and was involved in a traffic collision with a police motorcycle in London. T ...
, a former model and anti-landmine campaigner. In 2003, the couple had a child, Beatrice Milly, named in honour of Mills's late mother and one of McCartney's aunts. They separated in April 2006 and divorced acrimoniously in March 2008. In 2004, he commented on media animosity toward his partners: "[the British public] didn't like me giving up on Jane Asher ... I married [Linda], a New York divorcee with a child, and at the time they didn't like that".
= Nancy Shevell
=
McCartney married New Yorker Nancy Shevell in a civil ceremony at Marylebone Town Hall, London, on 9 October 2011. The wedding was a modest event attended by a group of about 30 relatives and friends.
The couple had been together since November 2007. Shevell is vice president of a family-owned transportation conglomerate which owns New England Motor Freight. She is a former member of the board of the New York metropolitan area, New York area's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Shevell is about 18 years younger than McCartney.
They had known each other for about 20 years prior to marrying, having met because both had homes in Hamptons, the Hamptons.
Beatles
= John Lennon
=
![Lennon-McCartney](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Lennon-McCartney.JPG)
Though McCartney had a strained relationship with Lennon, they briefly became close again in early 1974, and A Toot and a Snore in '74, played music together on one occasion. In later years, the two grew apart. McCartney often phoned Lennon, but was apprehensive about the reception he would receive. During one call, Lennon told him, "You're all pizza and fairytales!" In an effort to avoid talking only about business, they often spoke of cats, babies, or baking bread.
On 24 April 1976, McCartney and Lennon were watching an episode of ''Saturday Night Live'' at Lennon's home in the Dakota when Lorne Michaels made a $3,000 cash offer for the Beatles to reunite. While they seriously considered going to the ''SNL'' studio a few blocks away, they decided it was too late. This was their last time together. VH1 fictionalised this event in the 2000 television film ''Two of Us (2000 film), Two of Us''. McCartney's last telephone call to Lennon, days before Lennon and Ono released ''Double Fantasy'', was friendly: "[It is] a consoling factor for me, because I do feel it was sad that we never actually sat down and straightened our differences out. But fortunately for me, the last phone conversation I ever had with him was really great, and we didn't have any kind of blow-up", he said.
Reaction to Lennon's murder
On 9 December 1980, McCartney followed the news that Lennon had been murdered the previous night; Lennon's death created a Media circus, media frenzy around the surviving members of the band. McCartney was leaving an Oxford Street recording studio that evening when he was surrounded by reporters who asked him for his reaction; he responded: "It's a drag". The press quickly criticised him for what appeared to be a superficial response. He later explained, "When John was killed somebody stuck a microphone at me and said: 'What do you think about it?' I said, 'It's a dra-a-ag' and meant it with every inch of melancholy I could muster. When you put that in print it says, 'McCartney in London today when asked for a comment on his dead friend said, "It's a drag".' It seemed a very flippant comment to make." He described his first exchange with Ono after the murder, and his last conversation with Lennon:
In 1983, McCartney said: "I would not have been as typically human and standoffish as I was if I knew John was going to die. I would have made more of an effort to try and get behind his 'mask' and have a better relationship with him." He said that he went home that night, watched the news on television with his children and cried most of the evening. In 1997, he said that Lennon's death made the remaining ex-Beatles nervous that they might also be murdered. He told ''Mojo'' magazine in 2002 that Lennon was his greatest hero. In 1981, McCartney sang backup on Harrison's tribute to Lennon, "All Those Years Ago", which featured Starr on drums. McCartney released "Here Today (Paul McCartney song), Here Today" in 1982, a song Everett described as "a haunting tribute" to McCartney's friendship with Lennon.
= George Harrison
=
![Paul George (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Paul_George_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Discussing his relationship with McCartney, Harrison said: "Paul would always help along when you'd done his ten songs—then when he got 'round to doing one of my songs, he would help. It was silly. It was very selfish, actually ... There were a lot of tracks, though, where I played bass ... because what Paul would do—if he'd written a song, he'd learn all the parts for Paul and then come in the studio and say (sometimes he was very difficult): 'Do this'. He'd never give you the opportunity to come out with something."
After Harrison's death in November 2001, McCartney said he was "a lovely guy and a very brave man who had a wonderful sense of humour". He went on to say: "We grew up together and we just had so many beautiful times together – that's what I am going to remember. I'll always love him, he's my baby brother." On the first anniversary of his death, McCartney played Harrison's "Something" on a ukulele at the ''
Concert for George
The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 as a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organised by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and his son, Dhani, and arrang ...
''; he would perform this rendition of the song on many subsequent solo tours. He also performed "For You Blue" and "All Things Must Pass (song), All Things Must Pass", and played the piano on Eric Clapton's rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".
= Ringo Starr
=
During a recording session for ''The Beatles'' in 1968, the two got into an argument over McCartney's critique of Starr's drum part for "Back in the U.S.S.R.", which contributed to Starr temporarily leaving the band. Starr later commented on working with McCartney: "Paul is the greatest bass player in the world. But he is also very determined ... [to] get his own way ... [thus] musical disagreements inevitably arose from time to time."
![Beatles ad 1965 just the beatles crop (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Beatles_ad_1965_just_the_beatles_crop_%28cropped%29.jpg)
McCartney and Starr collaborated on several post-Beatles projects, starting in 1973 when McCartney contributed instrumentation and backing vocals for "Six O'Clock", a song McCartney wrote for Starr's album ''Ringo (album), Ringo''. McCartney played a kazoo solo on "You're Sixteen" from the same album. Starr appeared as a fictional version of himself in McCartney's 1984 film ''
Give My Regards to Broad Street
''Give My Regards to Broad Street'' is the fifth solo studio album by Paul McCartney and the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The album reached number 1 on the UK chart. The lead single, " No More Lonely Nights", was BAFTA and Golden ...
'', and played drums on most tracks of the Give My Regards to Broad Street, soundtrack album, which includes re-recordings of several McCartney-penned Beatles songs. Starr played drums and sang backing vocals on "
Beautiful Night" from McCartney's 1997 album ''Flaming Pie''. The pair collaborated again in 1998, on Starr's ''Vertical Man'', which featured McCartney's backing vocals on three songs, and instrumentation on one.
In 2009, the pair performed "With a Little Help from My Friends" at a benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation. They collaborated on Starr's album ''Y Not'' in 2010. McCartney played bass on "Peace Dream", and sang a duet with Starr on "Walk with You". On 7 July 2010, Starr was performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York with his Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, All-Starr Band in a concert celebrating his seventieth birthday. After the encores, McCartney made a surprise appearance, performing the Beatles' song "Birthday (Beatles song), Birthday" with Starr's band. On 26 January 2014, McCartney and Starr performed "Queenie Eye" from McCartney's new album ''New (album), New'' at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. McCartney inducted Starr into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2015, and played bass on his 2017 album ''Give More Love''. On 16 December 2018, Starr and Ronnie Wood joined McCartney onstage to perform "Get Back" at his concert at London's The O2 Arena, O2 Arena. Starr also made an appearance on the final day of McCartney's Freshen Up (tour), Freshen Up tour in July 2019, performing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" and "
Helter Skelter".
Legacy
Achievements
McCartney was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as a member of the Beatles and again as a Solo (music), solo artist in 1999. In 1979, the ''Guinness World Records, Guinness Book of World Records'' recognised McCartney as the "most honored composer and performer in music", with 60 RIAA certification, gold discs (43 with the Beatles, 17 with Wings) and, as a member of the Beatles, sales of over 100 million singles and 100 million albums, and as the "most successful song writer", he wrote jointly or solo 43 songs which sold one million or more records between 1962 and 1978. In 2009, ''Guinness World Records'' again recognised McCartney as the "most successful songwriter" having written or co-written 188 charted records in the United Kingdom, of which 91 reached the top 10 and 33 made it to number one.
![P060210SA-0312](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/P060210SA-0312.jpg)
McCartney has written, or co-written, 32 number-one singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100: twenty with the Beatles; seven solo or with Wings; one as a co-writer of "A World Without Love", a number-one single for Peter and Gordon; one as a co-writer on Elton John's cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"; one as a co-writer on Stars on 45's "Medley"; one as a co-writer with
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
on "Say Say Say"; and one as writer on "Ebony and Ivory" performed with Stevie Wonder. , he has 15.5 million RIAA certified units in the United States as a solo artist plus another 10 million with Wings.
Credited with more number ones in the UK than any other artist, McCartney has participated in twenty-four chart topping singles: seventeen with the Beatles, one solo, and one each with Wings, Stevie Wonder, Let It Be (Ferry Aid song), Ferry Aid, Band Aid (band), Band Aid, Band Aid 20 and "The Christians et al." He is the only artist to reach the UK number one as a soloist ("Pipes of Peace"), duo ("Ebony and Ivory" with Wonder), Trio (music), trio ("Mull of Kintyre", Wings), quartet ("She Loves You", the Beatles), quintet ("Get Back", the Beatles with Billy Preston) and as part of a musical ensemble for charity (Ferry Aid).
"Yesterday" is one of the most covered songs in history with more than 2,200 recorded versions, and according to the BBC, "the track is the only one by a UK writer to have been aired more than seven million times on American TV and radio and is third in the all-time list ...
ndis the most played song by a British writer [last] century in the US". His 1968 Beatles composition "Hey Jude" achieved the highest sales in the UK that year and topped the US charts for nine weeks, which is longer than any other Beatles single. It was also the longest single released by the band and, at seven minutes eleven seconds, was at that time the longest number one. "Hey Jude" is the best-selling Beatles single, achieving sales of over five million copies soon after its release.
In July 2005, McCartney's performance of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with
U2 at Live 8 became the fastest-released single in history. Available within forty-five minutes of its recording, hours later it had achieved number one on the UK Official Download Chart.
In December 2020, the release of his album ''McCartney III'' and its subsequent charting at number 2 on the US Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 earned McCartney the feat of being the first artist to have a new album in the top two chart positions in each of the last six decades.
Awards and honours
![Mccartney gershwin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Mccartney_gershwin.png)
* 18-time Grammy Award winner:
** Nine as a member of the Beatles
** Six as a solo artist
** Two as a member of Wings
** One as part of a joint collaboration
* Two-time inductee –
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:
** Class of 1988 as a member of the Beatles
** Class of 1999 as a solo artist
* 1965:
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
* 1971:
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
winner (as a member of the Beatles)
* 1988: Honorary Doctor of the University degree from University of Sussex
* 1997: Knight Bachelor, Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music
* 2000: Fellowship into the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
* 2008: BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music
* 2008: Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale University
* 2010: Gershwin Prize for his contributions to popular music
* 2010: Kennedy Center Honors
* 2012: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
* 2012: Légion d'Honneur for his services to music
* 2012: MusiCares Person of the Year
* 2015: 4148 McCartney, asteroid named after him by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center
* 2017: Appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to music
Discography
Solo
* ''
McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
'' (1970)
* ''
Ram
Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:
Animals
* A male sheep
* Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish
People
* Ram (given name)
* Ram (surname)
* Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director
* RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch
* ...
'' (1971)
* ''McCartney II'' (1980)
* ''
Tug of War
Tug of war (also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war, rope pulling, or tugging war) is a sport that pits two teams against each other in a test of strength: teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal being to bring the rope a certa ...
'' (1982)
* ''Pipes of Peace'' (1983)
* ''
Press to Play
''Press to Play'' is the sixth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 25 August 1986. It was McCartney's first album of entirely new music since ''Pipes of Peace'' in 1983, and his first solo album to be issued interna ...
'' (1986)
* ''
Flowers in the Dirt
''Flowers in the Dirt'' is the eighth studio solo album by Paul McCartney. The album was released on 5 June 1989 on Parlophone, as he was embarking on his first world tour since the Wings Over the World tour in 1975–76. It earned McCartney som ...
'' (1989)
* ''
Off the Ground
''Off the Ground'' is the ninth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, released on 2 February 1993. As his first studio album of the 1990s, it is also the follow-up to the well received ''Flowers in the Dirt'' (1989).
Recording and structure
Afte ...
'' (1993)
* ''
Flaming Pie
''Flaming Pie'' is the tenth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 5 May 1997 by Parlophone in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. His first studio album in over four years, it was mostly recorded after McCartney's ...
'' (1997)
* ''
Run Devil Run'' (1999)
* ''
Driving Rain'' (2001)
* ''
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard'' (2005)
* ''
Memory Almost Full
''Memory Almost Full'' is the fourteenth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney. It was released in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2007 and in the United States a day later. The album was the first release on Starbucks' Hear Music la ...
'' (2007)
* ''New (album), New'' (2013)
* ''Egypt Station'' (2018)
* ''McCartney III'' (2020)
Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
* ''Wild Life (Wings album), Wild Life'' (1971)
* ''
Red Rose Speedway
''Red Rose Speedway'' is the second studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, although credited to "Paul McCartney and Wings". The album was released by Beatles-owned label Apple Records in April 1973, preceded by its lead single, ...
'' (1973)
* ''
Band on the Run'' (1973)
* ''
Venus and Mars'' (1975)
* ''
Wings at the Speed of Sound
''Wings at the Speed of Sound'' is the fifth studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released on 25 March 1976. Issued at the height of the band's popularity, it reached the top spot on the US album chart—the band's fourth cons ...
'' (1976)
* ''
London Town'' (1978)
* ''
Back to the Egg
''Back to the Egg'' is the seventh and final studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in June 1979 on Columbia Records in America (their first for the label), and on Parlophone in the UK. Co-produced by Chris Thomas, ...
'' (1979)
Other
* ''
The Family Way
''The Family Way'' is a 1966 British comedy-drama film about the marital difficulties of a young newlywed couple living in a crowded house with the husband's family. Based on Bill Naughton's play '' All in Good Time'' (1963), the film began lif ...
'' (1967)
* ''Thrillington'' (1977)
* ''Give My Regards to Broad Street'' (1984)
* ''Снова в СССР'' (1988)
* ''
Liverpool Sound Collage'' (2000)
* ''Twin Freaks'' (2005)
* ''Kisses on the Bottom'' (2012)
* ''McCartney III Imagined'' (2021)
Classical
* ''Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio'' (1991)
* ''
Standing Stone'' (1997)
* ''
Working Classical'' (1999)
* ''
Ecce Cor Meum
''Ecce Cor Meum'' (Latin for ''Behold My Heart'') is the fourth classical album by Paul McCartney. The album was released on 25 September 2006 by EMI Classics. An oratorio in four movements, it is produced by John Fraser, written in Latin and En ...
'' (2006)
* ''Ocean's Kingdom'' (2011)
The Fireman (band), The Fireman (McCartney and Youth (musician), Youth)
* ''
Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest
''Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest'' is the first album by the Fireman, released in 1993.
Background
The album consists of samples of McCartney material, mostly from the sessions that spawned his '' Off the Ground'' album, as well as samples of ...
'' (1993)
* ''
Rushes'' (1998)
* ''
Electric Arguments
''Electric Arguments'' is the third album by the Fireman. The album was first announced 29 September 2008, on Paul McCartney's website, and was released on 24 November 2008 on the duo's website. It is the first Fireman release to be publicly ackn ...
'' (2008)
Filmography
Film
Television
Tours
Wings tours
Source:
* Wings University Tour – 11 shows in the UK, 1972
*
Wings Over Europe Tour
In the summer of 1972, Paul McCartney's newly formed band, Wings, set out on a concert tour of Europe, in a double decker bus, WNO 481.
Promotion
Coming on the heels of a tour of English universities, the Wings Over Europe Tour was intended to ...
– 25 shows, 1972
* Wings 1973 UK Tour – 21 shows, 1973
* Wings Over the World tour – 66 shows, 1975–1976
* Wings UK Tour 1979 – 20 shows, 1979
Solo tours
Source:
* The Paul McCartney World Tour – 104 shows, 1989–1990
* Unplugged Tour 1991 – 6 shows in Europe, 1991
* The New World Tour – 79 shows, 1993
*
Driving World Tour
The Driving World Tour was a concert tour by English musician Paul McCartney. It marked his first tour of the 21st century and of any kind since 1993's New World Tour. For the first time in nearly a decade, McCartney returned to the road follow ...
– 58 shows, 2002
* Back in the World tour – 33 shows, 2003
* '04 Summer Tour – 14 shows worldwide, 2004
* The 'US' Tour – 37 shows, 2005
* Secret Tour 2007 – 6 shows in Europe and the US, 2007
* Summer Live '09 – 10 shows in North America, 2009
* Good Evening Europe Tour – 8 shows, 2009
* Up and Coming Tour – 38 shows worldwide, 2010–2011
* On the Run (Paul McCartney), On the Run Tour – 38 shows worldwide, 2011–2012
* Out There (tour), Out There Tour – 91 shows worldwide, 2013–2015
* One on One (tour), One on One – 78 shows worldwide, 2016–2017
* Paul McCartney's 2018 Secret Gigs, 2018 Secret Gigs – 5 shows, 2018
* Freshen Up (tour), Freshen Up – 39 shows worldwide, 2018–2019
* Got Back – 16 shows in North America, 2022
See also
* Grammy Award records#Most Grammys won by a male artist, Grammy Award records – Most Grammys won by a male artist
* List of animal rights advocates
* List of British Grammy winners and nominees
* List of highest-grossing live music artists
* Paul is dead - urban legend/conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney is dead
Notes
References
Sources
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* Benitez, Vincent P. (2019). "'That Was Me' in 'Vintage Clothes': Intertextuality and the White Album Songs of Paul McCartney." In ''The Beatles through a Glass Onion: Reconsidering the White Album'', ed. Mark Osteen, 213–29. Tracking Pop Series. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press. .
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Further reading
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* Benitez, Vincent P. (2012). "Ram (1971)" and "Band on the Run (1973)." In ''The Album: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations'', ed. James E. Perone, 147–56; 275–85. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers
The Album*
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*McCartney, Linda (with Paul, Mary, and Stella McCartney). ''Linda McCartney's Family Kitchen: Over 90 Plant-Based Recipes to Save the Planet and Nourish the Soul.'' (Voracious/Little, Brown, and Co., 2021)
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External links
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* – Paul McCartney's animation 2005-11-24
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Paul McCartneyinterview on BBC Radio 4 ''Desert Island Discs'', 26 December 1984
Linda McCartney's Family Kitchen – In Conversation with Paul, Mary and Stella (Paul McCartney Official Channel)– Interview, 6 October 2021
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCartney, Paul
Paul McCartney,
1942 births
Living people
20th-century British guitarists
20th-century classical composers
20th-century English bass guitarists
20th-century English composers
20th-century English singers
21st-century British guitarists
21st-century classical composers
21st-century English bass guitarists
21st-century English composers
21st-century English singers
Academics of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
Anti-fracking movement
Apple Records artists
Beat musicians
Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners
Brit Award winners
British ballet composers
British male pianists
Capitol Records artists
Columbia Records artists
Composers awarded knighthoods
Decca Records artists
EMI Classics and Virgin Classics artists
English animal rights activists
English billionaires
English classical composers
English electronic musicians
English expatriates in the United States
English film producers
English film score composers
English male classical composers
English male film score composers
English male guitarists
English male singers
English male singer-songwriters
English multi-instrumentalists
English people convicted of drug offences
English people imprisoned abroad
English people of Irish descent
English philanthropists
English pop guitarists
English pop pianists
English pop rock singers
English pop singers
English prisoners and detainees
English record producers
English rock bass guitarists
English rock guitarists
English rock keyboardists
English rock pianists
English rock singers
English tenors
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Fingerstyle guitarists
Gershwin Prize recipients
Grammy Award winners
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music
Ivor Novello Award winners
Kennedy Center honorees
Knights Bachelor
Male bass guitarists
McCartney family, Paul
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour
Mercury Records artists
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Musicians awarded knighthoods
Musicians from Liverpool
NME Awards winners
Oratorio composers
Parlophone artists
Paul McCartney and Wings members
Paul McCartney Band members
People educated at Liverpool Institute High School for Boys
People from Allerton
People from Peasmarsh
People from Speke
People from St John's Wood
People from Walton, Liverpool
Plant-based diet advocates
Polydor Records artists
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Prisoners and detainees of Japan
Recipients of the Legion of Honour
Recipients of the Order of the Sun of Peru
Singers awarded knighthoods
Singers from Liverpool
Singers with a four-octave vocal range
Swan Records artists
The Beatles members
The Quarrymen members
Vee-Jay Records artists
Vegetarianism activists
Wolf Prize in Arts laureates
Writers from Liverpool