A year ago the world’s Fabologists were given Paul McCartney: The Lyrics, a two-volume memoir-cum-compendium modestly retailing at 75 quid. For those who get off on cuddlesome proximity to the Cute Beatle, which is a lot of us, it had plenty to recommend it.
"I'm still very competitive"
"Do you know
anyone who doesn't have insecurities?"
"I use it to intimidate people".
The other McCartney, the driven managerial bossyboots glimpsed in Peter Jackson’s Get Back trilogy, is the darker star of another story.
To put it reductively, the stage McCartney’s thumb only ever goes up; the studio McCartney’s thumb also goes down. George Harrison told us about this alt-Macca, a lesser-spotted perfectionist who can be tougher, even crueller than the public-facing brand.
So discovered Henry McCullough, the heavy-drinking blues guitarist from Northern Ireland whom McCartney recruited to Wings in 1971. The chief memento of McCullough’s two years in the band is the sobbing solo on “My Love”, when – for once – he was permitted to improvise. Eventually, he could take no more orders.
“You’ll f------ do this,” McCartney shouted as they rehearsed on the Kintyre peninsula. “We’ll see about that, you c---,” replied McCullough, downing his Les Paul guitar and quitting. Wings were due in Lagos to record Band on the Run. “How dare you inconvenience us?” screamed Linda. (He wasn’t the only one on the run from the band: American drummer Denny Seiwell also resigned, pleading low pay.)
Linda used to say:
"She has no patience with someone who doesn't know," she moaned. Bravely endured terror and bricks. The ridicule also came from within. Seiwell once asked her to step away from the microphone for balance. "How far?" she asked. "Have you got a car?" he joked.
Read the full article on the Telegraph
The book is an in-depth and revealing exploration of his creative life beyond the Beatles. Featuring hundreds of interviews with fellow musicians, tour managers, recording engineers, producers, filmmakers, and more.
When Paul McCartney announced his 2021 book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, he noted that the time had never been right to write an autobiography. In 2022, with the music legend seemingly as busy as he’s ever been, the first part of an exhaustive portrait of his post-Beatles career is coming. The McCartney Legacy Volume 1: 1969-73, from noted Beatles historian Allan Kozinn and researcher Adrian Sinclair, has been delayed slightly. It’s now scheduled for Dec. 13, 2022, via Dey Street Books.
The McCartney Legacy gives McCartney’s post-Beatles life and work the kind of in-depth treatment that Mark Lewisohn has given the Beatles, and Philip Norman has given John Lennon. It is the first truly comprehensive biography, and the most finely detailed exploration of McCartney’s creative life beyond the Beatles, ever undertaken. (Paulmccartneyproject)
It was originally planned for Nov. 8, but as Sinclair noted on June 8, “our publisher explained that the sheer size and complexity of the book has meant that production will take longer than expected.” He added, “It will be worth the wait.” (It’s listed as 720 pages, up from 592 when it was initially announced.) It’s available for pre-order Here Kindle$15.99 Paperback $37.00
The McCartney Legacy Volume 1: 1969-73 It’s listed as 720 pages, It’s available for pre-ORDER HERE:
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Author Allan Kozinn was a music critic and culture reporter for The New York Times from 1977 to 2014, where he was, in effect, the Times’ Beatles desk. In that capacity, he interviewed McCartney several times, and saw him perform in a great variety of configurations and venues – from singing with a hand mic at the Lonestar Roadhouse, playing rock oldies at the Cavern, in Liverpool, and performing in small halls like the Ed Sullivan Theater and the Highline Ballroom, to full-scale concerts at Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium. He currently contributes regularly to the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and other publications.
