Paul McCartney (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Scott Fitzgerald? Dylan? Richard Ford? These loom large. But, for me, the most significant cultural figure is Paul McCartney. I was reminded of this again last Sunday as I sat in a packed Prospect cinema watching the post-Beatles documentary, Man on the Run. It asks, what happens after you leave the most important band in the world?
When I was a boy, the Beatles were a blissful part of my life. Mum played music in our home. She had the ‘Love Me Do’ single, which she bought in 1962. I loved the cartoon series and especially the opening credits, when they tried to outrun mobs of screaming girls. During this ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ played and it was the most exciting thing in my world. I understood little of their lyrics, but as I sat on the orange carpet in front of our boxy Pye television, their charismatic melodies sent something electric through me.
Paul is my favourite Beatle. It’s largely his endless optimism and sunny nature. Even at eighty-three, his hopefulness is his defining, irresistible trait.
Following Paul through the 1970’s the film focusses upon his new band, Wings. Even without the Beatles, if he’d simply arrived in 1971, his catalogue would still be magnificent. Among my favourite ever musical moments is the soprano saxophone on ‘Listen to What the Man Said.’
Regardless of context or mood, I’m always uplifted by it. The saxophonist was Tom Scott and his very first take ended up on the song. With Claire’s consent, we included it on our wedding playlist. It’s golden light falling across a tropical beach.
Any time, any day
You can hear the people say
That love is blind
Well, I don’t know, but I say love is kind
It agitated many that Linda was in her husband’s group. A common view was that she couldn’t sing, play keyboards, or contribute much, at all. The film naturally slants towards McCartney’s opinion. Another reason that I hold him in such boundless affection is his reflections on this and love. He speaks glowingly of her talents and her skills as a wife, mother and artist. In the cinema dark I thought of Claire and shed a tear when he stated that from his wife, beyond all her other gifts, he ‘learnt so much.’
Lennon and McCartney were like brothers. Both lost their mothers young. They wrote bridges for each other. They argued ferociously. Reflecting upon their long partnership the surviving Beatle remarked how when things got out of hand, Lennon would sometimes take off his glasses, lay them on the table, smile across at him, and say, ‘Paul. It’s me, John.’
I’ve long believed that one of the very best ways to spend half an hour is by listening to a Beatles record. Another fine investment is to immerse yourself in the boyish wonder and brightness of Paul McCartney’s subsequent music. Fifty years later, sitting in my cinema seat, that optimism still feels like the most exciting thing in the world.
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About Mickey Randall
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Must get to that this week MR, thanks for the tip and your reflections on Macca.
While I am a rusted on Lennon fan (about the best rocknroll voice going) and dismissed Macca too harshly through the 70s and 80s I always had a fondness for his soft hearted worldview. Reading Chet Flippo’s Macca bio in the late 80s gave me a deeper appreciation for the man and his incredible journey. And his love of the “recreational”. I did the Beatles Liverpool tour courtesy of a taxi driver in 2010 and that gave me a sharper context to who they were, Macca particularly. Always loved Penny Lane but following the “tour” I now have the geographical layout of Paul’s observations. His concert in 2017 blew it all up, what a performance, what songs, what art. He played a song, which I didn’t know, from the early 80s, called Here Today, his homage to Lennon following John’s death. It brought tears to my eyes. And reminded me how stoopid I had been admiring one half of the golden coin while dismissing the other.
What about the time we met? (What about the time we met?)
Well, I suppose that you could say that we were playing hard to get
Didn’t understand a thing
But we could always sing
I confess that in the mid 70’s, when Paul’s songs were seen as soft and cuddly and unworthy of serious consideration, that I was a ‘keep it to myself’ fan. I loved what Paul was doing with Wings, especially ‘My Love’, most of Band On The Run, Venus & Mars, and especially, especially ‘Let ‘Em In’. My favourite female companion at the time was also a Paul fan, so that helped a lot.
I agree that Paul’s ‘endless optimism and sunny nature’ is a welcome addition to a world that is losing its grip on tolerance, compassion, understanding, kindness’.
Thanks for this article Mickey ~ it has brightened my day and reminded me of a time that I cherish deeply.
Thanks for this Mickey. Weren’t those cartoons important, to think that they were largely produced in Sydney.
Let It Be single was a present for my 10th birthday. I probably dropped off all of them in the 70s, but the thread didn’t entirely break, although Mull of Kintyre didn’t help.
I’m about halfway through the recent Wings book and it reminded me that I didn’t know much about Macca post- Beatles, pre-Band On The Run. He was all over the place during that period but I suppose he had a bit going on.
I was thrilled to finally see him in 2023, apparently his show hasn’t changed that much over the years, but really , it didn’t need to, did it?
Thanks for reading commenting Rick, Karl, and Swish.
I read some time ago that of all the amazing things George Martin got to do with The Beatles his absolute favourite was mixing Lennon’s vocals. I can understand why. I’m yet to visit Liverpool but hope to remedy this. I reckon knowing the geography informs our views to the art. I note with some joy that The Beatles cartoons were produced by Al Brodax who also gave us Cool McCool which of course is top tier. I’ve decided to leave the Macca biography our library has until retirement given it runs to 850 pages. Mull of Kintyre doesn’t attract much love, does it? In my home I’m the only one who doesn’t despise it! I was hugely disappointed that when he last toured, he only played our entertainment centre. He played stadia elsewhere. Did he forget the 350,000 who lined the streets for his first visit here? Nonetheless, I was in the virtual queue for tickets but within a minutes these went to 3k each, my connection dropped out anyhow, and that was that!
‘Maybe I’m Amazed’, ‘Live and Let Die’, ‘My Love’, “Listen to What the Man Said’, ‘Rock Show’, ‘Junior’s Farm’, ‘Silly Love Songs’, ‘Band on the Run’, ‘Jet’, ‘Bluebird’, ‘Coming Up’, ‘Tug of War’ and that is just off the top of my head.
His career in popular music is incomparable. Possibly only Dylan comes close.
Great list Smokie to which I’d add: Waterfalls, Let Me Roll It, Magneto and Titanium Man, Arrow Through Me, and With A Little Luck, just to offer five.
Years ago, I read an account of an afternoon at Abbey Road during which Paul recorded the vocals and, I think, some guitar parts for three of the greatest songs in history. It was recounted as typical-day-at-the-office stuff for Paul but is mind-boggling. And then as though nothing remarkable had happened he meet Jane Asher for dinner. I’d love to read this again.
Thanks for this, Mickey. I didn’t realise of this film’s existence, and promptly watched it last night. Loved it. The greatest melody-maker of all. No one comes close. I could listen to that man sing the phonebook.
Glad you got to see it, DB. Wasn’t it great to catch an audio snippet of Molly Meldrum during the film too? He’s a decent but not an outstanding lyricist (think serviceable back-flanker) however his melodies are often deceptively simple and utterly compelling. Peerless. Thanks.
Thanks for this Mickey. Outside of footy the Fab 4 are probably my favourite subject to discuss.
Can recommend the Museum and bus tour in Liverpool.
If Let me Roll it were on any other McCartney album it would be more heralded.
Arguably my favourite post Beatles song by any of the 4.
I say arguably because it’s a long list.
I always thought the Let it Be doco was a hatchet job on Paul’s reputation. I’m pleased Get Back largely set that straight.
Will loan patronage to Man on the Run first chance I get.
Cheers, Jamie. I’m both excited and nervous for the Sam Mendes’ Beatles biopics although these are still two years away. I hope to have visited Liverpool by then and drank all that up. Let Me Roll It a hugely catchy number!