Paul McCartney: Upcoming Showtime Special
Jul, 20 2011
Showtime has just announced that it will air a feature-length documentary about Paul McCartney and his experiences in New York following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The film, “The Love We Make,” will air on September 10 and chronicles Sir Paul’s journey from his plane being grounded on September 11, 2001 through his planning and performance of the “Concert for New York City” the following month.
As reported by the New York Times, the film will feature live footage from the concert as well as appearances from British musical luminaries David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Pete Townshend.
Said McCartney in a statement, ”It was an honor to be able to help New York and America at that time in its history. There was a feeling of shock and fear in the air that I thought we could help alleviate with music. And the fact that so many people stepped up to join us made for a very uplifting evening for us all.”
Watch footage of "Freedom + Let It Be” from the Concert for New York City by clicking here.
In lighter news, the former Beatle will be marrying his long-time girlfriend, Nancy Shevell in a small ceremony in London. McCartney proposed to the American divorcee in May.
-Court
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Paul McCartney Has Scored a Ballet
Feb, 24 2011
Paul McCartney has written an orchestral work scheduled to be choreographed and performed by the New York City Ballet. Titled “Ocean’s Kingdom,” the 50 minute piece is scheduled to be performed at the ballet company’s fall gala on September 22, as well as other dates next season.
“I’m interested in doing things I haven’t done before,” Mr. McCartney said to the BBC. “That offer came up and I love writing music, the two went together and I said, ‘Yeah,’ so I just accept things before I even know what I’m doing.”
The ballet has been described as “basically a romantic story” involving two worlds; one of ocean, representing purity, and one of land. A plotline similar to Disney’s The Little Mermaid, the Ocean King’s daughter falls in love with the brother of the Earth King. The New York Times reports that the act is divided into four acts with a cast of 40 to 45, including four of five main roles.
The show will be choreographed by the company’s ballet master in chief, Peter Martins, who told the Times the seed for collaboration was planted when he ran into McCartney at a fund-raiser for the School of American Ballet and that over the past year, they consulted regularly.
“Of course, being a Beatles fan – because that’s my generation – I was very intrigued. I knew of course about his foray into classical music and his interest in it. I said to him, ‘Maybe we could do something together.’”
What appealed to Sir Paul of the partnership is that “I’ve come to love working with orchestras. It’s a great palette…. For me, the sheer athleticism is the most astounding thing about what I’m seeing. It’s like a meeting of the Olympic Games and art, and I find that fascinating and challenging for me.”
-Court
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McCartney Takes SNL by Storm
Dec, 13 2010
This past weekend, Paul McCartney took over NBC’s airwaves, peppering Saturday Night Live with a record five musical appearances and a part in the opening monologue with host Paul Rudd. He later did a vocal impersonation of Camilla Parker-Bowles, Prince Charles’ wife, on "Weekend Update" with Seth Meyers which McCartney jokingly described as “probably the best thing I’ve ever worked on.”
Backed by a four-piece band, McCartney played tunes from both his time in The Beatles and his band, Wings. His first set included performances of "Jet" and "Band on the Run." Classics Get Back and A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance, with the audience singing along, made for a lovely tribute to John Lennon, who was murdered 30 years ago last week by a deranged fan.
The appearance was also a celebration of the newly issued gorgeous 3 CD + 1 DVD box set of Band on the Run, all re-mastered with lots of extras.
McCartney has appeared on “SNL” just one other time, in February 1993, with Alec Baldwin as host. He did three songs that night: "Hey Jude", “Biker Like An Icon,” and “Get Out of My Way.”
- Court
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Macca's Smallest Biggest Gig
Jul, 27 2010
Whether solo or with The Beatles, Paul McCartney has played in many of the biggest and best music venues in the world. But one of the smallest venues he’s played in decades was a “biggie,” he told Billboard: collecting the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, McCartney played in the East Room of the White House, with President Obama and his family in the front row.
“I was eager to meet him,” McCartney said, “being a fan of his and his wife. I had never actually been to the White House, so that was great. And the idea of playing in the White House was very interesting. We wondered what the acoustics would be like, but they turned out to be great.”
McCartney was joined on-stage by guests including Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, the Jonas Brothers and Jack White. For the first time ever, he performed his 1982 No.1 smash hit Ebony & Ivory with duet partner Wonder. “Sometimes you write a song in a certain era and it's got a certain kind of significance,” McCartney said. “I don't think I would have imagined then that it would be quite so soon that America would elect a black president… To sing it with Stevie in front of President Obama was very emotional.”
The concert will be broadcast by PBS on Wednesday evening at 8pm EDT.
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Paul McCartney
Apr, 12 2009
It’s a week for collaborations but you’ll have to decide which excites you most. First to surface are rumors of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr working together in the studio for the first time in ages. The reunion of half of the fab four resulted after they got together on stage for David Lynch's aid concert, Change Begins Within. As a source told Brit newspaper The Daily Express, "It's been a long time since Ringo played drums on any of Paul's songs, but they've decided they can work together again. They had a fantastic time in New York, and realize they still work well together.” Two other artists thinking of getting their musical heads together after a little twitter flirting (would that be called "twirting?") are the unlikely pairing of Fred Durst and Neil Diamond. The negotiation was conducted publically in 140 character-sized chunks: Durst to Diamond, “I am a huge fan of yours. We should do a collaboration - Neil Diamond meets my band Limp Bizkit. Sounds fresh,” to which Diamond responded "I'd love to, where and when?" Thus, one of the stranger collaborations of the year was born.
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Paul McCartney
Jan, 27 2009
They may have spent their lives encouraging others to listen to their music, but Sir Paul McCartney and a handful of musical friends have confirmed they are playing at a benefit concert in New York for the David Lynch Foundation, an organization with aims to teach Transcendental Meditation to a million children. Acclaimed movie director Lynch said "In today's world of fear and uncertainty, every child should have one class period a day to dive within himself and experience the field of silence -- bliss -- the enormous reservoir of energy and intelligence that is deep within all of us." Also making noise to promote silence on April 4 will be Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Paul Horn and Moby. Meanwhile, Macca has also confirmed he's due to perform at the Grammy Awards ceremony on February 8, and he's had to deny fresh reports in British tabloids that he's set to get remarried. His publicist said there was no truth in the suggestion that girlfriend Nancy Shevell was finalizing her divorce from a former husband so that the couple could tie the knot.
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Paul McCartney
Jan, 11 2009
When Michael Jackson bought the rights to 200 songs in the Beatles back catalog in 1985, it caused a deep freeze in the relationship between himself and Paul McCartney. Until that time the relationship had been good and had resulted in the release of two successful Jackson/McCartney duets, “Say, Say, Say” and “The Girl Is Mine”. Once the rights had transferred for a cool $47.5 million, McCartney found himself having to pay for the privilege of singing songs he had penned himself many years before. McCartney’s disgruntlement was evident when he was reported as saying, "You know what doesn't feel very good, is going on tour and paying to sing all my songs. Every time I sing 'Hey Jude', I've got to pay someone". Thankfully, a thawing of the relationship may be on its way: recent reports suggest that 50 year old Jackson is planning to make amends by leaving the song rights to 66 year old McCartney in the event of his death. It seems that by the time he owns his own songs, McCartney may well be too old to sing them.
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Paul McCartney
Oct, 7 2008
If you thought Sir Paul McCartney's recent mandolin-led single "Dance Tonight" signaled his permanent descent into old aged lethargy; or that his messy and very public divorce from Heather Mills might tempt him to retreat to a comfortable and private retirement: then think again. Sir Paul is about to release his third album under the name The Fireman, in collaboration with former Killing Joke bassist Youth, and the first single is, appropriately enough, the most fiery thing Macca's done in years. "Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight" is a dirty, bluesy romp which features passionately yelled lyrics like "The last thing you do was to try and betray me," and “And you have money, and no manners." Whoever could he be referring to?
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