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October 2002 to December 2002
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McCartney Tour Breaks Box-Office RecordsPaul McCartney wrapped his 50-date North American arena tour Oct. 29 at America West Arena in Phoenix, having grossed about $100 million, and left a trail of house records in his wake. A critical and financial winner, the tour will likely end up the top-grossing trek of 2002, averaging about $2 million per night. "Nobody goes out [on tour] to lose money, but the main thing is the audiences are having fun," McCartney tells Billboard in the Nov. 9, 2002, issue. "In some ways, [the response] has reminded me of the early Beatles tours."
The tour comprised two legs, in the spring and fall. The spring leg, under the Driving USA banner, grossed $53.2 million from 27 shows and drew 407,183 people. The top-grossing stop was a two-night stand at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas that took in $5.6 million. The 23-date fall run, called Back in the U.S., began Sept. 21 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee and primarily played markets that were missed during the spring leg.
"This tour [was] the ideal size," McCartney says. "After the first leg, we said, 'What we need is a nice holiday,' so we took some time off; I got married [to model/activist Heather Mills June 11] and had my honeymoon -- a wonderful time."
Ticket prices were mostly in the $50-$250 range, easily the highest the artist has ever charged; McCartney last toured in 1993, when his New World stadium tour grossed more than $35 million from 30 shows, drawing more than 1 million people. Tickets in 1993 were $16.50-$32.50 in most markets. "I suppose some people would balk at [ticket prices], but no one who has come to the show wants their money back," McCartney says.
McCartney's band for the tour included Paul "Wix" Wickens on keyboards, guitarist Rusty Anderson, guitarist/bassist Brian Ray, and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. The 35-song sets tilted largely toward Beatles material but also included tunes by Wings and solo cuts. "I've played with most of these guys before, and we have a nice selection of songs," McCartney understates. "This band has really taken off."
While he has wrapped things up in North America, McCartney has not concluded his concert work for the year. The tour goes to Mexico City for concerts at Palacio de los Deportes Saturday (Nov. 2), Sunday, and Tuesday and then Japan for shows at the Tokyo Dome Nov. 11, 13, 14 and the Osaka Dome Nov. 17 and 18. McCartney is no stranger to Tokyo, the site of his notorious 1980 pot bust. "I'll be better prepared this time," he jokes. "I know how to pack now."
McCartney postponed what was to be his final concert of the year --and his only Australian show -- out of consideration for the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Bali. The Nov. 23 date in Melbourne was to be his first date in Australia in more than a decade. As previously reported, highlights from the tour will air Nov. 27 on the two-hour ABC special "Back in the U.S." A DVD and concert album of the same name will street the day before via Capitol.
There is also talk of more dates in 2003, including a run through Europe, a possible performance at Red Square in Moscow, and a tour of Australia
Paul has topped the Billboard Boxscore Chart again for top concert grosses reported the week ending November 2. In first place--Tacoma Dome, (Tacoma, WA) grossing $2,325,855 with a sellout crowd of 17,648. Second place--Schottenstein Center (Columbus, OH) grossing $2,132,005 with a sellout crowd of 15,124. Third place--Ford Center (Oklahoma City, OK) grossing 1,956,090 and a sellout crowd of 14,847. Fourth place--Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN) grossing $1,845,410 and a sellout crowd of 15,121. Fifth place--Savvis Center (St. Louis, MO) grossing $1,791,485 with a sellout crowd of 14,878.
A memorial garden has been opened near the Mull of Kintyre in tribute to the late Linda McCartney. The photographer and animal rights campaigner, who was married to former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, died from cancer in 1998 at the age of 57. The Mull of Kintyre was a favorite retreat for the celebrity couple and was immortalized by Sir Paul in a hit song in the 1970s. A bronze statue of Linda McCartney, commissioned and donated by Sir Paul, forms the centerpiece of the garden in Campbeltown - the main town on the Kintrye peninsula in the west of Scotland.
Mrs. McCartney's family paid tribute to the local community at the unveiling on Friday. Daughters Stella and Mary McCartney said the area had been an inspiration to their mother. In a statement they said, "Scotland was one of mum's favorite places and it is wonderful to have a permanent statue to remind us of the great times we spent with her there. "We would like to say thanks to the people of Campbeltown for honoring her in this way." Sir Paul, his daughters fashion designer Stella and photographer Mary, and Heather, Linda's daughter from her previous marriage, had been expected at the unveiling on Friday but were unable to attend.
The ex-Beatle and his son James were touring America this month, and the daughters were said to have work commitments. Sir Paul's second wife, model Heather Mills, had not been expected at the ceremony.
The Linda McCartney Kintyre Memorial Trust, which has been working on the project for four years, also hopes to open a gallery nearby where exhibits of her Kintyre photographs can be displayed. Trust chairman Alastair Cousin said, "I hope that the creation of this memorial garden will express to the McCartney family the gratitude that the community felt for all that they have done for Kintyre and its reputation at home and abroad. Much more importantly it will be recognized as an appreciation of Linda's generosity, always anonymous, to so many causes, her enthusiasms for Kintyre expressed in her photography and her determination to ensure that her family were exposed to its values whenever possible."The McCartneys owned a number of hill farms in Kintyre where they spent a significant amount of time raising their family. The scenic area of south west Scotland is also known as the inspiration for the Beatles' song "The Long and Winding Road," and for the Wings number one hit "Mull of Kintyre". A two-thirds life size clay statue of Linda holding a lamb is the focal point of the memorial garden. Local Councillor Alistair McKinlay said, "The development of this garden will encourage people from far and wide to visit Kintyre and experience the unique landscape and atmosphere of tranquillity which inspired one of the leading photographers of the twentieth century."
About the sculptor, Jane Robbins--
"Paul knew of my work, and approached me to create a sculpture of Linda. I suppose because I had known Linda all my life through the family connection, he felt I could sculpt her with empathy.. my vegetarianism was always well received in their house!I wanted to choose an image and age of Linda that most people would remember her by, so I chose to sculpt her in her 40's- an age in my opinion, that she was really at her most beautiful.
Paul and I discussed the pose of the piece, and I decided to place a lamb on her lap to represent her love of animals.. literally "protecting" the lamb as a vegetarian and animal rights campaigner. I was careful to get the reference right on the lamb too.. it was a black faced breed, the same a Paul rears on his farm!
The sculpture of Linda is seated on a piece of Scottish granite to represent her history with The Mull of Kintyre. I've depicted her in her very characteristic way of pointing her toes together complete with cowboy boots!
I also decided to sculpt the piece lifesize and not towering on a huge plinth, as I felt this was in keeping with the location and the woman herself - always approachable and "real".
The sculpture was modeled in clay and cast at Castle Fine Art Foundry in Llanrhaedr, North Wales.
The story behind Paul and Buddy Holly... In 1975, Paul McCartney's MPL Communications bought Holly's publishing catalog from a near-bankrupt Norman Petty. To some, the sale was Petty's final act of theft - having robbed Holly and his widow blind in settling the account of what was owed him as a performer, he was profiting one last time from his perfidy. The truth is that it was a godsend to Maria Elena Holly and the Holly family in Lubbock; amid the events of the years and decades that followed, MPL was able to sell and exploit those songs in ways that Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico, never could have, and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars for them that Petty never would have. And with McCartney - a Buddy Holly fan from the age of 15, and probably the most successful fan Holly ever had - as publisher, they were paid every cent they had coming.
Sir Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin have been honored as one of the greatest songwriting partnerships of all time. They received the Music Industry Trusts Award for a 35-year collaboration which has produced classics like "Candle In The Wind" and "Your Song." Actor Kevin Spacey flew in from the US to present them with the award at a star-studded charity dinner in London.
The pair watched a video tribute from some of the biggest names in music. Bono said, "How many partnerships can you put up there with Lennon and McCartney? Not many, maybe only a few. Certainly Elton John and Bernie Taupin."
Other stars who paid tribute in video included Sir Paul McCartney, George Michael, Sting, Lionel Richie, Brian Wilson and Carole King.
There is a kiss-and-tell moment involving Paul McCartney in Lulu's auto-biography, "I Don't Want to Fight."Paul, a fan of the wee Glasgow belter in the 1960s, was also a near neighbor in St John's Wood, London, and would pop in to Lulu's flat for a chat after he had been walking his dog.
That is where an attempt at seduction took place. Not between Paul and Lulu, for goodness sake. It was Lulu's muttley, aptly called Dog, who took a fancy to McCartney's canine companion, Martha.
Unfortunately, Dog was a tiny Yorkshire terrier and Martha was an English sheepdog. The big shaggy-haired Beatle dog wouldn't stoop so low. Dog wasn't up to it and his passion remained unrequited.
Paul McCartney revealed to Sky News that he has one regret. Out of all the singers that have covered his songs, both he and John Lennon only really wanted one star to do a cover. And that was Frank Sinatra.Paul said, "He loved Yesterday and we offered him "The Long and Winding Road." But at that time, it was difficult as some people did still want him to sing ballads and not pop music."
In a way, he did do a Beatles tune. But it was George Harrison who bagged him when Frank covered his track "Something."
Paul also said, "Keep a look out for my tour in the UK next year. I will be playing smaller venues - and not all in the big cities."
(Note: Sinatra did record "Yesterday" for his 1969 album titled "My Way.")
She is one of the world's best-known ambassadors for the disabled, Sir Paul McCartney's bride Heather has never shied away from talking about her missing left leg. But her astonishing frankness broke new boundaries on a TV chatshow when she whipped off her artificial limb and handed it to the host. American interviewer Larry King was lost for words at the dramatic gesture, seen by millions of viewers world wide on the CNN network.
The 34-year-old ex-model, who styles herself Heather Mills McCartney, had just described how she lost the limb in a collision with a London policeman's motorbike in 1993. "So I designed this leg, which I'll pop off actually if you don't mind," she said. "Just to show you - this is just basically, not to be dramatic, but just to show people."
Clearly shocked, King tried to regain his composure before responding. "Where does your leg end?" "It ends just below the knee. So this is to show people the quality of the leg that you can actually get," said Mills.
The veteran presenter tried in vain to get her to put the leg back on, but the bizarre conversation continued as he held the prosthetic limb.KING: It feels like a leg.
MILLS MCCARTNEY: Yes. But in America you don't have that quality here.
KING: Now -- pick your leg up again. What do you...
MILLS MCCARTNEY: There's a screw on the end of it.
KING: Do you have any feeling there?
MILLS MCCARTNEY: Yes, yes, yes. Full feeling. Completely.
KING: Full feeling?
MILLS MCCARTNEY: Full feeling. If you touch it, it makes me feel like my toes are completely opening and -- Paul's going to get upset you're touching my leg, Larry.
KING: Now this was amazing. This did not turn Paul off?
MILLS MCCARTNEY: No, not at all.
KING: Because you can imagine many men...
MILLS MCCARTNEY: Or any boyfriends before that. Every guy I've been out with has asked me to marry them within a week, so, not at all.
Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Heather told King that she and 60-year-old Sir Paul might be unable to have children and might consider adopting. "I'd love to have kids, but after my two ectopic pregnancies I don't know if I can. And I don't want to go through any more operations ... "
KING: And Paul loves kids, right?MILLS MCCARTNEY: Yes. He's great.
KING: So you may well adopt?
MILLS MCCARTNEY: Maybe.
She also admitted to bossing the former Beatle around - a habit which was leading to rows. "I am bossy, yes. But in a nice way," she said. "But I've also learned that my husband quite appreciates it because I'm very kind of sort of organized." (Daily Mail)
Pop diva Madonna is top of the pops when it comes to Britain's biggest music earners, according to a teaser of the latest Sunday Times Pay List, which ranks the 500 highest-paid people in the country.The newspaper's third annual list, which will be fully revealed in the newspaper's forthcoming edition, estimated that the Material Girl beat rockers Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Mick Jagger to lead the list of music earners.
Michigan-born Madonna, who raked in more than $56 million in the year to September 30, 2002, qualified for the second annual list after she became a British resident.
Nearly an estimated half of Madonna's earnings -- about $24 million -- came from the deal she signed with Microsoft Corp to use her "Ray of Light" song to launch Windows XP.
The annual take-home pay of the only woman in music's top 10 jumped $9 million to put her in 15th place in the overall list of 500, down four places from a year ago.
In second place on the list of top music earners was McCartney, who earned $51 million, well ahead of Jagger, who generated $36 million.
Melbourne, it seems, just can't work it out. After this week's news that Paul McCartney would not be, as advertised, performing in Melbourne on November 23, key figures in persuading the former Beatle to bring his present tour to the Telstra Dome said fans had to accept his explanation that the Bali bombings changed everything - that a "celebratory" rock concert seemed inappropriate.
Among those figures was Victorian Major Events Committee chairman Steve Vizard. By yesterday, Mr Vizard was less conciliatory. If Sir Paul was so affected by the murder of innocent holidaying Australians, perhaps he could have performed a benefit show, he said. "If you're committed to that, come and do a concert and turn some of the proceeds over, or dedicate something to those people (victims)," he said. Mr Vizard also said he was disappointed Sir Paul had not consulted the organizers of the Melbourne event before deciding to postpone it. "I'm disappointed because I didn't understand the decision, and because they made the decision without getting the full information (from) the people they are supposed to be working with - the promoter, us, and the stadium," he said. "It's incredibly disappointing, given the work we did."Sir Paul's decision is said to have been made after he spoke to relatives in Adelaide and Sydney. The musician, who was in Los Angeles with his band, said he was horrified at reports of the carnage in Bali and, say those close to him, his heart went out to the families who were desperately trying to identify and retrieve their loved ones' bodies. His relatives had told him that the mood in Australia was one of deep loss and grieving, but they did not advise him to call off his concert. According to confidants, that was a decision he made after talking to his wife, Heather Mills, and advisers, including long-time spokesman Geoff Baker.
In a series of late-night phone calls to co-promoter Paul Dainty, one of Sir Paul's business advisers explained the musician's sentiments. Mr. Baker also had numerous conversations with senior figures in the Paul Dainty Corporation, to explain Sir Paul's position. "The only reason, the entire reason why the concert was postponed is that Paul thought it would be inappropriate, highly insensitive, to stage what is a very joyous, happy rock show at a time when there as so much grief in Australia," Mr Baker told The Age.
But as the week unfolded, the sudden postponement triggered speculation that the Bali tragedy was not the only explanation for Sir Paul's decision. He commands $6 million a show and sources told The Age that promoters would have covered their costs only if they sold out two concerts at Telstra Dome. They said tickets for the first show had not sold quickly enough to warrant a second. But a spokesman for the Dainty Corporation had earlier confirmed that 30,000 of the 38,000 available tickets had been sold, 6000 to interstate buyers.
As for another theory - that Sir Paul and his entourage were spooked by the terrorist threat so close to Australia - Mr Baker was emphatic, "That is the biggest load of bollocks of all. If that were the case, do you think he would be playing to crowds of 60,000 in the States?" Mr Baker said Sir Paul understood his decision would rankle with fans in Australia. "But Paul would much rather be in this situation than to be seen as in any way being insensitive towards people who are suffering so much grief," he said. Furthermore, he said, the concert had not been cancelled, just postponed.
Premier Steve Bracks said he believed "fans are quite rightly disappointed" but he still hoped, that Sir Paul would perform a Melbourne concert.
British rock legend Sir Paul McCartney has postponed a planned Australian performance next month.In a statement from the US, where he is on tour, the former Beatle said sympathy for the families and friends of those who were killed or injured in the October 12 Bali bombing prompted him to postpone the concert indefinitely. He was due to perform just one Australian show at Melbourne's Telstra Dome on November 23.
"Like many who have a deep fondness for Australia, I have been shocked and saddened by the recent terrible events in Bali," Sir Paul said in a statement issued to AAP by his tour publicist. "My heart goes out to all who have been affected by this tragedy. "As a mark of respect to both the families who have lost loved ones and to the families of the injured, I have decided to postpone my planned concert in Melbourne as this is not the appropriate time for a rock show."Music industry icon Molly Meldrum, who interviewed Sir Paul by satellite at an elaborate launch for the show earlier this month, said fear of a terrorist attack at the concert may have contributed to the decision.
"This may sound over-dramatic but if this had happened in the month of September with the AFL or NRL grand finals you would think twice about (holding them)," he said. "I mean 91,000 people at the MCG...if the reality is there and Australia is on a threat list you have to think twice."
Sir Paul's decision came on the same day as some of Australia's best-known entertainers announced they would take part in a memorial concert for the Bali bombing victims this week. John Farnham, Vanessa Amorosi and Mark Seymour were among artists who agreed to appear at the memorial. Several big acts, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers - who play Telstra Dome on December 1 - Kiss and Jamiroquai, are still set to tour Australia in coming months. Sir Paul was scheduled to finish his US tour on October 29 then move on to Mexico City and Japan, before ending his world tour in Melbourne.
"In time, that (Melbourne) show will hopefully come to be. But for now, my sympathies and those of all of us on this tour are with you all in your grief," he said.
A spokeswoman for Victorian Premier Steve Bracks said the government respected Sir Paul's decision to cancel the show, and Victorian Major Events staff were seeking talks with his management team to reschedule the event. "It's a matter for Paul McCartney," she said. "We respect any decision he makes, and look forward to when he does come to Melbourne."
Victorian Major Events Company chairman Steve Vizard said he respected Sir Paul's decision and would work to reschedule the concert. "I know he has been deeply and personally moved by these events and this has not been an easy decision," he said. "It is particularly understandable as this concert features freedom as a theme." Promoter Paul Dainty said the nearly 30,000 people who had already bought tickets for the show would be refunded.
Paul McCartney wanted $12 million for two shows at Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.According to respected concert industry sources, McCartney's asking price for his now-aborted "Driving Oz" tour was $6 million with a guarantee of two concerts in Melbourne.
"Paul McCartney wanted a figure in excess of $6 million US for coming down here, and getting those numbers was impossible without doing two shows," an industry insider said.
That asking price, not uncommon on the superstar tour circuit, has been corroborated by two leading concert promoters.A source, who has explicit knowledge of the business side of Sir Paul's world tour, said McCartney asked for a guarantee of two shows, on November 23 and 24. Victorian Major Events boss Steve Vizard confirmed "discussions about a second concert".
But McCartney pre-empted those moves last Sunday with a shock announcement to postpone the Australian leg of his Driving tour. In a full-page statement, McCartney said he was postponing his show as a mark of respect for the Bali bombing victims. "This is not the appropriate time for a rock show," Sir Paul said.
A reputable industry figure, with more than 20 years' experience as a promoter and fluent with the McCartney touring machine, said Sir Paul also expected to perform to capacity-filled houses. "Paul McCartney goes crazy every time he doesn't sell out a show. He throws a fit," the source said. "Two or three shows on the current American tour were 'soft' (not a capacity crowd) and they went to great lengths to cover up seats and make it look like a sell-out.
"There are a great deal of positives if a promoter gets McCartney. It's a 35-song set list, he does the work and he's got a great work ethic. But it is negative in terms of his obsessive personality."
Sir Paul announced his Telstra Dome show on October 10. Tickets went on sale last Tuesday, 10 days after the Bali bombings. McCartney postponed his tour last Sunday after selling a reported 30,000 tickets (out of 36,000), with no official announcement of a second show. Sources say Ticketmaster had a second McCartney show ready to sell through its various outlets. But, by late last Friday, the last business day before McCartney's call to postpone, ticket sales for the first concert did not warrant a spill to November 24.
Concert promoters say McCartney's reason for postponing is insulting. "And not only for people genuinely affected by the tragedy in Bali, but the wider implication is acts like John Farnham, who will play nine shows at Rod Laver Arena soon, should return all tickets because it's not the right time," one promoter said. "What has been exhibited is nervousness that Bali may have had an effect on business. The reality is, the deal was for two shows and they didn't have the numbers to sell out one show." (Melbourne Herald Sun)
Former rock star turned DJ, Greg Kihn of 98.5 FM KFOX radio in San Jose interviewed Paul on his limo cell phone driving to the show. Click to hear with or with RealPlayer. (click to download a free copy of RealPlayer)
If you missed Heather Mills on the "Today Show," Monday, October 28, you can watch the video of the entire interview on the "Today Show" Web page.
The revival of fur on the catwalks for winter 2002 shows that animal rights activists are having difficulty converting the fashion industry. But they have a strong advocate in British designer Stella McCartney.McCartney opened her first store in Manhattan's meatpacking district -- an odd choice for such a well-known animal rights campaigner. Her compassion towards animals is reflected in her work, which avoids not only fur, but all animal products.
"Everything in [my] store and every single garment and accessories that you see is cruelty free in the sense no animal has died to make anything in here," she said. "I just think that a lot of people out there don't want products that an animal has had to die for."
While she appreciates the beauty of fur, she prefers "to feel it on a living creature than as a dead piece of fabric." McCartney's late mother, Linda, was also an animal activist, and produced a vegetarian food range.
Karl Lagerfeld, who used fur extensively in his winter 2002 collection defends the practice, "It should be handled in the nicest way but as long as we eat meat and wear leather, I don't even think there is a subject to discuss."
But fur's revival this season demonstrates that the animal right message is facing difficulty getting through to fashion industry.
Even McCartney's impact is limited. Her label is 50 percent owned by Gucci which profits from selling leather handbag -- a fabric McCartney is against. Yet she sees her stance as a positive step for activists. "I'm a firm believer in infiltrating from within really," McCartney said. (CNN)
Heather and Paul were on 20/20 Friday, October 25 10pm ET. Click here to read the partial transcript.
Heather Mills, was once nearly killed by a lovesick lesbian she'd been living with. The strange incident is one of many that Mills, who has often been accused of exaggeration, recounts in her memoir "A Single Step" (Warner Books). She writes that it wasn't until she decided to move out of the flat they were sharing that she realized the woman, Gloria, "a short Joan Collins lookalike," was a lesbian and in love with her. Gloria, a topless model who had tried to get Mills to pose topless as well, threatened her with a knife but she managed to escape.
Mills had a hard time even before she lost her leg when a police motorbike ran her over at age 25. Her father was a con artist and so bad at it that she had to steal clothes and food, and she was an "old hand' at shoplifting by the age of 10. "I only got caught twice," she said. "It didn't stop me."
When she was 8, she and a friend were kept captive by a pedophile who molested them for three days until cops broke down the door. Her ordeal paled in comparison to the "internal examination" administered by the police doctor. "For me at least that was a worse experience than what [the pedophile] had done to me," she recalls.
After her mother left her abusive father, he started to beat Mills, age 9, and her siblings instead. The worst time was when they broke a brand-new washing machine. "Dad went absolutely nuts and belted all three of us that time," she writes, "grabbing us by the hair and punching us in the chest until we begged for mercy."
Another time he threw her sister through the glass panel of their front door.
When she started at Usworth Comprehensive School, Mills' large breasts began to be a problem. After a boy remarked on her "watermelon t- -s," she resorted to taping them down. "Until I was 13, I only had one bra so I used to scrub the straps clean every night and dry it over my bedroom radiator," she writes.
When her father was finally arrested for fraud, Mills took off on her own and dropped out of school, tried booze for the first time, and joined a traveling fair cleaning vomit off the rides, then lived like a bum in a cardboard box under London's Waterloo Bridge.
She became addicted to hot tubs after she got a sexual thrill courtesy of the bubble jets, and lost her virginity soon after when she picked up a man at a disco. But of all the things that have happened to her, Mills says being thrust into the public eye because of her relationship with McCartney was the worst. "I'd say one of the most horrible ordeals I'd ever been through was the media harassment." (from the NY Post 10/29/02)
Paul McCartney could be collaring crooks - after being made a detective with the New York Police Department. The honorary award for the ex-Beatle - which includes power of arrest - salutes his concert fund-raising efforts for the families of Twin Towers victims. A pal confirmed, "Paul really can carry out busts now. His badge is not just for show and he's so proud." Top NYPD cop Ken Cardona, who made the presentation, said, "We put him in our ranks as a thank-you for helping us in our despair. He was very pleased - but taken aback." Sir Paul, 60, is on a six-month US tour. His inauguration can be seen be on his forthcoming "Back In The U.S." DVD
Music great Paul McCartney, in town for his concert at the Tacoma Dome (Oct. 19), left two Seattleites on Cloud Nine. Mike West of the "Fisher and West Mountain Morning Show" still can't believe his producer Lee Calahan was able to arrange for him to meet McCartney before the concert.West says, "I assumed it was a group meeting. But, when I got there, an aide said, 'No, man, you're it.' I walked into the dressing room and found candles, a bottle of Merlot and two chairs."
McCartney put West at ease and they chatted for 15 minutes. West mentioned that his 16-year-old son, Michael, plays drums and wants to study at McCartney's Liverpool School of Performing Arts. As West was leaving, McCartney told an aide, "Make sure we've got Michael's number."
Also telling McCartney stories is Chai Mann of Fox's Gem Shop. A fellow walked into the Fifth Avenue store Saturday and told Mann that "someone famous" wanted to buy a watch. Two problems: Mr. Famous had to have the watch engraved by 4 p.m. and he needed a private room where he could wait.
Mann says, "I told him we could do it. But I couldn't imagine why he had to have a private room." A car pulled up and, to Mann's surprise, who should appear but McCartney. The musician waited in Mann's office while the watch, gift for a band member, was inscribed: "Happy Birthday, Barry. Love, Paul and Heather."
In a recent interview with the Radio Times, Phil Collins takes a swipe at Sir Paul McCartney. He says he is "mystified" as to why the ex-Beatle landed a knighthood.Collins said, "I never quite got over the idea of McCartney being knighted when George (Harrison) and Ringo (Starr) weren't. What makes him so special?"
Newlywed Sir Paul McCartney will snub the unveiling of a statue of his late wife, Linda - even though he commissioned it. The former Beatle says he will be too busy in Mexico to attend Friday's ceremony in Campbeltown. Yet, ahead of Linda's memorial, Sir Paul has already unveiled a tribute to his new wife, the ex- model Heather Mills, 34. In May, he showed off his painting of a female nude and dedicated it to her. An angry Campbeltown local said: "For someone who is supposed to have been so devoted to Linda, and to have loved Kintyre, it is shameful. There is a lot of speculation Heather has put pressure on him not to go." A spokesman for Sir Paul, 59, said the memorial was "a Campbeltown thing - not a McCartney family thing". Yet it was Sir Paul, 59, who approved the £20,000 ($35,000) bronze effigy of Linda - who died in 1998 after battling cancer. Sir Paul has admitted that late wife "adored" High Park Farm, where they fled after the break-up of the Beatles. His marriage in June to the former model is said to have caused deep rifts with his children, Mary, Stella, James and step- daughter Heather. (story)
Paul McCartney has endorsed a ballot measure in Oregon state that would require labeling of genetically modified foods. McCartney's 30-second radio ad in support of Measure 27, which would require all foods made with or derived from genetically modified ingredients to be labeled as such, began airing Thursday.
"If it's labeled, then people have a choice as to what to buy,'' the former Beatle says in the ad. "'Yes on 27,' so let it be labeled.''
McCartney, who's a vegetarian, heard about the ballot measure when he was in Portland for a recent concert. He contacted Mel Bankoff, founder of organic food maker Emerald Valley Kitchens, who said McCartney's endorsement would help the campaign. "I think Sir Paul is someone who is very respected in the minds and hearts of people throughout the world,'' he said. Pat McCormick, spokesman for the campaign opposing Measure 27, said, "Other than getting (the Yes campaign) some news stories, I don't think the ad itself will do anything to change people's minds on Measure 27.''
Paul McCartney's plectrum from the "Driving USA" tour features the word "Driving" on one side with the phrase "I'm gonna miss her..." on the back. A subtle tribute to Linda McCartney?
Rock legend Sir Paul McCartney is considering a series of gigs in North Wales next year. As his current world tour continues to attract rave reviews and capacity crowds the ex-Beatle is planning a European tour of offbeat venues.Last night his publicist Geoff Baker told the Daily Post places in North Wales were being looked at.
Speaking from Los Angeles ahead of the (October 25) sell-out gig at The Arrowhead Pond, in Anaheim, California, Mr Baker said, "We are looking all over the place for venues and Wales would be fab but we don't just want to do the accepted places like Cardiff. We are also looking at smaller places, including some in North Wales. One of the greatest things about this tour has been playing new places - we played in Oklahoma and the welcome from the crowd was amazing. We played a gig in Cornwall a few years ago and they went bananas down there and had a great time because they don't usually get to see this kind of thing."
McCartney's Driving US tour in April and May was so popular - tickets sold out within 15 minutes for Boston, Chicago, New York and Washington - he went back for the Back in the US tour, which is still running.Mr Baker said, "We started in America in April and we were meant to just do two to three weeks and that would be it but it went so well we came back for a second leg. We have just done the 16th show and broken our 16th house record. After America we are off to Mexico, Japan and Australia, all before Christmas."
Mr Baker added, "We are looking at all sorts of places in Europe and have been offered a gig at Red Square in front of 500,000 people. But we haven't signed anything yet or put anything down on paper. We want to look at the unexpected places and obviously North Wales fits into that kind of tour. We want to play off the beaten track and have a good party in places we don't usually go."
Paul and Heather attended a private screening of the "Back in the US" film Wednesday October 23 at the Archlight Cinema in Los Angeles. The audience consisted of tour personnel, pre-show performers, Paul's band with Abe bringing his wife and Brian bringing his mother, Cameron Crowe, David Kahne, friends and Capitol Records executives. There was a reception prior to the screening with vegetarian h'ors d'oeuvres. For more of what is in the film, check the Macca Report's sneak preview.
Click here to read Paul's recent letter to the fans about the tour, the DVD and the secret Web site!
Photographer, Mark Seliger's photo of Paul jumping out of the red T-bird is on the cover of this month's "Studio Photography & Design" magazine.
The photo was shot at Pier 59 studio in New York, and the car theme was Paul's idea. Seliger's team located a car collector on Long Island who had a vintage 1960 Thunderbird in mint condition. It turns out Linda McCartney had owned a red T-bird when Paul met her. Paul actually jumped out of the car some 45 times!
After the recent discovery of 71 unpublished images from The Beatles' 1964 American debut, HP experts and Designjet 5000ps inkjet printing technologies produced a dramatic set of large, high-quality prints for "The Beatles! Backstage and Behind the Scenes" worldwide tour.Already a sensation in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe, The Beatles made their U.S. debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964, a major event in both pop music and television history. CBS photographers were there, backstage and behind the scenes, but for decades their rare photos lay unpublished in the CBS Photo Archive.
Now, 38 years later, the traveling collection of 35mm (and a few 2-inch black-and-white images is finally being displayed in cities around the United States and internationally. The images in the exhibition, "The Beatles! Backstage and Behind the Scenes," were printed at HP Labs using state-of-the-art six-color inkjet printing technology on the HP Designjet 5000ps.
The exhibit made its world debut at the Canadian Provincial Museum of Alberta, in Edmonton, which planned a major exhibit to open last November that focused on the 1960s and the lasting effects that era has had on the lives and culture of North Americans.
A centerpiece of that exhibit was the striking group of 71 unpublished CBS photographs, some as large as 52 x 35 inches, showing a candid and unstaged view of four young men rehearsing and relaxing before their moment of making television history.
After an overwhelmingly positive response from Canadian audiences, The Beatles are now back where all the excitement started, at least in the United States. The much-anticipated photo exhibit made its American debut at the Radisson Deauville Resort, Miami Beach - precisely where The Beatles performed live on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964. From there, the exhibit headed to Asia Pacific. The rest of the schedule runs as follows:
Rome, Italy (November 5-20, 2002)
Pasadena, CA, U.S. (December 7-8, 2002)
Tom Nakashima from KSEG-The Eagle 96.9 fm Classic Rock in Sacramento did a backstage interview with Paul. Click here to hear the interview. (mp3 player needed)
Check out Portland's KINK fm 102 interview with Paul in Portland. Paul talked to DJ's Les Sarnoff and Dennis Constantine backstage at the Rose Garden Arena, October 18. You will need an mp3 player to hear the interview.
Paul's Aston Martin DB6 that he bought in 1966 and sold 1972 will be on display in Birmingham, England during the International Classic Motor Show at the NEC on November 9th and 10th. The car is now owned by Aston Martin.
Pouty Stella McCartney has become the new face of an Absolut vodka cocktail. The Absolut Stella cocktail is a mojito (containing vodka, rum and mint) and the drink was launched at a party in LA last Thursday (October 17). Fellow-celebs Steve Martin, Josh Hartnett, recovering alcoholic Matthew Perry, Geoffrey Rush and Val Kilmer were also at the bash. Stella, notoriously contrary, seemed unimpressed with the party saying, "Absolut were going to have a big, flash launch party but that's not me. Don't want it. Can't stand the idea of VIP rooms." Absolut appeared to have got their way, only Stella remained steadfastly un-star-struck by the VIPs on show, saying, "I'd be much more impressed meeting a surgeon." When your best pal is Madonna, you can afford to be choosy. Clothes designed by Tom Ford, Gianni Versace and Helmut Lang have also been featured in Absolut's ads in the past. (more on party) Click to see the Absolut Web page for Stella.
Paul and Heather McCartney are to settle in Brighton they have bought their first marital home there. The couple have bought their new house off the former Radio 2 DJ Derek Jameson, who said of the newlyweds, "When Paul and Heather came to look round, I thought that they were lovely people, but it was clear that she wears the trousers. Heather is the one who has lived in the area, and she was the one who wanted a place there. Paul just followed us around the house with his hand in his pockets quietly looking around." The house has a very hip address, being in the same road as Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim and Zoe Ball. A spokesperson for Paul McCartney said that the couple will me moving in over Christmas. (story)More from Hello Magazine:
They could have chosen to buy their new home in any of the world's most exotic locations, but newlyweds Paul McCartney and Heather Mills have plumped for an art deco pad on the seafront at Brighton.The new £1 million ($1.5 million), six-bedroom house is one of a row of art deco homes dubbed Hollywood-on-Sea, for its high level of celebrity neighbors. Fatboy Slim and Zoe Ball own three units in the row, two of which they have converting into a single living area, the third into a recording studio. Other neighbors include In Deep actor Nick Berry, Chris Eubank and Spice Girl Emma Bunton.
In addition to the East Sussex farmhouse he shared with his late wife Linda, the former Beatle already has a home in north-west London, a flat in New York, a ranch in Arizona and a farm in Scotland.
Heather, however, relocated to Brighton five years ago and was apparently keen to maintain her ties with the coastal resort. The couple have already spent a few weekends in their new hideaway and will be spending more time there after the 60-year-old rocker winds up his current tour in December.
From the Daily Mail:
Newlyweds Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills will soon be settling into married life on the Brighton seafront. They have paid £1million for a six-bedroom home in an exclusive row of white art deco homes overlooking a private beach. Its attraction to the stars has earned it the nickname Hollywood-on-Sea.
The McCartneys bought the property, called Angel's Rest, from broadcaster and former Fleet Street editor Derek Jameson, beating Oasis star Noel Gallagher to the purchase. They have had £100,000 ($155,000) of refurbishment work carried out, replacing the 1970s decor with a more modern feel. The whole of the ground floor has been knocked into one enormous room and the roof terrace has been extended. The couple have spent some weekends there already and will be moving in properly when Sir Paul, 60, ends his world tour in December.
The move will mean the former Beatle, who married 34-year-old Heather in June, loosening his ties with the East Sussex farmhouse at Peasmarsh where he spent close to 30 years with his late wife Linda and their family. He will, however, be retaining the property, along with his house in North-West London, flat in New York, ranch in Arizona, and farm in Scotland.
An original copy of the Beach Boys' seminal "Pet Sounds" album autographed by Paul McCartney and a copy of the Beatles's "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" signed by Brian Wilson represent one of three lots offered in an online auction on Wilson's Web site.At rehearsals for a recent benefit concert, both Wilson and McCartney, longtime fans of each other's work, performed the other's songs for the very first time. McCartney joined Wilson on "God Only Knows" and Wilson lent vocals to "Let It Be." The two then signed each other's album covers--McCartney's inscription acknowledges that "Pet Sounds" is his favorite album of all time, while Wilson signed "Sgt. Pepper's" with an inscription indicating his everlasting love for that record.
To some music enthusiasts, 1966's "Pet Sounds" and 1967's "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" are two of the greatest albums ever recorded. The two autographed album covers, set in a glass case with a picture of Wilson and McCartney with arms around one another, was up for grabs to the highest bidder.
The auction lots also included two individual McCartney solo albums, "Ram" and "McCartney," each autographed by McCartney.
The online auction closed Sunday (October 13), with the top bids for each of the items qualifying for a final live auction. At press time, the high bid for the autographed set of "Pet Sounds" and "Sgt. Pepper's" albums was $8,500, while "Ram" was at $850 and "McCartney" at $750.
The money from the auction will be donated to the Curtis School in Los Angeles, where Brian and Melinda Wilson's daughter Daria, 5, is a student.
The arrival of the world's most famous pop group in a Westcountry seaside town 35 years ago has been marked by a weekend of celebrations. John, Paul, George and Ringo disembarked from their Magical Mystery Tour bus in Newquay, Cornwall, on September 12, 1967.On Saturday, October 19, a replica of their psychedelic bus pulled into the Killacourt, a grassy area which looks out towards the Atlantic Hotel, where the band members spent three nights before continuing their tour.
Among the onlookers for a plaque unveiling ceremony in the afternoon were two Newquay residents who had fond memories of the days the group spent in the town. Doris Freeth, 77, who danced with Paul McCartney in the Atlantic Hotel ballroom, said that it had all been like a dream - even though he was not the best dancer in the world. Mrs. Freeth said that she knew the owner of the hotel, and he had telephoned her to ask if she would like to meet the Fab Four. She said, "My friend put us at a table next to them, and when the music started my husband asked Paul McCartney if he would dance with me. But he said that he couldn't dance. Those were the days when it was all rock and roll and jiving, but this was ballroom dancing instead. I had brown suede shoes on and he kept treading on my feet. I didn't brush them for a week afterwards."
Chris Parkin, 55, said that he sneaked into the hotel with a friend by pretending to be a waiter. They met Paul and Ringo in the hotel cocktail bar. And Chris ended up playing billiards with Ringo for much of the evening. He said, "They were really down to earth. They were really friendly and easy to talk to. I remember coming out of the hotel at 11.30pm and the crowd which had been waiting outside had gone. John Lennon came out of the hotel and, realizing that everyone had gone, he put his hands up to the air, looked up to the sky and said, 'save me' as a joke because he was so used to having crowds around him."
The Magical Mystery Tour is said to have been Paul McCartney's idea. He wanted the Beatles to produce their own television spectacular, writing and producing it themselves, using the knowledge they had gleaned while making their first two feature films. The tour bus set out from London on September 11, 1967, and travelled through Teignmouth and Plymouth, in Devon, before arriving in Newquay the following afternoon. The band even picked up extra passengers along the way, including Spencer Davis - of the Spencer Davis Group - who had been holidaying with his wife and children near Newquay.Restormel Mayor Andrew Waters marked the arrival of the coach by unveiling a commemorative plaque. He said that it was important to remember the fact that one of the most influential pop groups of all time had stayed in Newquay.
The Beatles filmed in and around Newquay, including Fistral beach and Watergate Bay. One of the photographs taken on the steps of the Atlantic Hotel was used for a Magical Mystery Tour EP.
The Beatles spent six weeks editing the 60-minute film, which included the hit "I Am The Walrus." It was badly received by critics after its initial screening in black-and-white on BBC 2 on Boxing Day (Dec. 26, 1967). However, it has since been reappraised, and continues to be a favorite among Beatles fans around the world. (story)
Liverpool has been named as Britain's top musical city in a new survey. Liverpool edged out its North West rival Manchester which is home to a plethora of influential bands.
Paul Jackson of Virgin Radio - which organized the poll - said Liverpool's "rich history of creative music" had won it the title. The station's program director said: "It was a close run thing between Manchester and Liverpool and this is bound to spark debate up and down the country. Everyone will have their own opinion but The Beatles edged it for Liverpool this time."
In her lifetime, Linda McCartney's reputation had a rollercoaster ride - initially condemned as an up-market groupie and latterly worshipped for her ecological and moral stances.Her own work is the best way to find out what this woman was really like and the exhibition at the Richard Goodall Gallery in Manchester, England gives the lie to those people who sneered at her photography.
In a series of pictures collected from her book of the same name, "Light From Within," Linda - who was married to ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, until her death from breast cancer in 1998 - captures on film both intimate family scenes and some of the biggest stars of the rock world.
She had an extraordinary life. Born into a wealthy Amercian family, she became a photographer and plunged herself into the rock scene as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were becoming the biggest things popular music had ever seen.
A spokesman for the Richard Goodall Gallery said, "This will change people's perceptions of Linda McCartney, including proving that she was a good photographer."
Linda McCartney: Light From Within is at the Richard Goodall Gallery from Friday, October 25 until Sunday, November 23. Open Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 6pm
59 Thomas Street
Northern Quarter
Manchester, England
Tel: 0161-832 3435
Fax: 0161 832 3266
Lite Rock 96.9 recently welcomed Paul McCartney to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City! Marlene Aqua had a very rare and special chance to interview Paul McCartney before his show! Click here to listen to the exclusive interview. You will need RealPlayer.
SEATTLE - A fashion show on the second floor of the Bon Marche in downtown Seattle is a world a way from a hospital in Vietnam for amputees and land mine victims. But a woman in the front row at that fashion show Saturday is bringing them both together."Today's a bit easier. It's two cities in one day," Heather Mills told KOMO 4 News about her current whirlwind tour. "The other day was four cities."
Mills is Gooodwill Ambassador for the Adopt-a-Minefield Campaign, a program aimed at resolving the global land mine crisis. It is the fundraising campaign of the United Nations Association USA.
Mills' personal campaign includes raising funds to provide prosthetic limbs for amputees and land mine victims. She is also the wife of Sir Paul McCartney and the two closely coordinate their schedules and appearances so they can be together. Sir Paul performed at the Tacoma Dome Saturday night.
A fashion show of Mills' clothing line brings money to the campaign. Mills is the model and spokesperson for INC International Concepts, a women's clothing line. Saturday the Bon Marche presented Mills with a check for $10,000 for the Adopt-a-Minefield Campaign.
"We've fitted over 27,000 people since I've been an amputee, which is fantastic," said Mills.
In 1993 she was involved in a road accident with a police motorcycle. She suffered crushed ribs, a punctured lung, multiples fractures of the pelvis and the loss of her left leg below the knee. Years before she met McCartney she'd begun using her experience with prosthetic limbs to help other accident and land mine victims.
"I don't ever see myself not doing this. This is lifelong work and will have to continue long past my days."
And she has partnered with local organizations like Clear Path International of Bainbridge Island who have helped hundreds in Vietnam in the last two years.
"And with this kind of support and the funding from Adopt-a-Minefield we hope to do a lot more, " said Imbert Matthee of Clear Path. Adopt-a-Minefield will raise money on behalf of Clear Path International to support the Seattle area's programs in Quang Tri Province just south of the former DMZ in Vietnam.
Svay Ngoy also attended the Bon Marche event. He is from Cambodia and lost both of his legs in war.
His organization is called Cambodian Mine Victims Assistance Association. It helps land mine victims in that country by helping them reclaim and re-plant their land. Saturday he thanked Heather Mills McCartney for her work.
"Her work is a very great activity. I wish I can do like her," said Ngoy.
And as she always does, Mills issued an invitation for others to join her campaign.
"Many people sit at home and go 'I'd love to go to Afghanistan and save all these children.' But you can actually start from home and make a huge difference." (story)
For More Information:
www.adoptaminefield.org
www.heathermills.org
www.clearpathinternational.org
On December 5th, 2002, people from around the world will again sit with family, friends, & colleagues and share in one of the oldest rituals: breaking bread together for a cause that is one of the most urgent problems of our time. Join this worldwide community of caring people and enjoy your own involvement in the Night of 1000 Dinners! Funds raised this year will go to assist demining and survivor assistance projects in some of the most heavily mined countries in the world (Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, Mozambique, & Vietnam). The Night of a Thousand Dinners raises funds in aid of the Adopt-A-Minefield program. Last year on November 30, tens of thousands of individuals in over 30 countries took park in the first annual Night of Thousand Dinners campaign.
The invitations promised a night of Absolut Voyeurism and there was plenty to look at as Hollywood's fabled Chateau Marmont hotel threw open its doors to 300 carefully selected guests for the launch of Stella McCartney's new ad campaign "Absolut Stella," on October 17.Steve Martin, Josh Hartnett, Matthew Perry, Roger Daltry, Tom Ford, Courtney Love and Cristina Ricci were among the A-listers sipping Absolut Stella Mojitos and mingling in the lobby, garden and exotically themed guest rooms--many of which were strategically strewn with panties, gowns and bomber jackets from Stella's collection--as the lavish marketing campaign got under way. The four-page insert, which features watercolors and drawings of a sultry woman half-clad in Stella's clothes, by British figurative painter David Remfry, debuts this month.
"Absolut has a long history of collaborating with fashion designers, photographers, painters and other visual artists and I'm excited to join their ranks," said Stella. "I'm particularly excited because this marks the first time that drawings have been used in the campaign."
The star-studded bash also marked Stella's debut on Los Angeles' hip social scene where the designer clearly has a loyal fan-base.
"I'm obsessed with her jeans," enthused actress and singer Monet Mazur. "They give anybody a great ass and telephone poles for legs."
"I really love Stella, especially because she's a vegetarian," raved Shiva Rose, while Shannen Doherty effused, "She makes it sexy without being too obvious."
Capitol Records, whose inaugural batch of 78 rpm shellac records was released by its founding partners Johnny Mercer, Glenn Wallichs and Buddy DeSylva in the summer of 1942, will celebrate its 60th anniversary with the release of "CAPITOL RECORDS: 1942-2002," hitting stores in October. The exquisitely designed, digitally-remastered 96-track, 6-CD boxed set pays tribute to the defining artists of popular music history -- from Stan Kenton, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra to Peggy Lee, the Kingston Trio and the Beach Boys; from the Beatles (the first time their music has ever been included on a multi-artist compilation), the solo careers of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, the Band and Pink Floyd to Merle Haggard and Duran Duran; from Bonnie Raitt, Everclear and Garth Brooks to Kylie Minogue, Radiohead, Coldplay and The Vines.
The boxed set will be released in two versions: the "Deluxe" version will be packaged in a 10"x10" box, with a full-size 144-page clothbound "coffee table" collector's volume of classic artist photographs by the world's greatest photographers. The "Special" version will be packaged in a "brick" format, with a smaller 72-page photograph booklet. Both boxed set versions will contain the same CDs, along with booklets containing extensive discography information, including many track annotations that have been compiled for the very first time. The Deluxe package will be released in early October, followed by the Special package on October 22nd.
Paul has topped the Billboard "Boxscore Concert Grosses Chart" for the week of October 26, with the two Boston Fleet Center shows taking in $4,050,530 followed by $2,258,000 for the Atlantic City, NJ show, $2,183,430 for the Xcel Energy Center, MN and $1,686,275 for the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Raleigh, NC.
Dear, departed Linda McCartney used to occupy herself by playing keyboards and singing with the band when her husband hit the road. The second Mrs. Paul McCartney, Heather Mills McCartney, does things differently. Her husband will appear on a Tacoma Dome stage later today. She, for her part, will make a 1 p.m. appearance at the downtown Seattle Bon Marché, at the I.N.C. International Concepts Department on the second floor. Mills, you see, is the face of I.N.C., promoting the line, but more importantly, working to raise awareness for Adopt-a-Minefield, which raises funds for mine clearance and survivor assistance. Her appearance will earn $10,000 from the Bon for the cause. And the cause has a local component: The Adopt-a-Minefield campaign has chosen Bainbridge Island-based Clear Path International as its partner for its work in Vietnam, and will raise money to support it. (story)
A bronze statue of Sir Paul McCartney's late wife, Linda, is to be erected at a council-owned site in Argyll later this month. But mystery surrounds the reason why a multi-million-pound memorial garden which a trust group had been planning in Kintyre - and which was the original destination of the statue - is not going ahead.
Argyll and Bute Council's head of economic development Seamus Lalor confirmed yesterday that the £20,000 ($31,000) sculpture, showing Linda sitting on a boulder with a lamb, will be sited on council-owned land in Campbeltown. He said, "We are absolutely delighted that the organizers of the location of the statue have agreed to choose the Burnet Museum building courtyard as the location for the Linda McCartney statue. We have already carried out some upgrading work on the courtyard area in preparation for the statue coming. The statue is in Campbeltown now." He added that it would be erected later this month with the date for an official opening ceremony, probably next month, still to be decided.
The sculpture, commissioned by Sir Paul, has been completed by Jane Robbins, who is the daughter of one of his cousins. It was originally destined to be erected in the Kintyre countryside, on a site overlooking the sea, about five miles from McCartney's High Park Farm which Linda, who died in 1998, loved so much. The plan was for the statue to be given pride of place in a multi-million-pound memorial garden and visitor center, complete with a Linda McCartney photo gallery, all planned in her honor. And it remains a mystery why the larger project, which a local trust group had been working on with representatives of the McCartney family, has not gone ahead.
Ron Roberts, a member of the trust, refused to answer questions on the matter yesterday. He said, "I can't comment on it. I am not even suggesting that there is another project, I am in the middle of a meeting, we will just leave it at that."
But a source in Campbeltown, who has seen details of the original plans, confirmed, "He (Paul McCartney) was going to make a memorial garden and it was pretty well tied up. The Forestry Commission was going to give the land, the enterprise company were putting money in, and there was going to be a gallery where he was going to show his ex-wife's pictures. That was before he got married again. Now the whole concept has been scaled down very considerably. It was to be a visitor centre, memorial garden and a studio and he was going to give to this trust a certain amount of Linda's photographs to give the thing a kick-start. We all thought it was a super idea because we thought it would bring in loads of people.The statue was never going to be at the McCartney farm, the site was on the main road between Campbeltown and Carradale. It was right on the roadside, overlooking the land, into the sea. It was in the countryside about five miles from the farm. It was a site that was selected after looking at eight or nine sites. The idea has been on the go for about two years, it's been a lot of work."
Our source, who did not want to be named, claimed, "Ninety-nine, point ,nine-percent of the people in Campbeltown don't even know who is on this trust. It's all kept very secret."
George McMillan, chairman of the Kintyre Initiative group which aims to strengthen the area's economy, confirmed that he had heard of the larger project. Mr McMillan, who is a former chairman of the old Argyll and Bute District Council, said, "Yes, it is a scaled-down project now and I am disappointed that the original concept didn't go ahead. The cut-down, shortened concept is good, but not as good." Mr Lalor, however, is confident that the statue will still attract the crowds when it is located in Campbeltown and will provide an economic boost to the area. And he revealed that the council was hopeful that it may be possible to exhibit some of Linda McCartney's photos in the Burnet museum building, after it has undergone a renovation project. He said, "We have had discussions about photographs. There is nothing agreed yet, but we would like to think that the museum could hold exhibitions of Lady Linda McCartney's photographs. We are cautiously optimistic that we might get that." He, too, was aware of the larger original plan and said, "The other project that was being considered was a multi-million-pound project which would require a lot of investment to be able to do it and maintain it. We were asked if it was possible for the council to be part of the project but we didn't have the funding to do more than I have indicated."
Paul McCartney's publicity agent was in the United States yesterday and could not be contacted. (story)
Age Concern is calling on people to donate the £95 million ($1.47 million) of foreign currency they have lying around at home to help elderly people this winter.Research for the group found that on average people return from holiday with an average of £11.47 ($17.75) in local currencies, and 40%do not bother converting this back into sterling.
The group urged people to donate this cash to its "Fight the Freeze Foreign Coin Appeal." The campaign is backed by Paul McCartney and his wife Heather. He says, "We must all value older people and make sure they don't suffer during our miserable winter months. Age Concern is doing an excellent job with a campaign which everybody should support. Let's turn up the heat!"
It said just £2 ($3.10) will pay for a hot meal for someone, while £5 ($7.75) will buy an extra blanket and £10 ($15.50) will pay for a winter clothes pack.
The group added that £20 ($31.00) would pay for 20 visits to an elderly person at home.
Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern England, said that 22,700 more pensioners die in the winter in the UK than in the summer.
"Many older people are isolated and at risk during the winter. Your foreign coins could raise much needed cash to help us provide them with practical support and advice on how best to keep safe during the cold winter months.
"Research shows that older people tend to live in the coldest homes and on the lowest incomes, often without enough money to pay for adequate heating.
"Older people frequently are at special risk of social isolation due to poor social networks and lack of transport."
People can donate their left over foreign currency to Age Concern through collection boxes in Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches.
Paul and Heather were shopping at Ralphs food mart in Beverly Hills, CA (Wednesday October 16). He saw a young man wearing a Beatles hat and struck up a conversation with him saying how much he liked the hat. The lucky man wound up with VIP tickets and backstage passes to see Macca at the Staples Center on October 22. By the way, Paul asked that his groceries be doubled bagged because the last time his eggs were smashed and he had an omelet in a bag!
Paul and Heather checked out the Ritz Carlton's French Quarter Bar while in New Orleans the night before his October 12 concert at the New Orleans Arena. Band leader, Jeremy Davenport said that halfway through his set he noticed Paul sitting at the bar with Heather. When Davenport took his break, Paul summoned him to his table and said, "Do you mind?" and picked up a trumpet and played "When the Saints Go Marching In." Then he asked Davenport if he knew, "The Very Thought of You," Paul and Heather's song. The band leader said he did and Paul joined him on stage to sing it together. The bar crowd went wild. Davenport said his experience with Paul was "such an inspiration" and it was the most impromptu and incredible experience he ever had.
Sir Paul McCartney has faxed a strong letter to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Chairman Willian Reilly asking that they immediately stop promoting a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program that would kill tens of millions of wild and domestic animals in painful tests of chemicals already on the market and previously tested. Sir Paul's letter on behalf of PETA, with which he has had a long affiliation, urges WWF to accept PETA's alternate proposal, to use more sophisticated and efficient test methods that do not involve animals and to change the focus of the program to push for restrictions on contaminants known to be harmful.Sir Paul writes, "I was appalled to learn . . . that the US office of WWF has been a driving force behind the design and development" (of the testing regime). "Please, find your heart and use your head," and Paul includes a quote from Dr. Joshua Lederberg, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, who condemned such test programs as "blind" and "impossible" more than 20 years ago.
WWF Vice President Richard N. Mott responded that only thousands of animals are being exposed to industrial pollutants "so that many millions of animals around the world don't have to suffer through the uncontrolled chemical 'testing' that is already taking place. . . . We welcome the chance to have a dialogue with Sir Paul." (click to read Paul's letter)
Paul added "Midnight Special" to the setlist in Houston (Oct. 13) because of the mention of Houston in the lyrics.
The tiniest mascara smudge can be deadly for Vivian Martins' career. But the fashion model said she was moved to tears when she heard Heather Mills McCartney talk about losing her leg.''She's so pretty I would never think she suffered so much,'' Martins, 21, said while posing for International Concepts at Burdines in Dadeland Mall October 7.
About 100 people visited Burdines to hear how 34-year-old Mills McCartney, an author, Nobel Prize nominee, wife of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and now an INC model, turned tragedy into triumph by dedicating the past several years to land mine victims.
At the event, Mills McCartney accepted a $10,000 check from Burdines to be used on behalf of the Adopt-A-Minefield campaign, a program committed to eradicating minefields worldwide. Last year, Mills McCartney, goodwill ambassador for the campaign, entered a modeling partnership with INC to promote women's fashion in exchange for anti-land-mine publicity.
International Concepts advertises its clothes as ``real fashion for real women.''
There are an estimated 50 million land mines in the ground in at least 70 countries, according to Adopt-a-Minefield.
Mills McCartney was a swimwear model before she lost her leg in 1993, after she was run over by a police motorcyclist. Her story has helped to sensitize many Americans to amputees while giving hope to land mine victims.
''People from Cambodia, Vietnam and the former Yugoslavia seem to relate to me,'' Mills McCartney said. 'They don't feel like it's a patronizing person saying, `There, there.' It gives them hope that life goes on as long as there's prosthetics.''' (Miami Herald)
Tickets for the Royal Albert Hall George Harrison tribute concert sold out in one hour and fifteen minutes.
The wife of Beatles legend Paul McCartney made an appearance on Tuesday (October 8) in Miami to raise money for the global land mine crisis. Heather Mills McCartney greeted fans at the Burdines Department Store at the Dadeland Mall, and accepted a $10 thousand check from the clothing company INC International Concepts for the "Adopt-a-Minefield" charity. Mills is a model for INC, and is on a worldwide tour to raise awareness for the charity. With a $50 or more purchase at Burdines, customers can buy a T-shirt designed by Mills, with all proceeds going to the "Adopt-a-Minefield" charity.
Actor, Victor Spinetti who is currently promoting the new "A Hard Day's Night" DVD says he has remained in touch with Paul McCartney.McCartney rang up Spinetti before the former Beatle's June wedding to see if he could stop by and have tea with his old friend.
"He came over and we reminisced and we talked about John, about Linda, and Grahams, a great, great friend of mine who died of cancer at the same time," Spinetti recalled. "We also talked about how life goes on, and later on, he invited me over to meet his new lady, Heather (Mills). She's going to be fine with him."
Unfortunately, Spinetti couldn't attend McCartney and Mills' wedding, but his old Beatle bud didn't forget about him.
"I was on tour in South Hampton and he sent me a huge bunch of flowers because he knew I couldn't go," Spinetti said. "I also sent him a note congratulating him on his tour of the U.S."
Victor caught up with Paul at his September 24 concert in Chicago. The two talked about the good ole days and Paul fondly called his former movie mate, "Vicky."
Paul McCartney's official fan Web site at http://www.paulmccartney.com has gotten a facelift with new animated graphics and content.
Andre Gardner of 102.9 FM-WMGK Classic Rock Philadelphia got an exclusive interview with Paul McCartney backstage at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on September 28. Click this link to hear the interview.
Paul and Heather attended Thursday (October 3), night's preview of "The Incredible Rise of Arturo Ui" staring Al Pacino at Pace College's auditorium near City Hall in New York. They went backstage to congratulate the star who received a five-minute standing ovation.
Paul did a video promo that was shown in Japan this week with footage from the Boston concert. His live CD "Back in the US" will be released in Japan on November 11, a few weeks before the US release.
The statue that Paul commissioned in bronze of his late wife, Linda, sitting on a boulder holding a lamb, may be unveiled and dedicated on November 1, in Campbeltown, near Linda's beloved home on the Mull of Kintyre in Argyll, Scotland. Paul will be in the US resting up for his Mexico City concerts at that time so it is more likely his children will be present for the dedication.
Stella McCartney had her bi-yearly fashion show Monday, October 7 in Paris. This is the first show her father did not attend. Paul is performing tonight in Raleigh, NC.
Boston's Classic Rock station morning host, Carter Alan 100.7 did an interview with Paul McCartney in September. Click here to hear. You will need RealPlayer.
A handwritten note by Paul McCartney that includes a two-line quotation from a Beatles song has fetched £1,350 ($2,100) at auction. McCartney quoted the opening lines of "Penny Lane,'' the song he penned about a street in his hometown of Liverpool, in a note to an old family friend. Richard Westwood-Brookes of Swindon's Dominic Winter Book Auctions said Saturday that such quotations are "extremely rare.'' The note was sold Friday, Oct. 4.
Five hundred photographs of the Beatles, many of them unpublished, have been found in the archives of a Scottish university, where they have been gathering dust for more than 30 years. The photos, discovered in Dundee University's archives, show the British pop group on the brink of international stardom in the early 1960s, the Times newspaper reported on Monday. The pictures are part of an archive of 130,000 negatives taken by Hungarian-born photo-journalist Michael Peto and given to the university after his death in 1970, the newspaper said. Many show band members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr relaxing between takes while shooting their second feature film "Help." The university was aware of "one or two" pictures of the band among the negatives, but only discovered the extent of the collection during a project to digitise its archives. "He was a people's photographer and his photographs reflect the backstage nature of his work and are quite unique in this respect," said Pat Whatley, the head of the university's archives who discovered the collection. Peto is best known for his photographs of ballet stars Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, and of actors Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
Paul has been asked to appear on Mexico's reality show "OPERACION TRIUNFO MEXICO." The interview will be taped backstage at Paul's first concert, November 2 in Mexico City and it will be aired a few days later.
Paul has made November's Q Magazine's top ten list of the "50 Most Powerful People in Music for 2002." He ties for 9th place with Yoko Ono. First place goes to U2's lead singer, Bono. The results are from a survey of music industry leaders asked to pick the most influential and powerful people in music.
November 2002
Friends of George and Olivia Harrison who were involved in the tribute concert at the Royal Albert Hall, November 29 were invited to Friar Park for a Thanksgiving dinner on November 28. Paul and Heather were there as well as Ringo, Barbara Bach, May Pang, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, members of Monty Python and others.
Heather Mills is set to be the latest subject of Channel 4's "The Real" documentary series in Britain. The program seeks to separate the facts from the PR fiction surrounding public figures from Michael Barrymore to Princess Anne. But the former model is not co-operating with Diverse, the independent production company working on the show.Producers have drawn up a hit list of people they want to interview for the show, without Heather's consent. It is expected to air in the first half of next year.
"We are looking to speak to a wide range of people from across her whole life," a Channel 4 spokeswoman told Media Guardian. "We have approached Heather but she said no. It will be a compelling look at her life, going back further than when she first met Sir Paul and tracing how she ended up where she is today."
Mills, who is known for her campaigning work on behalf of the victims of landmines and people who have lost limbs, married Sir Paul McCartney in a lavish £2 million ($3.2 million) ceremony at a 17th century Irish castle, last June. (Full story)
If you are looking for a great vacation spot endorsed by Paul McCartney and described by him as "God's own country", a billing used by the region's tourist authorities, check out Kerala in southern India. Kerala is renowned for its white sandy beaches, temples and a lush interior dotted with wildlife parks and tea plantations.
Kerala boasts endless beaches, tranquil backwaters, exotic wildlife and small, relaxed cities. And you don't have to be rich to live like a king here. Or a Beatle, for that matter. In fact, from under £700 ($1,100) a week including flights, you can stay at the hotel where Paul McCartney recently took his new wife Heather Mills to celebrate her birthday. The Marari Beach Resort is the perfect antidote to a long-haul flight. It is a new hotel built in the style of a traditional fishing village. Individual thatched villas sit in 25 acres of coconut palm groves and exotic plants leading to a deserted beach.
The Marari is a true get-away-from-it-all retreat. In its guest book, Heather Mills gushed, "This has been the best birthday I have ever had... I was mesmerized by the incredible display of jasmine, marigolds, roses and carnations. The view under the stars was breathtaking. We saw four shooting stars. I have travelled the world but never have I experienced anything quite like India..."
Paul was a little more reserved, "A magical experience and a birthday we will never forget."
Hear Heather Mill's interview with NPR's (National Public Radio) Scott Simon about the new edition of her autobiography, "A Single Step." You will need RealPlayer.
Designer Vision, a UK company that specializes in customizing celebrity cars, recently removed the leather seats in Heather Mill's luxury Mercedes and replaced them with vinyl covered seats.
Paul McCartney's Scottish home has become his lull of Kintyre, with locals saying he has not set foot there for over two years. (Sunday Herald)Few places are more special to the ex-Beatle than High Park Farm near Campbeltown where he discovered vegetarianism and where he fled with his wife Linda to rebuild his shattered confidence following the break-up of The Beatles. It is also where he was busted for growing cannabis, for which he was fined £100 ($157.00).
Great songs flowed out of Kintyre, such as "The Long And Winding Road," "Maybe I'm Amazed" and, of course, "Mull Of Kintyre," one of the biggest-selling singles ever. Scottish critical opinion remains divided over the song, although it helped to put Kintyre on the world map.
But since starting his relationship with former model Heather Mills, whom he married in June, Sir Paul has not been seen in Kintyre. Last month newspapers and some residents accused him of snubbing Linda's memory by not attending the unveiling in Campbeltown of a sculpture he had commissioned. The £20,000 statue of Linda holding a lamb was commissioned from his cousin, Jane Robbins.
Linda, who died of breast cancer in 1998, was known to have loved the farm, and photographed the area extensively because she particularly loved the light. But when the statue was unveiled there was no Sir Paul and only a brief statement from two of her daughters -- Mary and Stella -- saying how much their mother had loved the place.
Sir Paul was said to be too busy touring in Mexico to attend, but fashion designer Stella, who is known to have been especially uncomfortable over her father's remarriage, did come secretly.
"She came up the same day but did not see the statue until the next. It was a private visit. She liked the statue, she felt it captured her mother's personality," said Alistair Cousin, chairman of the Lady Linda McCartney Kintyre Memorial Trust. Mr. Cousin, a much respected local vet who has cared for the McCartneys' animals for 30 years, admitted he does not know when the ex-Beatle was last on Kintyre. Paul employs just a farm manager to look after his 200 or so sheep on the farm, where he has also planted hundreds of trees. "The family used to come up for two or three weeks in August. I think it is a place where they got peace and quiet -- it was a family holiday," said Mr. Cousin. "You rarely see them in town -- the farm is very much their place. But people here hold them in great affection."
He said he thought it unlikely Sir Paul would ever sell the farm. Another local said the former Beatle had not visited the farm for around two years.
"When he comes he flies in by private jet and disappears into the farm. There are guards posted at the bottom of the road. He really loves the place but he does not mix with locals anymore," he said.
Sir Paul's spokesman, Geoff Baker, denied he had turned his back on Kintyre since his relationship with Heather. "If it was anything to do with Heather he wouldn't have taken her to his other homes," he said. "People forget he bought High Park before he met Linda, when he was with Jane Asher. Paul has not been to Australia for nine years either. This has all come about from the imaginings of local news papers. Kintyre remains a special place for him and he has no plans to sell it -- it is not even under consideration. Paul has been touring hard and is working on a secret musical project, which may be unveiled before Christmas."
Sir Paul revealed last year that he returned to Scotland again to write an inspirational song for his last album, "Driving Rain," his first new set of songs for four years. He took time out at his farm to score the song "Tiny Bubble." He is reported to be so pleased with the results of the demo recording at his small studio at High Park that he used much of it when he recorded it fully on the album. "I have always found inspiration in the calm beauty of Scotland," he said at the time. The album also included love songs to both his wives.
"High Park was really loved by Linda. It was one of her favorite places. I think it is really associated with her more in a way than the other homes. That may be hard for Heather, who is far more sensitive to Paul and his children's feelings than is known," said a friend of Linda. "When you see the place you can understand why. It is not luxurious -- but it has Linda's character. In a way, she still haunts the place. It has her touch. Paul and Linda did it up together." Sir Paul bought the run-down farm as an investment after viewing it with Jane Asher.
In a Channel 4 film Paul revealed he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when he fled to High Park, which he has added to over the years by buying two neighboring farms. "We went up to Scotland. I just had to get out of London and get in the mist and the mountains -- just to try to walk around and get some air and get away from this trauma," said Paul in the film.
He wasn't keen on its remoteness at first, but that became an advantage. Linda came to appreciate the place too. "She adored it. Maybe it was Linda being American. But she could see the whole romance of it all -- and then I started to see it through her eyes. Sure it was run-down, she said, but we could fix it up. And she was right. You could run anywhere up there -- you could just walk for ever, and over the weeks that passed I just fell in love with the place."
It was at High Park that Paul and Linda became vegetarians after watching a lamb gambolling on the farm while a roast dinner was cooking. Linda went on to found a multi-million pound vegetarian food empire.
Sir Paul wrote "Mull Of Kintyre" as a thank-you to Scotland but had no idea how loud the bagpipes were. A member of Campbeltown Pipe Band summoned to High Park to help make a demo of the track had to tell him to go into the garden before he would play them.
Ringo Starr loves Liam Lynch's debut single which has made it into the top 10 in the UK. He has had a collaboration offer from Ringo Starr. The ex-Beatles drummer loves Liam Lynch's single, "United States of Whatever," so much he phoned him directly.Lynch, who was one of the first students to study at Sir Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts (LIPA), said he "fell out of his chair" when he heard Starr's voice.
Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Lynch has already been a TV producer, writer and director, following his studies at LIPA. He told BBC Radio Merseyside of the offer from the ex-Beatle, "He loved the song and that's why he got in touch. He had no idea I've lived in Liverpool. It was really funny, he had no clue as to any of that."
Some of the current students at LIPA said Lynch's success with the single gives them encouragement. One said, "It proves to the outside world that you really can get something out of studying at LIPA."
Arthur Bernstein, who taught Lynch music at LIPA, said his success since graduating puts him in a strong position. "For someone like him, he's got a blank sheet of paper. He can do practically anything he sets his mind to."
Paul McCartney is about to smash the record for the highest grossing solo act - by raking in an amazing £175 million ($275 million). The Beatle is putting Madonna and Michael Jackson in the shade with what could be his last big tour.He has already earned £75million ($117.75 million) from shows in America with more cash guaranteed from the Mexican and Japanese legs. And with another 70 European dates pencilled in for next spring and summer insiders say Macca will easily break the record.
One said: "Records have been breaking since this tour began, so another one is a nice touch."Madonna holds the solo record with £100 million ($157 million) from her '90s Blonde Ambition tour. Top act is the Rolling Stones, £250 million ($392.50 million) from Bridges To Babylon 1997-1998.
Two video releases featuring Ringo and Paul have been nominated in High Fidelity's Review.com's 2002 Surround Music. Ringo's "The Best of Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band So Far" (Image Entertainment) has been nominated for Best Concert Video and Top Surround Artist of the Year. "The Concert For New York" (Sony), which featured Paul McCartney and other artists, has been nominated for Most Adventurous Mix. You can see the nominees here. The Surround 2002 Conference and Showcase, where the awards will be given, takes place December 13th and 14th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. UPDATE: Neither Paul or Ringo won.
Paul McCartney has sparked another Beatles feud with the release of his live album, "Back In The U.S. Live 2002". Against the wishes of John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, the nineteen Beatles songs included on the two-disc set are credited to "Paul McCartney and John Lennon" rather than the traditional "Lennon/McCartney.""What he did was absolutely inappropriate," says Ono's lawyer, Peter Shukat. "John and Paul had an agreement. This is very petty." Adds Ono, "John and Paul often disagreed on which songs were written by whom. If John was here now, they could fight it out, or maybe they could never agree. But the important point is that John has to be here. He is not."
Ono says Lennon and McCartney decided to credit all of their Beatles music to Lennon/McCartney almost forty years ago. McCartney disputes that claim. He would not comment for this story, but his spokesman, Geoff Baker, says that the two Beatles "had agreed in the Sixties that they could switch the names whenever they felt like it." (McCartney first made this claim in the Beatles' Anthology book, published in 2000, twenty years after Lennon's death).
McCartney's contract with Capitol gives him control over the wording of the credits on his solo albums. In fact, five Beatles songs on his 1976 Wings Over America live album are credited to McCartney/Lennon. But for releases on the Beatle's Apple label, the surviving band members or their estates would have to unanimously approve any change to the credits.
This is precisely why the battle over who wrote what heated up in 1996, when the CD booklet for the Anthology 3 album was being written. McCartney's lawyer and brother-in-law, John Eastman, demanded that eighteen songs -- including "Blackbird," "Get Back" and "Hey Jude" -- be credited solely to McCartney, with Lennon's name omitted entirely. But George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Ono unanimously refused McCartney's bid, and Eastman later wrote a letter apologizing for his "zeal" and claiming he had acted "without Paul McCartney's instructions."
Writer David Sheff, who conducted a 1980 Q&A with Lennon for Playboy magazine, says the battle over authorship amounts to more than a spat between McCartney and Yoko. "Paul is rewriting history," says Sheff, who spoke with Lennon at length about how each Beatles song was written, including "Eleanor Rigby." Says Sheff, "There's something about 'Lennon/McCartney' that means more than just whose name comes first. For Beatles fans, this switch dishonors something that is cherished by so many people."
In an interview with Rolling Stone last year, McCartney revealed that the real sore spot may have been a decades-old bruise to his ego. "The minute John died, there started to be a revisionism," he said. "There were strange quotes, like, 'John was the only one in the Beatles.' Or 'Paul booked the studio.' Like John was the real genius, and I was just the guy who sang 'Yesterday.'"
Ono says that McCartney might be doing his own legacy more harm than good by trying to take credit for these nineteen songs. "If those songs are credited to McCartney/Lennon, and the rest of the 200 or so are credited to Lennon/McCartney, people may think that Paul wrote those songs and John wrote the rest," she says. "When the suggestion was first made by Paul, I said, 'This is like opening a Pandora's box, Paul. Don't do it.' I still stand by that statement."
Paul McCartney's "Back In The U.S." DVD has scored the biggest-selling debut week for a stand-alone music DVD in SoundScan history. With sales of 61,267 copies, the DVD enters the chart at No. 1 this week. In addition, more copies of the two-CD "Back In The U.S. Live 2002" have been sold in its debut week than any McCartney solo since the inception of SoundScan. The album, which will debut at No. 8 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart with 224,245 copies sold, is also No. 1 on the Internet Sales chart. The "Back In The U.S. Tour" was the top-grossing concert tour of 2002, according to Billboard, with box office of $126.2 million gross ticket sales in the U.S.
Pavona Wines, Inc, a Monterey, California producer of handcrafted wines, has been selected to create wines for The Garland Appeal, a cancer research charity endorsed and supported by Sir Paul McCartney, established in memory of his late wife Linda McCartney.The Garland Appeal is registered in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to benefit breast cancer research and to support the healing power of music.
Pavona Wines will be featured as part of The Garland Appeal Wine Project. "We are extremely honored to be part of such a noble effort," said Richard Kanakaris, President of Pavona Wines. "We believe that Monterey County is one of the finest winegrowing regions in the world and that Pavona is making some of the best wine in Monterey."
One of the wines selected by The Garland Appeal is Pavona's 2000 Chardonnay-Blanc, a unique proprietary wine created by Pavona. The wine is a blend of barrel-fermented Monterey County Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc.
Kanakaris is a devoted Paul McCartney fan with a nearly complete collection of his music, including all of the rarities. "Since Paul McCartney's music has been such a positive influence on my life, and because there are breast cancer survivors in my own family, I can think of no greater personal satisfaction than having Pavona Wines be part of this great endeavor."
A retired investment manager and his wife are the new owners of a seven-acre Lincoln Street estate in Englewood, New Jersey that had been rumored, for a time, to be the future home of rock legend Paul McCartney."It really is just a nice family, wife, husband, children. They're not public figures, not celebrities," said Arthur Bell Jr., managing member of Arthur F. Bell Jr. & Associates, a Maryland firm that oversaw the transaction for the buyers.
Just how rumors started that McCartney, currently on a world tour, might be the buyer of the property remains a mystery. But the true owners really only wanted their privacy, said Bell, who declined to identify the family.
Newlywed Heather Mills says her husband Paul McCartney has saved her from an addiction chocolate. The former model recently revealed that she's completely dropped refined sugar on the advice of her husband and now boasts a picture perfect complexion as a result."The issue came up over my skin," she says. "I'd always been prone to spots. Paul suggested it could have something to do with my addiction to Snickers bars."
However, a chocolate-free diet wasn't an immediate sell for the self-confessed "chocoholic". "Of course, like all chocoholic women, I wasn't having any of it," she admits. But her persuasive hubby made a proposal that she couldn't refuse. "Paul said, 'Why don't you just try giving up for a week?'. Good psychology, eh? I thought I could just about manage that. And, of course, he was right."
She eventually nixed refined sugar from her meals, and now, having "changed the habit of a lifetime," the anti-landmine advocate says giving up her sweet tooth was worth the effort. "It really thrills me when anyone says to me: 'You've got such lovely skin'," she says. "If only they knew how it used to be." (story)
Paul received a special award while in Mexico City. The "International Artist of the Century" award was presented to Sir Paul after his November 3 sound check by Mexico's Academy of Music. The presentation was taped and aired Saturday, November 30 during the "Premios OYE" (OYE Awards) at the Auditorio Nacional. Paul said in his speech, "Muchas Gracias señor, soy muy contento to get this, es muy brillante para mí. It's excellent. Thank you very much. Hablo solamente un poco español, but in English this a wonderful award and we love Mexico. We love the concert here in Mexico City. Gran publico con corazones grandes.So thank you very much. Muchas Gracias."
Translation: "Thank you very much I am very happy to get this. It's very brilliant, for me. It's excellent. Thank you very much. I speak only a little Spanish but in English this a wonderful award and we love Mexico. We love the concert here in Mexico City. Great people with great hearts. So thank you very much. Thank you very much."
Watch Chicago's WLS-ABC channel 7 interview with Paul.
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson: Just a Couple of Rock Fans (Fox News)And so to the private reception downstairs in the lounge under Albert Hall following "A Concert for George.'"
Mesmerized and slightly weepy the guests came, perhaps not realizing when they entered the hall that the performance would be a kind of memorial service for what we used to call rock and roll - or for everyone's collective youth. In a way, this was the last round-up. The feeling was palpable.
What you must understand about this show is that the house lights were up for most of it. You could look around, see everyone. There was heat in the room, and I don't mean just from the vents. It was like a warm glow settled on the audience and the people on stage.
Stepping into the reception, which perhaps comprised of 150 people, I was surprised to see Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. They had been in town to see Tom's son Colin in his West End stage debut in Kenny Lonergan's "This is Our Youth" with Kieran Culkin. (How was the show? "He's my kid. I loved it," Tom told me with a broad, proud smile.) Tom's daughter Elizabeth was there on a furlough from college, as well as Tom and Rita's son, Chester.
Tom seemed flabbergasted. "I've seen a lot of great rock shows. Springsteen. But this, this was the most amazing thing ever. To see all those musicians on one stage together"
He and Rita greeted producer-directors Richard and Lauren Shuler Donner, who just finished a film. Donner, of course, directed Christopher Reeve in the first two Superman movies. Reeve's son Matthew has been roommates with George Harrison's son Dhani at Brown University for the last four years. Six degrees of separation.
"We got our tickets at the last minute and came over," Dick Donner said. He does not have high hopes for the new Superman movie being planned at Warner Brothers, by the way. "They'll ruin him, won't they?" he said of the Man of Steel.
Meanwhile, Tom and Rita accepted kudos from fans for their producing My Big Fat Greek Wedding. There had been a story about its success in the London papers earlier in the week.
I said to Rita, "You've been all over the London papers."
The color drained from her face. I forgot what this meant. These papers make the Enquirer and Star look like Highlights for Children when it comes to vicious coverage of celebrities.
"What did I do?" she said. "I didn't do anything!"
She was quickly reassured.
The couple wanted to meet Jeff Lynne, who helped organize the show and produced Harrison's new and final "Brainwashed" album. This was obliged, and they posed for pictures like regular old fans with Lynne, with "Soul Man" Sam Moore, who was in town for a pair of shows at Albert Hall with Jools Holland, with Billy Preston and others.
I asked Lynne about the terrible way "Brainwashed" has been handled in the States, selling only 73,000 copies in its debut week and getting almost no publicity.
"It's too beautiful a night to discuss that," he said, clearly disgusted.
The Hankses almost missed Ringo, who came into the room with wife Barbara Bach for a quick peek at the proceedings. (Clapton was the only members of the all-star ensemble who skipped the entire afterparty.) That was when he told me he'd wanted to cry but held back the tears. His eyes were fuzzy with emotion.
Ringo ran into original Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, now shrunken by age, experience and women. He could pass for Dudley Moore's twin brother at this point. The pair exchanged salutations, at which point it was announced that Sir Paul McCartney was about to arrive. There was a suggestion of Ringo and Paul taking a picture together.
Not in this lifetime, seemed to be the answer. Ringo and Bach, pulling Wyman with them, vanished like rabbits into the woods.
More from Fox NewsMuch as he worked tirelessly to make "The Concert for George" a hit, Eric Clapton nevertheless made some enemies Friday night.
In his overzealousness to put on a perfect program, some of the musicians claimed he over-rehearsed them. More than a few noticed Billy Preston's fingers were swollen from putting in eight-hour days, six days a week for nearly three weeks. But apparently Clapton felt that if he was paying Preston he should adhere to the schedule.
Same for the other famed sidemen whom Clapton brought to the show including Jim Keltner, Jim Horn, Klaus Voorman, Ray Cooper, and Emil Richards among them - all names that appear on countless solo Beatles albums.
Jools Holland, the English Paul Schaffer who put together the shows and was musical director, is said to be furious that Clapton didn't thank him from the stage for all his hard work.
Clapton also didn't do much to make Paul McCartney feel good. McCartney doesn't take to not being in the spotlight - he took over both The Concert for New York and the Queen's Jubilee shows, for example.
As a Beatle and a friend of Harrison's long before Clapton, McCartney felt that he should be prominently featured in the show. But after his introduction by Ringo Starr, McCartney's ukulele rendition of "Something" - which he does on his tour - was circumvented by Clapton taking over mid-song and finishing "Something" as a rock number.
McCartney then performed a beautiful version of "All Things Must Pass" and then was demoted to a piano on the side of the stage. I watched him pretty much not strike the keys for the balance of the show, clearly seething over his tertiary role.
Ringo must have known how he felt, because he went out of his way to split from the after-party before Paul and wife Heather arrived. The McCartneys spent the shortest time possible - just minutes - maybe anticipating Clapton's arrival. (He never showed though.)
I asked Heather whether or not in the year or so since I'd seen her if she'd learned any Beatles songs. Last year she told me she didn't know any. "Since Paul's been touring I've learned quite a few," she said. "Not all of them. But I recognize many of them now."
Because Heather is not Paul's age and does not share his history with the other musicians, she kind of fades back when there's hubbub around them.
I think people consider her standoffish, but she's not. She's letting McCartney do his thing. And in this case that meant getting in and out quickly. He did tell me he enjoyed doing the second song, and he made an effort to sign a couple of autographs before lighting out.
Meanwhile, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson got their picture taken with May Pang and Tom Scott. May, who was John Lennon's girlfriend and Yoko Ono 's assistant in the early '70s, got confused for Ono by one of the British tabs. Rest assured, Ono was not in attendance at the Harrison tribute.
Of all the people who blew through the intimate after-party, Monty Python's Eric Idle was clearly the most moved and exhausted from the experience of the show. Harrison was his real best friend, and had produced the Python movie Life of Brian, Idle's Nuns on the Run, Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits, and other movies including the great Mona Lisa.
Idle told me, "George was the perfect producer. He just wrote the check and stayed out of everything. He just liked movies and wanted to see certain ones made." Idle said he had indeed been with Harrison the day he died, which made this all the more difficult. He teared up when he talked about his friend. "You think about how he was stabbed and survived that. He did it for Dhani . He wanted more time with his son and he wound up getting two more years." When I thanked him for doing the show, Idle said, grimly, "I did it for myself."
At the George Harrison Tribute concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, Eric Clapton had the crowd on its feet to a standing ovation with the words, "Ladies and gentlemen, Ringo Starr!". Harrison's former fellow Beatle ran on stage to tumultuous applause. He saluted the crowd and said, "What a night. I loved George and George loved me." He then sang "Photograph," which he co-wrote with Harrison, as Clapton, Jeff Lynne and Dhani played guitar. After a rendition of one of Harrison's favorite songs, "Honey Don't," many of the crowd were dancing along. Starr then grabbed the mike and again brought the audience to its feet with the words, "It gives me great pleasure to introduce another friend of George's, Paul McCartney!" (Photos)
Paul sang "For You Blue." The song was followed by "Something" which Paul started off on ukulele then switched to guitar where he was joined on guitar by Dhani and Clapton, with Starr on drums. Eric Clapton sang a verse and the song morphed into the Beatles version. Paul joined Clapton on vocals. After another standing ovation Sir Paul then played piano and Clapton sang to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," before ending with a two-minute guitar solo. Paul sang "All Things Must Pass." McCartney, glanced at Dhani and said "It looks like George stayed younger and we all got older."
Dhani on guitar started off "My Sweet Lord", sang by Sam Brown, with fans clapping and dancing along. Paul told the crowd, "Olivia just said with Dhani on stage it looks like we all got old and George stayed young." Dhani told the audience, "I just want from the bottom of my heart to thank all the musicians, you are my dad's best friends, he loves you. God bless you all.
The showThe show started with Ravi's daughter, Anoushka, and her combined eastern and western orchestra.
"Opening Sloka" recently composed by Ravi for the event, masterfully conducted by Ravi's daughter, Anoushka Shankar
"Ganesh Vandana" Anoushka Shankar and her orchestra
"Anoushka solo with tabla" with orchestra.
"Inner Light " Jeff Lynne and Anoushka Shankar and her orchestra
"Arpan" (Clapton played guitar while sitting)
After a 30-minute intermission four members of Monty Python: Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, (no John Cleese) plus Neil Innes (Rutles)."Sit on My Face"
"Lumberjack Song"
By accident Eric Clapton (the MC) referred to Dhani as George's wife - a running joke throughout the night.
set list:I Want To Tell You - Jeff Lynne/Clapton and band
If I Needed Someone - Eric Clapton/Jeff Lynne and band
Old Brown Shoe - Gary Brooker/Eric Clapton and band
Give Me Love - Jeff Lynne and band
Beware of Darkness - Eric Clapton and band
Here Comes The Sun - Joe Brown
That's the Way it Goes - Joe Brown
Horse to the Water - Sam Brown vocals/Jools Holland piano/Tom Scott featured on horn
Taxman - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
I Need You - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Handle With Care - Tom Petty/Jeff Lynne/Dhani
Isn't It A Pity - Eric Clapton/Billy Preston on gospel piano solo
Photograph - Ringo (Ringo said about the song," Of course, the meaning's changed now.")
Honey Don't - Ringo
For You Blue - Paul McCartney on acoustic guitar/Mike Mann on slide guitar/Ringo on drums
Something - Paul on ukulele then Paul switches to acoustic guitar /Dhani on guitar/Ringo on drums/Clapton guitar and vocals
All Things Must Pass - Paul acoustic guitar /Jeff Lynne/Clapton/Dhani
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Clapton, vocals and guitar/Paul on piano/Ringo on drums
My Sweet Lord - Billy Preston/Sam Brown vocals/Paul on piano
Wah Wah - Jeff Lynne/EricClapton and entire ensemble
I'll See You in My Dreams (1951 song from a Doris Day movie a fav of Georges) Joe Brown singing & on ukulele, full band with Paul on piano
Flower petals fell from the ceiling at the end of the show.The performers were: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Gary Brooker on keyboards, Ron Blair, Sam Brown, Dave Bronze, Mike Campbell, Jim and Phil Capaldi, Steve Ferrone, Neil R. Gauntlett, Katie Kaissoon, Tessa Niles, Dave 'Rico' Nilo, Emil Richards, Henry Spinetti, Chris Stainton, Benmont Tench, Scott Thurston, Andy Fairweather Low, Billy Preston, Joe Brown, Jim Keltner on drums, Albert Lee on guitar, Klaus Voorman on bass, Ray Cooper on percussion, Dhani Harrison on acoustic and Marc Mann replicating Harrison slide solo guitar and Tom Scott, and Jim Horn, Billy Connolly.
Celebs in the audience: Lulu, Annie Lennox, Elvis Costello, Bill Wyman, Sir George Martin, Barbara Bach, Zak Starkey, Mike McCartney, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Stevie Winwood, Paul 'Wix' Wickens, Tim Burton, May Pang, Jackie Stewart
Paul and Ringo kissed and hugged before they left the stage.
Sign in the audience, "My Sweet George."
The concert was videotaped.
The two surviving Beatles have come together to pay a heartfelt tribute to their "baby brother" George Harrison at a memorial concert to mark the first anniversary of his death, November 29, 2002.
For Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Friday's tribute gig was an emotional trip down memory lane for the last two members of the world's most famous pop group. Both received a standing ovation from an adoring crowd. Ringo, beaming from ear to ear with delight, said "what a band, what a night. George loved me and I loved George." And then, standing under a giant portrait of Harrison, he poignantly sang, "All I've got is a photograph and I realize you are not coming back any more."
McCartney, who once fondly referred to Harrison as "just my baby brother", sang his heart out and played the ukulele, the guitar and the piano in what he called "a tribute to a beautiful friend".
Harrison's widow Olivia organized the concert at London's cavernous Royal Albert Hall with Eric Clapton, one of pop's most renowned guitarists, who said "We have got a lot of grieving over by playing this music." Beside him stood Harrison's son Dhani, the spitting image of his father, who thanked the all-star band from the bottom of his heart. McCartney, glancing at Dhani, said "It looks like George stayed younger and we all got older."
From Billy Preston to Tom Petty, the stars queued up to pay tribute to Harrison at the sell-out concert which raised money for one of Harrison's favorite charities, the Material World Charitable Foundation. It raises money for disadvantaged people the world over. Harrison's musical mentor, classical Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, fittingly joined the tributes. He had spent the day before Harrison died with the "Quiet Beatle" and told the audience "I strongly feel that George is here tonight. He was like a son to me."
Guitars gently wept for "My Sweet Lord" as the stars relived the soundtrack of the 60s. And his career as a film producer was fondly hailed by the cult comedy team from Monty Python's Flying Circus. Michael Palin brought the house down with a stirring rendition of the Python classic "I'm a Lumberjack".
Harrison died in Los Angeles last November after a long battle with throat cancer. But after an evening rich in memories, it was left to the soft-spoken Harrison to provide his own epitaph in the program. "I remember thinking I just want more. This isn't it. Fame is not the goal. Money is not the goal. To be able to know how to get peace of mind, how to be happy, is something you don't just stumble across. You've got to search for it." (Reuters)
From Fox News"I didn't cry. I wanted to but I didn't because it was a joyous occasion."
That's what Ringo Starr told me last night after maybe the most beautiful and saddest rock concert ever to have taken place at the Royal Albert Hall in London. There, under the domed theatrical palace that has hosted so many historic events, former Beatle George Harrison was memorialized by his friends and colleagues. The three hour concert took place on the eve of the first anniversary of Harrison's untimely death at age 58. By the time Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Starr, Jeff Lynne and others were finished there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Starr, overcome with emotion, kissed and hugged McCartney as they left the stage.
The remarkable evening featured performances by the aforementioned, as well as Ravi Shankar, Tom Petty, Procul Harum's Gary Brooker, "fifth Beatle" Billy Preston, and 60s U.K. star Joe Brown. Making the evening more poignant was the participation of Harrison's incredibly poised and gracious 21-year-old son, Dhani, who helped organize the charity event and put the finishing touches on his father's final album, called Brainwashed, which was released this week.
In the audience meanwhile were a panoply of guests including actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, director Richard Donner and his producer wife Lauren Shuler Donner, Beatles producer George Martin, as well as legendary R&B star Sam Moore, rockers Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl and Annie Lennox, actress Helena Bonham Carter and director Tim Burton, former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, and the two Heather McCartneys-Paul's eldest daughter and his new wife.
Other musicians in the band included Traffic's Jim Capaldi, whom The Associated Press confused with Joe Cocker. (AP also thought inveterate Beatles fan Jerry Rubin of Los Angeles was the late 60s activist Jerry Rubin of the Chicago Eight.)
Highlights of the show were Preston taking the lead on "My Sweet Lord," McCartney on "All Things Must Pass," and Clapton on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"-with McCartney on piano and Starr on drums. The stellar back-up band, which featured three drum kits, six guitars, and at least two sets of keyboards, featured such Beatle/Harrison stalwarts as Jim Horn and Tom Scott on horns, Jim Keltner on drums, and Jools Holland on keyboards.
Besides the musicians, four of the five original members of the Monty Python comedy troupe paid tribute to Harrison by reuniting for a hilarious skit. Only John Cleese was not present, but Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Neil Innes, and Terry Jones pitched in as a tribute to Harrison, who produced many of their films.
The show was Clapton's idea. In January he called Harrison's widow Olivia and suggested they do a show for the first anniversary of the death. In short order he had corralled all the stars, Olivia told me last night after the show.
The result was nothing less than brilliant. The first part of the show featured the music of Ravi Shankar, who told the audience Harrison had been like a son to him. Then the 80-year-old Shankar introduced his musicians, which included his own son and daughter, who performed a gorgeous choral piece that involved Eastern and Western musicians. Clapton played guitar for part of that presentation.
After a brief intermission, however, the Monty Python gang, dressed as Mounties, did their memorable "Lumberjack Song." When the Pythons were done accepting cheers, Clapton returned with Lynne and Brooker and they played Harrison's most famous songs-"I Want to Tell You," "If I Needed Someone," "Old Brown Shoe," and "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)." Up to that point the audience was still adjusting to the mood in Albert Hall-somber, but enthusiastic. But then Clapton led the group through the haunting "Beware of Darkness"and I think that's when you could feel something in the house. When he came to the line "Beware of sadness" the sold-out crowd of 5000 started taking off eyeglasses and wiping their eyes. There was no turning back.
Before Ringo came out to a standing ovation, some other artists added to the pathos. Preston joined Clapton on a lovely version of "Isn't it a Pity," Tom Petty resurrected the Traveling Wilburys with "Handle with Care" and the entire band-featuring the terrific Sam Brown on vocals-did a recent Harrison song called "Horse to Water."
But I think the most revelatory moment of this part of the program came when Joe Brown-Sam Brown's father and a journeyman musician whom no American has ever heard of-ambled on to the stage. The two men, I learned later, had become friends in the 1970s when they lived near each other. They played ukulele together. So Brown was assigned the task of singing "Here Comes the Sun" and a uke song called "That's the Way It Goes." He was a curve ball, a dark horse among big stars, and the honesty of his heartfelt beautifully executed work charmed and disarmed the audience.
Brown was also chosen by Olivia Harrison to close the show with the old Gus Kahn chestnut, "I'll See You in My Dreams" while rose petals fell gently from the sky. Under the lights of Albert Hall, though, they looked like gold confetti. It was an almost indescribably lovely end to the evening.
Dhani Harrison, who resembles his dad very closely, spoke just before Brown played. (McCartney told the audience that Olivia Harrison said, "Dhani looks so much like George it's like we all got older and George stayed younger.") Dhani said, "From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You were my dad's best friends. God bless you."
More tomorrow from London and the George Harrison tribute concert including my exclusive report on the after party. One unexpected guest was May Pang, John Lennon's girlfriend during his famous "lost weekend" in 1974.
Lead guitarist in the Macca band, Rusty Anderson is coming out with his own album in spring of 2003. Paul, Abe, Wix and Brian contributed to one of the songs on the album.
Paul did an interview with CNN on November 27. Click here to read the transcript.
Three exclusive paintings by Sir Paul McCartney have been snapped up for just £35 ($55) each at the Secrets postcard sale atLondon's Royal College of Art. The works were among a collection of 1,400 anonymous pictures up for grabs on Friday in the annual sale.
The pieces by Sir Paul were bought by different people. One went to a couple who had travelled from Carlisle. A spokeswoman said the couple had been "shocked" to discover they had bought a work by the singing star.
Last week, Jamie Thompson danced backup (pre-show) to Sir Paul McCartney in front of 50,000 screaming fans in Japan. Yesterday, he was back in Los Angeles, changing in a half-finished office at a tree-lighting ceremony sponsored by a local television station.
Five years in L.A. and the 25-year-old born-and- bred Wetaskiwin, Canadian said the life of a freelance dancer is wonderful. "You enjoy it for what it is, and get the best out of it. It's both exciting and scary," Thompson said, adding McCartney was a very nice, down-to-earth guy who made a point of thanking all the performers at the end of the tour.
McCartney's tour hired Thompson to dance in a special show conceived by the former Beatle. "They needed all kinds of character-type acts. Our part was sort of a pre-show, something with a sort of circus mood."
A call from a friend tipped him to the audition and after impressing the director and choreographer at Sony Studios, he landed the part. He began dancing in Wetaskiwin at 10 years old, and continued through high school. A one-year scholarship first brought him to L.A. Thompson then returned, touring Western Canada before returning to California, finding an agent and beginning a full-time career as a freelance dancer in L.A. "It's tough. It's hard for Canadians to get work permits, so it's been very challenging," he said. But its been worth every minute - the city is a cultural mecca, Thompson said. "On any given night I can study any kind of dance that I want to on a drop-in. "There's just so much in the way of performing arts, you couldn't possibly ever get bored."
Working with McCartney's troupe was good career-wise, he said. "It puts me in a good place, because it's something I can be proud of. But professionally, we've always got to hustle.
Although Paul and the band kept a certain distance from the rest of the crew, he made sure to visit backstage every few performances or so to make sure they were happy and doing well.
Jamie and the rest of the performers criss-crossed the U.S. in luxuriously appointed tour buses, that came complete with TVs, DVDs and various other electronic gadgets, as well as fully stocked kitchen-ettes. Jamie even had the opportunity to chat with Paul during one of the cast parties. There are no souvenir pictures of this encounter, however. Cast members were not allowed to take photos backstage. Paul would not even sign autographs of his for his employees after he learned that several of his signed photos had turned up on ebay.
The widow of the late George Harrison has attacked profiteers who have bought tickets to Friday's November 29, charity memorial concert to sell on for personal gain. Olivia Harrison said she was "extremely disappointed" that tickets are being sold for profit on the black market. "This completely goes against the spirit in which this celebration was conceived," she told the Mail on Sunday. The Royal Albert Hall tribute will see Sir Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton among the stars performing for charity.
Congrats to Chris Carter of "Breakfast with the Beatles" on KLSX 97.1 FM in Los Angeles for making the final cut in Paul's "Back in the US" DVD,
Oscar winner Kevin Spacey has helped put budding movie writers on the road to success with the backing of some of Hollywood'sfinest. The American Beauty star was in town for the London launch of a new website, Triggerstreet.com, which aims to introduce unknown script writers to the industry's decision makers.
Joining him at the glittering event were Jeremy Irons, Helena Bonham Carter, new Bond girl Rosamund Pike, Joseph Fiennes and Rhys Ifans. Sir Paul McCartney, Ronan Keating, Geri Halliwell, Lulu and Elton John's partner David Furnish were also on hand to promote the website, which was launched in the US last week.
The website will provide tips for budding writers and allow them to send in scripts which could be viewed by movie bosses, organizers said.
For those of you who have the "Back in the US" DVD, check out the "Secret Web site." Once on the Web site, you will hear the new song, "Welcome to the Secret." There you will find sound check songs not on the DVD including songs never heard before "Waiting For Your Train To Get In," promo videos for "Driving Rain Remix," the director's cut of "Lonely Road," and "Your Loving Flame," concert performances left off the DVD, Paul backstage dancing, the band partying, crew interviews, and a photo gallery.
Best Buy has a bonus DVD of "Matchbox" when you purchase the double CD "Back In The U.S. Live 2002." Target gives you a set of bonus postcards with the double CD.
Paul McCartney is "very fond of flowers," won't travel in a stretch limousine with leather seats, and will not stand for backstage furniture made of any animal skin or print (even if it's of the artificial variety). Those are just a few of the unique provisions contained in the ex-Beatle's concert rider for his 2002 World Tour, excerpts from which you'll find on a dozen pages on the Smoking Gun Web site. McCartney, whose new live album gets released today (11/26) and who stars in a prime-time concert special on ABC Thursday night, also provides promoters with an amusing list of plant demands, one that concludes with this underlined admonition: "No trees please! We want plants that are just as full on the bottom as the top such as palm, bamboo, peace lilies, etc. No tree trunks!" And, of course, the rider requires a pre-show sweep by some bomb-sniffing dogs and it contains the expected vegan salvo: "There will be no meat, or meat by-products allowed to be served in the dressing rooms, production offices, or areas within the 'backstage area.'" So, roadies, please leave those Slim Jims at home.
NPR's (National Public Radio) Renee Montagne did an interview with Paul on her "Morning Edition" show that you can hear online. You will need RealPlayer.
See NEW VIDEO clips on the NPR site from the "Back in the US" DVD. You will need RealPlayer.
"I Saw Her Standing There""Hello Goodbye"
"Can Buy Me Love"
From Capitol Records:
"Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Let Me Roll It"Check out these video clips from the DVD "Secret Web Site"! You will need Windows Media Player.
"C Moon" from Washington DC show April 23, 2002 (high band width-DSL/Cable/T1) (Low band width/dial-up)
Outtake of Paul signing a "Meet The Beatles" album and talking about the photo session. (high band width-DSL/Cable/T1) (Low band width/dial-up)
The "Lonely Road" video in it's entirety! (high band width-DSL/Cable/T1) (Low band width/dial-up)
When Heather Mills was asked during an interview about how she and Sir Paul handle all of the media attention, both nice and not-so-nice. She told a story about the day the couple was standing in a supermarket and saw a headline on one of the tabloids that said the pair had separated. She said she turned to Paul and said, "Did you leave me?" And he replied, "Not that I'm aware of."
As one of our most talented musicians and songwriters, his display cabinet is already overcrowded with showbusiness awards. But the prospect of a receiving a gong for lifetime achievement proved a recognition too far for Sir Paul McCartney - who turned it down, fearing it would signal the end of his career. Instead, the organizers of the honor the former Beatle has dubbed the, 'I'm Just About to Die' award, have hurriedly given it to Tom Jones in recognition of a career spanning 40 years.
It is the second time 60-year-old Sir Paul has turned down the Brit award for outstanding achievement - he was first offered it in 2000. Then it was given to the Spice Girls, much to the derision of music critics.
Last year, it went to Sting after Madonna turned it down for the same reason. But 62-year-old Jones, who has enjoyed a startling comeback in recent years, was thrilled by the honor. He said last nigh, "This is great news, I'm really chuffed."
Brits chairman Tony Wadsworth said, "Tom Jones is one of the truly great British recording artists who commands respect and admiration from artists in all genres of music." Previous recipients of the award, which will be presented in February, include U2, David Bowie, Sir Elton John and The Who. (Daily Mail)
Paul McCartney released a DVD that candidly reveals the intimate backstage life on the road, alongside a 2-CD live set of his most triumphant tour since The Beatles.The three-hour "rock 'n' road movie" will take fans right inside Paul McCartney's acclaimed current tour, giving access to all areas previously kept private from the public -- going inside the dressing rooms, seeing scenes from the back seat of his personal limo and even aboard his chartered jet. There is no wedding footage as rumored.
The "Back In The U.S." DVD includes performances of Paul and his new band at sound check that have never been shown before -- plus footage of more than 30 classic songs filmed at shows all across America and presented in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound.
"This feels like a very
special tour and because of that we wanted to film not only the great shows we've been enjoying but also reveal to people what we're doing when we're not doing the show. There are a lot of private moments on the DVD -- it'll be like a backstage pass to the intimate zones where most people never get," said Paul, who has just started "Back In The U.S.," the second leg of his 50-date American tour.
The "Back In The U.S." DVD released on November 26th -- together with a "Back In The U.S. Live 2002" double CD that features a 36-song set list of new live recordings from the all-hits show that has rocked America.
The 36 songs on the new 2-CD live album: "All My Loving," "Band On The Run," "Back In The U.S.S.R.," "Blackbird," "Coming Up," "Can't Buy Me Love," "Carry That Weight," "C Moon," "Driving Rain," "Every Night," "Eleanor Rigby," "The End," "Freedom," "Fool On The Hill," "Getting Better," "Hello Goodbye," "Here Today," "Here There And Everywhere," "Hey Jude," "I Saw Her Standing There," "Jet," "Lonely Road," "Let Me Roll It," "Live And Let Die," "Let It Be," "Lady Madonna," "The Long And Winding Road," "Mother Nature's Son," "Maybe I'm Amazed," "My Love," "Something," "Sergeant Pepper," "Vanilla Sky," "We Can Work It Out," "Your Loving Flame" and "Yesterday." The songs do not include Paul's stage banter between tracks.
"We recorded the album at various shows on the first leg of the U.S. tour in the spring and I'm excited by the sound that we've got with this new band of mine," said Paul McCartney. "I wanted the album to capture the spirit of some magical nights on the road as a lifelong reminder for the great crowds who shared them with us."
Alongside Paul in the Back In The U.S. band are Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray on guitars, Abe Laboriel, Jr. on drums and Paul "Wix" Wickens on keyboards.
Paul McCartney says he believes the bad press his wife, Heather Mills, has been getting will pass once his fans get used to the couple being married. "All you've got to do is think back to Linda,'' McCartney told TV Guide for its Nov. 23 issue, referring to his first wife, who died of cancer in 1998. "Linda got rubbished in the first year or so. And then she was established and people got over it. It's a bit par for the course.'' Mills has denied reports in British tabloids that McCartney forced her to sign a prenuptial agreement before their wedding this year. And in August, she agreed to accept $76,000 in damages to settle a libel suit she filed against a newspaper that reported she was investigated for charity irregularities.
In the TV Guide interview, McCartney also talked about the exuberant reaction he still gets from concertgoers at the age of 60. "The older people scream because they remember screaming,'' he says. "And younger girls have seen it on films, so it's like a tradition."
NOTE: There are different covers for this week's TV Guide. Look for the one with Paul on the cover.
If you can't find the TV Guide cover you can order it from TV Guide. click here
Sir Paul McCartney's Fame school is at the heart of a new government drive for jobs for young people - with a little help from the ex-Beatle's kid brother. Mike McCartney, himself a former member of 60s pop group The Scaffold, will launch a plan to provide training for more than 400 wannabe musicians and disc jockeys. The Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts has been awarded major new contracts from Jobcentre Plus, the Whitehall-backed employment agency. Fresh funding will provide programmes for up to 420 candidates, aged 18 and over, to secure jobs in the music industry. Although LIPA has an international student intake, the new scheme is a regional jobs campaign, open only to those living in the North West.
Mike McCartney will be the keynote speaker when the scheme is launched at the college in Mount Street next Wednesday, November 27. The latest project follows the success LIPA has already had with the government's New Deal employment program. Mark Featherstone-Witty, chief executive and principal of LIPA said, "We are delighted to have been given these new and expanded contracts."
Liverpool band China Crisis will also be performing at the Jobcentre launch. Eddie Lundon, the group's lead singer, is part of the team which set up the New Deal program at LIPA. A spokesman for the new course said, "This is a significant expansion of the original New Deal program, and is bigger than anything we have done before. It is also a program which will directly involve some of the movers and shakers in themusic industry."
Macy's Web page has photographs of Heather Mills modeling the "INC International Concepts" new holiday collection. Click photo.
Recently, Paul McCartney saw "Calamity Jane" on the telly and from England, rang up American movie actress, Doris Day at her home. He was determined to let her know he was a fan. They chatted for 30 minutes, with Doris inviting the McCartneys to visit on their next trip to California.
New videos of "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Let Me Roll It" from the DVD and audio of "Band On the Run," Sgt. Pepper's/The End" and "Let It Be," from the double live CD. Click here.
The UK and Europe will get the double CD release of "Back in the US Live 2002" renamed as "Driving U.S.A. Live" on March 10, 2003, just in time for McCartney's April/May tour there.
First the rumor was that it would be Madonna. Then the word was Sir Paul McCartney. Whoever plans to move into the 6.95-acre estate in New Jersey is causing quite a stir.Rumors that McCartney - who can afford to buy homes throughout the world and, in fact, has - would keep an Englewood residence traveled all the way to City Hall.
Many in town knew McCartney hired an Englewood-based band, Soul Solution, to play at his nuptials this year. And he donated proceeds from a concert two years ago to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.
And it wouldn't seem too much of a stretch: Actors Eddie Murphy and Aidan Quinn, as well as guitarist George Benson and singer Wilson Pickett, have kept homes in Englewood.
But Scott S. Anderson, a partner at an accounting firm in Maryland that is connected to the purchaser, denied Tuesday that McCartney - or any celebrity - is planning to move onto the estate. "Paul McCartney has no interest in this property," said Anderson, who had heard the rumors but couldn't say how they started. "I hate to disappoint them. They're never going to see Paul McCartney there,'' said Anderson, who works for Arthur F. Bell Jr. & Associates, which handles complicated financial matters.
Paul Freundlich, a spokesman for McCartney, said it would be "very, very surprising" if McCartney had such plans. The former Beatle is concentrating on a concert tour, he said. "I don't know anything about it, to be honest with you. And I have no way of refuting or adding to this rumor," he said.
The combined price tag for all three Englewood parcels was $10.3 million, according to the property records, which show the transactions closing in early July. But the rumor that McCartney, 60, secretly gobbled up the three lots had neighbors eagerly anticipating his arrival with his wife, Heather Mills, who is 34. The couple is said to have been house hunting, and the English media reported they bought a six-bedroom home in October overlooking a private beach in southern England for $3 million.
Real estate professionals said rumors are commonplace in pricey neighborhoods, but that the buzz surrounding the Englewood property is extraordinary. Charles Oppler of Classic Realty Group in Englewood said he'd heard a number of different stories about who would move in, with the likely prospects ranging from McCartney to "a couple of investment bankers."
Even a laborer helping to erect a security fence on the property had been led to believe the singer-songwriter was on his way. When asked if McCartney was moving in, the man - who was standing by a wheelbarrow - cautiously looked around, smiled, and quickly nodded his head in agreement.
According to county records, Michael and Dede Levitt sold the three lots - which include a main house, guesthouse, pool, and tennis courts - to Anderson and Delaware Investment in July. When contacted last week, Michael Levitt said it would be "inappropriate to comment." The couple's attorney, John L. Van Horne III, said he believes there had been a confidentiality agreement.
"Some properties are bought through corporations or a management company," said Jeff Checkley of Weichert Realtors in Ridgewood. "Most of these people are far too busy to manage their own affairs, so management companies handle that for them," the Realtor said. "Typically, the deals are handled through their accountants. At times we may not even be given the name off the bat, but instead get a call that someone is interested in a home,'' Checkley said. "Before you even get to the client, you have to get past the assistant, the secretary, the banker ... the whole entourage before Mr. or Ms. Celebrity walks through the door."
Checkley explained that rumors can take on a life of their own.
"Very simply, let's say one of Paul McCartney's people could have heard of Englewood and was told to check it out," Checkley said. "The agent passes on the information and the price range, and through the course of conversation, the team might say Paul McCartney is the client, and the next thing you know, Paul McCartney is moving into town."
Checkley said the desire among the wealthy to keep records private is understandable. "Think how we would feel if there was a constant parade of people in front of our homes or people going through our garbage. And that does happen."
In Englewood, where residents were taken aback by security measures, including a new iron fence and a guardhouse, the rumors even prompted neighbors to do their own investigating. At least one traveled to City Hall to take a peak at property records. But some work permits list Christine Matthews as the owner; another lists Delaware Investment. Contributing to the confusion is that Matthews' address on the documents is that of the property being renovated, so it is difficult to locate her.
Helen Jerome certainly didn't consider the possibility of living across the street from rock royalty when she bought her house one year ago. "It's exciting," she said of the talk, adding she has mixed emotions. Jerome said she was warned by neighbors of Murphy to expect a lot of foot traffic if McCartney shows up. She's already seen people sauntering by the house and slowing down cars to take a peek.
"But everybody's wondering, 'Why here?''' she said, adding McCartney could pick any town.
The permits show the project includes remodeling the gym and bathrooms, as well as relocating the laundry room in the main house. They also call for an addition to the guest house. The smallest lot on the estate is vacant and there were no plans for construction on file at City Hall.
Checkley said that just because a property is exclusive doesn't mean a celebrity is moving in.
"A chief executive officer or a chief financial officer is not a well-known celebrity but ultimately is in the same marketplace with the same concerns and wants," he said. "That person may not be high profile but the dollar volume is the same. And around here there are more CEOs and high-end executives than there are celebrities."
Fashion designer Stella McCartney wants to create a slice of the Good Life at her Midland country home. She is hoping to create her own energy-saving water purification plant, complete with wildlife haven and woodland. The 31-year-old daughter of Sir Paul McCartney brought a 271-acre farm at Bishampton, near Pershore, for £1.2 million last year.It is the first phase of her bid to create an environmentally friendly property. McCartney has applied to Wychavon District Council for permission to create a wildlife haven and purification system. This would see the planting of 2,000 willow trees and many varieties of reeds and shrubs at the farm.
The system, which will be considered in the new year, would see all waste water from her home being pumped into willow and reed beds. A spokesman for the Environment Agency has said that such systems were "effective and environmentally sound".
A council spokesman said they could see "no obvious reason" why her application should be refused.
Stella's father and mother, the late Linda McCartney, were both keen environmentalists who brought their children up on a rural estate in Sussex. The designer is one of the several showbiz personalities who have bought up a slice of increasingly popular Worcestershire.
The sale of more than 200 items, to be held at Sotheby's Olympia (London) on December 3, features a swag of rock 'n' roll artifacts and memorabilia. But the highlights of the sale will, as ever, be Beatles memorabilia.These include the first-known published photograph of John Lennon and Paul McCartney together, taken in 1959 at Liverpool's Casbah Club. The picture is being sold by the Beatles' early promoter Sam Leach who hopes to raise as much as £8,000 ($12,560). Also being auctioned are John Lennon's hand-written lyrics for the song "Because," from Abbey Road - estimated at £25,000 ($39,250) to £30,000 ($47,100).
There are John Lennon's fingerprints, lot 208. A boy was doing a project in 1965, and wrote [to Lennon] asking for his fingerprints. Now they are worth between £5,000 ($7,850) and £6,000 ($9,420)."
RockDaily.com posted an interview with Paul that you can read and hear part of on their site. Paul talks about the 'apes' in Atlanta.
A petition signed by more than a million people to stop vitamin, mineral and herbal products from being banned in the UK is being handed to Parliament. The "Save our Supplements" campaign, backed by Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John and Zoe Ball, is in protest against two new European directives aimed at regulating herbal, vitamin and mineral products. Under new guidelines Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Echinacea, St John's Wort or multi-vitamins and minerals could be affected.
Sue Croft, director of Consumers for Health Choice, said, "The important thing is to make the Government understand there's a serious issue they need to get to grips with."
The Food Supplement Directive, due to become law next year, contains a list of vitamin and mineral sources that may be used to make food supplements. It also sets out labelling requirements and provides a framework for maximum and minimum levels of vitamins and minerals in food supplements to be set in the future. Mrs. Croft said the measures would benefit multinational companies that trade in a limited range of low dose supplements but would devastate smaller, specialist independent retailers putting jobs at risk. The Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive states a product can only be sold if it has already been on the market for 30 years, including 15 years on the European market. Alternatively, herbal medicines can be licensed in the same way as pharmaceutical drugs but Mrs. Croft said this is a costly and time-consuming process.
From Cindy Adams' column, November 19, New York Post - Sir Beatle Paul McCartney: "I lie all the time. It's the price of fame."
A host of stars have designed children's building blocks, for charity. Tommy's kids charity has turned Building Blocks, which are a traditional nursery toy, into a fundraising initiative where celebrities have been asked to design and sign a wooden block which will be sold online at www.ebay.co.uk from Monday 4th November - Saturday 23rd November.
The blocks will be auctioned to help Tommy's prevent still birth, miscarriage and premature death in babies.Tommy's patron, The Duchess of York, has been"overwhelmed" by the response by stars, from all over the world. She said, "Scotland is known for its big heart and once again well-known Scots have done their country proud." They include chef Gordon Ramsay, Celtic manager Martin O'Neill and his first-team squad, pop superstar Paul McCartney, Grand Prix ace David Coulthard, and Ryder Cup golfer Colin Montgomerie.
Sir Paul McCartney proved he's a dab hand with a paintbrush with this effort, which is covered in red and yellow hearts and teddy bears. Not the stuff you'd expect from a rock star, but Sir Paul, who has a home on the Mull of Kintyre, finished it just weeks before his wedding to Heather Mills.
Their efforts will be displayed this week in Edinburgh department store Debenham's before being auctioned on the net. Tommy's chairman Ron Dennis said, "The collection can lay claim to some real works of art and craftsmanship."To see the blocks or to order a catalog, contact Tommy's by phone: 020 7620 0188. Alternatively, log on to www.tommys.org
Bids can be made until November 25 for Paul's building block here -- www.ebay.co.uk the current bid is £360 ($560).
On Thursday 21st November, an ambassador from the internationally renowned Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), International Manager Darren Murphy will be giving a talk to students in South Korea interested in pursuing careers in the performing arts.
LIPA was founded in 1996 by ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney to provide industry-relevant training for the arts and entertainment industry for both performers and those who make performance possible. Sir Paul and other arts world practitioners occasionally teach at the school. One third of all students at LIPA hail from outside of the United Kingdom.
Paul performed "Calico Skies" at both concerts in Osaka, Japan between "Here There And Everywhere" and "Michelle." Four fans were brough onstage for "I Saw Her Standing There" wearing Sgt. Pepper jackets. After the show, there was a private end of tour party at the Ritz-Carlton hotel for the band and crew. Paul left Japan on November 19 and flew directly to London.
Heather Mills did a an AOL LIVE chat on November 18, calling from a car cell phone while traveling with her husband who she referred to as "little Paul."
The one millionth buyer of a Paul McCartney concert ticket got to meet Paul backstage in Japan. The 26-year-old woman not only met Paul but she got a framed "Back in the US Live" CD poster, an autograph and a brand new Mitsubishi Colt!!!!
D.J. Kamasami Kong hosts a mammoth radio show in Japan, and lives in the Ritz Carlton-Osaka. This week, the manager of the hotel, Octavio Gamara (former G.M. of the Ritz Carlton-Maui) asked Kong if he'd emcee a private party Sunday night. Kong begged off because he planned to see the Paul McCartney concert at the Osaka Dome that night. "Don't worry," said Gamara, "the party will be after the concert." Kong then agreed, asking "What kind of party?" A small private party in the Presidential Suite for a VIP, Gamara told him. "Who's the VIP?" Kong asked and only then learned it was for none other than Sir Paul McCartney, throwing a "Sayonara Party," Osaka being his last stop on his Japan tour. Reports Kong, "My head's still spinning" as he tries to come up with good questions for the former Beatle ...
Paul and Heather took the 175 mile-an-hour Shinkansen Express train from Tokyo to Kyoto November 16. He and Heather stayed at a Ryokan (Japanese Bed and Breakfast) famous for it's tempura dinners. The couple went sightseeing and visited the famous Kinkakuji Temple ('Kin' translates to 'gold') named appropriately because it is covered in gold. November 17 & 18 he performs in Osaka. The first concert is completely sold out.
Yoko Ono has never been a member of the Paul McCartney Fan Club, but no one may be more eager than she to get a copy of his new CD.According to record-business sources, McCartney wants to change the credit on several Beatles classics from "Lennon/McCartney" to "composed by Paul McCartney and John Lennon." The album, "Back in the U.S. Live 2002," features "Eleanor Rigby," "Let It Be" and "Hey Jude."
McCartney is said to have long resented seeing Lennon's name on some songs. Back when Capitol was assembling a collection of the Beatles' No. 1 hits, McCartney asked Ono if he could change the credit for "Yesterday." Ono's spokesman, Elliot Mintz, recalls: "She said no, because that would violate the terms of Paul's original agreement with John." But now, sources say, McCartney is pushing to get his way on his new album. A McCartney rep said he didn't know how the credits would read on the disk, which is due out Nov. 26.
The Beatles catalogue is owned by Sony ATV, the joint venture of Sony Music and Michael Jackson. One legal observer notes, "If Paul ignores the copyrighted credit, it's up to the owner of the song to take it up with him." A Sony spokesman had no immediate comment on whether Sony ATV had authorized McCartney to switch the names.
But Mintz said, "For Paul to attempt to do this would be not only improper, but outrageous. John is not here to defend the authenticity of that agreement. It's up to Yoko to protect John's creative interests. She believes a deal's a deal."
Previous article:Paul McCartney has altered the songwriting credits on his new CD to give himself prominence over John Lennon. Macca has stripped off legendary tagline Lennon & McCartney from 22 songs he performs on the Back In The US 2002 disc. He has replaced it with "composed by Paul McCartney & John Lennon." Die-hard fans claim Sir Paul was miffed at being relegated to second place, and say it is a ploy by him to rewrite the history of the Beatles. One said last night, "He's never liked the fact that it's always been Lennon & McCartney and not the other way around. To be fair, Paul had the most creative input on all of The Beatles songs he played on his Back In The US tour. But the Lennon & McCartney tagline goes back 40 years and in my mind he is attempting to change the most important songwriting legacy of all time. (The Sun UK)
"It has always slightly irked Paul that John got most of the credit for songs that he might have only contributed one sentence to," said one insider. "All Paul is doing is putting things right. Most of the Beatles songs on the album are ones that he did most of the writing for and that is why he feels they have a place on it. A while ago he asked Yoko Ono if he could change the credit for Yesterday on the Beatles 1 album but she said no. He was very upset because that is many people's favorite song."(Herald Sun, Melbourne)
Note: Paul changed the song writing credits on his "Wings Over America" album back in 1976 to McCartney/Lennon.
Saturday November 16, 2002 The GuardianWhere there are rock and film legends, fans and groupies will follow. It is they who are fueling the growing trade in stars' autographs and daft doodles, which are now fetching thousands at auction.
The latest rock and film auction is being held this Tuesday, November 19 in London, and amongst other things a doodle by John Lennon of "floating clouds and a Hitler-like figure selling death cigs" (at the time he was trying to give up smoking) is set to fetch £4,000 ($6,200) to £5,000 ($7,750).
This has come as no surprise to auction house Cooper Owen's co-owner, Ted Owen. "Lennon's doodles have been known to fetch as much as £11,000 ($17,050) to £12,000 ($18,600)," he says.
In today's celebrity-driven culture, fans are willing to pay extraordinary prices for often mindless scribbles - as long as it can be proved they were drawn by a star. The most popular and collectable doodles and autographs are by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Paul McCartney's trademark was a smiley face with his autograph. A promotional postcard for Trans World Airlines with a message inscribed "On the way to America" and signed J.P.Mc. is expected to fetch £400 ($620) to £500 ($775) at Tuesday's auction. Any of his signatures with his trademark doodle will automatically double the price.
Similarly, a signature by John Lennon on a plain piece of paper will be worth £300 ($465) to £400 ($620). If the signature has one of the two well-known caricatures John used to draw with it, it would be worth £3,000 ($4,650) to £4,000 ($6,200). "John either drew a caricature of himself and Yoko or a cartoon of a man which was supposed to be him," says Mr. Owen.
Mr. Owen says the doodles come from all sorts of sources. "There are people that hang around outside theatres waiting for the stars to come out to get their autographs. Also people who travel by planes often spot famous people and ask for signatures. So we get a lot of them from air hostesses, pilots or ground crew.
"Another source is family, friends or road crew. Stars that sit around and doodle while on tour often throw their efforts away, but a member of the crew may pick one up for a keepsake and then 20 years later decide it's worth something and will sell it. People from all walks of life who comes into contact with star, even at a supermarket, has the chance to get signatures. "Last year I bumped into Omar Sharif in a pub and I asked him to sign a beer mat for me," says Mr. Owen.
There is a general rule on signatures: the longer a star has been around, the higher the value of his or her doodle will be.
Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles are the most valuable right now and they are likely to hold their price for some time. Elvis Presley, Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe are also extremely valuable.
Watch out for forgeries, says Mr. Owen. "Don't buy blind. Get a professional opinion. We use various experts around the world who specialize in the Beatles or Elvis - they can tell if it is genuine."
Some forgeries aren't deliberate, says Mr. Owen. Fans who spent hours in line to see the Fab Four to find only three of them there would have had their cards signed by another member of the band. John often signed for Paul, and vice versa, he says. And Elvis fans should be aware that his entourage were excellent at copying his autograph.
The auction is at Cooper Owen Galleries, 23 Denmark Street, London WC2H 8LS, Tuesday November 19.
A unique view of the 60's is open for public view beginning Thursday when Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of an Era opens at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno. The exhibit features 51 color and black & white photographs of 20th century music icons such as Mick Jagger, Jim Morrison and The Beatles photographed by McCartney.The exhibit opens with an opening reception from 5 - 7 p.m. Thursday night, November 21and runs through January 5, 2003.
The The museum is located at 100 So. Virginia Street in Reno. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors.
Has Stella McCartney angered her Notting Hill neighbors again? It rather seems as though she has...Ok, the roof-top shower was the first thing that caused her local residents to be miffed. The fashion designer was told to take it down by the council after many objections - surely the main one being that this is England, sweetie and our climate just doesn't run to roof-top showers. But now Stella has gone ahead with buying an old neighborhood church, and is in process of tearing it down to make it into a studio.
It was a controversial choice for Stella to go ahead with the purchase of the church, (which it has to be said had been run-down and empty for many years) but she asked for permission to convert the £1 million ($1.5 million) building into a studio for her own Gucci-owned label. The council passed her proposal as the church was deemed 'of no particular merit' but this has angered the more radical types of our community.
Hence 'Starbucks'. But whether this aligns Stella with the coffee chain who are well-known for trying to move into every street in the UK, or whether this is a mere reference for what money can do for you when you are a star with bucks is anyones guess. (story)
Artist Damien Hirst and musician Sir Paul McCartney are among stars who have donated original works to the ninth Secret Postcard exhibition and sale at the Royal College of Art (RCA). A host of international names have created small works of art which will be displayed anonymously and can be bought for as little as £35 ($55). This has become one of the largest and smallest exhibitions of contemporary art in the world.Sir Christopher Frayling, RCA The popular show gives art lovers a chance to buy a rare work of art but buyers do not find out the identity of the artist until after the postcards have been sold.
The bulk of the cards are painted by students at the London school.
All money raised by the sale goes to the RCA Fine Art Student Award Fund, which helps support emerging artists during their time at the college.
Since 1994, sales of postcards have raised more than half a million pounds for the fund. Last year more than 800 artists and designers donated more than 1,000 postcards.
The RCA Secret exhibition opens from 21 November and the sale begins on 29 November.
December 5 Event to Support Mine Clearance and Survivor AssistanceThe Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign has issued a call to action for all Americans to participate in the second annual Night of A Thousand Dinners on Thursday, December 5, 2002, to raise funds for mine clearance and survivor assistance around the world. Government leaders, caring citizens, diplomats, celebrities and organizations will host dinners in their homes and other venues in a demonstration of solidarity to resolve the global landmine crisis. For information on how to participate in this important event, please visit http://www.1000dinners.com, or call 212-907-1307.
"The presence of landmines prevents people from going about their daily lives long after wars end. Fields cannot be farmed, children cannot attend school, people cannot work without the fear of stepping on a landmine," said Nahela Hadi, Acting Executive Director, Adopt-A-Minefield. "Night of A Thousand Dinners celebrates one of the basic human experiences -- sharing food together -- so that others will be able to grow and provide food for their communities in safety. As an Afghan-American, this effort is especially close to my heart.""Whether someone chooses to host a dinner, attend as a guest or simply make a donation, taking part in the Night of A Thousand Dinners will help to improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of people worldwide," said Heather Mills McCartney who along with her husband, Sir Paul McCartney, are Adopt-A-Minefield Goodwill Ambassadors and Patrons. Night of A Thousand Dinners has garnered broad celebrity support. Its Artists' Committee includes Alec Baldwin, Eric Clapton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Billy Joel, Lucy Liu, Joni Mitchell, Rosie O' Donnell, Robert Redford, Susan Sarandon and Kevin Spacey.
Other prominent supporters include Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London; and Colin L. Powell, U.S. Secretary of State. Participating organizations include Rotary International, Kiwanis International, and Roots of Peace's Harvest of Hope Campaign. Adopt-A-Minefield's corporate partner, Federated's INC International Concepts clothing line, is promoting the event to 1.1 million homes. INC is also giving a "No More Landmines" T-shirt designed by Ms. Mills McCartney to the first 1,000 hosts who join.
A program of the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA), Adopt-A-Minefield supports the United Nations mine clearance operations in partnership with the U.S. State Department and Ted Turner's Better World Fund. The Campaign's mission is to return land to productive use by clearing landmines to allow for the rebuilding of homes and schools, safe return of refugees, and reintegration of landmine survivors into their communities. Adopt-A-Minefield raises funds to support mine clearance and survivor assistance efforts in six of the most mine-affected countries in the world. Since its launch in 1999, the Campaign has raised over $6 million and cleared 3 million square meters of land, with another 3 million square meters currently under clearance. "As the nation's largest foreign policy membership organization, UNA-USA is proud to bring together Americans from all walks of life with the United Nations to resolve a global problem," stated Ambassador Nancy Rubin, Chair, Adopt-A-Minefield.
In 2001, the first Night of A Thousand Dinners raised $1.4 million in more than 35 countries, with events ranging from intimate gatherings to galas, and catered events to potluck dinners. "Americans have an instinctive generosity and compassion for those in need," Ms. Hadi said. "These funds allow thousands to return to their homes, cultivate their land and reclaim their lives."
British rock legend Paul McCartney invited 16 Japanese high school students and two teachers who use Beatles' songs to study English to his Tokyo concert on Monday, November 11.
Shortly before the concert, the former Beatle met backstage with the senior-grade students and teachers from Kitazono High School in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward, and gave them a special English lesson in which they all sang ''Yesterday'' together.
The 16, who are said to be not so good at English among students in the senior grade, sent an e-mail to the official fan club of the Beatles in mid-October, asking the superstar to come to the school when he visits Japan.
This month the students received a reply from the British fan club that McCartney would like to invite them to his concert at Tokyo Dome instead. The students greeted McCartney in English and showed him a textbook they use in their English class that has a history of the band, as well as their songs.
Yusaku Murata, 18, who played his own guitar when they sang together, said, ''I was really fascinated. He's a real superstar and was wonderful, as I expected.'' Teacher Fumiko Shiroki, 51, said she never imagined they would be invited to the concert. ''I hope the students also use this opportunity to study English well,'' she said.
Paul and Heather arrived in Japan on Saturday, November 9 at 5:31pm (local time). They flew directly from Los Angeles to Narita Airport and were greeted by 2,000 + screaming fans some who held posters in English that read, "I Love You Paul," "Welcome to Japan Paul," and "Happy Wedding." There was a scuffle with security when the fans tried to reach Paul with fights breaking out. The couple drove off to their hotel in Mejiro where they will be staying while in Tokyo. (photos)
The band signed autographs at the hotel and Paul came into the lobby once but didn't stay. A couple with a 3-year-old child came up to Paul and Heather and with the parents coaxing, said, "I love you Paul!" (in English) That made Paul and Heather smile.
Paul and Heather checked out a Kabuki performance on November 10.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor is appearing in a hard-hitting advertisement attacking the fur trade. The UK singer is pictured wearing a black evening dress, holding the dead body of a skinned fox. The striking image was taken by Mary McCartney, fashion photographer and daughter of Sir Paul McCartney, who like Ellis-Bextor gave their time for free. The advertisement for anti-fur group Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is due to appear in magazines around the world and possibly billboards. Ellis-Bextor, who has had hits with "Murder On The Dancefloor" and "Take Me Home," said, "I think fur is really pathetic when there are so many alternatives. "I'm part of a generation that grew up with the 'We'd rather go naked than wear fur campaign' and it's something that really struck a chord with me. To me it felt a very natural thing to do, to be on the side of animals when it came to fur." According to Peta the advertisement "brings home the cruel reality that is kept out of slick fur ads and fashion spreads." http://furisdead.com/
Note: The skinned fox in the photo was found dead and was skinned by Mary McCartney's nanny for the seven-hour photo session. The nanny who grew up on a farm in New Zealand new how to skin the animal!
McCartney's freed foxes overwhelm local farms By Daniel Foggo (Telegraph)Anti-hunting campaigners have been using an animal sanctuary owned by Sir Paul McCartney to release into the wild dozens of foxes which have been blamed for attacks on local livestock and pheasants. The animals were released by the League Against Cruel Sports after being found abandoned as cubs by the RSPCA. They were reared by hand before being taken to Sir Paul's land on Exmoor, Somerset, and set free. Farmers near Sir Paul's estate - which he bought as a deer sanctuary to be run by the League - say that the foxes have now overrun their farmyards, killing animals and spreading disease.
Robert Govier, a sheep farmer whose property is near to the sanctuary, at St John's Wood near Skilgate, said that fox numbers had increased noticeably in recent years. "These new foxes are quite obviously town foxes because they are not afraid of people. Normally, when a fox sees you it is gone in an instant but these are not frightened. I had one come in the house and another take our ducklings from inside the porch. A normal fox would never dare get that close to the house. What the LACS and the RSPCA did on McCartney's land was very hush-hush. But they must have been stupid to think that three dozen foxes were all going to stay on that piece of land. Because the foxes come from elsewhere, often towns, they don't know where they are or how to find food. They raid dustbins, become a pest to us and are a danger to themselves. It is cruel, really. The best thing you can do is shoot them."
Rod Brammer, another local landowner, said, "These urban foxes are more likely to kill lambs because they don't know how to live in the country. They also have mange which can easily spread to other foxes and dogs. My gundog caught mange from one of them and I had to shoot him. What the League has done is born of arrogance and ignorance."
Sir Paul, a staunch anti-hunt campaigner, gave the League the use of the the 100-acre Somerset property in 1991 as a deer sanctuary. The fact that it was near land used by the Devon and Somerset Staghounds was also thought to be a motivation in the acquisition of the land as it helped disrupt the hunt's activities. There was no suggestion, however, that the land would be used for releasing foxes.
A former member of the League told The Telegraph, "I know of several occasions when we released foxes on to McCartney's land, with five or six being released each time. Once we set 15 or 16 free in one go. The problem was that the land consists of just a dense coniferous wood, which means it is not an area which has a lot of rabbits roaming around. The result is that the foxes have dispersed to the neighbouring land on which farmers keep sheep. Foxes are territorial and need their own space so they keep moving on until they find a vacant area. If the farmers around there had known what we were doing they would have been rather displeased to say the least."
A spokesman for the RSPCA last night admitted having released foxes but not recently. She said, "It is true that we have released groups of fox cubs - which were orphaned and reared by us - into this area but not for the last couple of years. They are released in such small numbers and it is not all on one site. It is unlikely that this has contributed to a fox problem."
A gamekeeper for a local estate, who asked not to be named, said, "In the last few years we have had a lot of trouble with pheasants being killed. There is no mistaking the difference between a country fox and a town fox because the latter freeze in the light of a torch beam instead of running away. There is no natural food for them on McCartney's land so it's no surprise they have to go elsewhere."
The row is the second time in recent years that the former Beatle has come under fire for encouraging the proliferation of animals considered by some to be pests. In 1997 he and his late wife Linda were accused of feeding wild boar living near their home in East Sussex. Locals said that the boar had destroyed crops and were highly dangerous and that the McCartneys should not feed or harbour them on their land. The McCartneys denied feeding or sheltering the animals.
Sir Paul could not be contacted about the latest allegations and the use of his land by the League Against Cruel Sports. The League refused to comment.
Paul and Heather travel halfway around the world to India for Rajvilas Resort's Secret Spa technique called Shiridara. It's the ancient art of pouring hot oil directly onto the forehead and it's supposed to open up creativity in the brain. Bill Clinton and Jessica Lange also relax at this secret Indian hideaway, touted as one of the most luxurious spas in the world. (story)
Should anyone wonder why Paul McCartney's children have taken such a dislike to Heather Mills - her next book should clear it up. The fame-hungry younger wife of Paul's is to publish her third book following on from her two autobiographies Out on a Limb and A Single Step a vegetarian recipe book. The second Lady McCartney appears to be blithely stepping into the territory of Paul's first wife, Linda, who was a die-hard vegetarian and died of breast cancer in 1998. Heather's book, which is currently being touted to various publishers, is a 'lifestyle' book, incorporating vegetarian recipes, decorations, furnishing and party-giving ideas. One anonymous publisher, who has turned the book down said, "Her giving the how-to of vegetarian food is treading on the toes of Paul's beloved late wife, Linda, and will not go over well."(People News)
Paul brought up four lucky Mexican fans to dance onstage and sing during "I Saw Her Standing There" at his last show in Mexico City. Read all about it on the "Back in the US" page.
VH1's countdown to the "100 Greatest Love Songs'" starts Monday, November 11 at 10pm ET for one hour each consecutive night through Friday, November 15. The Beatles surprisingly did not make the list however Paul scored 5th place with "Maybe I'm Amazed" and John Lennon came in at #32 with "Woman."
Paul arrived at the Toluca City airport in Mexico the day before his show on November 2. He was driven 12 miles to Mexico City in a special armored limo. There is a rumor that he might visit the Teotihuacan Pyramids about 50 miles outside of the city.
Heather reportedly was taking saxophone lessons from a private tutor while in Mexico City. Paul, Heather, Abe, Wix and Brian all attended Peter Gabriel's second concert, November 4, in Mexico City. The band sat in the tenth row while Paul and Heather sat in the wings on the left side of the stage. Before the encore McCartney and crew left. During his day off Paul and Heather did some sightseeing in picturesque Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico 46 miles from Mexico City. He drove his own car followed by an entourage of cars to the city which has an Aztec pyramid on top of a mountain.
Animal-rights activist Paul McCartney's wife Heather Mills is the spokesperson for the INC line, which sells leather clothing of the sort her husband has been known to campaign against. (Page Six).
Stella McCartney's label is 50 percent owned by Gucci which profits from selling leather handbag -- a fabric McCartney is against. Yet she sees her stance as a positive step for activists. "I'm a firm believer in infiltrating from within...," McCartney said.
Paul McCartney is considering a European tour in 2003 - including a date in Moscow's Red Square.There is now talk of more dates in 2003, including a run through Europe, a possible performance at Red Square in Moscow, and a tour of Australia. McCartney said, "The thing with The Beatles was that we were all just kids and had never done it before. At Shea Stadium (in New York in 1965), we were playing through the baseball PA system. We're a little more at home now; this band is a great live band, and I'm surprised I still love doing this as much as I do."
McCartney finishes off the year with shows in Mexico before a return trip to Japan, the site of his notorious 1980 pot bust. "I'll be better prepared this time," he joked. "I know how to pack now." (NME.com)
Paul McCartney has denied he used the Bali terrorist attacks as a cynical excuse to pull out of his proposed Australian concert to cover up for poor ticket sales.McCartney has revealed to The Sunday Telegraph the real reasons for his controversial decision to postpone his November 23 "Driving Oz" show at Melbourne's Telstra Dome.
The former Beatle was shocked at widespread criticism of him within the Australian entertainment industry last week.This followed claims that his Melbourne concert was selling so poorly that he didn't want to make the long trip Down Under. McCartney's spokesman, Geoff Baker, said yesterday the decision had been overwhelmingly motivated by McCartney's concern that it would be inappropriate to do so in the wake of the attacks.
Baker also revealed that McCartney had been unhappy that his Melbourne deal would have prevented him playing in Sydney. "To tell you the truth, Paul didn't just want to play Melbourne. He wanted to play Sydney too," Baker said. "He's done some of the best concerts I've ever seen in Sydney. We will be back."
Baker said McCartney was unable to schedule Sydney concerts this year, not only because of the exclusive deal tying him to Melbourne, but because he also had to be in London for the George Harrison tribute concert later this month. The 60-year-old performer was now negotiating to stage an Australian tour in the first half of 2003, Baker said.
Explaining why McCartney believed it inappropriate to proceed, Baker said he was worried the "feel-good" nature of the show could be perceived as being in poor taste. "To play 'Can't Buy Me Love,' 'Live and Let Die,' 'Jet '. . . we couldn't do it," Baker said. "It would have been the most insensitive thing we could ever have done.
"People have pointed out that Paul did the New York tribute concert after September 11, but that was a set list deliberately put together to be suitable for the occasion. The show we were bringing to Australia is made up of 36 songs that are predominantly upbeat, joyous celebrations of rock 'n' roll and having a fun party--and we felt it was inappropriate to do that show at this time. Whether parents or relatives of kids killed in Bali were at the show or not, or reading reviews or seeing footage of us . . . after the tragedy Australia has been through, we just didn't think it was the right thing to come there and play that concert. This is a totally emotional response, and it's very typical of Paul--what's wrong with that?"
Australian concert-industry experts, however, claimed last week McCartney's reason for not touring was a smokescreen for lacklustre demand for the taxpayer-subsidised show. But a furious Paul Dainty, McCartney's Australian promoter, said this was just plain wrong. Dainty said 30,000 tickets had been sold in just four days, and he had expected the concert's remaining 8,000 would have sold this week, with a second concert then announced for November 24.
Dainty was in Los Angeles and unaware of McCartney's decision when he announced it in a statement issued from Las Vegas last Monday.
McCartney has had one of the highest-grossing tours in the US this year.
December 2002
What did Heather and Paul do for Christmas? According to Sainsbury Magazine's December issue, Heather planned to cook a Christmas dinner for 12 people.
"I'm really looking forward to Christmas - I'll be in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, doing all the prep for dinner on Christmas morning. I'm not one of those women who think that cooking the festive meal is hard work and a bore. It's a pleasure to put food on the table for people you love.""I'll be cooking for around 12 of us - as many of the family as possible - and although it will definitely be veggie, it will still be as traditional a roast as it can be. I'll do a chicken-style roast with sage and onion stuffing. Roast parsnips, broccoli, spinach, carrots and my piece de resistance, roast potatoes. They're always in demand. I parboil them first and score them with a fork - that's the secret - then roast them for an hour and a half in olive oil with a knob of butter on each one."
"And I'll do Yorkshire puddings, too. I know it's not traditional with chicken - veggie or otherwise - but I was born and raised a northern lass and I'd eat them with just about anything. To top off the lot, there will be lashings of my homemade onion gravy."
"Some people may assume that I turned vegetarian because Paul is. In fact, I turned veggie when I lost my leg. I went for rehab in the States where they encouraged a strict regime - not meat, and all fruit and veg had to be eaten raw. I also tried the Eat Right For Your Type diet, which was a bit mad because I'd been diagnosed with the wrong blood type! I'd been told I was O rhesus negative. The right diet for that type had to include chicken and fish. So I resumed eating meat, but I felt terrible, really sluggish and tired all the time. After another op, I found out why. I was in fact A, not O, rhesus negative. So it was for medical reasons that I gave up meat.""Then it will be my turn to put my feet up. Which will make Paul happy. He's always encouraging me to relax more, because I've got so much energy, I'm always on the go. I certainly sleep better and longer since we've been together. Paul likes his eight solid hours a night, whereas I used to leap out of bed practically at the crack of dawn. Paul would say, 'You don't need to get up yet. Where are you going?' So I learned to stay in bed a bit longer and I'm more rested because of it. Paul has definitely been a good influence."
Billboard Magazine's year end issue has some huge ads from McCartney's tour. The double-issue is $12.95 and will be on newsstands shortly.
Stella McCartney daughter of Beatle Paul McCartney and his late wife Linda Eastman McCartney, talks about her Jewish identity in the January issue of British Glamour."My Mum was Jewish," she says. "Maybe I'm a really bad Jew because I'm always so excited to say that I am, but I don't live and breathe the religion."
Linda McCartney, raised in Scarsdale, N.Y., was the daughter of Louise Lindner and entertainment lawyer Lee Eastman (ne Epstein). Her grandfather was Max Joseph Linder, who operated a famed women's clothing shop in Cleveland and was active in the city's major Reform temple; Max's wife, and Stella's great-grandmother, was Stella Dryfoos.
Stella McCartney says her friend and kabbalah devotee Madonna has been trying to get the designer interested in mysticism. "She's a new Jew," McCartney says. "But I have been to a kabbalah meeting with her. I don't completely understand it and she'll kill me if she reads that, useless girl that I am. But it's one of the better religions. Oh God, I should shut up. All the followers will start chucking things at me."
Paul's "Back In The U.S. Live 2002" double CD is nearing gold certification with 462,000 units sold in the US according to Soundscan.
Sir Paul McCartney has sealed his move from rock star to pillar of the Establishment with a coat of arms to go with his knighthood. The arms - with a guitar and a Liver Bird symbolising his music career and Liverpool roots - use a formula that dates back to the 15th century.The honor was granted by the College of Arms, which is part of the royal household.
Although the guitar theme seems modern, such flourishes are not unusual, said Anthony Adolph, research director at the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies in Canterbury.
"It's appropriate for McCartney to have a guitar - the article should reflect the person," said Adolph. "They are meant to be very personal."
McCartney, 60, originally applied for the arms in 1997, the year he was knighted. But the death of his first wife Linda from cancer in 1998 delayed its design and approval.
The final product, presented on an elaborate scroll inside a red box with gold trimmings, was approved by the college's three kings of arms and delivered to McCartney after payment of a £3,500 ($5,565) fee.
The shield features two black flaunches, or curved emblems. Each is divided in two and the resulting four shapes, resembling beetles' backs, symbolize McCartney and his fellow Beatles John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
Two circles refer to records and CDs, and guitar strings pass over them.
The crest features a Liver Bird, symbolizing McCartney's home city, with its beak open, as if singing, and holding a guitar in a claw. In heraldic terms it is described as "a Liver Bird calling sable supporting with the dexter claws a guitar or stringed sable".
The motto is "Ecce Cor Meum," Latin for "Behold My Heart." That is the title of an oratorio written by McCartney during Linda's illness, which received its premiere when it was sung by the choir of Magdalen College, Oxford, in November last year.
McCartney is not the first pop star to apply for a coat of arms. Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Elton John both have them, although Sir Mick Jagger has not yet applied.
For devotees of Lennon, the arms will be seen as further evidence that McCartney has "sold out", in contrast to the more subversive Beatle, who returned his MBE.
McCartney recently reignited a row with Lennon's widow Yoko Ono when he announced that he was to reverse the names on several Beatles songs usually credited to Lennon/McCartney.
"McCartney is the Establishment figure and Lennon is the anti-Establishment figure," said Mark Edwards, the Sunday Times pop critic.
Edwards said McCartney should be comfortable with his legacy as a "brilliant songwriter, a fantastic singer and a part of the best pop group of all time, as well as being the best bass player of his generation".
There are no fixed criteria for eligibility for arms, but awards and honors from the crown, civil or military commissions, university or professional qualifications, as well as eminence or good standing in national life, are taken into account. There are around 150 recipients a year.
The College of Arms was given a charter by Richard III in 1484, and in 1530 anyone considered a gentleman had to register at the college.
It is run by Peter Gwynn-Jones, known as Garter King of Arms. Gwynn-Jones and his fellow heralds with titles such as Rouge Dragon Pursuivant and Fitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary can be seen at royal events such as the state opening of parliament, carrying their wands of office and dressed in elaborate medieval tabards.
"In the old days a coat of arms was meant for somebody who was ostensibly a gentleman who used their arms to fight for the king," said Else Churchill, genealogy officer at the Society of Genealogists.
"But it has changed from the medieval purpose of using arms for identification. The Tudors decided the best way to prove they were important was to get a coat of arms and that has continued ever since.
"It is something which is attractive, personal, and gives a sense of worth and achievement."
Recent recipients of arms include Prince Harry, who was granted them with the Queen's approval for his 18th birthday in September.
Geoff Baker, McCartney's spokesman, said bearing a coat of arms was unlikely to change the former Beatle.
"Paul isn't the type to put it up in his office or in his hallway at home. He is very down-to- earth about being a knight - he doesn't use the title. None of his friends calls him Sir Paul.
"The only time he gets called that, is when he is in restaurants or on airplanes."
Celebrities with homes in Scotland, including Sir Paul McCartney and Mohammed al Fayed, have been asked to help save 5,000 hedgehogs in the Western Isles from death by lethal injection.The campaign is being led by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, which has criticized plans by Scottish Natural Heritage to cull the animals next April, to protect the breeding grounds of seabirds in the Uists and Benbecula.
The charity claims it is more humane to relocate the hedgehogs and is seeking the help of several celebrities in the area to adopt the animals. Sir Tim Rice, the songwriter, is a member of BHPS and has agreed to take 200 hedgehogs at his 33,000 Dundonnell estate in Wester Ross.
He said, "If they want to dump a few hedgehogs on my estate, that's fine. I don't know if it's suitable hedgehog territory and I would check it out to make sure they wouldn't affect the sheep."
The Duchess of Hamilton has also vowed to act as foster carer for 160 hedgehogs at her East Lothian estate, while Ian Anderson, lead singer with Jethro Tull, wants to take a number to his Wiltshire farm, but claims celebrities alone cannot save the mammals.
"It seems to me that they need several hundred land-owners willing to take 10 or 20 hedgehogs, rather than just two or three celebrities," he said.
SNH claims the islands are an important breeding ground for waders, and the cull of hedgehogs is necessary to protect the eggs from being eaten. There were some 17,000 breeding waders in the Uist islands in 1983, but in recent years the numbers of certain species have fallen dramatically, some by as much as 60%.
Paul McCartney's first concert tour in a decade has wound up winning the coveted title of Billboard magazine's "Tour Of The Year."The 16-week trek through the U.S.A., Mexico and Japan was Paul McCartney's most successful tour since The Beatles.
A huge critical and financial winner, the 58-gig trip triumphed over every other show on the road in 2002, according to the music industry 'bible' Billboard. Paul McCartney's tour ranked No.1 on Billboard's Top 25 Tours chart (ranked by gross the chart was compiled from Boxscores November 28 2001-November 25th 2002). Leading a brand new band who had never before played live together on this, his first tour since 1993, Paul "under-rehearsed" for just nine days before starting out on the road in April with a show that broke box office records in 21 cities and played to one million people.
The all-hits, 36-song show became the hottest ticket in America as it toured through 34 U.S. cities during two legs in the Spring and Autumn.
And Macca revealed today that now the tour will go on in 2003.
Said Paul, "I'm thrilled with the success of this tour and with this accolade from Billboard. But I'm also pleased that we had so much fun doing the tour. I'd like to thank the band, our crew and all the crowds who helped to make it fun. We originally set out to play only a few weeks of gigs but it all grew to become something very special to me. So now we're looking at taking this show to new places for new fun in 2003."
Paul McCartney's new band features Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray on guitars, Paul 'Wix' Wickens on keyboards and Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums.
Capitol Records' 2-CD live album souvenir of the tour, 'Back In The U.S.' has just entered the Billboard Top 10 and a DVD concert film of the same title, which includes onstage, backstage and offstage footage, went straight to No.1 in the U.S. music DVD chart.
Paul McCartney's 2002 tour was promoted by London-based Marshall Arts in association in the U.S. with Clear Channel, Concerts West and The House Of Blues.
Tour director Barrie Marshall said, "In 40 years of the music industry I have never experienced a tour such as this. After a lifetime of making musical history, Paul not only re-made it to the top all over again but in doing so he made nights of magic for a million people to share and remember always."
While fans wait for a New Year announcement of 2003 concert dates, Paul McCartney has instituted an extra Christmas gig on the Internet. Through the especially-encrypted 'Back In The U.S.' DVD, fans can now gain access to a 'Secret Website' featuring a bonus, 30-minute show of Paul and his band playing through not-seen numbers and new songs.
Said Paul, "Everyone who came to the concerts made this a great year for us, so the secret website show is a little Christmas gift from me to you to say thanks for making this tour such a trip."
THE SECRET SHOW on the "Secret Web Site."
It appears to be from a New Orleans sound check. Songs played: "Honey Hush," "Foxy Lady" (instrumental short), "Blackbird" (with full band, Paul on acoustic, Wix on accordion, Abe playing brushes on a snare drum, Rusty on acoustic, Brian on bass). The song starts off as an instrumental played at a faster pace than normal. At the end Paul sings the "Blackbird" lyrics very quickly. "Calico Skies," (full band, Paul on acoustic), "Honey Don't," (Paul on Les Paul). An inspirational unsung version of "Celebration," (from "Standing Stone" otherwise known as "Seabreeze" a piano instrumental from the unreleased "Rupert" soundtrack) with Paul playing the grand piano. "Welcome to the Secret" jam with Paul introducing each band member as they do their thing. Paul introduces himself as "Paul Ramone... I play the bass and shake it all over the place." He dances briefly during the song. A BRAND NEW SONG!!!! that starts out with Paul singing nonsense melodic words and emerges into one of his BEST songs ever. The song is called "India. Paul sings, "India, ever and ever, where are you now?..In my heart forever and ever...I'll get back to you somehow...INDIA!" The last song is "Lady Madonna" with Paul on the psychedelic piano, screwing up the words and is joined by former Wings saxophonist, Thaddeus Richard.
Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney are not giving peace a chance. Attorneys for the widow of former Beatle John Lennon, are examining whether she has legal recourse after McCartney reversed the traditional "Lennon-McCartney" songwriting credit on his new album, the Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday. The Times said 19 songs on McCartney's live collection, "Back in the U.S.," were credited to "Paul McCartney and John Lennon," breaking a 40-year custom. Even Beatles songs written solely by McCartney, such as "Yesterday," were always credited as "Lennon-McCartney." The paper said one of Ono's lawyers indicated on Friday he was "looking into" whether or not she could take legal action to stop the modification of the credit. The attorney told the Times the change in credit runs counter to an agreement the two made 40 years ago. A spokesman for McCartney replied that the two never had a firm deal requiring the credits to be done in a certain way.
UPDATE - December 18, 2002 (full story)Sir Paul McCartney says there's no need for Yoko Ono to get her "knickers in a twist" in the row over The Beatles' songwriting credits. He has defended his decision to reverse the Lennon/McCartney tag on his new album to put his name first. He used the credit "by Paul McCartney and John Lennon" on 19 of their compositions for his live collection "Back in the US". Sir Paul has long been aggrieved that Lennon's name comes first on tracks - particularly "Yesterday" for which he had no part in writing or performing.
Attempting to set the record straight on what he described as a "long-running and rather silly dispute", Sir Paul said, "I think it is fair and accurate for the songs that John declared were mine to carry my name first." He added, "The truth is that this is much ado about nothing and there is no need for anybody to get their knickers in a twist."
Outlining the history of the Lennon/McCartney label, he revealed that the running order was first selected at a meeting with John Lennon and late manager Brian Epstein. "I arrived at the meeting to find that Brian and John had already independently decided that the billing would be 'songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney'," he said. "I said, 'What about McCartney/Lennon?' They said, 'We'll do this for now and we can change it around to be fair at any point in the future'. "Having been reassured by this I let the matter go and our songs became known as Lennon/McCartney songs, a fact I was perfectly happy about."
UPDATE - December 17, 2002
Paul McCartney reversed the names on his new live album but will not be sued by Yoko Ono over the Beatles' songwriting credit, despite press reports to the contrary, her spokesman has told BBC News Online.Ono was reported to be considering legal action after Sir Paul reversed the traditional "Lennon-McCartney" credit on a new live album. But Ono's lawyer Peter Shukat said, "I don't think anybody ever said Yoko was going to sue Paul." He declined to comment further. The Los Angeles Times had quoted Mr. Shukat, as saying Sir Paul's move was "ridiculous, absurd and petty".
Earlier, Geoff Baker, McCartney's spokesperson, dismissed reports of possible legal action. "Have we had any legal letters? Absolutely not, it's not true. I don't know whether she [Ono] is happy about it or not, but there can't be any legal action."
Ono and McCartney both have an equal share in Apple Records, Mr. Baker said, and one member would not sue another.
The live album "Back in the US" credits "Paul McCartney and John Lennon" Sir Paul decided to switch the names for the 19 Beatles songs on his new album Back in the US to rectify the historical imbalance," said Baker. "Sir Paul and Lennon agreed in 1962 that the names could be arranged in any order," he said. "It's not demeaning John. It's not taking anything away from John. It's merely pointing out who did the body of work on certain songs, just so people know."
McCartney has switched the credits before, on a 1976 Wings live album, "Wings Over America," but left the traditional order in place on a later concert recording.
The "Back in the US" album also includes a song Sir Paul wrote in tribute to Lennon, Here Today, which he says reminds him "why we loved each other so much in the Beatles."
The double-CD set went to number eight in the US charts, and the tour was one of the most successful of the year, making more than $2m (£1.25m) per show.
MOREPaul McCartney believes the last shall be first. Yoko Ono believes he wants to rewrite history.
McCartney, after 40 years of second billing to his late partner John Lennon, has turned the tables on his Beatles collaborator by reversing the order of the famous Lennon-McCartney songwriting credit. On Paul's last project, a two-CD live album, the cute Beatle is now top dog.
"Back in the U.S. Live 2002'' includes 19 classic Beatles songs billed as written by "Paul McCartney and John Lennon.'' The back-and-forth continues a nasty feud between McCartney and Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, who in the past accused the Beatles bassist of "opening a Pandora's box'' by changing the credits.
"This is not a divisive thing,'' insisted McCartney spokesman Geoff Baker in London. "It's not Lennon or McCartney. Even if Paul did 95 percent or more on these songs, he's not asking that John's name be taken off. He just doesn't think it should be first.''
Ono's spokesman, Elliott Mintz, disagreed.
"There's no question this is an attempted act of Beatle revisionism,'' Mintz said Tuesday. "And it does appear to be an attempt to rewrite history.'' Mintz said that Ono had no plans to sue McCartney over the swap and was "feeling secure in the fact that the original Lennon-McCartney agreement still stands.''
This particular intra-Beatles spat - one of many since the megaband dissolved in 1970 - dates back seven years, although it started with "Yesterday.'' When the surviving members of the Fab Four began releasing their acclaimed "Anthology'' series in 1995, McCartney approached Ono about flipping the Lennon-McCartney credit for the hit single. Ono, turned him down. She and her attorney did not return calls seeking comment. "It actually is one of the reasons we're not the best of friends,'' McCartney confessed in an interview with Reader's Digest last year.
No one disputes that McCartney wrote "Yesterday'' by himself, or that he was the only Beatle in the studio for its recording. The tale of McCartney's waking up one morning with the tune in his head is part of Beatles' lore, as is its working title, "Scrambled Eggs.''
Music historians suggest McCartney, now 60, has become worried about his place in history - as if half-ownership of rock 'n' roll's most-revered writing credit was nothing. It's also a strange thing for McCartney to focus on: songwriting pairs such as Jagger and Richards, Leiber and Stoller, and Rodgers and Hammerstein have lived with their respective slots and the resulting music. Yet this is not the first time there's been a posthumous feud between the one-time bandmates. When the Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, McCartney boycotted over financial disputes. "I would feel like a complete hypocrite waving and smiling with them at a fake reunion,'' McCartney said at the time. George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John's two sons, Julian and Sean, and Ono wound up accepting for the band.
And though he's a multimillionaire many times over - a spring tour of the United States grossed $53 million - it still irks McCartney that part of his songwriting profits go to Ono. "At one point, Yoko earned more from 'Yesterday' than I did,'' McCartney complained in a May 2001 interview. "It doesn't compute, especially when it's the only song that none of the Beatles had anything to do with.''
On December 16th, Paul McCartney's "Back In The U.S. Concert Film" DVD will become one of the country's hottest tickets when a 30-minute secret performance is unveiled through a web-link embedded on what is now the fastest selling stand-alone music DVD in history. This link will give fans access to never-before-seen performances taken from Macca's triumphant, sold-out, record-setting tour. The secret website will also contain rare unseen moments with Macca, his band and backstage crew.
The secret gig will be available for 1 week only online."The album, DVD and this secret website are a constant memory of the tour with a built-in ticket to the future," said McCartney. "We couldn't get everything into the DVD feature and the television special, so the idea to be able to give both PC and Apple users a 'secret' concert and more of the backstage footage is just fantastic to me."
This web-based content marks the first time in history that both PC and Apple users will be able to access the same content. After learning that to date only PC-users were able to access web-based content of this nature, McCartney met with Steve Jobs of Apple and Todd Collart's staff of InterActual, Inc. and history was made. Now Apple users with OS9 or better are capable of experiencing the highly secretive and exclusive web-based content found on the "Back In The U.S." DVD.
"Back In The U.S." DVD features a 2-hour "rock 'n road movie," which includes footage of more than 30 classic songs filmed at shows across America. Additional content takes fans inside McCartney's just completed tour, giving access to areas previously kept private from the public such as the dressing rooms, the back seat of his personal limo and even aboard his chartered jet. The DVD is presented in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound.
The 2-CD live set of his most triumphant tour since The Beatles, released just this past week, was the fastest selling album of McCartney's solo career. It features a 36-song set list of new live recordings from the all-hits show that rocked America.
Access to the Paul McCartney Secret Website is only available through the "Back In The U.S." DVD. Users can simply insert the DVD into any computer and click on the web link on the main menu. It is available with the following minimum integrated system and software components: InterActual(TM) Player (included); Microsoft Windows 98SE with Internet Explorer(R) 5.0 browser or Apple Mac(R) OS9; 128 MB RAM; Internet connection: DVD-ROM drive.
Mike McCartney's latest photographic exhibition opened December 12 - in a show flat of a city centre housing development.
"Let's see what develops," said the singer-songwriter, author and photographer brother of Sir Paul. Mike staged a private view of 30 of his photographs featuring images of Liverpool as a curtain-raiser to a week-long exhibition.
At a private celebrity-led viewing, he told the Daily Post, "It's fascinating place to host this show - typically Liverpool. I want people who are out in town, whether they are Christmas shopping or having lunch, to pop into the show flat in Chapel Street and have a look around. The Unity flat is a symbol of New Liverpool and I am happy to play my part. It is the complete opposite of having an exhibition in a gallery because these are pictures in a house. I am used to the National Portrait Gallery and exhibitions in places abroad - this is the other end of the scale. I think the biggest compliment to me was when someone said what a great show flat it was - but who did those photographs?," he said. "I am a big supporter of all the work that has gone into the Capital of Culture success in getting on the shortlist - this is just a little contribution from me. The show flat is one of the city's new landmarks and is an innovative venue to stage my work. It's small, different and a talking point. I call it a symbol of New Liverpool - a reflection of the urban environment creating a stylish living space to house a new generation of city dwellers in 2002 and beyond."
Richard Miller, director of Rumford Investments which is hosting the exhibition, said he was delighted when Mike McCartney agreed to display his distinctive work. "The renaissance that is taking place in the city is driven by the intelligence and creativity of its people. This is what attracted me to Liverpool in the first place," he said. "That is why Rumford Investments is making a £60million ($94 million) investment in the city. Building an exciting new urban environment in which people will want to live and work will be both an expression of and a stimulus for this creativity. I am a great admirer of Mike McCartney's work, which has captured the heart and soul of the city with honesty and his unique sense of style. His striking images compliment the design values of Unity's show flat and it seemed a perfect environment for this unique exhibition." McCartney added, "Richard Miller and people like him with a similar great vision are investing in our great city of Liverpool and helping us create a Liverpool with a bright and ambitious future and that definitely merits the title Capital of Culture."
According to the December 10 edition of the Daily Telegraph (UK), Heather Mills will model a dress by Stella McCartney in next month's "Red" magazine. The dress will be auctioned with proceeds going to Heather's charity, Adopt-A-Minefield and Stella's charity, Linda McCartney Centre in Liverpool.
If are interested in buying the "no more land mines" red T-shirt Paul McCartney wore at his concerts, you can buy it here.
Julian Lennon said he receives a card every Christmas from Paul McCartney. Julian Lennon says, "He never misses."
Madonna has landed in trouble with designer friend Stella McCartney for wearing a coat made out of lamb foetuses. Dedicated anti-fur campaigner McCartney said she was appalled when she spotted the singer wearing it.Animal rights activists claim lambskin uses the pelts of unborn karakul lambs and the daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul wasted no time telling Madonna the gory facts. She told Glamour magazine, "I've been working on Madonna's honky ass for a very long time. Her thing is she won't wear anything she doesn't eat. But the other day she was wearing this lamb foetus coat, made from baby lambs that haven't even been born. It's like wet curls. So I said, 'I didn't know you ate foetuses,' and she was like, 'Eeew!' I haven't seen her in it since."
Madonna incurred the wrath of animal rights protesters last year when she wore a £1,000 ($1,570) fox fur hat by Philip Treacy.
McCartney, who has narrated a video for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), also has a go at another of her celebrity friends, actress Gwyneth Paltrow. She said, "The only time I've seen Gwyneth with fur she's had a little trim on her coat and I'm always like, 'What the f**k are you doing with that?'
"And she's like, 'It's not real fur' and I say, 'Don't give me that s**t, you're a clever girl don't try and act like a stupid girl right now'. The last time, she guaranteed she wasn't going to do it again, but they're all a bit fickle, aren't they?" She adds: "Listen, I love her, but on the fur thing, people really are very fickle."
McCartney is planning to marry boyfriend Alasdhair Willis next year and will be designing her own dress. "I'll probably change the design every three seconds. But I just can't think of anyone else to do it," she said.
Macca's drummer Abe Laboriel, Jr. is on the cover of this January 2003 "Modern Drummer " magazine. Check out part of the interview and find out what Abe uses for his McCartney Tour Drum Kit!
Mike West, an avid Beatles collector and morning co-host on KMTT "The Mountain" 103.7 FM in Seattle, got an exclusive interview with Paul McCartney backstage at the Tacoma Dome. Mike was the only media person in the Seattle radio market that got an interview backstage. Click on the KMTT link to hear the interview. You will need RealPlayer.
"Back In The U.S." the new DVD by Paul McCartney, represents a technological breakthrough: For the first time, Apple users will be able to access Internet-based bonus content.It wouldn't have happened without McCartney's personal intervention. The world-famous artist worked with InterActual Technologies on what he calls his "secret Web site," an online collection of live concert footage, backstage moments and other material that didn't get included on the two-hour, 36-song DVD. McCartney spokesman Paul Freundlich said the artist was disappointed to learn that only PC users could view it.McCartney decided to use his clout, and got Apple CEO Steve Jobs on the phone. Soon thereafter, InterActual CEO Todd Collart found himself in the same room with the two household names, and a solution was under way.
"The infrastructure just hadn't been available before," Collart said. "But now it is, with InterActual doing the development and Apple providing the resources. Apple has been great at supporting us."
McCartney realized that Macs represent only about 5% of computers. "But at the end of the day, it didn't matter to Paul if it was one or 100 people," Freundlich said. "He turned over every single stone to make sure that everybody could get access to this content."
The Web presence is a constantly updated work in progress and may in fact turn out to be an ongoing project. "What this secret site does is create tremendous flexibility for the future," Freundlich said.
Mac-using music fans may never know that McCartney made this technology possible. Collart is well aware of it, however. As he put it, "There's nothing like having Paul McCartney call Steve Jobs to make something happen."
NOTE: Paul McCartney owns and uses Macintosh computers to write music.
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