Paul McCartney interview

Orange.co.uk

27/11/2008

 

This week, Beatles legend Paul McCartney released Electric Arguments, his third album in the guise of The Fireman with DJ, producer and former Killing Joke bassist, Youth. It seemed like a good excuse to catch up with the great man.

 

After two instrumental Fireman albums, why start singing?

Paul McCartney: The first two albums were all on one chord, like Indian music - very trancey and hypnotic - but we fancied a change of mood, so added another chord which opened the whole project up. Youth suggested to me, "How about a bit a bit of vocal?" so I got on the mic and goofed around until we found a song.

 

What's it like having a musical partner again?

Paul McCartney: It's nice working with Youth. We got together because he was doing a mix for me, got talking and found we were into similar things like art and poetry. It was just for fun to begin with, but now we're more like creative partners. I sing some stuff and trust him to pull the best bits out.

 

Each song on this album was written in one day - why did you take that approach?

Paul McCartney: We wanted to. It could have been very carefully considered, very precise, but that wouldn't have been The Fireman. And also it's an approach I've always been interested in. Take Sgt Pepper - the idea was that we created a band, and we could pretend we were that band and not The Beatles, and made the record with that in mind. It's a very free, very joyful way to record. Occasionally a little bit scary, but that's OK too.

 

You're still taking creative risks.

Paul McCartney: It never seems like a risk to me until afterwards, until it gets to this stage when people are looking at what we've done. Even Sgt Pepper - we didn't think it was a risk, but the papers did. I remember one newspaper saying, "The Beatles have dried up. They haven't come out with anything for six months; they're finished," and we were in the studio making Sgt Pepper, going, "Ho ho ho".

 

You gave away a download of 'Life Of Passion' - how do you feel about download culture? How would you feel if someone downloaded your album for free?

Paul McCartney: It's weird for me, because I'm from a time when you went to a record shop and bought a 45, but now you have this situation where people don't pay for it! But I don't mind. Take the Radiohead thing - pay what you think it's worth - it's a funny idea but I like it because it's new.

 

Any plans to take The Fireman on tour?

Paul McCartney: Nothing at the moment, but we'll see how it goes. Even doing press is a bit new for The Fireman, so who knows? If there's a big demand, I'd like to try it. It'd be a big challenge, but we'd have to use a lot of [pre-recorded] tape which is something I don't normally do.

 

The album's been well-received. Do you regret not using your own name?

Paul McCartney: Well, in a way, we have used it. I'm sitting here! Someone suggested calling it a Paul McCartney album, but that would've been like "sacking" The Fireman, and that wouldn't be cool.

 

Now people know you are The Fireman, are you interested in making music under another alias and keeping that from the public?

Paul McCartney: I like the idea of aliases, so could be up for it. But there's nothing secret out there at the moment, because my fans are very clever. They find them all out - even Percy Thrillington [a name Paul assumed to release an instrumental album in 1977].

 

Why release the album on an independent label [One Little Indian] rather than a major?

Paul McCartney: I'm not dissing majors, but I don't think they really know what's going on at the moment. When I released my last album Memory Almost Full, I really came to dread the idea of meeting up with them - you know, "We love this album, Paul!" and I'd think, "Who are you? Do I respect your opinion?" - so that's one factor. You like to feel you're among friends. With an independent label, there's more freedom and they seem to be more interested in the record.

 

You've recorded with Michael Jackson, who's been through the mill recently. What would you like to see him doing with his career?

Paul McCartney: [Adopts high-pitched voice] You know, making another album. [back to normal] I dunno, another album, that'd be great. I think. Don't you?

 

How do you feel about your fans? Are you going to let them send you fanmail?

Paul McCartney: [Ringo voice] I'm not signing anything again. Stick it up yer jumper. [And back to McCartney] Ringo's always been like that, God bless him - he just says what he thinks, and if he doesn't want to sign anything anymore, he doesn't have to. I think it's a good quality: it's called honesty.

 

Will we ever see Beatles downloads?

Paul McCartney: That's constantly being talked of - we'd like to do it, but with something as big as The Beatles, you have "iTunes wants this, EMI wants that" so there are heavy negotiations. We're for it, but I understand there are a couple of sticking points. EMI wants something The Beatles aren't going to give. I really hope it will happen, though, because I think it should.

 

Reviewers have compared the album to The Killers, Arcade Fire and Jack White among others. Are you happy with the comparisons?

Paul McCartney: Yeah, I don't mind being compared with people, as long as they're good artists like those. I hear a bit of U2 in 'Sing The Changes', but it's not intentional. There are only so many sounds in the world.

 

You've talked about releasing 'Carnival Of Light' [a "lost" Beatles track] - can you tell us about it?

Paul McCartney: It's quite avant-garde. Or, as George Harrison said, "Avant-garde a clue". It's a little bit wonky, a little bit weird. I got asked to do it by Barry Miles, who was doing a hippie show at The Roundhouse in the '60s. [The Beatles] were in the studio recording The White Album, so I just came in one day and said to the band, "Do you mind indulging me for 15 minutes?" We just wandered around and knocked on things, hit things and shouted, and that became 'Carnival Of Light'. I tried to get it released in some form on The Beatles Anthology to show that side of us, but we didn't all agree on it. A couple of the guys didn't like it, so it got vetoed - which is The Beatles: we all have to agree. Good policy.

 

Would you say you were the most experimental member of The Beatles?

Paul McCartney: I don't like making the comparison. John and I grew up together in Liverpool, and I think we were both as earnest as each other, as experimental as each other. In the '60s, I happened to have more opportunity to do that stuff because I was living on my own in London, whereas John was living in Weybridge and was married, so was a bit more "pipe and slippers". In fact, John ended up with 'Revolution 9' [an example of musique concrete on The White Album] so, perception-wise, he was the most experimental Beatle, but that was something I'd been doing anyway as a hobby.

 

Do you have any views on The X Factor and similar programmes?

Paul McCartney: [sighs] Yeah, I have lots of views. The thing is, there's too much of it. You can't turn on the telly without seeing someone being judged by four people. I'm not very keen, but I watch it like everyone else - it's compulsive, but so is a traffic accident.

 

A really great Q & A what do you think?

Yeah, quite informative. I don't think the album will be a big seller, but it might do ok.

Yeah, quite informative. I don't think the album will be a big seller, but it might do ok.

 

The only Top 200 midweeks to come out where on Tuesday: Electric Arguments was lying at #70 with just under 1,800 sales on Monday.

 

I bought one of those copies.

Paul McCartney interview

Orange.co.uk

27/11/2008

 

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Do you have any views on The X Factor and similar programmes?

Paul McCartney: [sighs] Yeah, I have lots of views. The thing is, there's too much of it. You can't turn on the telly without seeing someone being judged by four people. I'm not very keen, but I watch it like everyone else - it's compulsive, but so is a traffic accident.

 

A really great Q & A what do you think?

 

Applauds! :wub: