Band On The Run – Wings Hit It Big Time

Published on

July 19, 2018

On 8th June in 1974, Wings started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with Band On The Run. The album went on to become one of McCartney’s best sellers spending 124 weeks on the UK chart.

But on the run-up to and during recording – McCartney and his band were well and truly ‘on the run’.

The former Beatle was on a roll, his last album Red Rose Speedway had topped the U.S. charts and at last, after a shaky post Beatle start, the future looked good for McCartney and his new group Wings.

Armed with a batch of new songs written at his farm in Scotland, Paul contacted EMI to book the familiar surroundings of Abbey Road studios – only to be informed they were fully booked for the time McCartney had requested. He asked EMI to send him a list of their international recording studios, resulting in the singer choosing between Rio de Janeiro and Lagos in Nigeria. Paul and Linda fancied a few weeks in Africa, so Lagos it was. The singer later stated the idea of lying on the beach all day and recording in the evening seemed like a great way to make a new album.

Then the problems started.

In late August 73, five days before departing for Africa – Wings’ guitarist Henry McCullough phoned Paul to announce he was quitting the group. Not so much of a problem as Paul can handle a few licks himself. But worst news was yet to come – on the day they were leaving and just three hours before the plane was due to take off – drummer Denny Seiwell also quit the band.

This left just the core of the band – Paul, Linda and Denny Laine – to venture to Lagos, along with former Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick.

Upon arriving in Lagos, the band discovered a country, which was run by a military government, with corruption and disease running rampant. The studio, in the dangerous suburb of Apapa, was ramshackle and under-equipped. The control desk was faulty and there was only one tape machine. Un-deterred the trio started the sessions, working from late afternoons into the night. Paul would play the drums and lead guitar parts with Denny playing rhythm guitar and Linda adding keyboards.

Just as they thought nothing else could go wrong – taking a late night walk, Paul and Linda were robbed at knifepoint. The assailants made away with all of their valuables and stole a bag containing a notebook full of handwritten lyrics and songs, and cassettes containing demos for songs to be recorded. They were lucky not to be physically attacked.

A few nights later as McCartney was laying down a vocal track he began gasping for air. Feeling unwell, he went outside for some fresh air – but once he was exposed to the blazing heat he fainted and collapsed to the ground. He was rushed to see a doctor – who informed Paul he had suffered a bronchial spasm brought on by too much smoking.

McCartney recovered and the sessions were completed over the following weeks. When released Band on the Run was met with glowing reviews and saw the album gradually inching its way up the charts. By the spring of 1974, bolstered by the hits “Helen Wheels”, (named after the McCartney’s Land Rover, which they nicknamed “Hell on Wheels”), “Jet” and the title track “Band on the Run”, it reached #1 in the U.S. on three separate occasions.

Band On The Run contains some of McCartney’s best solo efforts. So let’s finish on a lighter note.

More recently Paul told the tale of how he came to write the song “Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)”. Paul and Linda were holidaying in Montego Bay, Jamaica where he met Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen who were working on the film Papillon. After a dinner with Hoffman, with McCartney playing around on guitar, Hoffmann didn’t believe that McCartney could write a song “about anything”, so Hoffman pulled out a magazine where they saw the story of the death of Pablo Picasso and his famous last words, “Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can’t drink anymore.” Paul rose to the challenge and wrote the song on the spot.

Important Dates In The Life Of Paul McCartney:

On this day in music

23 May 2024 Sir Paul McCartney affectionately mocked Bruce Springsteen, as he presented him with a prestigious prize at the Ivor Novello Awards. Springsteen was in London, England to receive the ceremony's highest honour - a fellowship of the songwriting academy. He was the first international star to receive the award, and Sir Paul said he "couldn't think of a more fitting recipient... except maybe Bob Dylan. Or Paul Simon, or Billy Joel, or Beyoncé, or Taylor Swift" he added. "The list goes on." "He's known as the American working man," Sir Paul continued, "but he admits he’s never worked a day in his life."
17 May 2024 According to The Sunday Times annual Rich List Paul McCartney had become the United Kingdom’s first billionaire musician. He and his wife Nancy were worth £1 billion ($1.3 billion), up from £950 million ($1.2 billion) in 2023. The newspaper attributed the milestone to McCartney’s longevity and continued appeal with fans across generational lines.
11 Apr 2024 The Jimmy Buffett Tribute concert took place at the Hollywood Bowl. The evening featured many artists including Paul McCartney, The Eagles, Snoop Dogg, Dave Grohl, Sheryl Crow, Kenny Chesney, Jackson Browne, Eric Church, Dave Matthews, Zac Brown, Jack Johnson and Jon Bon Jovi. Buffett died on 1 September 2023, age 76 due to complications from Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer.
4 Jan 2024 The biggest-selling vinyl album of 2023 by a British act was Rolling Stones' Hackney Diamonds. Released in October 2023, it became the Stones’ 14th No.1 album and enjoyed a second week at the top as 2023’s Official Christmas No. 1 album. The first album of original material by the Rolling Stones since 2005's A Bigger Bang, Hackney Diamonds reached No.1 in 20 countries and features guest contributions from Elton John, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman.
3 Jan 2024 The Beatles had the biggest-selling vinyl single of 2023 in the UK with their record-breaking ‘last’ song, 'Now and Then'. With over 33,000 copies sold since its release, they broke several records including the longest time between an artist’s first and last No.1 and the UK’s fastest-selling vinyl single of the century. The ballad that John Lennon wrote and recorded around 1977 as a home demo was completed by his surviving bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, using overdubs and guitar tracks by George Harrison from the abandoned 1995 Anthology sessions.
5 Dec 2023 English musician, singer, songwriter Denny Laine died from interstitial lung disease in Naples, Florida, at the age of 79. With The Moody Blues he had the 1965 UK No.1 & US No.10 single 'Go Now'. While the Moody Blues were on tour with The Beatles in 1965, Laine befriended Paul McCartney who later asked him to join his band Wings. He became a constant member of Wings for their entire run from 1971 to 1981, playing guitar, bass, keyboards, singing backing and lead vocals, and co-writing songs with McCartney including the 1977 hit 'Mull of Kintyre'.
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Nov 2023 The Beatles topped the UK charts with their single, 'Now and Then', making them the act with the longest gap between their first and last No.1's. Sixty years after 'From Me to You' topped the charts, Sir Paul McCartney said: "It's blown my socks off!" 'Now and Then' became this century's fastest-selling vinyl single, according to the Official Charts Company. Its first bars were written by John Lennon in 1978, and the song was finally completed last year.
27 Apr 2023 English rock and roll singer Wee Willie Harris died aged 90. He is best known for his energetic stage shows and TV performances starting in the 1950s when he was known as "Britain's wild man of rock 'n' roll". Paul McCartney and John Lennon reportedly queued for his autograph when he played in Liverpool in 1958. He resurfaced in the late 1970s as a nostalgia act, after Ian Dury mentioned him in the song 'Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3'.
15 Jan 2023 British television director and producer Bruce Gowers died age 82. His music video for Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' brought him international recognition, leading to his relocation to the United States in the late 1970s. He also directed videos and musical specials for Michael Jackson, Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Prince, Britney Spears and John Cougar 'Jack and Diane' which spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982.
3 Sep 2022 The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert was held in London, England. Sir Paul McCartney, Queen and AC/DC were among the rock royalty to pay tribute at Wembley; while Liam Gallagher opened the show with a fitting rendition of Oasis's 'Rock And Roll Star'. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl choked back tears as he played the band's first show since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in March of this year. The star was singing 'Times Like These' when he paused to collect his emotions on the lyric: "It's times like these you learn to love again."
22 Jun 2022 The world-famous Glastonbury Festival took place in Pilton, Somerset, England. The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, but returned this year. This year's festival featured its youngest-ever solo headline in Billie Eilish and Sir Paul McCartney as the oldest. McCartney was joined by Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen when he headlined the Pyramid Stage. Other acts appearing included: Diana Ross, Sam Fender, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Lorde, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Haim, Elbow and St. Vincent.
12 Oct 2021 Irish musician, composer, and record producer Paddy Moloney died suddenly at a hospital in Dublin at the age of 83. He co-founded and led the Irish musical group the Chieftains, playing on all of their 44 albums. Moloney aslo did session work for Mike Oldfield, Mick Jagger, Gary Moore, Paul McCartney, Sting, Don Henley and Stevie Wonder.
ADVERTISEMENT
1 Jan 2021 Mick Bolton, the keyboardist best known for playing with Mott the Hoople and Dexys Midnight Runners died age 72. During the 80’s Bolton found a notable gig offstage; giving keyboard lessons to Paul McCartney's wife and collaborator, Linda McCartney.
18 Apr 2020 Paul McCartney, Elton John, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder and several other stars performed from their homes on the One World: Together At Home concert during the coronavirus pandemic. The event organized by Global Citizen of New York City and curated by singer Lady Gaga was in support of the World Health Organization.
22 Jul 2019 American singer, songwriter and keyboardist Art Neville died aged 81. Art shot to fame as part of the Neville Brothers when they started singing as children, but went their separate ways in the 1950s and 1960s. It was not until 1977 that the brothers finally got together again and in 1978 they recorded their first Neville Brothers album. Art was a founding member of The Meters, whose musical style represents New Orleans funk. He also played on recordings by many notable artists including Labelle (on 'Lady Marmalade'), Paul McCartney, Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, Dr. John and Professor Longhair.
30 Apr 2019 American concert promoter and media personality Russ Gibb died. He was best known for his role in the "Paul McCartney is dead" phenomenon, a story he broke as a disc jockey on radio station WKNR-FM in Detroit. As a promotor around the Detroit music scene he was instrumental in giving the MC5, Ted Nugent and Iggy Pop their start.
26 Mar 2019 A school book Sir Paul McCartney used as a teenager sold for £46,800 – nearly 10 times its estimate. The exercise book which features a doodle of a man smoking and a teacher’s critical comments sold at an auction of Beatles memorabilia in Merseyside. McCartney had used the book at Liverpool Institute High School for Boys, where he was taught English literature by Alan "Dusty" Durband.
22 Sep 2018 Paul McCartney was at No.1 on the US chart with his 17th solo studio album Egypt Station. The name 'Egypt Station' is shared by one of McCartney's paintings from 1988, from which the cover art is derived. It became his first No.1 album in the US since 1982's Tug of War and his first to debut atop the Billboard 200.
ADVERTISEMENT
20 Jan 2017 Sir Paul McCartney was suing Sony over control of The Beatles' back catalogue. McCartney had gone to a US court, seeking to regain the publishing rights to 267 of the band's classic songs. He had been trying to get them back since the 1980s, when Michael Jackson famously out-bid him for the rights. Jackson's debt-ridden estate sold the songs to Sony in 2016.
19 Nov 2016 A furious letter from John Lennon to Paul McCartney and his wife, Linda, written after The Beatles' break-up sold for nearly $30,000 (£24,200), to an anonymous collector in Dallas. In the two-page typed draft with handwritten notes, Lennon criticises the couple for their treatment of him and his wife, Yoko Ono. The attack is said to be in response to Linda's criticism of him not publicly announcing his departure from the band.
7 Oct 2016 The Rolling Stones played the first night of the Desert Trip festival, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The event also featured Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Roger Waters and the Who. The six-day (split over two weekends) event rakes in $160 million, making it the highest-earning music festival ever.
19 Jun 2016 Artists including Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, Pearl Jam, U2 and Sir Paul McCartney called for online copyright laws to be reformed. More than 180 artists signed an open letter criticising the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). They claimed the law benefits companies that "exploit music for their financial enrichment", but not artists.
14 Jun 2016 Irish rock guitarist, Henry McCullough died after never fully recovering from a severe heart attack he had suffered four years earlier. He recorded with Paul McCartney and Wings, featuring on the hit James Bond theme, 'Live and Let Die' and 'My Love', the solo which he made up on the spot in front of a live orchestra. He was also a member of Spooky Tooth and The Grease Band.
25 Oct 2015 American guitarist and saxophonist Marlo Henderson died aged 67. As a session musician he played on albums such as Off the Wall by Michael Jackson and worked with Paul McCartney and Minnie Riperton.
ADVERTISEMENT
11 Sep 2015 Mark Ronson’s hit Uptown Funk became the fifth biggest-selling single in British chart history with over two million UK sales and overtaking Paul McCartney & Wings’ 1977 chart-topper 'Mull Of Kintrye/Girls’ School'.
26 Feb 2015 The childhood home of former Beatle Paul McCartney sold for £150,000 ($231,000) at an auction in Liverpool. McCartney moved into the house, in Western Avenue, Speke, aged four with his parents Jim and Mary in 1947, and lived in the three-bedroom house for six years.
3 Oct 2014 A mint-condition copy of The Beatles' Please Please Me album, signed by George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr sold for $36,655 at an auction held in the US.
21 Aug 2014 Sir Paul McCartney topped a list of the richest bassists in the world with estimated wealth of $1.2 billion according to the website www.therichest.com. Coming in at No.2 were Sting and Gene Simmons, both with a net worth of $300 million, followed by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, U2's Adam Clayton and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
14 Nov 2013 Paul McCartney posted a letter on his website calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to release 30 Greenpeace activists whom Russian authorities arrested during a protest over Arctic oil drilling in September. All the activists involved had their charges dropped in late December of this year.
18 Oct 2013 Paul McCartney gave an impromptu gig in Covent Garden, London to a crowd of more than 2,000 fans during the lunchtime rush. McCartney's latest solo album 'New' was released in the same week.
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Oct 2013 Paul McCartney and his band surprised New Yorkers by performing songs from his "New" album in a short impromptu free concert to roughly 3,000 people on a long truck parked in the middle of Times Square.
23 Sep 2013 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California was shut down for a 15-song set by Paul McCartney on the roof of the El Capitan Theatre. An estimated crowd of 10,000 listened from the street. The show followed his appearance on TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live show.
19 Jun 2013 Slim Whitman the American country music and western music singer/songwriter and instrumentalist died aged 90. Known for his yodeling abilities and his smooth high octave falsetto, he sold in excess of 120 million records during his career. Michael Jackson cited Whitman as one of his ten favorite vocalists and Beatle George Harrison cited Whitman as an early influence. Paul McCartney credited a poster of Whitman with giving him the idea of playing his guitar left-handed with his guitar strung the opposite way to a right-handed player's.
27 Apr 2013 A blue plaque was unveiled at Swansea railway station, Wales, honouring Peter Ham who co-wrote 'Without You', a hit for both Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey. Ham who was a member of Badfinger were signed to The Beatles Apple Records label, (and enjoyed their biggest hit in 1970 with a Paul McCartney penned, 'Come And Get It'. Ham took his own life in 1975 at the age of 27.
13 Apr 2013 Sir Paul McCartney topped the Sunday Times Rich List of musicians with the £680m fortune he shares with his wife Nancy Shevell. Sir Paul, whose American heiress wife is said to be worth £150m, has topped each list since 1989 when he was worth an estimated £80m. Andrew Lloyd Webber was second, with £620m, while U2 were third, with £520m. Adele topped the list for young music millionaires in Britain and Ireland with an estimated fortune of £30m.
2 Apr 2013 A grand piano used in the Motown Records studios was fully restored and put on display at a museum dedicated to the legendary record label in Detroit. Sir Paul McCartney helped fund the restoration of the 1877 Steinway, which was originally in Motown's Studio B.and was used to create hits for names including Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Edwin Starr.
ADVERTISEMENT
30 Mar 2013 US music producer and pioneer of digital recording, Phil Ramone, died aged 79. Ramone was regarded as one of the most successful producers in history, winning 14 Grammy awards and working with stars such as Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Elton John and Paul McCartney. He produced the first major commercial release on CD, Billy Joel's 1982 album 52nd Street. Ramone had been in hospital for several weeks, where he was being treated for an aortic aneurysm.
28 Mar 2013 American rock guitarist and session musician Hugh McCracken died of leukemia in New York City at the age of 70. He appeared on many recordings by Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, Billy Joel, Roland Kirk, Roberta Flack, B. B. King, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, The Monkees, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, James Taylor, Phoebe Snow, Bob Dylan, Carly Simon, Graham Parker, Eric Carmen, Loudon Wainwright III, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, The Four Seasons, Hall and Oates, Gary Wright and Andy Gibb. Because of such high demand for his work, McCracken declined Paul McCartney's invitation to help form his new band, Wings after appearing on his 1971 album Ram.
2 Mar 2013 A pencil doodle by Paul McCartney when he was a teenager sold for over $5,000. The sketches were drawn by McCartney during the late 1950s while a student at the Liverpool Institute High School For Boys. The drawings showed multiple faces with different expressions on a single sheet of paper in pencil. The auction house said the drawing sold for £3,764 ($5,692).
30 Dec 2012 A rare copy of a Beatles LP signed by all four members sold - for the sum rejected at auction in Sussex a few weeks earlier. Chris Collins, from Eastbourne, and his sister, Liz Chambers, from Worthing, initially turned down a £12,000 bid for a copy of the album, Please Please Me. They had hoped to get £15,000 for the LP, which was given to their late father during a drinking session. But the siblings later accepted £12,000 from private buyers. The album was signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr after they used it as a drinks coaster during a card game in 1963.
21 Dec 2012 Rolling Stones guitarist, 65-year-old Ronnie Wood married his fiancee Sally Humphreys during a private ceremony in London. Keith Richards, Rod Stewart and Paul McCartney all attended the wedding.
12 Dec 2012 The Rolling Stones, The Who, Michael Stipe, Chris Martin, Bruce Springsteen and Roger Waters played at Madison Square Garden and raised over $30m (£18.6m) at a benefit gig in New York for those affected by superstorm Sandy which had caused the deaths of 120 people when it hit the Caribbean and US in October of this year. The surviving members of Nirvana, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, also joined Sir Paul McCartney on stage to perform.
ADVERTISEMENT
3 May 2012 Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy Shavell narrowly avoided a potential deadly helicopter crash when their pilot became disoriented during a flight in bad weather and missed some trees by just two feet. Flying home to their estate in East Sussex, England after a day in London, the McCartney's were not aware of how close they came to crashing at the time. The UK's Department of Transport launched an investigation into the incident the following November.
18 Apr 2012 An original and extremely rare 1963 mono copy of The Beatles ‘Please Please Me’ album, signed by the Fab Four, sold on an eBay auction for nearly $25,000. Paul McCartney and John Lennon both signed their names with "love" in royal blue ink whereas George Harrison and Ringo Starr signed their names in midnight blue ink. The autographs were signed in May of 1963.
17 Dec 2010 Sir Paul McCartney performed an intimate lunchtime gig at the 100 Club on London's Oxford Street, the historic music venue threatened with closure. Around 300 fans were treated to a set lasting almost two hours, in what was McCartney’s smallest gig in the UK for nearly 10 years. A campaign to keep the 100 Club open had attracted support from Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and Sir Mick Jagger.
25 Jul 2010 Paul McCartney's former wife, Heather Mills, told the press that the trauma and pain she went through after losing her leg in a traffic accident was nothing compared to the way she felt after she and the former Beatle split up. The two separated in 2006 after four years of marriage and went on to fight an bitter public divorce battle which saw her gain a $38.9 million settlement.
7 Jul 2010 Paul McCartney joined Ringo Starr onstage at a concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall to help celebrate the former Beatle drummer's 70th birthday. With Ringo's All Starr Band joined by Yoko Ono, Joe Walsh, Angus Young and Steven Van Zandt, Paul belted out "Birthday" and Ringo delivered With a Little Help from My Friends.
13 Jan 2010 A plaque of The Beatles iconic yellow submarine, which was stolen six months ago from Liverpool's Albert Dock, was set to be replaced by a new creation. The 5ft (1.5m) design featured the faces of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison peering through its portholes. The new submarine would hang outside the museum dedicated to the band, The Beatles Story.
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Dec 2009 In an interview with Q magazine, Paul McCartney was asked if his marriage to Heather Mills was the worst mistake of his life. He replied "OK, yeah. I suppose that has to be the prime contender." The divorce settlement had cost McCartney £24m ($38.9m), plus annual payments for his daughter, Beatrice.
14 Oct 2009 Paul McCartney was named Songwriter of The Year at the 29th Annual ASCAP Awards in London, England. The awards presentation honored songwriters and publishers of the most performed works in the US during 2008.
17 Apr 2009 Morrissey walked off stage during his set at the Coachella festival in California after declaring he could 'smell burning flesh'. The committed vegetarian took offence to the smell coming from nearby barbecues. Sir Paul McCartney, The Killers and The Cure also appeared at the event.
14 Apr 2009 Former Beatle George Harrison was honoured with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. Sir Paul McCartney attended the unveiling outside the landmark Capitol Records building, joining Harrison's widow Olivia and son Dhani. Eric Idle, Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks and musician Tom Petty also attended the ceremony.
10 Mar 2009 Tickets for a one-off gig by Sir Paul McCartney in Las Vegas sold out seven seconds after going on sale. The former Beatle was booked to perform at the opening of the New Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on 19 April 2009 in-front of 4,000 fans. Tickets cost $750 each.
27 Jan 2009 Road Chef, the Watford Gap UK Motorway services operator, paid £1,000 at an auction for a collection of celebrity signatures, which were collected by former employee, Beatrice England. The book included signatures of Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, the Eagles and Dusty Springfield. The Blue Boar services as it was once known received so many famous guests in its 50-year history that Jimi Hendrix mistook it for a London nightclub as it was mentioned so often by his contemporaries.
ADVERTISEMENT
22 Oct 2008 A homeless man claimed a £2,000 reward by returning a waxwork head of ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney which had been left on a train. Anthony Silva found the item in a bin at Reading station after auctioneer Joby Carter left it under a seat at Maidenhead station. The homeless man thought it was a Halloween mask and had been using it as a pillow before realising what it was. The wax model sold the following week for £5,500 at auction.
9 Oct 2008 Paul McCartney, (a vegetarian for 30 years), was said to be furious when he heard that a Liverpool branch of McDonald's restaurant displayed his picture, accusing them of using it to attract customers. Sir Paul was quoted as saying "What sort of morons do McDonald's think Beatles fans are?"
27 May 2008 Sir Paul McCartney was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale University in the United States. Yale's president, Richard Levin, said; The former Beatle had 'awakened a generation, giving a fresh sound to rock and roll and to rhythm and blues'. A band played ‘Hey Jude’ as Sir Paul, 65, walked on stage to accept his degree.
23 Mar 2008 Neil Aspinall, who ran the Apple Corps music empire for the Beatles from 1970 - 2007 died at a hospital in New York from cancer aged 66. A school friend of Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison, he was regarded by some of the band as the 'fifth Beatle' becoming The Beatles road manager in 1961 before becoming their personal assistant. He led the legal battle with Apple computers over the use of the Apple name and a royalties dispute between the Beatles and record label EMI. Aspinall had also played background instruments on Beatles tracks including 'Magical Mystery Tour', 'Within You Without You' and 'Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite.'
18 Mar 2008 Heather Mills' evidence in her divorce case with Sir Paul McCartney was 'inconsistent, inaccurate' and 'less than candid', according to judge Mr Justice Bennett's. His High Court ruling was revealed in full after Ms Mills was told she could not appeal against its publication. The full ruling was published a day after she was awarded £24.3m at the High Court in London. Mills was awarded £3.2m per year for herself and the couple's daughter Beatrice, £8m for a home in London and £3m to purchase a home in New York. The judge found the total value of Sir Paul's assets was about £400m. Ms Mills had sought £125m and been offered £15.8m.
20 Feb 2008 Winners at this year's Brit Awards in London, included Take That who won the trophies for best British live act and British single, The Arctic Monkeys won best British group and album - both for the second year in a row and Foo Fighters won best international group and album. Kate Nash won best British female and Mark Ronson was named best British male. Kylie Minogue won best international female and Mika was named best British breakthrough act. Sir Paul McCartney performed a medley of hits, including 'Live and Let Die', ‘Hey Jude’ and 'Lady 'Madonna' after he was honoured with an outstanding contribution award. The show was presented by Sharon Osbourne.
ADVERTISEMENT
11 Feb 2008 Heather Mills and Sir Paul McCartney appeared at the High Court in London for a hearing to reach a financial settlement for their divorce. The hearing in the Family Division, which was taking place in private, was expected to last five days. The couple, who had a four-year-old daughter, Beatrice, announced the end of their four-year marriage in 2006. There had been speculation among divorce experts, based on recent cases, that the settlement could reach £60m.
1 Feb 2008 US space agency Nasa announced that 'Across the Universe' by The Beatles was to become the first song ever to be beamed directly into space. The track would be transmitted through the Deep Space Network - a network of antennas - on the 40th anniversary of the song being recorded, being aimed at the North Star, Polaris, 431 light-years from Earth. In a message to NASA, Paul McCartney said the project was an "amazing" feat."Well done, Nasa," he added. "Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul."
8 Oct 2007 Arctic Monkeys were named the best act in the world at this year's Q Awards held in London. Best album went to Amy Winehouse for Back to Black and Muse won Best live act. The icon of the year went to Sir Paul McCartney, former Blur frontman Damon Albarn took the prize for inspiration, Classic songwriter award went to Billy Bragg and Lifetime achievement award went to Johnny Marr. The late Tony Wilson, founder of Manchester's Factory Records was named Q's hero.
5 Jun 2007 Sir Paul McCartney released his 21st solo album, ‘Memory Almost Full’ on the new Hear Music Starbucks label. It was later announced that all copies sold through UK Starbucks would not be eligible for the UK charts as the 533 stores were not registered with the Official Chart Company. The album was being played non-stop in more than 10,000 Starbucks outlets across 29 countries.
30 Mar 2007 A man was arrested by police and detained under the Mental Health Act after trying to force his way into Paul McCartney's mansion, screaming: ‘I must get to him.’ The middle-aged man burst through security patrols into McCartney’s isolated Sussex estate; guards who feared an assassination attempt were scrambled to intercept him as he sped towards the front door. He was finally halted by trees and a fence just yards from Sir Paul’s six-bedroom home at Peasmarsh.
5 Dec 2006 Beatles lyrics handwritten by Sir Paul McCartney to an early version of Maxwell's Silver Hammer sold for $192,000 (£97,000) at an auction in New York. A guitar owned by Jimi Hendrix fetched $168,000 (£85,000), a notebook containing lyrics written by Bob Marley sold for $72,000 (£36,445) and a poem penned by Doors frontman Jim Morrison made $49,000 (£25,500) at the Christie's sale.
15 Sep 2006 The Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool where The Beatles played their first gig was given a Grade II listed building status after a recommendation from English Heritage. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison played in the converted coal cellar of the house in West Derby, in August 1959 as The Quarrymen.
31 Aug 2006 The Times ran a story on the demands of rock stars when on tour. Ozzy Osbourne insists on an eye, ear, nose and throat doctor at each venue. The Beach Boys require a licensed masseur, Meat Loaf a mask and one small tank of oxygen. David Bowie requests that the dressing room temperature is between 14c and 18c and Paul McCartney must have a large arrangement of white Casablanca lilies in his dressing room. Mick Jagger must have an onstage autocue with the lyrics to all the songs, it would also tell him the name of the city in which they were performing.
26 Jul 2006 The guitar on which Sir Paul McCartney learned his first chords sold for £330,000 at an auction at London's Abbey Road Studios. The Rex acoustic guitar helped McCartney persuade John Lennon to let him join his band, The Quarrymen, in 1957.
17 May 2006 Paul McCartney and his wife Heather Mills admitted that they had given up the fight to save their marriage, saying that after four years together, they were going their separate ways.
2 Apr 2006 A John Lennon schoolbook containing the 12-year-old's drawing of Lewis Carroll's poem The Walrus and the Carpenter was sold at auction for £126,500, ($239,733). The poem inspired Lennon to write The Beatles' 1967 song ‘I Am The Walrus’. Also sold for £12,000, ($22,741) was a ship's log book written by Lennon during a stormy trip to Bermuda in 1980, and a letter from Paul McCartney to his bandmates Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr failed to reach its £50,000, ($94,742) reserve price.
14 Mar 2006 U2 topped Rolling Stone magazine's annual list of the year's biggest money earners from 2005 with $154.2m. (£78m), The Rolling Stones were listed second with $92.5m (£47m) and the Eagles third with 63.2m. (£32.m). Paul McCartney was in fourth place with $56m (£28m) and Elton John in fifth with $48.9m. (£24.8m).
17 Dec 2005 U2 had the top-grossing tour of 2005, according to Billboard. More than three million people watched the band's sell-out 90-date Vertigo tour which grossed $260m (£146.6m). The Eagles, took $117m (£66m) from 77 shows and Neil Diamond grossed more than $71m (£40m). Kenny Chesney was fourth with $63m (£35.5m), Paul McCartney $60m (£33.8m), Rod Stewart with $49m (£27m), Elton John with $45.5m (£25.6m), Dave Matthews Band with $45m (£25.3m), Jimmy Buffett with $41m (£23m) and Green Day with $36.5m (£20.5m).
16 Dec 2005 The surviving Beatles and relatives of the band's late members began legal action against EMI to get royalties allegedly worth £30m. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and relations of George Harrison and John Lennon claimed EMI owed record royalties to their company Apple Corps.
26 Aug 2005 A plaque was unveiled by fellow Quarrymen John Duff Lowe and Colin Hantonat at the site where the band which was to become The Beatles made their first recordings. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison recorded a version of Buddy Holly's 'That'll Be The Day' and a Lennon-Harrison song, 'In Spite Of All The Danger' as The Quarrymen at the Percy Philips studio in Liverpool in 1958.
5 Aug 2005 Bob Dylan's song 'Like a Rolling Stone' topped a poll of rock and film stars to find the music, movies, TV shows and books that changed the world. The 1965 single beat Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel' into second place in a survey for Uncut magazine. Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, Robert Downey Jr, Rolling Stone Keith Richards and Lou Reed were among those who gave their opinions.
2 Jul 2005 The world's biggest music stars united in concerts around the world to put pressure on political leaders ahead of the G8 summit to tackle poverty in Africa. Concerts in 10 cities, including London, Philadelphia, Paris, Berlin, Johannesburg, Rome and Moscow played to hundreds of thousands of people. A TV audience of several hundred million watched the gigs. In London Pink Floyd, The Who, Madonna, U2, Coldplay, Sting, The Scissor Sisters, Keane, and Paul McCartney performed. Philadelphia saw, Destiny's Child, Jay-Z and Bon Jovi, Canada, Bryan Adams and Neil Young headlined, Bjork headlined in Tokyo and Green Day played in Berlin.
6 Jul 2004 On the 40th anniversary of the world premiere of The Beatles film A Hard Day's Night, a private reunion of the cast and crew was hosted in London by DVD producer Martin Lewis. The screening was attended by Paul McCartney actors Victor Spinetti (the television director), John Junkin (the band's road manager), David Janson (the small boy met by Ringo on his "walkabout") and many of the crew members.
20 Jun 2004 Organisers at a Paul McCartney gig hired three jets to spray dry ice into the clouds so it wouldn't rain during the concert. The gig in Petersburg, Russia, was McCartney's 3,000 concert appearance. He had performed 2,535 gigs with the Quarrymen and The Beatles, 140 gigs with Wings and 325 solo shows.
6 Dec 2003 Elvis Costello married jazz artist Diana Krall in a ceremony at Elton John's UK mansion. About 150 guests, including Paul McCartney attended the wedding. It was Costello's third marriage.
19 Sep 2003 Police were investigating reports that Paul McCartney scuffled with a photographer when the singer went to see magician David Blaine, who was in a plastic box dangling over the River Thames. The London Evening Standard said one of its photographers had clashed with McCartney resulting in a scuffle.
24 May 2003 Paul McCartney made his first ever live performance in Russia when he appeared in-front of 20,000 fans in Red Square.
25 Apr 2003 In this year's Sunday Times Rich List, Paul McCartney was confirmed as the world's richest musician with a fortune worth over £760m. Madonna was 4th in the list with £227m, Mick Jagger 6th with £175m and Elton John 7th with £170m. Ozzy Osbourne became the 24th richest musician after earning an estimated £42m from his MTV show The Osbournes. And Simon Fuller was said to have earned over £50m from sales of the 'Pop Idol' TV show.
22 Feb 2003 Sir Paul McCartney played a private show in San Diego for the 50th birthday of Wendy Whitworth, the executive producer of CNN's Larry King Show. Sir Paul donated his $1 million (£0.6 million) fee to the Adopt-a-Minefield charity.
23 Dec 2002 Sir Paul McCartney was granted his own coat of arms by the College of Arms, the English heraldic body formed in 1484. The crest featured a bird that appeared to be holding a guitar in its claw. The motto is "Ecce Cor Meum", Latin for 'Behold My Heart', which is the title of an oratorio he composed.
29 Nov 2002 Three paintings by Sir Paul McCartney were bought for just £35 each at the Secrets Postcard Sale at London's Royal College of Art. Members of the public gambled on whether they were buying works by celebrity artists at a fraction of their value, as a picture's creator was only made known after it has sold.
12 Nov 2002 Die-hard Beatles fans were enraged after Paul McCartney altered the song writing credits on his 'Back In The US 2002' album, changing them to McCartney and Lennon from Lennon and McCartney.
5 Sep 2002 Heather Mills, Paul McCartney's second wife accepted £50,000 libel damages over an article in the Sunday Mirror. The paper had suggested that Mills acted dishonestly over cash collected for an earthquake appeal.
15 Jul 2002 Sir Paul McCartney was named the highest-earning music star of the year so far after selling tickets worth £33.9m during his recent US tour.
1 Jul 2002 Six postage stamps designed by Paul McCartney went on sale in The Isle Of Man. With proceeds from their sale going to the Adopt-A- Minefield charity.
11 Jun 2002 Sir Paul McCartney married Heather Mills at St Salvator Church, Ireland. Guests included Ringo Starr, David Gilmour, Jools Holland and Chrissie Hynde. Heather walked down the aisle clutching a bouquet of 11 'McCartney' roses. Mills had first met McCartney at the Pride of Britain Awards event in London in April 1999, which McCartney had attended to present an award to an animal rights activist. Mills and McCartney separated on 17 May 2006 and when divorced Mills was eventually awarded a lump sum of £16.5m, together with assets of £7.8m.
8 Jun 2002 Months of secrecy surrounding Paul McCartney's wedding plans were blown when John Leslie the owner of the 17th century Castle Leslie in Co Monaghan, let slip to reporters that Sir Paul had booked the Castle for the wedding.
3 Jun 2002 Paul McCartney, Sting, Elton John, Brian Wilson, Cliff Richard, Ozzy Osbourne, The Corrs, Will Young, Atomic Kitten and S Club 7 all appeared at The Queen's Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace, London.
2 Jun 2002 It was reported that Paul McCartney had thrown his fiance' Heather Mills' engagement ring out of a hotel window during a row. Guards at Miami's Turnberry Isle Resort combed the grounds using metal detectors and later found the £15,000 ($25,500) ring.
30 Nov 2001 The first Top Of The Pops UK Awards were held in Manchester, with categories voted by viewers of the BBC show. Winners included: Best pop act: Westlife, Best R&B Act: Destiny's Child, Best Rock Act: U2, Best Dance Act: Fatboy Slim, Best Newcomer: Nelly Furtado, Best Single: Kylie Minogue, 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head', Best Album: Travis, 'The Invisible Band', Artist on top of the world: Jennifer Lopez, Hall of Fame Award went to Paul McCartney.
21 Oct 2001 Concerts at Madison Square Garden and the RFK stadium in Washington were expected to raise millions in funds for the victims of the Sept 11th attacks. Stars who appeared included Michael Jackson, Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, and The Who.
14 Aug 2001 A pizza-stained piece of paper signed by three of the four Beatles sold for $48,000 (£17,441) to an anonymous collector at an auction in Melbourne. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison all signed the paper during their 1964 tour of Australia. Drummer Ringo Starr had laryngitis and was not on the tour. A fan managed to get the autographs while the band was staying in a hotel in Adelaide.
23 Jul 2001 59-year-old Paul McCartney, who lost his first wife Linda to cancer three years ago, became engaged to 33-year-old Heather Mills, an activist for the disabled. It was the first marriage for the 33-year-old Mills, a former swimwear model whose left leg was amputated below the knee after she was run down by a police motorcyclist in 1993. The pair would split in 2006 and divorce in 2008 with a settlement that cost Macca millions.
7 Apr 2001 Paul McCartney bought the four-bedroom Beverly Hills home of Courtney Love for $3.995m. The gated 1930s house had its own swimming pool and 1.5 acres of land.
19 Jan 2001 It was reported that Paul McCartney was set to become the world's first pop star billionaire. McCartney was said to be worth £725 million and was expected to become a billionaire after huge sales from The Beatles compilation hits album. His company MPL Collections owns the copyright to more than 25,000 songs and his fortune made him the 11th richest person in the UK, motor racing tycoon Bernie Ecclestone was the richest with a reported £3.2bn.
13 Dec 2000 Sir Paul McCartney held his first-ever London book signing at Waterstone's in Piccadilly. Sir Paul was in the store to sign copies of his new book, Paul McCartney Paintings.
17 Oct 2000 A flat in Montagu Square London, which was once owned during the 60s by Ringo Starr went on the market for £575,000. The two bedrooms, two-story property was also home for Jimi Hendrix, John & Yoko and Paul McCartney during the 60s.
14 Dec 1999 Sir Paul McCartney appeared at The Cavern Club Liverpool, England in front of 300 people with David Gilmour, Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, Pete Wingfield on keyboards and the legendary Mick Green (of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates) on guitar. It marked McCartney's last gig of the year and the 20th Century. His last gig at the venue was in 1963. The show went out as a live webcast and was estimated to have been watched by some three million people worldwide (a record at the time for an online audience), BBC Radio 2 broadcast the show live and BBC1 TV also aired the historic performance.
10 Sep 1999 Paul McCartney made headline news after being seen at a New York City party minus one of his front teeth after a crown broke off when he was eating. He'd lost the tooth in a motorcycle accident in 1967.
13 Jul 1999 Paul McCartney displayed 73 paintings at the Kunstforum Lyz gallery in the German town of Siegen. McCartney had been painting for the past 16 years (since he turned 40).
1 May 1999 The Paintings of Paul McCartney exhibit opened at the Lyz Art Forum, Siegen, Germany. The exhibit featured 70 paintings by the former Beatle, including a piece called 'Bowie Spewing' McCartney's representation of a young David Bowie.
10 Apr 1999 A charity tribute concert for the late Linda McCartney was held at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Among the performers were Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, George Michael, Elvis Costello and Sinead O’Connor.
12 Dec 1998 A seven inch single by the Quarry Men featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison was named as the rarest record of all time, only 50 copies were made with each copy being valued at £10,000, ($20,500).
10 Dec 1998 A recording of a 1963 Beatles concert was sold at auction at Christies in London for £25,300, ($41,500). The tape of The Beatles' 10-song concert was recorded by the chief technician at the Gaumont Theatre in Bournemouth during one of six consecutive nights which The Beatles had played. Also sold for £5,195 ($8,500), was a set of autographs of five Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best, and Stuart Sutcliffe. The autographs had been obtained by a fan in Liverpool in 1961.
17 Apr 1998 Linda McCartney died after a long battle against cancer. Married Paul McCartney in 1969 when she was working as a photographer. As well as a being a member of Wings, she became an animal rights campaigner and launched her own brand of vegetarian food.
19 Jan 1998 American singer, songwriter Carl Perkins died aged 65 from throat cancer. He wrote the classic rock & roll song 'Blue Suede Shoes', the first record on the Sun label to sell a million copies. His songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, The Beatles Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Cash. Paul McCartney claimed that "if there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles."
11 Mar 1997 Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his "services to music." The 54-year-old became Sir Paul in a centuries-old ceremony of pomp and solemnity at Buckingham Palace in central London, England. McCartney’s wife, Linda, who was fighting breast cancer, did not accompany him, but three of their four children were at the Palace.
31 Dec 1996 Paul McCartney became a Sir after he was listed in the Queen's New Year's Honours List. When receiving the award McCartney dedicated his knighthood to fellow Beatles George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon and the people of Liverpool.
18 Sep 1996 At Sotheby's in London, Julian Lennon successfully bid just over $39,000 (£21,000), for the recording notes for the song Paul McCartney wrote for him, ‘Hey Jude’. At the same event, John Lennon's scribbled lyrics to 'Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite' sold for $103,500, (£57,500).
20 Nov 1995 The Beatles Anthology 1 was released in the US, featuring 60 tracks including the track 'Free As A Bird', a song originally composed and recorded in 1977 as a home demo by John Lennon. In 1995 a studio version of the recording, incorporating contributions from Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr was released as a single by The Beatles.
14 Sep 1995 The lyrics to The Beatles song 'Getting Better' hand-written by Paul McCartney sold for £161,000 at a Sotheby's auction in London.
23 Apr 1995 Peter Hodgson, from Liverpool found a tape in his attic containing 16 of The Beatles earliest recordings made in 1959. The tape included 'Hello Little Girl', a Lennon-McCartney composition that the Beatles never recorded and Ray Charles 'Hallelujah, I Love Her So'. The sessions had been made on a reel-to-reel recorder that Hodgson's father had lent to Paul McCartney.
15 Jan 1994 American singer songwriter Harry Nilsson died in his sleep of heart failure after spending the previous day in the recording studio. He recorded 'Everybody's Talkin' from the film Midnight Cowboy and wrote hits for Three Dog Night and The Monkees. Had the UK & US No.1 single with his version of the Badfinger Evans & Ham song 'Without You.' When John Lennon and Paul McCartney held a press conference in 1968 to announce the formation of Apple Corps, John was asked to name his favorite American artist. He replied, "Nilsson". Paul was then asked to name his favorite American group. He replied, "Nilsson".
16 Apr 1993 Paul McCartney headlined a concert at the Hollywood Bowl to celebrate 'Earth Day' along with Ringo Starr, Don Henley and Steve Miller. McCartney had last performed there as a member of The Beatles in 1965.
5 Aug 1992 Jeff Porcaro drummer from Toto died age 38 from a heart attack. His death has been the subject of controversy: some say the attack was caused by an allergic reaction to garden pesticide, while others say Porcaro's heart was weakened by smoking and cocaine use. Porcaro also worked with many other acts including Sonny & Cher, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Steely Dan, Paul Simon and Boz Scaggs.
11 May 1991 Roxette scored their fourth US No.1 single with 'Joyride.' The song was inspired by an interview with Paul McCartney who said that writing songs with John Lennon had been 'like a Joyride.'
21 Apr 1990 Paul McCartney played in front of 184,000 fans at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Jnaeiro, creating a new world record for the largest crowd attending a rock concert.
3 Mar 1990 During a world tour Paul McCartney played the first of 6 sold-out nights at the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan. The final night was broadcast live to venues in 10 other Japanese cities; Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kumamoto, Matsuyama, Nagoya, Niigata, Osaka, Sapporp, Sendai and Takamatsu.
26 Sep 1989 Paul McCartney started his world tour at The Drammenshallen, in Drammen, Norway. It was McCartney's first major tour outing in ten years, since Wings UK Tour 1979, and his first appearances in North America in thirteen years.
24 Jun 1989 Paul McCartney scored his seventh UK No.1 solo album with 'Flowers In The Dirt', featuring the single 'My Brave Face'.
20 May 1989 Ferry 'Cross The Mersey' by Ferry Aid started a three week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart. The song was recorded to raise funds for the Hillsborough Football victims, Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney, Holly Johnson and The Christians all featured on the recording.
20 Jan 1988 The Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Yoko, Sean, and Julian Lennon all attend. Paul McCartney did not attend, sending instead a letter stating that continuing business differences with the other ex-Beatles was the reason for his absence.
14 Aug 1985 Michael Jackson won a bid over Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney to secure the ATV Music Publishing catalogue. At $47.5m he gained the rights to more than 250 songs written by Lennon and McCartney. McCartney had been negotiating with Yoko Ono, who had decided to withdraw her side of the deal because of 'astrological' reasons.
13 Jul 1985 At 12.01 Status Quo started the Live Aid extravaganza, held between Wembley Stadium, London and The JFK Stadium, Philadelphia. The cream of the world's biggest rock stars took part in the worldwide event, raising over £40million. TV pictures beamed to over 1.5bn people in 160 countries made it the biggest live broadcast ever known. Artists who appeared included Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, The Who, U2, David Bowie and Mick Jagger, Queen, Tina Turner, The Cars, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Bryan Adams, Hall and Oates, Lionel Richie and Led Zeppelin.
3 Nov 1984 Paul McCartney went to No.1 on the UK album chart with the film soundtrack to 'Give My Regards To Broad Street', featuring the UK No.2 single 'No More Lonely Nights.'
14 Jan 1984 Paul McCartney was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Pipes Of Peace.' With this release McCartney made chart history by becoming the first artist to have a No.1 in a group, (The Beatles), in a duo, (with Stevie Wonder) in a trio, (with Wings) and as a solo artist.
10 Dec 1983 Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Say Say Say'. It was Jackson's 10th No.1 (solo & The Jackson's) and McCartney's 29th, (solo and The Beatles).
8 Feb 1983 Winners at the second annual Brit Awards held in London included Paul McCartney who won Best British Male Solo Artist, Kim Wilde won Best British Female Solo Artist, Dire Straits won British Group, British Breakthrough Act went to Yazoo, International Act was Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Best Selling Single Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen" and the Life Achievement Award went to Pete Townshend .
18 Aug 1982 The City of Liverpool named four Streets after the fab four: John Lennon Drive, Paul McCartney Way, George Harrison Close and Ringo Starr Drive.
15 May 1982 Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Ebony And Ivory'. The song gave McCartney his 24th US No.1 as a songwriter. The title was inspired by McCartney hearing Spike Milligan say "black notes, white notes, and you need to play the two to make harmony folks!". It was later named as the tenth worst song of all time by Blender magazine and in 2007 was named the worst duet in history by BBC 6 Music listeners.
8 May 1982 Paul McCartney scored his fifth UK No.1 album with 'Tug Of War'. The album featured the duet with Stevie Wonder 'Ebony & Ivory', which was inspired by McCartney hearing comedian Spike Milligan say "black notes, white notes, and you need to play the two to make harmony, folks!", (the ebony (black) and ivory (white) keys on a piano).
25 Apr 1982 Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Ebony And Ivory.' This was McCartney's 24th No.1 hit single as a songwriter. The title was inspired by McCartney hearing Spike Milligan say "black notes, white notes, and you need to play the two to make harmony folks!". It was later named as the tenth worst song of all time by Blender magazine and in 2007 was named the worst duet in history by BBC 6 Music listeners.
30 Jan 1982 Paul McCartney guested on BBC radios Desert Island Discs his selections include, Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel', Chuck Berry's 'Sweet Little Sixteen', John Lennon's 'Beautiful Boy 'and Little Richard's 'Tutti Frutti'.
25 Dec 1981 Michael Jackson phoned Paul McCartney and suggested they write and record together, the first result being ‘The Girl Is Mine’. The song was a US No.2 & UK No.8 in 1982.
22 Dec 1981 At a rock & roll memorabilia auction in London, a stage suit worn by John Lennon sold for £2,300, a letter from Paul McCartney to a fan sold for £2,200 and a Perspex sculpture of John & Yoko was bought by singer Kate Bush for £4,200.
27 Apr 1981 Ringo Starr married actress and one time 'Bond girl' Barbara Bach. The pair met while filming the movie, Caveman, with Dennis Quaid and Shelley Long. In attendance at the wedding were George Harrison and Paul McCartney.
22 Jan 1981 A fire destroyed the recording studio belonging to Ike and Tina Turner raging through the large structure for nearly 54 hours before it was brought under control. Bolic Sound Studios in Inglewood, California was built by Ike Turner in 1970. Artists who recorded at Bolic Sound include Paul McCartney, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, and Frank Zappa. Ike & Tina Turner's hit single 'Nutbush City Limits' was recorded at Bolic Sound in 1973.
28 Jun 1980 The Paul McCartney single 'Coming Up' became one of the few 'live' recordings to reach the top of Billboard's Hot 100. American disc jockeys preferred it to the studio version on the flip side of the record.
16 Jan 1980 Paul McCartney was jailed for nine days in Tokyo for marijuana possession after being found with 219g on his arrival at Narita Airport in Japan. McCartney said in 2004. "This stuff was too good to flush down the toilet, so I thought I’d take it with me."
26 Dec 1979 The first night of a series of concerts were held at The Hammersmith Odeon in London for the People of Kampuchea, featuring Queen, The Clash, The Pretenders, The Who, Elvis Costello, Wings, and many more artists. The events which were organised by Paul McCartney and Kurt Waldheim were aimed to raise money for the victims of war-torn Cambodia.
24 Oct 1979 Paul McCartney received a medallion cast in rhodium after being declared the most successful composer of all time. From 1962 to 1978, McCartney had written or co-written 43 songs that had sold over a million copies each.
19 May 1979 Eric Clapton held a party at his Surrey house celebrating his recent marriage to Patti Boyd. Clapton had set-up a small stage in the garden and as the evening progressed, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr ended up jamming together along with Clapton, Ginger Baker and Mick Jagger. The all-star band ran through old Little Richard and Eddie Cochran songs.
7 Sep 1978 Keith Moon drummer with The Who, died of a overdose of heminevrin prescribed to combat alcoholism. A post-mortem confirmed there were 32 tablets in his system, 26 of which were undissolved. Moon had attended a party the night before organised by Paul McCartney for the launch of the The Buddy Holly Story movie. He played on all The Who albums from their debut, 1965's My Generation, to 1978's Who Are You, which was released two weeks before his death.
20 May 1978 Paul McCartney went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'With A Little Luck', his sixth solo US No.1.
8 Sep 1977 Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch left Wings to help re-form the Small Faces. McCulloch had played with Paul McCartney band on the Venus and Mars and Wings At the Speed of Sound albums, as well as on the Wings Over America tour. He died two years later at the age of 26. Drummer Joe English also left Wings at this time, joining Sea Level.
22 Jan 1977 Paul McCartney went to No.1 on the US album chart with the triple live album Wings Over America, Paul McCartney's sixth US No.1 after The Beatles. The album cover was designed by Hipgnosis, who were nominated in 1978, for a Grammy Award for Best Album Package for this album and depicts an airliner about to open its cabin door.
20 Nov 1976 Paul Simon hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live where he performed live with George Harrison on ‘Here Comes The Sun’ and ‘Homeward Bound’. Paul McCartney and John Lennon were both in New York City watching the show on TV.
25 Sep 1976 Paul McCartney and Wings played a charity concert in St Marks Square, Venice to raise funds for the historic city. The night was a success but the weight of the equipment used by the group caused more damage to the square.
23 Jun 1976 Paul McCartney and Wings played the last date on their Wings Over America tour at the Forum in Los Angeles. More than 600,000 people attended Wings' 31 shows in the United States and Canada, held between 3 May and 23 June 1976.
22 May 1976 Wings started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Silly Love Songs', McCartney's fifth US No.1 since leaving The Beatles. Paul McCartney had often been teased by music critics as well as former Beatle and friend, John Lennon, for writing lightweight songs and he wrote this number in response.
3 May 1976 Paul McCartney made his first concert appearance in America in almost ten years when Wings kicked off their 31-date 'Wings Over America' tour at the Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas.
26 Apr 1976 'Wings At The Speed Of Sound' went to No.1 on the US album chart. Paul McCartney's fifth No.1 album after The Beatles became his most successful American chart album, spending seven unconsecutive weeks at No.1. The album featured the hits 'Let 'Em In' and 'Silly Love Songs'.
27 Mar 1976 Paul McCartney and Wings were forced to postpone forthcoming US tour for three weeks after guitarist Jimmy McCulloch fell in his hotel bathroom and broke a finger.
9 Sep 1975 Paul McCartney and Wings kicked off their historic 13-month world tour. US performances were recorded for the triple live album Wings Over America. The North American leg constituted McCartney's first live performances there since the The Beatles' final tour, in 1966.
19 Jul 1975 Paul McCartney and Wings went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Listen To What The Man Said', his fourth US No.1, and No.6 hit in the UK, (the track features Tom Scott playing the saxophone solo). It would go on to sell a million copies in America and reach No.6 in the UK. Wings also had the US No.1 album chart with 'Venus And Mars'. Paul McCartney's fourth No.1 album since The Beatles.
24 Apr 1975 Peter Ham, British singer, songwriter with Badfinger committed suicide by hanging himself in the garage of his Surrey home, aged 27. Ham co-wrote 'Without You', with band mate Tom Evans (who also later committed suicide). The song won an Ivor Novello award for Song Of The Year in 1973, and was a hit for Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey. Ham was a founder member of The Iveys, who became Badfinger, were signed to the Beatles' Apple label, their first hit 'Come And Get It' was written by Paul McCartney.
24 Mar 1975 Paul McCartney held a party on the Queen Mary at Long Beach in California to celebrate the release of the Wings album Venus And Mars. Among the 200 guests on board were George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Marvin Gaye, The Faces and The Jackson 5. The party was the first time McCartney and Harrison had been seen in public since the Beatles break-up.
2 Mar 1975 A policeman who stopped a Lincoln Continental for running a red light in Los Angeles was surprised to find Paul McCartney at the wheel with his wife Linda. The cop detected a smell of marijuana and on searching the car found eight ounces of the drug. Linda was arrested for the offence.
8 Jun 1974 Paul McCartney and Wings went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Band On The Run'. 'George Harrison unwittingly contributed the first line of one part of the song: "If we ever get out of here" when he said it during one of the many Beatles' business meetings.
13 Apr 1974 Paul McCartney and Wings' Band On The Run went to No.1 on the US album charts. McCartney's third US No.1, went on to sell over 6 million copies world-wide. It's commercial performance was aided by two hit singles 'Jet' and 'Band on the Run'.
5 Dec 1973 Paul McCartney and Wings released Band On The Run, his fifth album since his departure from The Beatles. Two hit singles from the album – 'Jet' and 'Band on the Run' made it McCartney's most successful album. The majority of Band on the Run was recorded at EMI's studio in Lagos, Nigeria, as McCartney wanted to make an album in an exotic location. McCartney went into the studio with just his wife Linda and Denny Laine, doubling on drums, percussion and most of the lead guitar parts himself as well as bass.
11 Aug 1973 Rather than join Paul McCartney in travelling to Nigeria to record the band's latest album, Band On The Run guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Seiwell both quit Wings, forcing Paul, wife Linda, and Denny Laine to record the album as a trio.
30 Jun 1973 George Harrison knocked Paul McCartney from the top of the US singles chart with 'Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)’. His second US No.1, a No.8 hit in the UK was the opening track on his 1973 album Living in the Material World.
2 Jun 1973 Paul McCartney had both the No.1 positions on the US charts when 'Red Rose Speedway', went to the top of the album chart and 'My Love', started a four week run as the No.1 single.
16 Apr 1973 Paul McCartney's first television special, James Paul McCartney, was aired in America on the ABC network. The show, which includes performances by McCartney and Wings, would be broadcast in the UK on May 10th.
8 Mar 1973 Paul McCartney was fined £100 ($170) for growing cannabis at his farm in Campbeltown, Scotland. McCartney claimed some fans gave the seeds to him and that he didn't know what they would grow.
9 Jul 1972 Paul McCartney and Wings kicked off their first European tour in the small French town of Ollioules. The band included Denny Laine, Denny Seiwell, Henry McCullough and Paul's wife, Linda. It was McCartney's first time on the road since The Beatles quit touring in 1966. The band travelled on a double Decker London bus with a psychedelic interior.
25 Feb 1972 Written after the 'Bloody Sunday Massacre', in Northern Ireland Paul McCartney and Wings released 'Give Ireland Back To The Irish.' The song was banned by the BBC and the IBA. It peaked at No.16 in the UK and No.21 in the US.
9 Feb 1972 Paul McCartney's Wings played the first night of a UK College tour in Nottingham. The group arrived unannounced asking social secretaries if they would like them to perform that evening. The band's intended first stop on the tour, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, refused to allow them to play so they drove on to Nottingham. Admission was 40p, British pub rock band Brinsley Schwarz was the opening act for the tour.
30 Jan 1972 Paul McCartney wrote and recorded his protest song 'Give Ireland Back To The Irish' within 24 hours of Bloody Sunday, when 13 Catholics were killed by British paratroopers.
30 Oct 1971 John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band went to No.1 on the UK album chart with Imagine. The album contained two tracks attacking Paul McCartney, 'How Do You Sleep' and 'Crippled Inside.' Early editions of the LP included a postcard featuring a photo of Lennon holding a pig, in mockery of McCartney's similar pose with a sheep on the cover of Ram. The front cover photo was a Polaroid taken by Andy Warhol.
3 Aug 1971 Paul McCartney announced the formation of his new group Wings with his wife Linda and former Moody Blues guitarist and singer Denny Laine.
5 Jun 1971 Paul McCartney's second solo album Ram started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK chart. Featuring the US No.1 single 'Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey' the album was recorded amid Paul McCartney’s legal action in Britain’s High Court to dissolve the Beatles’ partnership, following their break-up the year before. John Lennon believed that a number of songs on Ram contained jibes aimed at him, particularly 'Too Many People' and 'Dear Boy'.
12 May 1971 Rolling Stone Mick Jagger married Bianca Macias at St Tropez Town Hall. The guest list included the other members of the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Stephen Stills. The couple separated in 1977.
17 Apr 1971 All four Beatles had solo singles in the UK charts, Paul McCartney with 'Another Day', John Lennon 'Power To The People', George Harrison 'My Sweet Lord' and Ringo Starr 'It Don't Come Easy.'
31 Dec 1970 Paul McCartney filed a suit against the rest of The Beatles to dissolve their partnership. According to the court documents, McCartney's main reason for wanting to legally break up the group stemmed from the decision taken by the others to to appoint Rolling Stones manager Allan Klein as their manager. McCartney didn't trust Klein and had wanted his new in-laws, Lee and John Eastman, to look after their affairs. The suit took more than four years of court hearings, with the group officially disbanding in January 1975.
11 Sep 1970 NME’s Keith Allston interviewed Jimi Hendrix in England. The interview turned out to be Hendrix's last; he died a mere seven days later. During the interview, Hendrix talked about a new musical phase, with planned collaborations with Miles Davis and Paul McCartney.
23 May 1970 Paul McCartney's debut solo album, McCartney, started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart. Apart from Linda McCartney's vocal contributions, McCartney performed and recorded the entire album solo. The album featured 'Maybe I'm Amazed', which Rod Stewart and the Faces featured on their 1971 album Long Player.
10 Apr 1970 27 year-old Paul McCartney issued a press statement, announcing that The Beatles had split, (one week before the release of his solo album). McCartney said, 'I have no future plans to record or appear with The Beatles again, or to write any music with John'. John Lennon, who had kept his much-earlier decision to leave The Beatles quiet for the sake of the others, was furious. When a reporter called Lennon to comment upon McCartney's resignation, Lennon said, 'Paul hasn't left. I sacked him'.
2 Apr 1970 Phil Spector completed final editing and mixing for The Beatles Let It Be album, 16 months after the Get Back project had begun. Released a month after the Beatles' break-up, the album topped the US and UK charts. It also yielded the No. 1 US single 'The Long and Winding Road'. Spector's overdubbing of 'The Long and Winding Road' infuriated its composer, Paul McCartney .
4 Jan 1970 The Beatles (without John Lennon) re-record vocals and a new guitar solo on the Paul McCartney song 'Let It Be' at Studio Two, EMI Studios, London. This session will be the final studio appearance for The Beatles, as a group. (The final date that all four of The Beatles were in the studio together is August 20, 1969).
22 Oct 1969 Paul McCartney publicly denied rumors that he was dead. The most recent of many "clues" of this Death Hoax was the fact that he was the only barefoot Beatle on the newly released Abbey Road LP cover. The story was actually started as a prank by Fred La Bour, a sports and arts writer for the student paper, The Michigan Daily at the University of Michigan.
12 Oct 1969 A DJ on Detroit's WKNR radio station received a phone call telling him that if you play The Beatles 'Strawberry Fields Forever' backwards, you hear John Lennon say the words "I buried Paul." This started a worldwide rumour that Paul McCartney was dead.
25 Sep 1969 John Lennon recorded the track 'Cold Turkey', with Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman and Yoko. Lennon presented the song to Paul McCartney as a potential single by The Beatles, but was refused and released it as a Plastic Ono Band single with sole writing credits to him.
23 Sep 1969 The Northern Star newspaper of Northern Illinois University ran a story claiming that Paul McCartney had been killed in a car crash in 1966 and had been replaced by a look-a-like. Russell Gibb of WKNR-FM in Detroit picked up on the claim and the story went worldwide. By late October 1969 the hoax was so well entrenched, that McCartney came out of seclusion at his Scottish farm to deny the story. When McCartney was asked to comment by a reporter visiting Macca’s farm, he replied, "Do I look dead, I’m as fit as a fiddle."
20 Sep 1969 During a meeting in London between John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Lennon announced he was leaving The Beatles.
17 Sep 1969 Media on both sides of the Atlantic were running stories that said Paul McCartney was dead. He was supposedly killed in a car accident in Scotland on November 9th, 1966 and that a double had been taking his place for public appearances. In fact, Paul and his girlfriend Jane Asher were on vacation in Kenya at the time.
30 Jul 1969 The Beatles continued working on Abbey Road recording overdubs on ‘Come Together’, ‘Polythene Pam/She Came In Through the Bathroom Window’, ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’ and ‘Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight’. The Beatles began to assemble the "medley" that would make up side two of the album. Paul McCartney told tape operator John Kurlander to discard ‘Her Majesty’, but Kurlander tacked it onto the end of the tape, about 20 seconds after the end of ‘The End’. Hearing it like this, Paul decides to keep it, including the lengthy silence preceding it.
24 Jul 1969 Paul McCartney recorded a demo of his new song ‘Come and Get It’ at Abbey Road studios in London. McCartney gave the song to The Iveys, (soon to become known as Badfinger). The song was later used as the theme for the movie The Magic Christian. The Beatles also recorded ‘Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard’ for their forthcoming Abbey Road album.
7 Jul 1969 George Harrison recorded his new song 'Here Comes the Sun' with just two other Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Abbey Road in London. John Lennon was absent recovering from a car crash in Scotland.
2 Jul 1969 Working on tracks for the Abbey Road album, Paul McCartney recorded ‘Her Majesty’. Then Paul, George, and Ringo record 15 takes of ‘Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight’. John Lennon was absent, in hospital in Golspie, Scotland, following a car accident the previous day.
11 Jun 1969 The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Ballad Of John and Yoko'. Written by Lennon the song chronicles the events surrounding the wedding of Lennon and Yoko Ono. The only two Beatles that played on the track were John Lennon (lead vocal, lead guitars, acoustic guitar) and Paul McCartney (bass guitar, drums, piano, maracas, harmony vocal). The song was the Beatles' 17th UK No.1 single and their last for 54 years until 'Now and Then' in 2023. In the United States, it was banned by some radio stations due to the lyrics' reference to Christ and crucifixion. The 'B' side was the George Harrison song 'Old Brown Shoe'.
8 May 1969 John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr signed a business management contract with Allen Klein and his company ABKCO, but Paul McCartney refused to sign, continuing to let the Eastmans represent his interests.
5 May 1969 The Beatles single 'Get Back' was released in the US. John Lennon claimed in 1980 that "there's some underlying thing about Yoko in there", claiming that Paul McCartney looked at Yoko Ono in the studio every time he sang "Get back to where you once belonged."
14 Apr 1969 The recording of 'The Ballad Of John and Yoko' took place, with just two Beatles, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Paul played bass, drums and piano with John on guitars and lead vocals. The song was banned from many radio stations as being blasphemous. On some stations, the word 'Christ' was edited in backwards to avoid the ban.
12 Mar 1969 Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman at Marylebone Register Office. They then held a reception lunch at The Ritz Hotel, Paul then went to Abbey Road studios in the evening to work. George Harrison and his wife Patti were arrested on the same day and charged with possession of 120 joints of marijuana.
13 Feb 1969 A launch party was held for the release of Mary Hopkin's album Postcard at the Post Office Tower in London. Guests included Jimi Hendrix, Donovan and Paul McCartney with his new girlfriend Linda Eastman.
28 Sep 1968 The Beatles started a nine week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Hey Jude’. The Paul McCartney song written about John Lennon's son Julian gave the group their 16th US No.1 and the biggest selling single of 1968. In 1996, Julian paid £25,000 for the recording notes to the song at an auction.
9 Aug 1968 After the other Beatles had gone home for the evening (2.00 am), Paul McCartney stayed behind and recorded 'Mother Nature's Son', taping 25 takes at Abbey Road studios. The song was included on The White Album.
31 Jul 1968 Working at Trident studios in London, England, (with its 8-track equipment, EMI was still using 4-track recorders), The Beatles recorded four takes of a new Paul McCartney song '‘Hey Jude’.
29 Jul 1968 The first recording session of The Beatles seven-minute epic ‘Hey Jude’ took place. The Paul McCartney song was written about John Lennon's son Julian. When released it became the Beatles' first single on their Apple record label and was a No.1 hit in many countries around the world and became the year's top-selling single in the UK, the US, Australia and Canada.
20 Jul 1968 Jane Asher announced on the national British TV show, Dee Time, that her engagement to Paul McCartney was off. Paul reportedly was watching at a friend's home and was surprised by the news. She was said to have inspired many of McCartney's songs, such as 'All My Loving', 'And I Love Her', and 'We Can Work It Out'. Jane went on to have a career in films and television as well as becoming a successful author and business woman.
14 May 1968 John Lennon and Paul McCartney appeared on NBC-TV's Tonight Show with guest-host Joe Garagiola sitting in for Johnny Carson. The conversation included some light hearted banter about meditation, the forming of Apple Corps. and song writing.
4 May 1968 Mary Hopkin won her heat on the ITV talent show 'Opportunity Knocks'. She later signed with The Beatles owned Apple Records, Paul McCartney produced her UK No.1 single 'Those Were The Days', which also made No. 2 in the US. Hopkin later married record producer Tony Visconti.
30 Apr 1968 BBC TV launched The Cilla Black Show making Cilla the first British female performer to have her own TV show. The theme song, 'Step Inside Love', was written by Paul McCartney.
15 Feb 1968 Lennon Lennon and his wife Cynthia along with George and Patti Harrison, flew to India to study meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr joined them a few days later, but Starr would become bored and leave on March 1st, comparing the experience to be like a 'Butlins holiday camp.' 19 songs which would later appear on The Beatles White Album were written during March and April 1968 at a Transcendental Meditation course in Rishikesh, India.
2 Nov 1967 The Beatles completed recording their next single ‘Hello Goodbye’ at Abbey Road studios London with a second Paul McCartney bass line. The McCartney song had been selected for the A-side for The Beatles next single, the flip side to be Lennon’s ‘I Am The Walrus’.
27 Sep 1967 Working on new songs The Beatles recorded various parts for the new John Lennon song ‘I Am The Walrus’ and the new Paul McCartney song ‘Fool On The Hill.’ Lennon received a letter from a pupil at Quarry Bank High School, that mentioned an English teacher was making his class analyse Beatles' lyrics. Lennon, amused that a teacher was putting so much effort into understanding the Beatles' lyrics, decided to write in his next song the most confusing lyrics that he could.
1 Sep 1967 The four Beatles held a meeting at Paul McCartney's house in London to decide upon their next course of action following the death of manager Brian Epstein. They decide to postpone their planned trip to India and to begin the already-delayed production of the Magical Mystery Tour movie. They have two songs already recorded for the movie, ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ and ‘Your Mother Should Know’.
3 Jul 1967 A private party was held at the Speakeasy Club in London, England for The Monkees. Guests included: John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Dusty Springfield, Eric Clapton, Lulu and all the members from Manfred Mann, The Who and Procol Harum.
19 Jun 1967 Having admitted to taking LSD four times during an interview with Life Magazine, Beatle Paul McCartney told The Daily Mirror that he didn't regret that he'd spoken out and hoped that his fans would understand.
4 Jun 1967 The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Procol Harum, Denny Laine and The Chiffons all appeared at The Saville Theatre, London. Both Paul McCartney and George Harrison were in the audience to see Hendrix perform the title track from Sgt. Pepper which had been released just three days earlier.
15 May 1967 Paul McCartney met American photographer Linda Eastman for the first time, during a Georgie Fame concert at the Bag O'Nails nightclub in London, England. They married on March 12, 1969.
28 Mar 1967 Working on sessions for the new Beatles album Sgt. Pepper at Abbey Road studios in London, John Lennon recorded his lead vocal for ‘Good Morning Good Morning’, and Paul McCartney added a lead guitar solo to the track. Lennon had decided he wanted to end the song with animal sound effects, and asked that they be sequenced in such a way that each successive animal was capable of scaring or eating the preceding one.
27 Mar 1967 John Lennon and Paul McCartney were awarded the prestigious Ivor Novello award for 'Michelle', the most performed song in the UK in 1966.
11 Mar 1967 Music publisher, Dick James, announced that 446 different versions of the Paul McCartney song 'Yesterday' had been recorded so far.
1 Feb 1967 At Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles started work on a new song 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. It wasn't until The Beatles had recorded the song that Paul McCartney had the idea to make the song the thematic pivot for their forthcoming album.
13 Jan 1967 Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr both went to the Bag O'Nails Club, London, England to see the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
29 Dec 1966 Working at Abbey Road studios, London, Paul McCartney began work on his new song ‘Penny Lane’, recording six takes of keyboard tracks and various percussion effects. The song's title is derived from the name of a street near John Lennon's house, in the band's hometown, Liverpool. McCartney and Lennon would meet at Penny Lane junction in the Mossley Hill area to catch a bus into the centre of the city.
8 Dec 1966 Working at Abbey Road in London, Paul McCartney overdubbed his lead vocal for ‘When I'm Sixty-Four’. Then The Beatles set about remaking a new John Lennon song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever.’
5 Nov 1966 The Monkees were at the top of the Billboard singles chart with ‘Last Train To Clarksville’, the group’s first No. 1. Bobby Hart who co-wrote the song got the idea for the lyrics when he turned on the radio and heard the end of The Beatles' 'Paperback Writer'. He thought Paul McCartney was singing "Take the last train", and decided to use the line when he found out McCartney was actually singing 'Paperback Writer'.
15 Oct 1966 Pink Floyd (who were paid £15 for the gig), The Move, Denny Laine, Soft Machine, Yoko Ono and a West Indian steel band all appeared at the launch for the International Times (which became the first and longest running British hippy paper), at London's Roundhouse. Beatle Paul McCartney attended the event in Arabian dress. The flyers for the evening stated: 'Bring your own poison, bring flowers & gass (sic), filled balloons'. Admission was 10 shillings (50p) on the door.
23 Aug 1966 The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the double a sided 'Yellow Submarine - Eleanor Rigby'. The group's eleventh No.1. Paul McCartney said he came up with the name Eleanor from actress Eleanor Bron, who had starred with The Beatles in the film Help! Rigby came from the name of a store in Bristol, Rigby & Evens Ltd, Wine & Spirit Shippers.
21 Aug 1966 On their last ever US tour The Beatles performed in two cities due to a cancellation due to rain the previous day. First they performed at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio. Then they flew to St. Louis, Missouri, for a concert at Busch Stadium, where they performed under a tarpaulin due to heavy rain. It was this gig that convinced Paul McCartney that The Beatles should stop performing live.
7 Apr 1966 Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles recorded overdubs on the new John Lennon song 'Tomorrow Never Knows' and the new Paul McCartney song 'Got to Get You Into My Life' for the forthcoming Revolver album.
21 Jan 1966 George Harrison married Patti Boyd at Leatherhead Register Office in Surrey with Paul McCartney as Best man. George had first met Patti on the set of The Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night. She left Harrison in the mid-'70s and started an affair with Harrison's friend Eric Clapton, who wrote the song 'Layla' about her. The two married in May 1979 but split in 1988. Harrison and Clapton remained close friends with Harrison, taking to calling Clapton his "husband-in-law".
26 Dec 1965 While spending Christmas at his father's home in Cheshire, Paul McCartney crashed from the moped he was riding and suffered a five-inch cut to his mouth.
9 Oct 1965 The Beatles started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Paul McCartney ballad 'Yesterday' giving the group their tenth US No.1. The track was not released as a single in the UK until 1976.
13 Sep 1965 The Paul McCartney song 'Yesterday' was released as a Beatles single in the US. McCartney's vocal and acoustic guitar together with a string quartet essentially made for the first solo performance of the band. The final recording was so different from other works by The Beatles that the band members vetoed the release of the song as a single in the United Kingdom. (However, it was issued as a single there in 1976.)
13 Jul 1965 Paul McCartney was presented with five Ivor Novello Awards at a lunch party at The Savoy, London. John Lennon refused to attend; Paul was 40 minutes late after he had forgotten about the engagement.
17 Jun 1965 Working at Abbey Road studios in London The Beatles completed work on the new Paul McCartney song 'Yesterday' with the overdubbing of an additional vocal track by McCartney and a string quartet. They also recorded ‘Act Naturally’ for Ringo's vocal contribution on the Help! album and the song ‘Wait’, in four takes. ‘Wait’ will not be included on Help!, it was included on the following LP, Rubber Soul.
13 Mar 1965 The Beatles started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Eight Days A Week', the group's 7th US No.1. Paul McCartney would later say the name of the song came from a chauffeur who drove him one day. 'I said, 'How've you been?' 'Oh working hard,' he said, 'Working eight days a week.'
18 Feb 1965 Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles recorded two new songs: John Lennon's 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away' and a new Paul McCartney song 'Tell Me What You See'. Both were released on the album Help! in August 1965.
28 Jul 1964 On their second visit to Sweden, The Beatles played two shows at an ice hockey arena, the Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm. During the first show, both Paul McCartney and John Lennon received mild electrical shocks from ungrounded microphones. Supporting acts included The Kays, The Moonlighters, and The Streaplers.
27 Jun 1964 Peter and Gordon went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the John Lennon and Paul McCartney song 'A World Without Love', which was also a No.1 in the UK. Peter Asher went on to become James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt's manager.
18 Jun 1964 Touring Australia The Beatles played at Sydney Stadium in Sydney. This was Paul McCartney 22nd birthday and after the show his guests included 17 girls who were winners of the Daily Mirrors 'Why I would like to be a guest at a Beatles birthday party' competition.
16 Mar 1964 The Beatles set a new record for advance sales in the US with 2,100,000 copies of their latest single 'Can't Buy Me Love.' When pressed by American journalists in 1966 to reveal the song's 'true' meaning, Paul McCartney stated 'I think you can put any interpretation you want on anything, but when someone suggests that 'Can't Buy Me Love' is about a prostitute, I draw the line'.
27 Dec 1963 The music critics from the UK newspaper The Times, named John Lennon and Paul McCartney as The Outstanding Composers of 1963. Two days later, the Sunday Times' music critic Richard Buckle proclaims the same two songwriters "the greatest composers since Beethoven."
7 Oct 1963 The Rolling Stones recorded the Lennon and McCartney penned song ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ at De Lane Lea Studios in London. The song which was primarily written by Paul McCartney, was finished by Lennon and McCartney in the corner of a room while Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were talking. The song peaked at No.12 on the UK charts when released.
10 Sep 1963 During a chance meeting between The Rolling Stones at Studio 51 Jazz Club in London with Paul McCartney and John Lennon, the two played the Stones a partly finished song 'I Wanna Be Your Man' which the Stones later record.
5 Jul 1963 The Beatles played at the Plaza Ballroom in Dudley in the West Midlands. Appearing The Beatles was Denny and the Diplomats, led by Denny Laine, who went on to join the Moody Blues and eventually, Paul McCartney's group Wings.
18 Apr 1963 After a Beatles performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the radio show Swingin' Sound '63, Paul McCartney met the actress Jane Asher for the first time. They later became engaged, but never married and split up in 1968. The relationship inspired several Beatles songs, including 'All My Loving' and 'I'm Looking Through You.'
5 Mar 1963 The Beatles recorded what would be their third single 'From Me to You' just five days after John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song. Originally planned as the B-side of the record, it was switched to the A-side during the recording session, with 'Thank You Girl' demoted to the B-side.
9 Dec 1961 The Beatles agent Sam Leach attempted to introduce the group to London agents by promoting a show at The Palais Ballroom in Aldershot, England. The show was not advertised properly and, as a result, only 18 people attended, (local newspaper, The Aldershot News, failed to publish the advertisement for the show). However, the band and friends had their own fun after the show, including a mock funeral for Paul McCartney.
6 Dec 1961 John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best met with Brian Epstein for further discussions about his proposal to manage them. Epstein wanted 25% of their gross fees each week. He promises that they will never again play for less than £15, except for The Cavern lunchtime sessions, for which he will get their fee doubled to ten pounds. Lennon, as leader of The Beatles accepts on their behalf.
3 Dec 1961 Brian Epstein invited The Beatles into his office to discuss the possibility of becoming their manager. John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Best arrived late for the 4pm meeting, (they had been drinking at the Grapes pub in Matthew Street), but Paul McCartney was not with them, because, as Harrison explained, he had just got up and was "taking a bath".
14 Feb 1961 The Beatles performed at the Cassanova Club, Liverpool, and at Litherland Town Hall, Liverpool where they played a special Valentine's Day show. Paul McCartney sang Elvis Presley's 'Wooden Heart', wearing a wooden heart pinned to his coat, covered with satin and embroidered with the names "John", "Paul", "George", and "Pete". The heart was raffled off, and the winner also won a kiss from Paul.
17 Dec 1960 Returning from Hamburg, The Beatles appeared at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Chas Newby joined The Beatles on bass guitar (to replace Stuart Sutcliffe, who had remained in Hamburg), a position he would hold for only two weeks and four performances. When Newby bowed out to return to college, Paul McCartney became The Beatles' bass player.
5 Dec 1960 Paul McCartney and Pete Best were arrested for pinning a condom to a brick wall and then igniting it. The two were told to leave Germany and The Beatles returned home, discouraged.
15 Oct 1960 The Beatles (minus Pete Best) and two members of Rory Storm's Hurricanes (Ringo Starr and Lou Walters) recorded a version of George Gershwin's ‘Summertime’ in a Hamburg recording studio. The track which was cut onto a 78-rpm disc marked the first session that included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo together.
20 May 1960 The Silver Beetles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe, and Tommy Moore) played the first night of a short tour of Scotland backing singer Johnny Gentle, at Alloa Town Hall in Clackmannanshire. Three of the Silver Beetles adopted stage names: Paul McCartney became Paul Ramon, George Harrison was Carl Harrison, and Stuart Sutcliffe became Stuart de Stael.
14 May 1960 The Silver Beats (John Lennon, Paul McCartney George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe, and Tommy Moore) performed at Lathom Hall, Seaforth, Liverpool. They played a few songs during the "interval" to audition for promoter Brian Kelly. Also appearing are Cliff Roberts & the Rockers, The Deltones, and Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes. This is the only occasion on which the group uses the name "Silver Beats", quickly changing it back to "Silver Beetles".
10 May 1960 The Silver Beetles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Tommy Moore) auditioned for promoter Larry Parnes and singer Billy Fury for a job as Fury's backing group. Parnes was also looking for backing groups for his lesser-known acts, and The Silver Beetles were selected as backing group for singer Johnny Gentle's upcoming tour of Scotland. The group had changed its name from 'The Beatals' to 'The Silver Beetles' after Brian Casser (of Cass and the Cassanovas) remarked that the name 'Beatals' was "ridiculous". He suggested they use the name 'Long John and the Silver Beetles', but John Lennon refused to be referred to as 'Long John'.
23 Apr 1960 The Nerk Twins appeared at The Fox And Hounds in Caversham, Berkshire, England. The Nerk Twins being John Lennon and Paul McCartney who were staying at Paul's aunt's pub.
31 Oct 1959 The Quarry Men decided to change their name to Johnny and the Moondogs. The band were in Liverpool auditioning for the Carrol Levis show. The Quarry Men featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison.
10 Oct 1959 The Quarry Men played at the Casbah Coffee Club, Liverpool. Ken Brown, suffering from a heavy cold was unable to perform and after the show, an argument started when Paul McCartney said that Brown should not get a share of the performance fee since he had not performed. Lennon and Harrison side with McCartney and Brown quits The Quarry Men.
29 Aug 1959 The Quarry Men (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ken Brown) performed at the Casbah Coffee Club, Hayman's Green, West Derby, Liverpool. This is the opening night of a new teen club in a large Victorian house that is owned by Mrs. Mona Best and the first of seven straight Saturdays that The Quarry Men play here. The band shared one microphone connected to the house P.A.
20 Dec 1958 John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison appeared as The Quarrymen at the wedding reception of George's older brother, Harry. The event was held at the Harrison family home at 25 Upton Green, Speke, Liverpool.
12 Jul 1958 The Quarrymen, featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John "Duff" Lowe on piano and Colin Hanton on drums, recorded a vanity disc at a small studio in an electronics shop owned by a man named Percy Phillips. The band recorded 'That'll Be The Day' and 'In Spite Of Danger' in one take each. With the names of the tunes and the song's writers hand written on the label, each band member was to keep the 10-inch 78 rpm disc for a week before passing it on. Both recordings eventually ended up on Anthology 1.
6 Feb 1958 George Harrison joined Liverpool group The Quarrymen. The group who were named after Lennon's school featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths and John Lowe.
18 Oct 1957 Paul McCartney made his first appearance with The Quarry Men at New Clubmoor Hall, Norris Green, Liverpool. The line-up for The Quarry Men was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eric Griffiths, Colin Hanton, and Len Garry. Paul played John some songs that he had composed which Lennon contributes, marking the birth of the Lennon and McCartney songwriting partnership.
7 Aug 1957 The Quarry Men played at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, (without Paul McCartney who was away at Boy Scout summer camp). The Cavern was still a jazz club, but skiffle was tolerated, but when John Lennon dared to play ‘Hound Dog’ and ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, the club owner sent a note to the stage saying, "Cut out the bloody rock!"
31 Jul 1957 Richard Starkey (later known as Ringo Starr) is thought to have made his debut at the The Cavern playing drums with the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group. John Lennon made his first appearance at the club a week later with The Quarry Men Skiffle Group. Paul McCartney made his first appearance in January 1958 with The Quarry Men.
6 Jul 1957 John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time at The Woolton Church Parish Fete where The Quarry Men were appearing. As The Quarry Men were setting up for their evening performance, McCartney eager to impress Lennon picked up a guitar and played ‘Twenty Flight Rock’ (Eddie Cochran) and ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ (Gene Vincent). Lennon was impressed, and even more so when McCartney showed Lennon and Eric Griffiths how to tune their guitars, something they'd been paying someone else to do for them.
10 Oct 1939 The real Eleanor Rigby died in her sleep of unknown causes at the age of 44. The 1966 Beatles' song that featured her name wasn't written about her, as Paul McCartney's first draft of the song named the character Miss Daisy Hawkins. Eleanor Rigby's tombstone was noticed in the 1980s in the graveyard of St. Peter's Parish Church in Woolton, Liverpool, a few feet from where McCartney and Lennon had met for the first time in 1957.

Related Topics:Band On The Run Paul McCartney Wings

Click to comment

Band On The Run – Wings Hit It Big Time

Important Dates In The Life Of Paul McCartney:

Leave a Reply