.
October 2003 to December 2003
ALL CONTENT ON THIS PAGE IS COPYRIGHT!!
SIGN UP FOR THE BEST MACCA MESSAGE BOARD ON THE NET!
.
October 2003 to December 2003
ALL CONTENT ON THIS PAGE IS COPYRIGHT!!
SIGN UP FOR THE BEST MACCA MESSAGE BOARD ON THE NET!
MACCA CHAT THE PAUL McCARTNEY MESSAGE BOARD
RECOMMENDED NEW PAUL BOOKS CD'S AND DVDS
October 2003
Oct 31 2003 -- The Sun
This is the first picture of tiny Bea McCartney - and it shows dad Sir Paul is clearly overjoyed with his new daughter.
The black and white snap of Macca and wife Heather, 35, showing off their first child was taken by the ex-Beatle's younger brother Mike.
Sir Paul, 61, was said to be still beaming yesterday as he paced the ward, cradling the tot.
Mike left the private Hospital of St. John and St. Elizabeth in North London with Heather's sister Fiona after a six-hour visit.
He said, "The baby's lovely, really beautiful. I think she looks like both of them."
Asked why he took the first photo of Beatrice, Mike joked, "I am a genius photographer - I hear they're going worldwide."
He added, "I came down to take pictures for our kid of a band (Cracatilla) at Abbey Road studios. But when I got here he said, 'I've got something else for you to photograph'." Mike, 60, was chosen to take the exclusive snap over Sir Paul's oldest daughter, Mary, who took the first picture of Tony Blair's baby Leo.
Macca has been with Heather since Tuesday's delivery.
Another new dad, whose baby was in a cot alongside Beatrice, said, "Paul was walking up and down the ward whistling away last night. He is beaming from ear to ear."
Well-wishers visited the couple yesterday but there was no sign of Paul's daughter Stella, who is said to have had a rift with Heather. An assistant at Stella's London fashion store said the designer was abroad.
Beatrice is named after Heather's mum and her middle name, Milly, was chosen in a tribute to the aunt who raised Paul.
BABY BEA'S TOP TEN
1. Love Me Goo Goo
2. Yeller Submarine
3. Sgt Papa's Lonely
Hearts Club Band
4. Milly Love Songs
5. Hey Brood
6. O-baby, O-dada
7. Milk Of Kintyre
8. I Pram The Walrus
9. Here Comes The Mum
10. Live And Let Cry
Oct 31 2003 -- Times Online
Sir Paul and Lady McCartney proudly showed the world their new baby daughter today.
The first official picture of child was taken by the former Beatle's brother, Mike. Media organizations were asked to pay £1,000 ($1,700) to reproduce the picture, with the proceeds going to Adopt-A-Minefield, a charity which supports the victims of landmines. Sir Paul, 61 and his wife are patrons of the charity.A spokesman for the couple said, "Every time this picture is used, 50 child victims of landmines will be able to walk again."
Doctors performed a Caesarean because Lady McCartney lost a leg in a 1993 road accident and has had steel plates fitted in her lips (sic) making natural childbirth impossible.A fellow new father in the same 10-bed ward as the McCartneys said Sir Paul had already introduced baby Beatrice to music. "He was whistling away last night, walking up and down with the baby in his arms," the man said.
Stella McCartney, the fashion designer, was abroad when her half-sister was delivered by caesarian section and is due to return to the UK later this week.
Meanwhile Rod Stewart told Michael Parkinson in a BBC One interview broadcast tonight that he might emulate Sir Paul by starting a family with his latest partner, Penny Lancaster, who is 26 years his junior. "I still have plenty of lead in the old pencil," the 58 year-old rocker said.
Oct 31 2003 -- Liverpool EchoOur new baby
This is the first picture of Sir Paul McCartney's new bundle of joy.
Macca's brother Mike took the snap of baby Beatrice Milly yesterday.
Sir Paul and Heather Mills have been showing off their new arrival, who weighed a healthy 7lbs, to their immediate families.
And Sir Paul laughed out loud as he phoned his Merseyside relatives and said, "She's a little beauty."
October 31, 2003 -- Daily Mirror
Stella steers clear of new baby
Sir Paul McCartney was celebrating new fatherhood at the age of 61 last night after his wife gave birth to a girl. The baby, named Beatrice Milly, was delivered 17 days ahead of schedule by emergency caesarean, weighing 7lbs. The former Beatle and his wife, Heather Mills McCartney, 35, said they were "ecstatic".It is the first child for Miss Mills McCartney and the fourth for Sir Paul, who has a son and two daughters aged between 26 and 34, from his marriage to Linda McCartney, who died from cancer in 1998. He also has a stepdaughter, Heather, from Linda's first marriage. The new arrival was named after Mills McCartney's mother Beatrice, who died in 1989, and Sir Paul's aunt Milly who helped bring him up after the death of his mother. He was particularly close to his aunt, who died ten years ago. But the little girl clearly took the couple by surprise. She was due to be born on November 14 and the couple had planned a "pre-birth" dinner party for friends on November 6. But Miss Mills McCartney went into labour on Tuesday and was rushed to the Hospital of St. John and St. Elizabeth, just a couple of streets from their home in St John's Wood, North London.
Unreachable:
While Sir Paul's Liverpool family lined up to offer congratulations, there was no comment from his other children, who have been said to resent Miss Mills McCartney's arrival in their father's life, feeling she has changed him and is trying too hard to replace their mother.
A spokesman for Stella, the most vociferous of her stepmother's critics, said, "Stella is unreachable." Her sister Mary, whose two children will be older than their new aunt Beatrice, refused to answer calls.
A friend said that the sisters see this as a "new McCartney dynasty. It will make them feel even more excluded from their father's life. Although they are happy that he is happy, it will make Heather's hand much stronger and increase the divide between them and Paul."
For a long time Miss Mills McCartney believed she would not be able to have children. She suffered two ectopic pregnancies during her marriage to computer sales director Alfie Karmal before they split in 1989. She also suffered cancer of the uterus. But the couple have been trying since they married in June last year.
Sir Paul's aunt Joan said her nephew sounded, "very, very happy". She added, "They have named her after my sister-in-law Milly. "I suppose he was very fond of her, like he is all his family."
Milly was the younger sister of Sir Paul's father Jim. They became close after the star's mother died of cancer in 1956. "Milly used to come and clean the house for his father while he was at work," she said. "Paul was only 14 at the time and probably saw Milly every day. I expect that's how he developed such an affection for her."
Sir Paul's cousin Ian Harris said of Milly, "She was adored by everybody - she was full of life, a real character who had an effect on everyone she met. "Us kids idolized her growing up and Paul loved her. She died ten years ago and Paul always said it would be a fitting tribute to keep her name alive." It is not the first family member Sir Paul has honoured in this way. James was named after his father while Mary was his mother's name.
It is perhaps more of a surprise that Miss Mills McCartney has chosen to honor her mother, as she has alleged that she abandoned her to her 'abusive' father at the age of nine. Her estranged father Mark, 62, said yesterday he hoped the arrival of his first grandchild might reunite him with his daughter.
October 31, 2003 -- Daily MirrorNew mum Heather Mills is to put her career on hold so she can be a "proper mum" to her baby daughter Beatrice Milly. Heather and husband Sir Paul McCartney said they were ecstatic after the child was born.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror, Heather, 34, said, "I want to be a proper mum as much as I can. I want to be totally focused and spend some quality time with the baby. I'm taking maternity leave and Paul is taking paternity leave."
Heather and Paul, 61, will clear their diaries until the end of January, giving them three months to get to know Beatrice. Heather added, "Hopefully when I do go back to work I'll just be able to work a few hours every day, rather than a full day. I haven't looked at a computer for the whole pregnancy because I read this article that said computer screens could increase the risk of miscarriages in the first three months. Then once I got into the swing of not having to look at 300 emails every day I quite liked it."
The couple, who met at the Mirror's Pride of Britain awards in 1999, named their daughter after Heather's late mother Beatrice and Paul's aunt Milly, who died 10 years ago.
Last night Heather and baby Bea were said to be doing well in the Hospital of St. John and St. Elizabeth, just two streets away from their North London home.
A steady stream of flowers arrived at the hospital yesterday as well-wishers gathered outside in the hope of catching a glimpse of the couple and their new baby.
In her interview with the Mirror, just 24 hours before having an emergency Caesarean section to deliver Beatrice a month early, Heather talked of her excitement at becoming a mother for the first time. Heather revealed she had spent the last few weeks cooking and baking freezer-fulls of food to last her and Paul through the first few chaotic weeks after the birth.
The couple recently bought an £850 ($1,450) Silver Cross pram and they are rumored to have already been thinking about schools.
One person who doesn't expect to see baby Beatrice is Heather's father Mark Mills, 62, who has been estranged from her for 20 years. Mr. Mills said, "It looks as though I'll never see my grand-daughter. It hurts to say that but after the relationship I've had with Heather over the years I think I'll be denied any rights." He added, "I am delighted she had a baby and wish them both all the best, but all I want now is for us to be a proper united family again."
October 31, 2003 - Sun-Times (Bill Zwecker)
BABY BEATLE
Don't know if Paul McCartney will be changing many diapers, but the aging music legend is said to be over the moon after his wife, Heather Mills McCartney, had the couple's first child, daughter Beatrice Milly McCartney, born Tuesday in London.
One of the first reports -- in the Daily Mirror tabloid -- gushed about the birth of a baby BOY. Sources inside the McCartney camp hint that the misinformation may have been a calculated attempt by Sir Paul and his wife to discover who within their inner circle of immediate family and close friends may be leaking information to the press.Lately, this technique has been used by major celebrities to plug leaks. They give a piece of false (though relatively harmless) information to one or two people they suspect may be blabbing. When the story hits the press, they can pretty much figure out the source.
Seven-pound baby Beatrice arrived three weeks early, according to a statement released by the couple, and was delivered by C-section. It is Mills McCartney's only child and Sir Paul's only child in the last 25 years.
October 31, 2003 -- Daily Post
Bea's a little beauty. We're so proud of herSir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills said yesterday they were "ecstatic" after becoming parents of a baby girl called Beatrice. The youngster was born on Tuesday at a north London hospital close to their home in St John's Wood. The couple said, "She is a little beauty." The youngster weighed in at 7lbs.
The youngster is 61-year-old Sir Paul's fourth child. He has three children from his marriage to Linda, who died in 1998 - musician James, 26, photographer Mary, 34, and fashion designer Stella, 32. He also has a stepdaughter, Heather, from Linda's first marriage.
The new arrival was initially reported by most newspapers yesterday morning to be a boy, following early reports from news agencies. Some newspapers had already named the baby Joseph. Beatrice was delivered at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth in north London, close to Abbey Road where The Beatles recorded most of their magical moments.
Heather's delighted father Mark, 62, told of his joy yesterday and hoped the delivery of his first grand-child would help build bridges with his estranged daughter. Mr. Mills, who has suffered a stroke, said he hoped to see the baby soon, and added, "I am very proud of my daughter and what she has achieved."
Speaking from his flat on the outskirts of Washington, Tyne and Wear, he said, "This is my first one and it is a grand time for me and I love the new baby. I sincerely hope the baby will bring us together again."
The son of Milly McCartney has told of his pride at Sir Paul's tribute to his mother. Tom Kendal, from Norfolk, said Paul's gesture had touched him deeply. The geophysicist, 73, said, "There is now another Milly McCartney. What Paul has done has touched us all deeply and it is a great honor for my mum. Her name will reverberate around the world and it means an awful lot to me. Paul is a good friend and a decent bloke and this gesture shows how much he appreciates his roots."
Paul's cousin and Milly's niece Elizabeth Robbins explained why Paul cared so much for the lovable aunt. Speaking from her home in Bebington, Wirral, former actress Bet, 73, said, "Milly was wonderful - what you saw was what you got. She was a normal housewife, sharp and witty but with a heart of gold. When Paul's mum died of breast cancer he was just 14 and Milly, along with aunt Jinny, took it upon themselves to spoil them rotten while his father Jim was working long hours as a cotton salesman. She doted on Paul and his brother Mike and they both took to her. She was a real character. She used to place bets at the bookies under the alias Sister Suzie and Paul used that in the Wings' song Let 'Em In. I spoke to him this morning and he was buzzing. Despite being 61 I know he will be a wonderful dad. We are planning to meet up in the next few weeks when the champagne will be flowing."
October 30, 2003
Paul McCartney posted a condolence message on the late Sheb Wooley's Web site. Wooley an actor, comedian and country singer, was best known for his novelty tunes and the 1958 hit record "Purple People Eaters." The song stayed at #1 on the charts for six weeks and sold over 3 million copies.
"I would like to send my sincere condolences to sheb and his family.
As a young boy growing up in Liverpool I was a huge fan of Westerns and inparticular Sheb Wooley. Infact I remember our manager Brian coming round to rehearsals with "Purple people Eater" and John and I falling about the place laughing. We even included it in our early set at the Cavern Club much to the bemusement if the crowd!
So long Sheb, Peace, Love and understanding
Paul x"
October 30, 2003 -- The Sun
Delighted dad begs daughter to end rift
Heather's dad was overjoyed at the news of his first grandchild - even though he will probably never see the tot. Heather and Mark have been estranged for years after she accused him of abusing her as a child. But yesterday he begged Heather to put their problems behind them for the sake of his granddaughter Beatrice.
Ex-physics lecturer Mark, 60, said, "It's time to bury the hatchet. "We haven't been in touch for so long - she doesn't reply to my letters. But I am so happy she has had a baby and I hope it means we can see each other again. I am really happy to become a grandfather and I'd love to play a part in the baby's life."Mark's wife Beatrice died in 1989 aged 45 after a routine operation on an injured limb. She had a similarly difficult relationship with Heather as Mark. But he insisted yesterday Beatrice would have been delighted Heather and Sir Paul had named their daughter after her.
Mark, of Washington, Tyne and Wear, said, "She had the same kind of relationship with Heather as me. But she would still have been very happy about Heather naming her daughter after her. It is a wonderful tribute."
Heather has accused Mark of beating her mum and then physically abusing her and her two sisters and brother when their mum left home when Heather was nine. Mark has always strenuously denied the allegations. He has no contact with his daughter or Sir Paul and was not at their wedding. But he said a family member did ring him on Wednesday night to let him know she had given birth to Beatrice Milly, weighing seven pounds. Mark said, "I was delighted and plan to toast the arrival with a whisky. I very seldom drink but I'll have one today."
October 30, 2003 -- The Sun
Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney was ecstatic last night after becoming the proud father of a "beautiful" baby girl. Beatrice Milly McCartney, born three weeks early, was named after the mum of Macca's wife Heather and the aunt who helped raise pop superstar Paul. The jubilant parents - who married last year - said from their hospital bedside, "She is a little beauty and we couldn't be prouder. Our immediate family were told the news right away and are all as overjoyed as we are at the early arrival of our little bundle of joy."
Macca, 61, was at Heather's side when she was rushed to a private hospital complaining of labor pains. Doctors took the decision to operate immediately, fearing the unborn child was in distress. Beatrice was delivered by caesarean at 8.45pm on Tuesday (Oct. 28), weighing in at a healthy 7lb. The birth was extra special for the couple as they had previously been told Heather, 35, could not conceive after suffering cancer of the uterus.The model - who lost a leg when hit by a police motorcyclist in 1993 - had also had two dangerous ectopic pregnancies, in which the fetus grows outside the womb. The McCartneys had planned the caesarean after doctors agreed steel plates fitted in Heather's hips would make natural childbirth impossible.
Macca spent yesterday with mum and baby in the exclusive private wing of The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth in North London, just minutes from his Georgian home. They shared one of the ten birthing suites where new parents receive one-on-one care at a cost of £8,900 ($15,130). The exclusive en-suite rooms have double beds so parents can sleep together beside the baby in a cot. The hospital, which has 450 births a year, was chosen by actress Elizabeth Hurley for the arrival of her son Damian in April last year.
A steady stream of flowers arrived at the couple's room yesterday as it emerged Heather will remain there for the best part of a week. Meanwhile, a designer crib was delivered to the family's £7million ($12 million) townhouse - along with yet more bouquets from well-wishers.A hospital spokesman said, "I've seen the baby and she is beautiful. Everything went well. All three are together as a family. Sir Paul was there all the way through. Everything went smoothly with the caesarean. The baby is 7lb and healthy - and has hair. It is about as good as it gets. It hasn't yet been decided when Heather will leave the hospital." The spokesman admitted the baby had been born earlier than the couple had expected - saying: "It was an unplanned admission."
Heather's mother Beatrice died in 1989 during a routine leg operation following a car crash. She had earlier walked out on Heather plus her brother Shane and sister Fiona, when they were children, to escape her husband Mark. Heather, from Washington, Tyne and Wear, later patched up her differences with Beatrice, who set up home with actor Charles Stapley in Clapham, South London. The new baby's middle name Milly is a tribute to Sir Paul's late aunt - one of his dad's sisters - who helped bring him up when mum Mary died.Macca tot was named after Heather's mum His brother Mike's pop band The Scaffold, which also featured Scouse poet Roger McGough, wrote their Number One chart hit Lily the Pink in honor of Aunt Milly. It described her as, "The Saviour of the human race." Milly used to take the ferry across the River Mersey from her Wirral home to help bring up budding Beatle Paul and Mike.
Last night another of Sir Paul's aunts said the family were "delighted" about the birth of baby Beatrice. Joan McCartney revealed, "I spoke to Paul only this morning and he sounded really, really happy. He was laughing and said that both Heather and the baby were perfectly fine. I'm so delighted at the new addition to our family." The widow, in her late 70s, lives on her own in Bebington, Wirral. She revealed Milly, her sister-in-law, had passed away many years ago. Joan added, "Milly was lovely, but sadly she is now dead." Paul's cousin Ian Harris revealed the thrilled ex-Beatle, who has three other children with his late first wife Linda, rang every one of his Merseyside relatives to pass on the good news.Ian, 64, said, "Paul was absolutely ecstatic when he called. He said he was pleased as punch. He told us that Heather had given birth to a beautiful baby daughter who had weighed in at seven pounds - and that both mother and baby were in good health. The phone has been ringing off the hook all day because all the family have been calling each other to discuss the new arrival. Paul was completely overjoyed. He phoned everyone to tell them how happy he was." Ian added, "Milly was our eldest aunt and was adored by absolutely everybody. She was full of life, a real character who had an effect on everyone she met. Us kids idolized her growing up, and Paul loved her. She even got a mention on a couple of Beatles' songs because Paul wanted to pay tribute to her. She died ten years ago and Paul always said it would be fitting to keep her name alive. We are a very close family and always have been. Paul might be a millionaire these days, but he still makes certain that he visits us all as often as he can. And he made it very clear that he can't wait to show little Beatrice off to the rest of the clan."
October 30, 2003 -- Mediacom
Sir Paul McCartney backs The World's Largest Lesson to be held on 6 November 2003!English-To-Go Ltd. today announced that Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills McCartney are supporting their attempt to set a new world record for the World's Largest Lesson to be held around the globe on 6 November 2003.
Since September 10th, 2001 when English-To-Go founded and held the first World's Largest Lesson hundreds of thousands of teachers and students in 114 countries have participated in taking the same English language lesson on the same day.
The topic again this year is landmines and this event will be the biggest on record with the help and support of Adopt-A-Minefield and its ambassadors Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills McCartney who said, "As Patrons and Goodwill ambassadors of Adopt-A-Minefield we are delighted to support the World's Largest Lesson 2003. Through the World's Largest Lesson thousands of students around the world will become aware of this most important issue and help raise funds to solve the problem."
To help encourage participation the high quality English language lesson is available at five language levels to cater for students with varying abilities and skill levels. The lesson is appropriate for learners of the English language as well as students whose first language is English. The lesson can be downloaded and printed from anywhere in the world via our website.
"We aim to have as many schools, teachers and students involved in this worthwhile, charitable event.. Through this programme we hope to raise awareness amongst millions of people around the world about these terrible weapons." Christopher Hogg, CEO, English-To-Go Ltd.
To find out more and to register your intent to participate please go to www.english-to-go.com and help us to support Adopt-A-Minefield raise funds to help the millions affected by landmines.
October 30, 2003 -- The Sunday Times/Reuters
McCARTNEY TOPS BRITISH POP RICH LISTNew father SIR PAUL McCARTNEY has another reason to celebrate - he's been crowned the richest pop star in Britain by broadsheet paper The Sunday Times.
The former Beatle - who welcomed baby daughter Beatrice into the world on Tuesday (Oct. 28) - saw his earnings swell to an incredible $68 million (£40 million) this year, on the back of world tour and its accompanying album.
Philip Beresford, the man behind the list, says, "He has suddenly taken up touring and found it is another avenue to make huge amounts of money. He has got on the Rolling Stones' bandwagon.
"These old rockers just keep going and going. Maybe they will still be performing on their zimmer frames. Most of them have now conquered their booze and drug problems and can actually see their fans. Twenty to 30 years ago they were so spaced out.
"They keep their fan base who have grown old and rich with them and can use their credit cards to buy tickets to their ridiculously overpriced concerts."
Other names on the Sunday Times Pay List top ten include STING, PHIL COLLINS, ERIC CLAPTON, ROD STEWART and Rolling Stones MICK JAGGER and KEITH RICHARDS. MADONNA is the top woman, in sixth equal place with ELTON JOHN.
October 30, 2003 -- GuardianIt was a joyous occasion for Heather Mills and her 61-year-old superstar husband Sir Paul McCartney - the birth of their first baby. And it was a happy event for the Daily Mirror, which had a world scoop on its hands - running a front page shouting, "It's a boy! Exclusive - Macca baby a month early!" A happy event, that is, until 11.07am, when the Press Association solemnly announced the couple had become parents of a baby girl called Beatrice. By then it was all too late for the Mirror, the Daily Record (which had broken the story for its sister title), the BBC, the Evening Standard and countless other outlets - including the distinguished Reuters and Associated Press - which had all followed up the Mirror's scoop.
With Sir Paul refusing to comment and the hospital effectively on answer machine, it was a case of excitement and enthusiasm getting the better of everyone. This was understandable. After all, the Mirror, which is still basking in the glory of its other world exclusive about Princess Diana's secrets, had enough detail to give the story the ring of authority.
"I think they are going to call the baby Joseph after Paul's uncle," a family source was quoted as saying. "All the McCartney men have a first name beginning with J - with the exception of Paul's brother Mike. Even Paul's real name is James."
By breakfast, everyone was in on the act and the London Evening Standard today splashed on "A baby boy for Macca", with a further story inside headed "Heather's boy", using the same quotes that appeared in the Daily Mirror story. The "It's a boy" splash will go down as one of the most prominent factual errors in newspaper history.
It came through the Daily Record, where night reporter Vivienne Aitken penned a story headed, "Macca's wee cracker". This version of the story was still on the Record's website this afternoon.
Aitken was unavailable for comment but apparently got the story from the musician's nephew, who told the paper his father, Mike, "called and told me" Mills had given birth. Why the paper reported it was a boy is still proving a mystery. A source close to the family, according to the Mirror, said they were convinced "they are going to call the baby Joseph after Paul's uncle".
Sir Paul's seasoned PR man, Geoff Baker, was giving nothing away. He claimed to be completely ignorant of the Mirror gaffe - even though the McCartneys had been celebrating the birth of Beatrice since Tuesday. "I didn't speak to anybody," he said. "I didn't know about it until 11am when Paul and Heather sent me a statement."
As well as quoting the family source and an unnamed insider, the Record quoted Sir Paul's nephew, Josh, who said in the Record's version of the story, "I don't know if it's a boy or a girl or any names." No one from the Record was available for comment but the Mirror editor, Piers Morgan, said, with his tongue firmly in cheek, that he was sticking by the story and would not be surprised if a someone in Sir Paul's entourage was trying to make mischief.
"We have an excellent scoop and we are sticking by our story. It's all very well for McCartney to say he has had a girl, but we need photographic evidence. After the David Blaine tip-off, it is possible that we were deliberately misinformed," said Morgan.
Morgan was referring to a bizarre incident in September, when Sir Paul's publicist tipped off the press that the former Beatle was making a nocturnal visit to see the magician in his perspex box by the Thames. When a photographer jumped from the crowd to take pictures of Sir Paul, a fracas ensued and police were called to investigate. An "incandescent" Sir Paul sacked Baker on the spot but later reinstated him, claiming it was a joke.
"It was a tremenduous scoop. Unfortunately in a 50:50 shot we got the wrong sex. What we want to see is verification. It can be very difficult to tell the sex of a baby from the waist up," said Morgan.
PA said it knew of the birth yesterday but had been unable to stand up the story after failing to get a response from either Baker or Mills' spokeswoman. After the Mirror's story was published, the agency decided to run it, attributing it to the newspaper.
The BBC also included the erroneous claims on its breakfast bulletin. "Clearly we were overtaken by enthusiasm for the happy event and we were a bit quick out of the blocks," a BBC spokesman said.
The Eveni"ng Standard, which did not attribute the story to the Daily Mirror, was not available for comment but insiders were playing down the gaffe. "It's a mistake but that's the trouble with rolling news," said one.
October 30, 2003 -- Official Press Statement from Paul and Heather : Beatrice Milly McCartney (PaulMcCartney.com)
Heather and Paul McCartney are delighted to announce the birth of their baby daughter, Beatrice Milly McCartney, who was born in London on 28th October at 8.45pm by Caesarean section. The baby, who arrived three weeks early, weighed in at a healthy 7lbs and both she and Mum are doing well.Paul and Heather are ecstatic with the news. They said "She is a little beauty and we couldn't be prouder". She is named after Heather's mother Beatrice and Paul's auntie Milly. They added "Our immediate family were told the news right away and are all as overjoyed as we are at the early arrival of our little bundle of joy."
October 30, 2003 -- IndependentSir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills said today they were "ecstatic" after becoming parents of a baby girl called Beatrice.
The youngster was born on Tuesday at a north London hospital close to their home in St John's Wood. News of the birth was kept secret until today.
The youngster weighed in at 7lbs.
A statement issued by the couple said, "Heather and Paul McCartney are delighted to announce the birth of their baby daughter Beatrice Milly McCartney who was born in London on 28 October at 8.45pm by Caesarean section.
"The baby who arrived three weeks early weighed in at a healthy 7lbs and both she and mum are doing well.
Sir Paul, who is 61, and 35-year-old Heather said, "She is a little beauty and we couldn't be prouder."
She is named after Heather's mother Beatrice and Paul's auntie Milly.
Sir Paul has three children from his marriage to Linda, who died in 1998 - musician James, 25, photographer Mary, 33, and fashion designer Stella, 31. He also has a stepdaughter, Heather, from Linda's first marriage.
Beatrice was delivered at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth in north London, close to Abbey Road where The Beatles recorded most of their magical moments.
Heather's delighted father Mark, 62, told of his joy today and hoped the delivery of his first grandchild would help build bridges with his estranged daughter.
Mr Mills, who has suffered a stroke, said he hoped to see the baby soon, and added: "I am very proud of my daughter and what she has achieved."
Speaking from his flat on the outskirts of Washington, Tyne and Wear, he said: "This is my first one and it is a grand time for me and I love the new baby. I sincerely hope the baby will bring us together again."
October 30, 2003 -- The StandardBaby joy for Paul and Heather
Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills confirmed they have become parents of a baby girl called Beatrice and said they are "ecstatic". Mrs. Mills McCartney gave birth two weeks early at a north London hospital close to their home. The child was delivered yesterday (Oct. 28) at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth in London, it was reported.Claire Hornick, director of operations at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, said Sir Paul had been at the birth. She said, "Everything is good, everything is well, it all went extremely smoothly. The baby was three weeks early and weighed 7lbs. "It's as good as it gets." Hornick said she had seen Beatrice herself and added, "She is beautiful. They are just all together as a family now. Sir Paul has been with her throughout."
Asked about early press speculation that the baby was a boy, she said the McCartneys were taking the matter lightly, adding, "I think they have got a good sense of humor about it."
Hornick said the couple would not be making any further public statement or appearance but a photo of the baby would be released later today. It is not known how long mother and baby will stay in hospital but both will be monitored by doctors on a "day-by-day basis".
The hospital is just two streets away from the family's £5 million ($8 million) house in St John's Wood. It is expected doctors will monitor the child's feeding, temperature and blood sugars to ensure all is well before mother and baby are allowed home.
Sir Paul already has three children from his marriage to Linda, who died in 1998 - musician James, 25, photographer Mary, 33, and fashion designer Stella, 31. He also has a stepdaughter Heather from Linda's first marriage.
Miss Mills, 35, married the Beatles legend in June 2002 at a ceremony in an Irish castle. But they had feared they would be unable to have a child together because of complications when Mills was younger. She suffered two ectopic pregnancies a number of years before meeting Sir Paul, during her marriage to computer sales director Alfie Karmal. They split in 1989. Mills, a former model who lost her leg when she was hit by a police motorcyclist on an emergency call, now devotes much of her time to anti-landmine campaigning.
Mills recently described the tearful moment when she revealed she was carrying their longed-for child. She told US chat host Larry King, "I went upstairs and he was in a meeting. I kept walking in and out of the meeting because I had done the test and it was positive. He kept looking at me, thinking 'She's not normally like this'. I was going 'are you finished yet? Are you finished yet?'. Then he came out and I showed him the test and he just went 'Oh'. We both started crying and it was just a miracle."
The couple had kept the sex of the child secret, although they had already named it. The couple's last public appearance was at the UK premiere screening of a tribute concert for George Harrison in London earlier this month. She wore a long burgundy crushed velvet gown which showed off her bump. Mills had been expected to have a Caesarean section in two weeks time, just days before the release of a revamped version of The Beatles' "Let It Be" album.
MORE
October 30, 2003 -- Liverpool EchoSir Paul McCartney was celebrating today (Thursday, October 30) after becoming a father again at the age of 61. His wife Heather Mills gave birth to a baby girl by emergency Caesarean yesterday (Oct. 28) afternoon.
The girl - thought to be called Beatrice - was delivered at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth in London. The baby had been due on November 14.
Former swimwear model Miss Mills, 35, who lost a leg in a car crash, has steel plates fitted in her hips which make natural childbirth impossible.
Macca's nephew Josh McCartney said his father Mike had called and told him about the new addition to the family.
A source at the hospital added, "Paul has been at her bedside all day. Heather is resting."
Sir Paul and Heather married in June 2002 in a fairytale wedding at a Scottish castle, they announced they were expecting their first child in May this year.
The ex-Beatle already has three children - James, 25, Mary, 33, and fashion designer Stella, 31, - by first wife Linda, who died in 1998. He also has step daughter Heather, 39, from Linda's first marriage.
Heather's father Mark Mills, who has had a five-year-long feud with his famous daughter, is now expected to launch a legal battle in order to gain access to his new granddaughter.
MORE
October 30, 2003 -- Reuters
Paul McCartney 'Ecstatic' Father Again at 61Paul McCartney is a father again at the age of 61 after the former Beatle's second wife, Heather Mills, gave birth to their first child, a baby girl born three weeks early by Caesarian section.
"Both she and mum are doing well. Paul and Heather are ecstatic with the news," said a statement on Thursday from the couple after the birth of seven-pound Beatrice Milly. "She is a little beauty and we couldn't be prouder."
The one-legged model turned charity campaigner, who married the former Beatle in June last year, gave birth on Tuesday at a London hospital near the Abbey Road studios where the world's most famous pop group recorded their immortal albums.
The proud parents said, "She is named after Heather's mother Beatrice and Paul's Aunt Milly. Our immediate family were told the news right away and are all as overjoyed as we are at the early arrival of our little bundle of joy."
Initial press reports said that Mills gave birth to a boy.
McCartney has three adult children from his marriage to first wife Linda, who died of breast cancer in 1998.
Mills, 35, had always feared she could never have children because she had in the past suffered cancer of the uterus and two ectopic pregnancies.
Mills said that when she told McCartney that her pregnancy test was positive "We both started crying and it was just a miracle."
McCartney's marriage to photographer Linda Eastman was one of the happiest in showbusiness and they rarely spent a night apart. He was heartbroken by her death.
His friendship with Mills, who was born the year before Paul and Linda's wedding, blossomed into romance after they first met at a charity event.
"I'm lucky to have found a good woman who is strong like Linda," McCartney said.
His children were said to be not so sure and McCartney has admitted this was a problem.
"I think a second marriage is hard for the children no matter who it is," he said. "They find it difficult to think of me with another woman."
Mills has denied press reports of a feud between herself and McCartney's children Mary, James and fashion designer Stella.
Mills ran away from home at the age of 13, living rough on the streets of London and descending into petty crime and delinquency.
She became a glamour model and married a computer sales director. But they split up in 1989 and she went to Yugoslavia to train as a ski instructor.
On return to Britain, her life was forever changed in 1993 when she was hit by a police motorcylist speeding to an emergency. "When I landed, I was on one side of the road and my leg was on the other," she said of the horrific accident.
She now devotes her time to her own charity which raises funds to provide artificial limbs to land mine victims.
October 29, 2003 -- Times of Tibet
Ngawang Choephel, the Tibetan Fulbright scholar recently released from a Chinese prison, and Bhuchung Tsering, director of the International Campaign for Tibet, will speak 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6 at Room 46 of McCosh Hall on the Princeton University campus. The event is co-sponsored by Amnesty International of Mercer County and Princeton University's Amnesty International Chapter, and Shop the World at the Salty Dog in Princeton. Admission is free.
Paul McCartney, U2 and Sting were among the celebrities who, along with chapters of Amnesty International worldwide, petitioned for Mr. Choephel's release from prison. Mr. Choephel is a Tibetan music teacher and collector of folk music.
October 27, 2003
Brian Wilson reports on his Website:Paul and I went in to the studio and cut a new song I wrote for him......he played guitar and sang. It's a song called "A Friend Like You."
This news was first reported exclusively on the Macca Report October 8!!
When Paul McCartney was recently in Los Angeles he paid a visit to Cello Studios where Brian Wilson was working on his new album. Paul laid down bass tracks for the session and gave a two-handed thumbs-up seal of a approval to Brian's upcoming album.
October 27, 2003
Heather Mills McCartney will be the subject of the E! True Hollywood Story on Sunday, November 30 at 8pm ET.
October 27, 2003 -- Breaking News.ie
Stewart slates serious superstars
Rod Stewart complained he is unfairly criticised for dating a younger woman because Paul McCartney and his wife have a similar age gap and get away with it. He said the former Beatle is taken more seriously because he has been knighted - and moaned that he has never been given an honor himself.
Stewart also takes a swipe at a string of other music stars in an interview for Radio Times magazine. The "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" singer says Elton John should lose weight and dubs Sting "Mr. Serious who helps the Indians".
Stewart is currently dating model Penny Lancaster who at 32 is 26 years his junior. He said, "I'm not upset by what people say, except when it's personal. What pisses me off is they never have a go at Paul McCartney for marrying a younger woman. He's 60 and Heather is 34, but they kill me because of Penny. Perhaps it's because he has a knighthood, a wonderful little honor to be bestowed on one. Sharon (Stewart's pet name for Sir Elton) has one. She doesn't invite me to any of her dos, the miserable bugger. Perhaps she doesn't want competition. My hair is nice and real and looks it, and hers doesn't. No, I take that back. He looks good at the moment, but he could lose a bit of timber."
Stewart, 58, continued, "I don't know why I haven't got any honor. I do my bit for charity. Maybe it will come along the OBE: Ordered Out Of the British Empire."
Asked whether he felt it was because he became a tax exile, leaving the UK for California in 1975, he replied, "Mick Jagger has been one longer than me. I'd love to have an honor and before I'm the wrong side of the grass I'd like to win a Grammy to put on the mantelpiece for the kids." He said it was "astounding" that he had never won one of the prized US awards. "They tend not to give it to the British unless you're Sting. The sun shines out of his arse, a pure jazz musician, Mr. Serious who helps the Indians."
Stewart, whose songs form the basis of a new West End musical "Tonight's The Night" which has opened for previews, told Radio Times he was a "silly bugger" for marrying Rachel Hunter. The model left him four years ago which he called "a smack in the head".
Stewart also revealed the sexual liaison with an older woman that inspired one of his best known hits, "Maggie May," "lasted all of five seconds". "A big-time failure. And I haven't got much better, although I'm adequate," he added.
October 24, 2003
Paul McCartney has been confirmed for the "46664" AIDS Awareness Concert, November 29, at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa. The concert will be broadcast live over the Internet, followed by a 90-minute television special to be aired on MTV on December 1, World AIDS Day.
October 24, 2003
STAT'S LIFE - TOP 10 MUSICAL EARNERS FOR 20021) Madonna £36 million ($61 million)
2) Paul McCartney £35 million ($60 million)
3) Mick Jagger £24.5 million ($42 million)
4) Keith Richards £24 million ($41 million)
5) Sting £21.8 million ($37 million)
6 Eric Clapton £14.2 million ($24 million)
7 Rod Stewart £12 million ($20 million) = Charlie Watts £12 million (tie)
9) Pete Townshend £10 million ($17 million) = Robbie Williams £10 million (tie)
October 23, 2003 -- PaulMcCartney.com
Yesterday Paul, Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and George Martin got together at Abbey Road Studios to work on a new song (originally written in 1995) called "Whole Life" for Nelson Mandela's AIDs awareness campaign. The bluesy styled rocker includes contributions from Paul's touring band.
You will be able to preview Sir Paul's song over the telephone as part of a worldwide initiative called Give 1 Minute Of Your Life To Aid by calling "46664" (mobile phones in Europe only) or by download on October 27 from www.46664.com.
Both the call and download will require a donation. Listening to the song requires no donation but you will only hear part of the song. Make sure you have FlashPlayer installed on your computer.
MORE Oct. 22, 2003 -- Reuters
At a press conference Nelson Mandela announced that on November 29, Sir Paul McCartney will join Britney Spears, 50 Cent, Beyoncé, Pink, Shakira, Bono, Dave Stewart and a host of other artists in Cape Town, South Africa for a benefit concert to raise AIDS awareness. The concert is part of the 46664 campaign conceived by former Eurythmics star Dave Stewart and supported by Nelson Mandela.
The event will be called 46664, a very significant number for the former president of South Africa: "46664 was my prison number for over 18 years. I was imprisoned on Robben Island [and] known as just another number. Millions of people today infected with AIDS are just that - a number. They, too, are serving a prison sentence for life. No longer is AIDS just a disease, it is a human-rights issue. For the sake of Africa and the world we must act and act now, and to raise funds to help those affected by Aids and raise awareness to help to prevent the further spread of HIV."
The event is expected to draw 40,000 people to the Cape Town event. In addition, the concert will be broadcast live over the Internet, followed by a 90-minute television special to be aired on MTV on December 1, World AIDS Day.
The organizers of the even hope to achieve an audience of two billion people around the globe. The event will be recorded for CD and DVD release and will feature an additional 15 new studio recordings by various artists. Proceeds from the concert will go to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
In the coming weeks, you will be able to preview Sir Paul's track over the telephone as part of a worldwide initiative called "Give 1 Minute Of Your Life To Aid." This awareness and fundraising campaign will use Nelson Mandela's prison number on Robben Island as a telephone number that one can dial to hear a celebrity message and a previously unreleased songs recorded by top artists. Callers will have one dollar charged to their credit card for every minute spent on the line. An estimated 30 million people in Africa have HIV, and AIDS has killed 17 million people on the African continent.
October 23, 2003The Children with Leukaemia charity in the UK is offering a copy of an autographed Paul McCartney photograph to anyone who donates £10 or more. You must live in the UK for this offer.
"Sir Paul was kind enough to head our appeal for The Amazing Great Children's Party in July 2001, in response to which sponsors generously donated £10 to ensure a child could attend. If you would like to give £10 or more, we would be pleased to send you a signed, color 8 x 10 photograph of Sir Paul. All monies raised help our vital work in the fight against childhood leukaemia." Click link to find out more
Oct. 23, 2003 -- Vogue.com
Heather Mills McCartney is the latest of the McCartney clan to join the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals bandwagon.
The 35-year-old wife of Sir Paul, who is expecting her first child next month, has posed for the cover of PETA's annual cruelty-free shopping guide under the strapline: "Have a look that kills without killing."
Fashion's keenest tittle tattlers have assumed that this latest move by Heather will further upset her stepdaughter, Stella McCartney, who will see it as a further attempt to outdo her mother Linda, a major supporter of the PETA campaign.
"There are thousands of charities out there so she is annoyed that Heather has chosen one that is so linked with her mother and herself," a friend tells the Daily Mail. "It appears that nothing is sacred."
Linda famously spent £8,000 ($13,360) to save beagle pups from being sent to a laboratory and later accepted a lifetime achievement award from the charity. When she died, Stella took on the responsibility of continuing the McCartney-PETA relationship, presenting videos for it and personally persuading celebrities to stop buying fur. And now it seems that Heather wants a piece of the action.
"We approached Miss Mills McCartney over the summer to support the guide," said PETA yesterday. "She gave us an exclusive photograph and this endorsement marks her first public support for our animal rights campaigns - an issue that is also very dear to her husband, Sir Paul McCartney."
2004 Shopping Guide for Caring ConsumersPETA's latest guide, featuring Heather Mills McCartney, includes a listing of more than 500 cruelty-free companies, charities that do not support animal testing, a list of animal ingredients, and valuable coupons.
MORE -- IC Liverpool/Daily PostHeather Mills last night joined her husband, Sir Paul McCartney, in his crusade against the abuse of animals. While the former Beatle campaigns against KFC's alleged cruelty to chickens, the former model has now allowed her photograph to appear exclusively on the front cover of an animal welfare catalogue.
Wearing an ethical lyproduced cotton blouse and plastic shoes, Heather hopes that the glamorous shot of herself will draw attention to PETA's good works. The mum-to-be declares, "Have a look that kills - without killing" as she graces the cover of the charity's 2004 Shopping Guide for Caring Consumers.
PETA's American spokesman, Dan Mathews, said, "It's all about looking fabulous without being cruel. The McCartneys' activism is a big bond in their marriage and Paul is as love struck as ever. Paul's late wife, Linda, was also a noted animal rights campaigner."
Designer Stella McCartney not only avoids using fur in her designs but all animal products, while her sister, Mary, was responsible for a controversial PETA anti-fur advert, featuring pop star Sophie Ellis Bextor.
But sources close to the McCartneys emphasise that Heather is not about to become a figurehead for the charity and will continue in her role as patron of the charity Adopt A Minefield. They say she is not in any way trying to follow the example of Linda, though she does have a passionate concern for animals.
A spokeswoman for Mills said, "When PETA asked Heather if she would supply them with a photograph of herself, she was more than happy to support them. "Indeed, she wishes them all the very best with their campaign."
MORE -- People News
The knives are out! Heather Mills McCartney has posed for the cover of animal-friendly PETA's cruelty-free shopping guide. Mills appears under the headline, "Have a look that kills without killing."
This might kill any chances of a happy family Christmas, though, for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is the very same charity patronized by the late Linda McCartney, and whose work daughter Stella has continued. The designer is said to be annoyed that Heather hasn't found her own charity to get publicity from, according to a friend of Stella's, instead of jumping on the veggie bandwagon with its guaranteed coverage, especially considering Mills' promise not to venture into vegetarianism. "It appears that nothing is sacred and it is proof, once again, to them that she is trying to outdo Linda," said the pal.Will no one think of the animals? A spokesman for PETA said that Heather "gave us an exclusive photograph, and this endorsement marks her first public support for our animal rights campaigns - an issue that is also very dear to her husband, Sir Paul McCartney."
This latest stunt by the pregnant ex-glamour model, along with her plans to write a vegetarian cookbook, does little to alter her image as the wicked stepmother, as she casually usurps the role of Linda as friend to the furry.
Oct. 23, 2003 -- Reuters
For celebrity commuters, Concorde was the ultimate status symbol -- a transatlantic taxi that got you to New York before you left London. The Anglo-French jet dubbed "Speedbird One" by controllers will retire from service on Friday (October 24,) after 27 years whisking the well-heeled across the Atlantic at supersonic speed.
Pop stars thrived on the hedonistic excess of it, quaffing champagne and gorging on lobsters aboard the queen of the Jet Set traveling at twice the speed of sound.
Sting lost count of how many times he took the sleek-nosed supersonic airliner that put the romance back into flying. Paul McCartney once picked up his guitar and had a bunch of somber executives singing along to old Beatles hits. Rod Stewart flew his stylist over so he could get an emergency haircut before a big concert.
And, perhaps most famous of all, Phil Collins performed at the 1985 Live Aid charity concert in London, hopped on Concorde and played again in Philadelphia hours later.
Jamiroquai lead singer Jay Kay summed up the thrill of a Concorde flight, "It's a fantastic thing to watch the sun set and then watch it rise and then set again. You fly so high I mean I've actually seen the curve -- the black line between night and day on earth -- because you're traversing it so much more quickly. So it's a beautiful thing," he told Reuters Television.
Many a nostalgic tear will be shed when the British Airways Concorde makes its last flight from New York to London. Veteran British broadcaster David Frost, who once entered the Guinness Book of Records for making the most crossings of the Atlantic when he was doing shows in London and New York, said it will be an emotional final flight for him. "It's odd," he told Reuters Television. "Usually when things work technologically they survive but in this case it works technologically and it's not surviving and that is rather sad."
Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, a man of ample girth and ample voice, did not balk at the size of the cramped cabin. "I will definitely miss it," he said. But the same may not be said of Diana Ross -- the singer was arrested for assaulting a female security officer who tried to search her before she boarded a Concorde in 1999.
Stealing time from time as you soared above the earth proved an irresistible magnet for celebrities and Frost was not alone in setting records. British singer Suggs from the group Madness claimed to have hit the world's longest putt -- his golf ball traveled five miles in the two seconds it took to roll down the aisle of Concorde.
The biggest regrets are being voiced by flamboyant entrepreneur Richard Branson. The Virgin Atlantic boss offered to take over Concorde from his arch-rival but British Airways said no. Reflecting on the end of a chapter in aviation history, he said, "The idea that it will never fly again just seems completely and utterly wrong. "The (World War II fighter) Spitfire is still flying -- I flew in one last week -- and so Concorde should be flying in 30, 40, 50 years' time."
Oct. 22, 2003 -- The Herald
Shoppers visiting House of Fraser's cosmetics department (Glasgow, Scotland) were yesterday offered a sample squirt of Stella McCartney's new perfume, Stella.
Impressed by Stella's aroma, one potential purchaser inquired as to the precise nature of its blend of fragrances. "Rose, amber, and pony," she was told. Feeling certain Stella wouldn't take her love of animals to such lengths, the shopper asked to see the bottle. Its ingredients read: "Rose, amber, peony."
Oct. 22, 2003 -- Evening Standard
If you could choose to be anyone in the world, the chances are Judy Finnigan would not be high on your list.But, remarkably, the dowdy daytime TV presenter came fifth in a poll of most-envied celebrities. Thousands of us apparently also dream of being Carol Smillie, Joan Collins or Richard Branson.
But being young, fit, good-looking and wealthy are still the most enviable qualities, as Posh and Becks topped the lists of celebrities people would most like to be.
Women were impressed by glamour, with Kylie, Smillie, Collins and, erm, Finnigan making the top five, the survey by furniture store Harveys revealed.
Men preferred power, money and sex appeal, choosing Robbie Williams, Piers Brosnan and Paul McCartney.
Oct. 22, 2003 -- Daily News
BEST WISHES FROM BEATLEPaul Esposito got condolences from Paul McCartney, who heard about ailing namesake via the Daily News. Esposito, who lost both legs in last week's Staten Island ferry disaster, got some words of wisdom yesterday from the man his mother named him after : Paul McCartney. The Beatle and his wife, Heather Mills McCartney, who lost a leg below the knee in an accident a decade ago, sent messages of hope to Esposito and others badly hurt in the crash.
"We're sure you will keep your spirits up," McCartney wrote to Esposito. "Heather and I know you will lead a full and active life, and we both send you our love."
His wife, a model and campaigner against land mines, vowed to be an advocate for all those who lost limbs in the ferry disaster. "We hope they will be fitted with the best possible prosthetic limbs ... so they can continue to lead rich and fulfilling lives," wrote Mills McCartney, who is expected to soon give birth to the couple's first child.
The McCartneys wrote the touching notes after the Daily News contacted them and described Esposito's plight and how he was named after the beloved musician. From his hospital bed at Staten Island University Hospital, the 24-year-old waiter said he was thrilled to get the heartfelt messages of concern and hope.
"Awesome!" he said. "I appreciate everyone having me in their thoughts and prayers," Esposito added. "I'm surprised Paul McCartney had time to take out of his life to show concern for my case. I'm touched that a big celebrity would make time for me."
Esposito's mother, Audrey-Jo, a former home care attendant, was stunned when told McCartney and his wife were thinking about her badly injured son.
"I think that's very kind. He [McCartney] is that way. He's a kind man," she said. "Please tell Paul McCartney thank you for that. ... I'm so glad I named him after Paul McCartney!"
A self-described Anglophile, Audrey-Jo Esposito believes it was kismet that Kerry Griffiths, the young Welsh nurse who saved her son from bleeding to death after the Andrew J. Barberi crashed, happened to be from Britain.
"I have such a love for her, a bond," she said of Griffiths. The messages from across the Atlantic offered a sliver of joy yesterday to the Espositos, a tight-knit family of six who have been taking turns at Paul's bedside as he recovers and they prepare to make their Staten Island home wheelchair-accessible. Paul is still groggy and in excruciating pain. Not only were his legs sheared off, but the trauma shattered his arm and pelvis. Still, his spirits have remained remarkably high, his family said - and they were lifted further by the McCartneys. "Thank you for this," Audrey-Jo Esposito told The News. "Something like that, it makes a big difference."And the messages said...
"Dear Paul,
Heather and I were so sorry to hear about your accident but we know that you and others involved in this tragedy will be strong and will recover fully. We're sure you will keep your spirits up. Heather and I know you will lead a full and active life and we both send you our love. Heather is organizing her people to provide help and counseling for those caught in this disaster and I hope that their work will comfort you all."--Paul McCartney
"I was so sorry to learn about the Staten Island ferry disaster and to hear how many people have lost limbs as a result of this tragic accident. My office and I are in regular contact with the four hospitals in which they are being treated - Staten Island University Hospital, North, South and Concorde. They are all receiving the best possible medical care and emotional support. ... We hope they will be fitted with the best possible prosthetic limbs as soon as it is appropriate so they can continue to lead rich and fulfilling lives."
--Heather Mills McCartney
Oct. 22, 2003 -- PRNewswire
www.ArtPresents.com, an upscale resource center for visual art gifts and imaginative keepsakes for corporations and nonprofits, and The Garland Appeal, an international charity that raises funds to help the fight against cancer, held a gala fundraising and auction event October 20 at Christie's.The highlight of the evening was the presentation of The Garland Award -- a statue designed by acclaimed Dutch artist, Mark Brouwers, which symbolizes the optimistic stance of the Garland Appeal USA in the battle against breast cancer. The Garland Award was given to four extraordinary women who have demonstrated a remarkable commitment in the fight against breast cancer : Constance T. Holmes, Bonnie Benrubi, Diane N. Weiss, and Michele Herbert.
Founded by Sir Paul McCartney, The Garland Appeal is a registered charity in both the United Kingdom and the United States that raises funds for helping the fight against cancer and the healing power of music. In the United Kingdom, the goal is to raise £ 2 million ($3.2 million), with funds being donated to Breakthrough Breast Cancer and The Ark Facility at the North Hampshire Hospital, as well as to support British Music. In the USA, the goal is to raise $2 million for MRI breast cancer research.
"Sir Paul McCartney created The Garland Appeal in memory of his late wife, Linda," said Dennis D'Amico, president of The Garland Appeal. "However, his mission was to do far more than honor the loss of a loved one: it was, in Paul's own words, to 'do all we can do to fight cancer.' The limited reproduction of the 2003 Garland Award is a wonderful -- and beautiful -- way to help win a final victory against this disease."Individuals wishing to support The Garland Appeal can purchase a limited edition reproduction of the 2003 Garland Award for $59.00 (including shipping and handling) at www.ArtPresents.com. The reproduction measures 4 feet 1/4 inches, is made of bronze alloy, and sits on a black marble base.
Proceeds of the sales of the reproduction will further the efforts of The Garland Appeal in fighting breast cancer and funding techniques of early detection.
October 21, 2003 -- New York Post
Will we see Sir Paul McCartney at one of the Yankees World Series games? According to a letter the former Beatle wrote, printed in Seth Swirsky's best-seller, "Something to Write Home About," Paul fell in love with the Yankees back when "Saturday Night Live's" Lorne Michaels got him and Heather Mills tickets to a game in 2000.Everyone remembers Paul getting up dancing in his Yankee Stadium box when his song, "I Saw Her Standing There," blasted out of the speakers during the 2001 playoffs. Later, Paul told Swirsky, "Yeah, it was pretty cool hearing my song at the game. Go Yankees!"
October 20, 2003 -- Press-TelegramSTELLA: THE SCENT OF ONE WOMAN
Stella McCartney lives by pretty strict rules: She doesn't eat meat, she won't gossip about her famous friends, who include Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow, and she won't work with leather or fur - not an easy feat in the fashion world.
Now that she's launching her own signature fragrance, she had made a few additions to her principled list. Stella, developed with YSL Beaute, is made from only organic active ingredients. It doesn't use genetically modified crop raw materials, and the perfume and accompanying body products were not tested on animals.
McCartney says she's not sure if these rules have helped or hindered her career, but they've made her what she is today. (Considering she has her own designer label within the prestigious Gucci Group by age 31, it's doubtful her personal ethics have held her back.)
"What I try to do is always in the best interest of my client. If they know what I stand for, I wouldn't want to cheat them by not following through," says McCartney, who was recently in New York to promote her fragrance.
Whenever possible, she says, she gets written commitments from her business associates pledging that they, too, are following her ethical guidelines.
But since it's her name sewn into the label of that cashmere coat and etched into the perfume bottle, McCartney says her work is very personal.
"What really inspires me is me. I try to bring out the friction of my sexy feminine side and the masculine powerful side. It's how I try to act and then portray in my work," she says.
Instead of trading on her famous name - "McCartney" as in the daughter of Paul - and presumably a family fortune to launch a trendy, quick-sell teen line when she felt a calling to fashion, McCartney decided to learn the craft of master tailoring on Saville Row in London while also taking classes at Central Saint Martins College in the early 1990's.
She then moved on to the House of Chloe in 1997, where she earned respect in the fashion world for her feminine clothes. She won Designer of the Year trophy at the 2000 VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards and her dad surprised her on stage to hand her the award.
When she struck the Gucci deal in 2001 to do her own name-brand collection, she did it on the condition that she'd have complete creative control.
"I don't want to be just the face on a megabrand," she says.
A fragrance was sure to follow several seasons of successful ready-to-wear clothes and glitzy, star-studded store openings.
"Part of me didn't want to give up my name (for the fragrance); it's more personal since it's just 'Stella', " she says, "but it's the honest thing to do."
October 20, 2003 -- People News
It was only a matter of time before we knew this story would be reported, and as sure as night follows day, here we are. Stella McCartney-Willis has been spotted wearing the red band of the kabbalah, despite attempts to resist her Bessie pal, Madge's favoured religion. So enamoured is Mrs Ritchie of the cult... er... religion, that she's written a series of books based on their teachings. Stelly's now got in on the act and wears the red band to ward off evil spirits. Whether or not this is to keep stepmum Heather away is debatable but it seems to be working.An announcement this week shows that Stella has doubled her revenue for the Gucci Group and the launch of her debut fragrance has been well received. Add to that a ring on her finger and a new LA shop and Stella's star has gone stellar. Hell! The sulky designer of silky dresses has even started smiling.
October 17, 2003 -- FULL NO MORE LANDMINES WEBCHAT TRANSCRIPT FROM PAULMCCARTNEY.COMYesterdays "No More Landmines/Night Of A 1000 Dinners" webchat with Paul and Heather was a huge success. The response to the webchat was enormous and eventually well over 1000 questions were submitted. If you missed it, you can now read the full transcript of the chat below.
Moderator- Ok Lets Go!Paul- Greetings from Heather and Paul to all you lovely people out there. We are happy that you've joined us for this important web chat on a subject that is very dear to our hearts, Landmine Clearance and Survivor assistance is what we do at Adopt A Minefield
Moderator-Elizabeth from Canada asks: What is the estimated number of landmines out there? How long will it take to remove them?
Paul- Hi Elizabeth, Welcome to our chat. In answer to your question currently there are thought to be more 70,000,000 mines out there. The true figure will only be know when they have all been dug up, this could take between 10 and 20 years and this is why we are devoting our efforts right now to seeing the job done, in the end it comes down to money, so everybody who helps us with donations also helps us to clear the world of Landmines and to help the survivors of these dreadful weapons
Moderator-Maris USA asks: How long does the whole process of getting an artificial leg and being able to walk freely?
Heather- Hi Maria, it all depend which country you are in. In the western world you generally need 3 visits the 1st being to take a cast and 2nd one for a test and alignment and the 3rd to check it's all come together correctly. But in places like Cambodia where there is more need for function than the cosmetic appearance a limb can be made in a couple of hours. As the limb is more basic, and generally needs to be used to move freely through the rice paddy field. So to summarise in the western it can be a few weeks but in some 3rd world countries it can be done in a few hours.
Moderator- John T Reeder from the USA asks: What can I do as an individual to help eliminate landmines? I lost my right leg to cancer when I was 10 and want to help other save their legs.
Paul- Hello John T - The best answer to your question is to donate now to adopt a minefield which means - you will immediately join us in our campaign to eliminate landmines. This also means you will be helping to prevent people losing their limbs and helping to support survivors who may already have lost Limbs. You can email and tell all your friends and contacts to look at landmines.org.uk and help us sort out this global problem. Also you and your friends can take part in our Night 1000 Dinners 2003, we will be giving details of this later in the web chat.
Moderator- Martha from the USA asks: I read an article about the "Dogs of Peace" and was wondering if you can tell me more about it? Are the dogs in any danger?
Heather- Hi Martha, the truth is all animals living or working near fields riddled with landmines are in danger of harm. One of the main problems I had initially with dogs working in mine clearance was your very question 'Are the dogs in any danger'. After much research I have come to the conclusion, that 1000s of animals lives are being saved because of these highly trained de-mining sniffer dogs, so when you weigh it all up one totally justifies the other. These dogs are trained for 18 months before they even meet their handler, and only a few past the test to be trusted to go into a minefield as their life and the life of their handler is at risk. In addition these dogs are saving 1000s of lives with regards to the local men, women and children who live there.
Moderator- Greg Hevel from the USA asks: Which countries have the biggest problems with landmines and why?
Paul- Hi Greg, Hope the weather is good in the US and all is well with you. The answer to your question is - all of our programme countries have severe landmine and un-exploded ordnance problems, we basically have relationships with countries that we know we can fund to a decent level at the moment we fund work in Afghanistan, Iraq, Cambodia, Vietnam, Mozambique, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Angola and Laos. Besides these countries there are many others with big problems and the problem is always caused by the same thing war (what is it good for - absolutely nothing!!) armies lay mines in wartime and when they leave the battlefield they fail to remove these terrible weapons. The only way to stop them being a danger is to get them out of the ground.
Moderator- Catherine Tuzon from the USA ask : How many prosthetics have you been able to give to victims and do you have a count on the number of landmines you have successfully cleared to date as a result of your charity? What has been the cost as well?
Heather- Hi Catherine, since joining Adopt a Minefield, we have funded the fitting of 2,300 survivors so far we've also raise of $10,000,000 (approx £6,000,000) which has funded the clearance of 8,000,000 square metres of minefield, 123 million of that still under clearance plus 11,000,000 square metres of battlefield. The reason we managed to fund 11 million square metres of battlefield in the last year is because this particular area in Afghanistan is very flat and relatively easier to clear. Flat ground is always quicker and easier than the rugged terrain. 366,000 people have benefited directly from our work.
Moderator- Kallin Curry from the USA asks: I'm afraid I'm not very knowledgeable about these landmines. How does one go about locating them and doing away with them without getting hurt themselves?
Paul- Greeting Kallin, Don't worry, I didn't know much (Heather: And still don't!) about landmines when I 1st joined Adopt A Minefield And in spite of my cheeky wife's interruption - I will attempt to pass on what I have learned. First the land is marked out carefully. Then the most common method is for a human de-miner to use a metal detector. Every metal indication given by the detector must be checked in case it's a mine - though to make the problem more difficult not all mines are made of metal some are plastic, the de-miner will then mark this spot and excavate it very carefully using a probe and other tools.
Moderator-Christa Ketchan from the USA asks: How many children are injured worldwide each year by landmines? As a mother of two children I can't imagine any child being injured by a landmine!
Heather- Hi Christa - I wish it wasn't true but the reality is - that someone is killed or injured every 27mins by a mine explosion that's about 19,000 a year, a 3rd of those being children so that's about 6,300 innocent children every year. We are so lucky to live in countries where our children can safely play and walk to school; many have to tip-toe through minefields and risk their live every time.
Moderator- Linda Uk asks: I held a Night of a 1000 Dinners last year in my home in Manchester that raised £ 90. I see that this year in the UK there is a No More Landmines Day, what has changed.
Heather- Hi Linda, I think it's fantastic that you made an effort and managed to raise £90 if everybody did this we would definitely be able to clear an enormous about of landmines and change the lives of 1000s of survivors. The reason we have called this years event No More Landmines Day is that we thought we could expand on Night Of 1000 Dinners by having an entire day and evening dedicated to this worthwhile cause - we still need as many dinners as possible but with making it a full day - we can capture the attention of everyone especially those that are bad cooks! Hope you have a great one!
Paul- Well Done Linda! Let's hope many people joining us on this web chat will do as you did - and raise money that will make a huge difference. We hope you feel you can pull off another Night Of 1000 Dinners this year and like us have a great time doing it - Bon Appetite!! Alternatively the Adopt A Minefield websites are full of great ideas so there is no excuse for not joining in. Both of us want to thank all you lovely people for tuning in, logging on and grooving out with us today - together we can rid the world of these cowardly weapons and make it a safer place for us and future generations to live in.
Lots of love - Heather and Paul
October 16, 2003 -- People News
Elizabeth Hurley took on a new role last night and hosted Fashion Rocks - a music and fashion orgy at the Royal Albert Hall. Ever the trouper Liz took her role very seriously and in true diva style had 17 outfit changes - for an event that lasted less than three hours. Designers participating included Stella McCartney, Tom Ford for Gucci, Donatella Versace (natch) and Alexander McQueen.The event was to raise money for The Prince's Trust with Prince Charles in attendance. Expected to raise over £750,000 ($1.2 million) for the charity the event may become a regular fixture in the social calendar.
Guests in attendence included Cat Deeley, Richard Gere, Joan Collins, Vernon Kaye, Joely Richardson, Minnie Driver and boyband Blue. And best of all everyone involved had a warm glow inside that the proceedings were for a good cause. As Domenico Dolce of Dolce & Gabbana said, "This is about charity, not egos."
October 15, 2003 -- Daily MailIn the past she has always distanced herself from her friend Madonna's obsession with kabbalah. But Stella McCartney has been persuaded to become a devotee of the mystical Jewish cult.
The fashion designer has been seen in Los Angeles and Paris wearing the red string bracelet which followers believe offers protection from evil spirits. She joins her close friend and the singer Britney Spears, another recent convert, in displaying her attachment to the religion.
"Stella has been feeling a bit low about things and Madonna has convinced her that this really will help," a source close to the 32-year-old said yesterday. "She has made rather a large loss for Gucci in her first year and her designs have been criticized. She was also hurt when Jeff Banks claimed she had only done well because she is Paul McCartney's daughter. She is also hoping it will help her to conceive a child. Madonna has been using kabbalah teaching to try to have a baby and she has told Stella that it can really help her. Stella will be ready to have children soon and she believes she will need as much help as possible."
McCartney, who recently married magazine publisher Alasdhair Willis, first showed an interest in kabbalah when she joined Madonna at the launch of her children's book "The English Roses" last month in Paris. The 45-year-old singer says the book is based upon the teachings of kabbalah, which she was first introduced to a decade ago. Since then Madonna has become an active proponent of the cult, which has gained a huge following among celebrities. She recently encouraged Spears to join. Earlier this year she bought a £ 3.65 million ($6 million) home for the Kabbalah Centre in London.
Until her conversion McCartney had always dismissed the cult, instead proclaiming herself to be a "real" Jew because her mother Linda's family were Jewish. However, any hopes she might have that becoming a kabbalah devotee will help her in her quest for a child must be tempered by the experiences of her friend. Despite all her faith, the teachings have not helped Madonna become a mother again. She recently admitted wanting a third child but has been having trouble conceiving and was pictured recently visiting an IVF clinic in Los Angeles.
October 15, 2003 -- Fashion Capitol
What's in a name? According to the British fashion press everything, especially if it happens to be Stella McCartney. Condemned by the majority for cashing in on her famous name, Stella has a lot to prove.Many of McCartney's critics say that if she wasn't the daughter of Sir Paul McCartney, Stella probably wouldn't be where she is today in terms of status within the industry. After all, daughter of a local hero fire-fighter just won't receive the same interest as daughter of international pop icon.
Earlier this month designer Jeff Banks launched a scathing attack on 31 year old McCartney, brandishing her as a "rich amateur". Banks, who has twice been named British Designer of the year, went on to say, "Stella's clothes are very amateurish, but then because of who her old man is it doesn't seem to matter. She's still very young and has been lucky enough to land a few plum jobs, but is she one of Britain's great designers? Had it not been for having a very rich father would she be getting all this praise? I very much doubt it."
Harsh words maybe, but the same thought has been crossing many minds for a while. When asked the question, which came first, the name or the talent? I'm afraid the answer is the name.
Having decided to use the McCartney name it seems surprising that Stella is increasingly annoyed with the trappings that have come with it. In the BBC1 documentary, 'Imagine: Stella's story', she spoke about how she is becoming increasingly annoyed at being asked about her father.
''People don't generally go up to people and go 'Hi, how's your dad?' and that can get quire irritating after a while'', she said. ''You say 'Yeah, he's' fine how's your dad?' You can get quite aggressive.'' But proclaiming yourself to be ''rock royalty'' probably isn't helping others forget just who you are.
McCartney also resigned from her post on Panel 2000, the official body charged with modernizing Britain's image. What reason did she give? She's 'angry that the government is trying to cash in on her trendy name and image'.
As a self-proclaimed 'fashion chick' Stella McCartney showed an interest in fashion from an early age. It was while on a flight that the designers late mother, Linda McCartney, pointed out to 13 year old Stella the designer Jean Muir. (more)
October 14, 2003 -- ICLiverpool
Liverpool girl band Atomic Kitten are donating some of their Scouse sparkle to charity. The girls - Natasha Hamilton, Jenny Frost and Liz McClarnon - have given a diamante-style "love" chain belt to the charity Lepra to auction on the internet. But they are not the only ones to part with precious jewelry in the name of charity.
Crosby-born Cherie Blair and Sir Paul McCartney's designer daughter Stella are also getting in on the act. Stella has donated a silver "zip" necklace from her latest jewelry range and the prime minister's wife has given a Charmelle necklace and matching earrings.
The city stars are among 500 celebrities asked to raid their jewelry boxes for a glittering charity auction organized by Lepra, which raises funds for leprosy sufferers.
The Lepra charity funds treatment and relief of leprosy, HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria in the developing world. A spokesperson for charity said, "We're extremely pleased to have the support of Atomic Kitten, Stella McCartney and Cherie Blair. By donating to this appeal they are helping to raise funds for Lepra to help us save lives in the developing world."
Interested people are invited to bid for the jewelry which will be on e-bay from November 5. Get a sneak preview of the items on offer by visiting www.lepra.org.uk/jewellery.
October 14, 2003 -- ReutersHAMBURG - Photojournalists in Germany have announced plans to boycott Bob Dylan's upcoming tour of the country, after he stated that he would not allow his photograph to be taken during performances. The photographers are considering the same action against other international stars.
At its latest gathering on Friday in Berlin, the German Assn. of Journalists called on its more than 41,000 members to boycott Dylan's Oct 17-Nov. 8 tour, as well as those by major acts such as Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses and the Kelly Family.
The association's managing director, Thomas Schelberg, says photographers are increasingly facing restrictions imposed by artists and their management over the types of photos they can take during concerts and how the images can be used.
"The freedom of photographic journalists to pursue their profession is more important than Bob Dylan's personal preferences," says a spokesperson for the group.
A spokesman for Cologne-based concert promoter Peter Rieger, which is handling Dylan's tour, says it is no secret that the artist does not allow his concerts to be filmed or photographed. "If the artist doesn't want any photos taken, our hands are tied, and we have to accept this," he says.
Paul and Heather attended the Pretenders concert incognito, the evening of October 12 at the 1,500 seat Bataclan in Paris.
October 13, 2003 -- Daily Record
She may be eight months pregnant but Heather Mills proves she can still look big and beautiful at the same time. The former model looked great as she proudly showed off her bump at the weekend.
She was caught nipping into Starbucks in Chelsea, London, for an early morning coffee wearing a stylish burgundy trilby hat, black skirt and boots.
And then yesterday, Heather, 35, was pictured with husband Sir Paul McCartney, 61, at his daughter Stella's Paris fashion show.
Wearing denim jeans, a patterned brown and blue top with the same hat, Heather again looked super-cool. But Paul could do with taking a few tips from his wife as he turned up in a clashing brown suit and orange floral shirt.
The couple are reportedly expecting a baby boy and Heather has been driving the former Beatles star mad with her cravings for seafood. (more photos)
October 13, 2003 -- Daily Mail
Heather steals Stella's limelight
As Stella McCartney presented her latest creations at Paris Fashion Week, eyes tended to stray from catwalk to audience. For in the front row were her father Sir Paul and his pregnant wife Heather - in an outfit clearly designed to capture the attention. Her stripey off-the-shoulder top made her now-enormous bump look even bigger.And the dramatic effect was completed by a purple fedora.
Heather, 35, is due to give birth to the couple's first child next month, which might be why rapprochement appears to be in the air. Their appearance at Stella's show is the first time they have publicly supported her career together.
"I think it's fabulous," said Sir Paul, 61, in brown Savile Row suit and orange shirt. "She goes from strength to strength and it just gets classier all the time."
Friends say Sir Paul has worked hard to make sure Stella, her sisters Mary and Heather and brother James do not resent their new sibling.
"Things are a little better," said a source close to his wife. "Stella and Heather spent a little time together at Stella's wedding two months ago and things have been less strained since."
October 13, 2003 -- Hello Magazine
The models on the catwalk weren't the only thing drawing attention during Stella McCartney's show at Paris Fashion Week. Because her dad Sir Paul and his wife Heather were both sitting in the front row of the event. Stella's sister Mary was also in attendance as well as Stella's husband, Alasdhair Willis.It's the first time the couple has turned out to support Stella together. Relations between the designer and her stepmother, which were previously said to be strained, have clearly improved in recent months. And the heavily pregnant Heather proved her own style credentials in an off-the-shoulder top and purple fedora.
Stella's Spring/Summer collection continued the theme of earthy colors which has been prominent in Paris. With wispy chiffon dresses and voile blouses, the designer was out to create a soothing effect. "I always had this fantasy of having a great, great grandmother and discovering her chest of old fabrics," she said. "Once they were really bright, vibrant colors but after 40 years they had dulled down."
October 13, 2003 -- TelegraphThere was a strong show of family unity at Stella McCartney's spring/summer 2004 (October 12) show on the final day of the Paris prêt-à-porter season yesterday.
Her father, Sir Paul, arrived with his heavily-pregnant wife, the former Heather Mills, who is due to give birth to the couple's first child in five weeks.
Chiffon layered 'butterfly' dress at the McCartney showLady McCartney, wearing an optical-print tunic from Topshop with Stella McCartney jeans and a burgundy felt Homberg, said, "Paul and I know whether the baby's a boy or girl, but we haven't told anyone. Not even my parents."
Also in the home team were Stella's sister, Mary McCartney-Donald, who photographed the show from her front row seat, Stella's publisher husband, Alasdhair Willis, the artist Sam Taylor-Wood and her husband, Jay Jopling, and the singer Sharleen Spiteri.
The collection, said Stella, was all about movement.
And it literally floated down the runway with "butterfly" dresses in layered, color-shaded chiffon being wafted gracefully around the models' bodies by a convenient wind machine.
Although the designer said she didn't think her recent marriage had changed her approach to her work "just yet", there was definitely a more romantic, ethereal quality to her clothes. The color palette shaded like a sunset from deep to light greens, from dove grey to blue, lemon and shell-pink.
Everything was light and airy, from the fragile bodices tethered with tiny straps to the loose sleeves which wafted like wings and the dip-and-dive hemlines.
Her most revolutionary statement, however, was with her swimwear; two-piece bikinis in dove-grey or pink, featuring a tiny, triangle top allied to high-rise, "big knickers".
Stella McCartney took her bow, wearing her sexy new jeans which, sadly, did not appear on the runway.
Long, slim and slightly flared, they feature an attached denim pelmet skirt at the rear.
"It was fabulous. I loved it all. So feminine and pretty. I wish it was available right now, because some of those dresses would be great with my belly," Lady McCartney said.
"She's fabulous, isn't she," said a beaming Sir Paul. "She just goes from strength to strength. The colors were beautiful, the ideas were original and I just felt the whole collection had a new maturity."
October 12 , 2003 -- Daily Star
Heather Mills Veggie?
The October 11 Daily Star Newspaper in the UK had an article about Heather Mill's 'craving' for seafood. Paul has been busy trying to satisfy her seafood requests but is having problems finding the fish she craves when out of the country. (more)
October 12 , 2003 -- Reuters
HEMLINES FLUTTER AT McCARTNEY SHOW
PARIS - With former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and his pregnant wife Heather Mills watching from the front row, designer Stella McCartney showed a collection of floaty summer dresses fit for pop's biggest divas (October 12).As a wind machine sent hemlines fluttering, models emerged in backless slip dresses made of layers of nude chiffon dip-dyed in muted shades of aqua, moss and slate.
McCartney has just opened her first store in Los Angeles, and these flirty creations seemed perfect for Jennifer Lopez or Beyonce Knowles, whose hit "Naughty Girl" echoed through the former stock exchange building where the show was held.
A barely there gathered chiffon dress was embroidered with rows of burnished gold sequins that evoked the pharaonic gowns of Ancient Egypt, but had 100 percent modern appeal.
Daywear in light wool bore the hallmark of McCartney's rigorous training on Savile Row, the London area famous for hand-tailored suits. Jackets were belted high on the waist, with structured shoulders softened by a loose irregular hem.
It's been a busy year for McCartney, who married her boyfriend, Alasdhair Willis, in August in a ceremony in Scotland attended by Madonna, Liv Tyler and Kate Moss. As well as opening stores worldwide, she is launching her first perfume, Stella.
"I think it's fabulous. She goes from strength to strength, and it just gets classier all the time," her proud father said.
Ready to hand out a few style tips himself, Paul McCartney flipped open his conservative Savile Row suit to reveal a peach shirt embroidered with flowers. "Check out the shirt! Come on, this is understatement," he told reporters with a laugh.
October 12 , 2003 -- Daily Mail
BEATLE FOR SAILPeople criticizing Sir Paul McCartney on no more than press reports don`t know the bloke personally. I was in contact with Paul almost daily for a month when he stayed at Parrot Cay, a private island resort in the Caribbean. He was with the kids at first and Heather joined him later. Before arriving, he had been promised he could hire a Sunfish sailing dinghy for a month.
Due to the organisational skills of the resort director, we had no such boat. I was told of the boat hire contract only two days before the arrival of the great man. I borrowed an old hull from a guy I knew, an old sail from another, fitted a rudder and rigging from one of our other resort boats and cobbled it all together. The result was somewhat unusual. Paul sailed this unique craft almost daily for a month and was most accommodating, even when bits fell off and I had to go on the scrounge again to replace them.The Aussie bandit who lent us the sail inveigled Paul into signing a shed load of CD covers and Paul did this with good humor.
To cap it all, the mooring bracket fell off the boat in a storm and it was washed off the beach, necessitating more running repairs. I would have been very fed up with the resort if I`d been offered such a boat with a £1,000 ($1,650) a-night villa but there was not a word of complaint from Paul. He was always in a good humor, polite and appreciative of anything done (though he did once punch me in the arm when I called him "the last of a dying breed" for sailing a Sunfish). Parrot Cay is a destination for many of the Hollywood crowd, half of whom are okay,though the others are a pain.
The nicest one I've met, by far, was Macca." -- letter from Andrew Dicker
October 11, 2003 -- The MirrorMACCA - THE OLD TOY BOY
He'd be horrified at being described "as an old bloke," what with the hair dye and all, but that's how Paul McCartney was seen by a protective father he had a run-in with.
Macca, 61 - due to become a father again when new wife Heather gives birth next month - was in the Hove, East Sussex, branch of Toys 'R' Us when he landed himself in hot water with former boxer Justin Newton. Justin had taken his two-year-old son Billy to the shop but lost sight of him for a minute and then saw "an old bloke" pick him up. Cue furious dad Justin barging up to the "oldie" with all sorts running through his mind, ranting: "What the f*** are you doing with my son?" before a horrified Macca turned round.
"Justin was mortified," reveals a source. "He felt awful as Paul was full of apologies and clearly upset that his actions could have been misconstrued. Paul told him Billy is one of the most beautiful kids he's ever seen and revealed he can't wait to be a dad again."
October 10, 2003 -- KIISFM
The Who rocker Roger Daltrey has blasted fellow 1960s icon Sir Paul McCartney for wrecking the musical legacy of the Beatles. The "My Generation" singer hates what McCartney is doing with the Fab Four's beloved tunes when he tours.He says, "People like Paul McCartney. They liked his last show. I hated it. He's the only man to me in rock who turned the edge of the Beatles into swing."
October 10, 2003 -- People News
Mary McCartney Donald MW Exhibition
Vinopolis Gallery, London
We start this column with a warning for all you girls: if you're going to the Vinopolis Gallery leave your Manolo Blahniks at home! It is thoughtlessly situated in the midst of a cobbled assault course. After a series of injuries and a few shed tears, we made our limping entry only to get lost in the entrance hall, much to the doorman's amusement. The Vinopolis is huge and rather wonderful, an amazing space. Mary McCartney Donald (yes, that Mary McCartney Donald) certainly knows how to pick a venue, one fit for a catwalk even Stella would have been proud of (had she shown up).Upon entry to the exhibition we were greeted by photographs of Patsy Palmer, looking surprisingly beautiful and spectacularly thin as she modelled the new MW range for Marks and Spencer. Racing driver Jenson Button also modelled, and was in attendance with Fame Academy girlfriend Louise Griffiths, who also cosied up to Travis drummer Neil Primrose. Maybe she was getting some advice on how to write a Number One tune.
Celebrities were few and far between, and even Patsy's appearance was short-lived - although she seemed delighted by the undeniably flattering pictures. Thankfully the photographs proved enough of a distraction and the images would have made Mary's mother proud. We were happy sipping on our cocktails and were joined by a few of Rolling Stone legend Ronnie Wood's children, who partied with us until the call of the Q Awards stole us all away. But that's another story for another day...
October 9, 2003
Canadian Radio station CKOI out of Montreal played a joke on Paul McCartney. On the radio show "Justicier Masque´" one of the DJ's called McCartney and impersonated Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chretien inviting Macca and Heather to come to his house.
During the conversation the DJ used song titles like "We Can Work It Out, "Strawberry Fields" and "From Me To You." This amused Paul. At the end of the conversation the DJ confessed to being an imposter. You can hear the interview at this link then click on Paul McCartney.
MORESir Paul McCartney fell for an embarrassing radio wind-up when he chatted to a prankster pretending to be the PM of Canada. Macca innocently exchanged banter with the joker for several minutes, believing he was talking with Canadian leader Jean Chretien.
Ex-Beatles star Sir Paul, 61, did not realize he had been duped until DJ prankster Marc Audette finally came clean.
Audette, of Canadian station CKOI, told Macca he was being awarded the prestigious Order of Canada - and even invited the pop legend and wife Heather Mills, 35, to dinner. He tricked Sir Paul into talking French, and littered his speech with Beatles' lyrics, as our transcript below shows.
Audette, speaking with a heavy French accent, reached Macca on his mobile just before he went on stage. But Sir Paul managed to get the last laugh when he threatened to sue the DJ, before admitting he was only kidding.
Macca's spokesman said, "He took it all in good spirits."
Text of phone call
PAUL: Hello.
DJ: Yes, hello, Sir McCartney?
P: Yeah, hi.
(DJ pretending to be PM Jean Chretien)
DJ: This is Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada. How are you?
P: I'm great, thank you Jean. Is it OK if I call you Jean?
DJ: Yes of course. It is such an honor to speak to you.
P: Oh great man, how's things over there?
DJ: Very fine, everything is c'est bon. I hope this is the same for you and your live shows.
P: Oh great, thank you.
DJ: Like they say, break a leg.
P: Ha, ha, ha, break a leg, I like it.
DJ: I have to tell you, you are to receive the Order of Canada, very few people receive it. Two have received it this year, two very important scientists.
P: I've heard of one, they work on Aids.
DJ: Exactly, exactly, they work a lot on it. It is very important for me to include you in that group as a singer and songwriter who has changed the lives of my citizens so much.
P: That's fabulous man, it's such a high honor for me.
DJ: You know, I've done politics for 40 years and it's like working eight days a week, but I still like to take time as a music lover to honour someone who has done more for people than any politician.
P: Oh, that's nice of you. We were just having fun at the time, though.
DJ: I don't suppose you speak a little French, Paul?
P: Oh, petite peu monsieur.
DJ: You have a good accent.
P: Petite peu le Francais.
DJ: Bravo, bravo. Tres bien.
P: Merci beaucoup, merci.
DJ: When you come to Canada you'll always be regarded as an honorary citizen.
P: Merci beacoup, monsieur. This is a great honor, I feel a particular fondness for Canada, the British and Canadians have had a long history together. I've got to go on stage now, we'll talk later.
DJ: Sir Paul, If there's anything you want, if there's anything I can do, you are going to be able to call on me and I'll send some love from me to you.
P: Ha ha, I can't believe I'm listening to the prime minister of Canada and he says 'Love from me to you'.
DJ: I am probably your greatest fan among politicians.
P: That is great. We should meet when I come to Canada.
DJ: This would be simple because you could come together with your wife to the official mansion for winners of the Order of Canada. If you want we can work it out. It is a beautiful place, there are pine trees, flowers, even a strawberry field.
P: You're quoting Beatles songs right?
DJ: Yes exactly.
P: Thanks Jean, that would be great, it's very nice of you.
DJ: Thank you, sir, and as you would normally say, you're going to say goodbye and I'm going to say hello.
P: I love it, you take it easy.
DJ: Thank you very much Mr McCartney, oh by the way - you've been pranked.
P: (silence) Oh yeah?
DJ: Yeah.
P: F*king hell, I've just thought that might be the case. Ha ha. I wondered about the Beatles lyrics.
DJ: Thank you very much sir, I must say it was an honor to speak to you.
P: We'll I'm telling you we're going to sue your ass off.
DJ: Are you serious?
P: No, ha ha ha.
DJ: Ha ha ha.
P: You Canadians are funny, I was beginning to think Canada has one zany. Bye!
October 9, 2003 -- Telegraph
Actress backs animal testingMedical researchers should stop apologizing about the need for drug testing on animals and the public should be more understanding of its importance to the nation's health, actress Jane Asher said today.
She said that unless people were willing to renounce virtually all medical intervention for themselves, their families and even their pets, arguments against using animals in research were unsustainable.
And she attacked the idealism of animal rights protesters as unrealistic and called on schools to do more to help youngsters understand the importance of scientific discovery.
Asher, patron of the charity Seriously Ill for Medical Research (SIMR), was speaking at a meeting in London organized by the Coalition for Medical Progress. (more)October 8, 2003 -- The Scotsman
The two surviving Beatles joined friends and family of George Harrison tonight to honor the late musician.
Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were at the UK premiere of a film documenting a star-studded tribute concert to Harrison which took place last year.
Sir Paul, accompanied by his pregnant wife Heather, said, "Our feelings will never change for George - we loved the happy times and we're sad that George is gone."
Harrison died from throat cancer after a long battle at the tail end of 2001.
His wife Olivia and only son Dhani were at the event tonight and were heavily involved with organizing the concert which took place at The Royal Albert Hall and is chronicled in the film A "Concert for George," Harrison.
Olivia said, "This is a gathering of George's close friends and family so it's always going to be emotional. This concert pays tribute to someone we all loved. I think he'd enjoy it."
Dhani added. "It was very cathartic. The grieving process doesn't have to be a solemn affair. There were only a small amount of people that could be in the Albert Hall so it's good that this is coming out now."
Sir Paul said tonight, "It's a great film, it was a great night and it was lovely to take part in it and to be here with all our friends.
"We loved him. He was a lovely man and all these friends came together on this very special night."
Heather Mills McCartney wore a floor-length burgundy velvet dress which showed off her growing bump. Their first child together is due in mid-November.
Asked whether it was true they were expecting a boy, 61-year-old Sir Paul said, "No I don't think you can ask that."
Other guests at the event included Harrison's friends Eric Clapton, Robbie Coltrane, and former racing driver Damon Hill. Mike McCartney was there with his wife, Rowena as was Mary McCartney Donald and her husband Alistair.
The "Concert for George," film is being given a limited cinema release from this Friday and will be available on DVD November 17 in the UK and November 18 in the US. (Rex Photos)
October 8, 2003
MACCA REPORT EXCLUSIVE!!!!!!
When Paul McCartney was recently in Los Angeles he paid a visit to Cello Studios where Brian Wilson was working on his new album. Paul laid down bass tracks for the session and gave a two-handed thumbs-up seal of a approval to Brian's upcoming album.
October 8, 2003 -- The Times
Paul McCartney was one of several celebrities who attended the memorial service at the Liberal Synagogue in St. John's Wood September 30 for film director, John Schlesinger.
October 6, 2003 -- Daily Express
At last, a McCartney child is willing to say something nice in public about having Heather Mills, 35, as a step-mother. Step forward Macca's eldest daughter, photographer Mary, 34, who says she is looking forward to the imminent birth of her father's baby by Heather - her new half-brother or sister - next month.
"I'm really pleased about it. It's great news and I'm looking forward to seeing the baby," said the down-to-earth mother of two small children at the opening of an exhibition of her photos of the new Marks and Spencer MW underwear line at London's trendy Vinopolis Gallery the other night.
Accompanied by her husband, Alistair Donald, Mary did nor sport an M&S outfit. Instead, she wore a trouser suit designed by her sister, Stella.
"Although, to be honest, I feel quite out of place at a fashionista event like this," she confided.
Mary, who took the first photos of baby Leo Blair, has just returned from Sarajevo where she has been taking pictures of children for the SOS charity.
"I also took some, but not all, of the photos at my sister Stella's wedding in Scotland in August," she added. "It was a wonderful day."
October 6, 2003 - The Sun
Sir Paul McCartney and wife Heather Mills are expecting a boy. (first revealed in June on the Macca Report!!!)
The former Beatle has been sworn to secrecy over the baby's sex but Heather's friends have been unable to keep the secret. One pal said, "Heather told me that she and Paul were having a boy. She's thrilled - well, they both are. She can't wait to be a mum. She's very excited and has been out buying baby clothes."
Heather is due to give birth next month.
October 6, 2003 - Ireland Online
Kate Moss has proved she is not just a pretty face by turning her hand to poetry. The supermodel has written a poem to raise money for the British Teenage Cancer Trust.
Moss is one of dozens of celebrities who have written poems for the charity's "Write To Life" campaign. It will be auctioned off in a sale at Bonhams in central London this Wednesday, October 8.
Paul McCartney, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host Chris Tarrant and actress Rachel Weisz are among those who have contributed. Tarrant has written a four-line poem dedicated to fishing, his favorite pastime, while McCartney's ditty is about lollipops.
The auction will also see a selection of books, scripts, drawings and fashion photographs go under the hammer.
October 6, 2003 - New York Post2ND-WIVES CLUB
Second wives, depicted as homewreckers and evil stepmothers in fairy tales and made-for-TV movies, are often doomed as soon as they tie the knot, new research suggests. "They marry a man with the illusion that his former family won't infringe on their perfect life together," said Susan Shapiro Barash, author of "Second Wives: the Rewards and Pitfalls of Marrying Widowers and Divorced Men."
With more than 50 percent of first marriages ending in divorce, and 75 percent of divorced people remarrying, more women are becoming second wives. But second marriages are breaking up as often as first marriages. According to the U.S. Census, 52 to 62 percent of first marriages end in divorce, while 60 percent of second marriages fail. And second marriages typically last about half as long as first marriages, only six to seven years, Barash found.
|
The do-over "I dos" collapse under the stress of raising stepkids and splitting a husband's income with his former household, said Barash. "If the second wife really can't abide the financial obligations plus the emotional attention he gives his children, those marriages dissolve very quickly," Barash said.
Widowers make "better husband material," she said, because their former marriages ended in death instead of divorce. On the other hand, when the first wife is "immortalized" - like Paul McCartney's first wife, Linda, who died of cancer - it gets thorny. Barash calls it the "Rebecca" syndrome, after the Daphne du Maurier novel and movie about a troubled widower's romance. The Beatle's second marriage, to Heather Mills, last year caused family unrest. Relations were bitter between Mills, a former model, and McCartney's daughter, Stella, only four years younger than Mills. Now McCartney and Mills are expecting a baby next month - an event that could strain or strengthen the new family, Barash predicts. "Even though it causes great distress, a baby can be the great equalizer," Barash said. "It sometimes brings the family together."
October 5, 2003 -- Washington Times
FAB BEATLE TRIBUTE
Seeing "Concert for George" (showing now through October 9 in select US cities - click link for theatres) so soon after taking in "Paul McCartney in Red Square" was a stroke of luck; it was like Pepto for heartburn. Not that McCartney's concert movie from Moscow was bad. Far from it. He's got a hot young band, and their performance in Red Square was nothing short of triumphant, a long-withheld gift to Russians who were cheated out of their Beatlemaniac youths.
But the documentary, which aired recently on the A&E cable network, all but credited McCartney with knocking down the Berlin Wall and defeating communism. The Beatles were demigods, yes; they were a hugely important cultural-global force. But a little perspective, please.
Then there's the late George Harrison, the "quiet Beatle." A modest guy, he liked nothing more than tending to his English garden, so he shrank from the limelight that McCartney and his new wife, Heather Mills, seem to crave.
"Concert for George," filmed at London's Royal Albert Hall on Nov. 29, 2002, the first anniversary of his death from throat cancer, is a fitting, moving tribute to a gentle soul - and a great songwriter, as if you needed reminding. Directed by David Leland in sparkling high-definition video with crisp and punchy surround sound, "George" is a celebration of Harrison's entire body of songs, from such early Beatles songs as "I Want to Tell You" to mid-period solo material such as "My Sweet Lord" to later work with the Traveling Wilburys.
An impressive troupe of Harrison's best pals - including Jeff Lynne, Billy Preston, Joe Brown, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Ravi Shankar and former Beatles Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney - were gathered for the concert, with Eric Clapton as the maestro. Mr. Harrison's son, Dhani, also performs on guitar, looking spookily like a twenty-something version of his father.
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps," the original recording of which featured Clapton, is a stunning rendition. And with Starr on drums and McCartney on piano, it's probably the closest thing we'll ever get to a Beatles reunion.
Ditto for "Something," arguably Harrison's finest composition, which McCartney assays on ukulele, an instrument the late guitarist cherished. It's improbably brilliant and sweet, but the supergroup of musicians picks up midway through, giving the song the full treatment it deserved. Billy Preston, who played keyboards on "Get Back," and Clapton turn in a superbly heartfelt rendition of "Isn't It a Pity," while the Heartbreakers offer a gritty "Taxman."
Along with his daughter Anoushka, Shankar - Harrison's sitar mentor - conducts an orchestra of Indian and English musicians for a detour called "Arpan," which, given the late guitarist's long-held Eastern spiritual values and love of Indian music, was probably a necessary excursion.
"George" is brought back to earth with an irreverent pair of tunes sung by none other than the old boys from Monty Python's Flying Circus (plus a certain movie-star guest, but I won't spoil the surprise).
The Python chorale, including Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam, bellows its way through "The Lumberjack Song" and a piece whose name can't be printed in a family newspaper.
What are they doing in a tribute to George Harrison? He was a huge fan and, it's been remarked, he half-seriously thought the spirit of the Beatles passed into Monty Python when the band broke up. It speaks highly of the tribute organizers that they saw fit to inject that kind of irreverent humor into such a solemn occasion. But there it is - and there are Pythonites, dressed as Canadian Mounties, mooning their crusty old rear ends in Royal Albert Hall. Harrison wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Or would he have?
During a break from rehearsals, Clapton admits to being uncertain about the whole project, about whether Harrison would've welcomed such attention. "I needed to do it for myself," the guitarist says, frankly.
Clapton deserves our gratitude then, because when a concert's this good, we need it for ourselves, too. Coming full circle, the Russians needed, and deserved, Paul McCartney, who, it should be said, is nothing but a class act in "Concert for George." There. Everyone's happy.
October 4, 2003 -- The Daily Record
WE LOVE EWE YEAH YEAH YEAH - Macca's randy rams on rampageSex-starved rams owned by Sir Paul McCartney are wreaking havoc on a neighboring farm. The amorous animals are escaping from their field in Kintyre and trying it on with ewes on another farm.
Now it is feared Macca's rams, some of which are elderly because the former Beatle can't bear to have them slaughtered, may have sown their wild oats two months early. That would bring the spring lambing season forward to February.
Macca keeps more than 30 rams on his farm next to a field belonging to farmer Hector Duncan. A source said, "Sir Paul's rams have been getting out quite regularly and going after Hector's females. He has told locals his sheep keep getting molested by the Beatle's sheep. Some of them are quite old with curly horns. They're getting on a bit but there is obviously life in the old rams yet.''
Hector has mounted round-the-clock vigils to try and stop the rams' advances on his flock of 500 ewes. And his work has paid off as he has cut off the rams' escape route. He said, "It's all sorted. It was a gap in the fence. I've patched it up.''
But he said he couldn't tell yet if any of his sheep would produce offspring fathered by Macca's rams. He said, "It's too early in the season.''
If the rams have mated with the ewes, the lambs will be born in February when their chances of surviving the cold weather are minimal.
Sir Paul's High Park Farm on the remote Argyll peninsula inspired his No. 1 hit Mull Of Kintyre.
October 4, 2003 -- Waveguide TV
McCartney On Fame AcademySir Paul McCartney will introduce the final two students on BBC One's Fame Academy final before their performance of the Beatles track "Let It Be"- just before the winner's name is revealed in the show's second half.
Sir Paul is also to join the board of the Fame Academy Bursary - a scheme set up after the first series of Fame Academy which generated £1 million ($1.6 million) from record sales and phone lines.
The current series has already generated more than £1 million without including the final.
The bursary aims to develop new musical talent throughout the UK by supplying musical instruments to young people between the ages of 11 and 15 with a passion for music and supporting the musical education of promising students aged between 16 and 30.
The first stage of the bursary will fund these two schemes which will give away more than 150 instrument grants worth up to £1,200 ($1,992) and five education bursaries worth £12,500 ($20,750) per year for the next three years.
Sir Paul said, "This is a fantastic way to give really talented young musicians throughout the UK the chance to develop their musical skills. It can give some a leg up through being able to own their own instrument or put others into the right educational environment to really blossom as a performer."
The BBC's Director of Drama, Entertainment and CBBC, Alan Yentob, who is also on the board, said, "Paul knows just what it means to have a burning ambition to play music from an early age. He's the perfect person to help us identify the talented musicians and performers of the future".
October 4, 2003 -- The Mail on Sunday
Heather insists the ex-Beatle's fourth child will be the first one to go to a private schoolHe's worth 700 million pounds, but Sir Paul McCartney put all his children through state school to lead 'normal' lives.
Now Sir Paul, 61, who has always opposed private education, seems to have had a change of heart and may send his fourth child to an exclusive, fee-paying school.
The news comes after his second wife, Heather Mills-McCartney, 35, told a friend that they had already discussed their unborn baby's education.
The former model from Newcastle who, like Sir Paul, attended a state school, has said that she wants her child to have "the very best of everything"--including an expensive academic career.
Claiming their child would never be able to enjoy a 'normal school life' at a local comprehensive, Heather revealed that the couple are already considering a number of the country's best private schools.
A close friend said, "Heather's so excited and naturally wants the best for her baby. She can't wait to be a mother and she's planning everything very early. Heather didn't come from a privileged background and wants her child to have the best possible schooling. She has said she will have to work at turning Paul round because he is not completely convinced. But she is very good at winning him over. She has planted the seed in his mind early."
The couple know the sex of their child, due in November, and have decided on a name, but they have yet to put that name down on any school entry list.
The news that Sir Paul could pay for his fourth child to be educated will come as a shock to his close friends and family. "It flies in the face of everything Paul stands for," one of his oldest friends said last night.
Only recently, his youngest daughter Stella called her father a "tight bastard" for sending her to a comprehensive. Like her brother James and older sister Mary, she attended Thomas Peacocke Community College in Rye, East Sussex.
Stella appeared to resent Sir Paul not spending any of his millions on her education. She said, "I didn't go round thinking what great benefits there are for me going to a comprehensive. But I could look after myself. I was a bully for a while."
Sir Paul hit back, "It was a mum-and-dad decision and Stella hasn't done badly by it. I'm not really that tight. We were careful to send them to a normal school and they were fine. I didn't want to spoil my kids because if you've got money, you end up with spoilt brats running around."
Sir Paul's friends say his U-turn is the latest in a number of changes he has made since he married last year. At Heather's behest, he bought a beachside house in Hove, East Sussex, where they spend most of their time. Last week, Heather told an American TV chat show that they do not live in any of the homes Sir Paul shared with his first wife, Linda.
Industry insiders have also been stunned by Sir Paul's decision last year to reverse the credits on a number of Beatles tracks so they read "McCartney-Lennon" rather than "Lennon-McCartney."
And his relationship with Stella is reported to have become strained over the past two years because she does not get along with her stepmother.
Last night, Heather's spokeswoman could not confirm plans for the new baby's schooling. She said, "This was a private conversation between Heather and a friend, so I cannot comment on it."
October 4, 2003 -- New York Times
Sir Paul's Little Girl Opens in Los Angeles
On the driveway leading to the back garden at 8823 Beverly Boulevard last Sunday night (October 28), a hot-dog cart stocked with vegetarian wieners was on hand to feed the guests at the opening of the designer Stella McCartney's West Hollywood boutique. Across from the cart stood a fun-house mirror to let them see how they would look tall and thin. (As if that were necessary.)Given her British rock royalty pedigree and her endorsement by Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna and other West End-bound American actors, it is easy to understand why Los Angeles is so invested in Ms. McCartney, who is 32. There is also the fact that this is a town in which trashed T-shirts fetch $200, so her designs, which are both tailored enough to look worldly, yet suitably deconstructed to withstand a hard day's night, seem as if they have been part of the wardrobe for ages.
"She's a real cool chick," declared the ice-blond actress Portia de Rossi, 30, looking very tall and very thin without the help of a mirror in holographic vinyl stiletto heels and a strappy white fencing jacket from McCartney's new collection. "It's great that there's a woman designing for 30-year-old women," Ms. de Rossi continued, pausing to greet Jacqueline Bisset with a kiss. "When she first started designing for Chloé, I practically went bankrupt."
In the crush of hundreds, including Quincy Jones and Cate Blanchett, de Rossi and her companion, the recording artist Francesca Gregorini, who is the stepdaughter of Ringo Starr, came to sing the praises of Paul McCartney's little girl. But where was she?
It scarcely mattered. The crowd was preoccupied with McCartney's latest makeover, of a former antiques emporium: the two-story ivy-covered building had been reconfigured into a third Stella McCartney boutique, following ateliers in London and New York. Since 2001, when she left Chloé, McCartney's label and its international expansion have been underwritten by the Gucci Group.
Outside, a brick patio, which will serve as the store's valet parking lot, had been transformed into the stage for an English garden party with tailored furniture upholstered in beige linen. Cigarette girls sauntered through the crowd, toting black velvet boxes trimmed with jet beads and laden with perfume samples, English candies and Hollywood brand gum.
At 7 p.m., one hour after the D.J. Javier Natureboy kicked the party into gear with vintage disco and current club anthems including FannyPack's "Cameltoe," McCartney faced the flash bulbs. Wearing ruched trousers that stopped just below her knees and a black suit jacket of her own design, the ponytailed McCartney paused at the threshold of her store to critique her own red carpet turn: "Whore, whore, whore," she said, laughing before turning to lavish attention on Pocket, a dachshund-Chihuahua mix wearing a T-shirt designed by his owner, Johnson Hartig of Libertine.
Next in the receiving line was Evelyn, the 19-month-old daughter of Debi Mazar, an actress, who was wearing the same $1,065 seafoam green McCartney ensemble as a mannequin in the shop's window. "I can't do this all night," McCartney laughed, sucking on the tiny finger Evelyn kept sticking in her mouth.
Wearing a princess coat like a tiny Caroline Kennedy, Mazar's daughter was one of many guests who helped raise the style bar for the evening. Shiva Rose, the wife of the actor Dylan McDermott, turned up in vintage McCartney, cutting a lithe figure in a garnet slip and French blue stockings. Even Pamela Anderson, a good deal shyer, smaller and prettier than she appears on screen, was turned out tastefully, though not in Stella. "I wore her every day when I hosted London Fashion Week," Anderson said, before dashing off to put her two sons to bed.
For a good 15 minutes, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, who was dressed in McCartney, stopped traffic before settling in on a sofa at the rear of the garden. Then, as the electroclash tune "Do I Look Like a Slut?" by Avenue D came on, Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers arrived - the first of a rush of musicians, including Rufus Wainwright, former members of Guns N' Roses and the rapper-actress Eve.
By then the sun had set and cotton candy, taffy apples, bags of sugary popcorn and scones with clotted cream were making the rounds. A screen in the garden flickered with Elia Kazan's "Streetcar Named Desire," sans sound, and at the inevitable moment, people started imitating Marlon Brando's wanton cries of "Stella! STEL-LA!"
Finishing a vegetarian burger and a martini glass filled with the evening's signature cocktail, the Stellapolitan, McCartney reached for her beaded bag, took out a friend's Chanel compact and quickly dusted her face with powder. "World domination," she declared dramatically, when asked what she had planned next. Clearly, she was kidding.
A woman approached, gushing excitedly that she shared the same birthday - Sept. 13, 1971 - as the designer. "Is she bossy?" McCartney joked with the woman's male companion. "I am."
Not tonight. McCartney got the party started and like the silent Stella Kowalski on-screen, got the colored lights going. "I'm smiling at people I don't even know," she said, a grin plastered across her face.
October 3, 2003 -- E! Online
Paul McCartney, going for a speedy Sunday-morning drive (September 21) in his swanky Corvette. Franklin Canyon, smack between Bev Hills and Studio City. Riding alongside P.M. was his marital unit, Heather Mills, blond hair blowing in the wind and all that. Nice life, eh? (Photos)
The former model and wife of Sir Paul McCartney, made a spirited defence of Usworth Comprehensive School in her home town Washington, near Sunderland, which is due to close. She visited the school for the first time in 20 years on Tuesday night as guest of honor at the prize-giving event.
Education bosses want to close the school because of a crisis over surplus places. Before the ceremony, the 35-year-old vowed to bring the closure to the prime minister's attention when she next meets Tony Blair. Lady Mills McCartney, who is expecting her first child, was well versed in the arguments against closing the school, where she said she spent several happy years before she and younger sister Fiona moved to London in their teens. She hit out at Sunderland City Council's Local Education Authority, which wants to close the school and backed the parents and teachers in their bid to make them think again.
As a keen swimmer, she was aggrieved that Washington's only secondary school with a pool was set to close. And she was concerned about pupils having to travel across the new town to other, less well-equipped schools.
Lady Mills McCartney said, "I think it's terrible that they have put this over the heads of the teachers and pupils that the school will be shut over a four year period. But they cannot tell them what will happen to them all when it closes. I will definitely mention this to the prime minister."
She felt officials had earmarked the school for closure because it was in a prime location for re-development. She was particularly concerned as the school takes in special needs pupils from across Wearside.
Head teacher Kevin McDermid said the LEA needed to close a school due to falling pupil numbers, but he said a 7,500-strong petition had been raised by Usworth's supporters. He said, "Heather and her sister have been very active from a distance in supporting the campaign and expressing their good wishes for the future of the school and we are overjoyed she has come up tonight for the awards evening to publicly state her support."
Earlier, she visited her former primary school at nearby Usworth Grange, where she joked, "I haven't really got a beer belly, this is a baby in here.
November 2003
November 30, 2003 -- Sunday People
MACCA WAR STELLA SAYS LET IT BEA
PAUL McCARTNEY'S daughter Stella has patched up her bitter feud with stepmum Heather Mills. She buried the hatchet during a trip to see Macca and Heather's four- week-old baby Bea - her halfsister. Stella arrived laden with baby clothes and Heather was delighted.
A pal of the fashion designer said, "It was an olive branch. Stella was unhappy when her dad chose to marry Heather but now she has gone out of her way to be friendly. Paul is over the moon."
Stella refused to make Heather's bridal gown after Heather said her designs were too tarty. But Bea has brought Macca's children closer to accepting his wife.
The pal added, "Stella fell in love with Bea. At last she and Heather have found some common ground."
A Street Urchin Becomes a Model, Activist--and Mrs. Paul McCartney
Premieres: Nov. 30, 9 pm ET -- Encores: Nov. 30, 11 pm; Dec. 4, at 8 pm ET
Call it a Cinderella story or a rags-to-riches tale. As this E! True Hollywood Story--premiering Sunday, Nov. 30, at 9 pm ET reveals, the life of Heather Mills McCartney has been a roller-coaster ride and a study in contrasts.
Her mother left early. Her father went to jail. She lived on the streets. She also had a natural beauty that appealed to modeling agencies. Her career took off, and she became a wife and stepmother. Then in August 1993, a police motorcycle struck her, and she lost her left leg below the knee. With a positive attitude, she moved past her injuries and resumed her career. She became an advocate for amputees and visited war-torn countries to deliver prosthetic limbs, food and medicine. Her work even earned her a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.And after one failed marriage, a quick engagement and several romances, Mills eventually found love with Paul McCartney. The former street urchin married the Beatle and continued her work for those less fortunate. This E! True Hollywood Story recounts the whole tale, in her own words and in those words of McCartney. Tune in to see how a little girl who seemed not to have a chance grew up to be a woman who is making a positive difference in the world. But first, read through the sometimes Dickensian chronology of the horrible, depressing and, and, yes, even uplifting events in the life of Heather Mills McCartney.
November 29, 2003
ONO: McCARTNEY HIDES 'DISTANT' SIDE
John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono has accused Sir Paul McCartney for hiding his true persona from the public, claiming he's "distant" in real life.The eccentric artist has often has an extremely strained relationship with the Beatles star, and claims he often covers up his true personality with his natural charm.
She says, "Sometimes it's true we don't see eye-to-eye. Paul has become quite distant. It's an aspect of his personality that people don't know, probably because he rarely shows that side. Sometimes he's charming."
However, the 70-year-old artist has only praise to heap on Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.
She says, "With Ringo, it's a little bit easier - he's very sweet."
November 29, 2003 -- Liverpool Echo
Paul McCartney has been tipped as the headline act at next year's Glastonbury Festival.Michael Eavis, who owns the farm which holds the festival, is said to want Sir Paul to top the bill along with Prince and Oasis.
Preparations for the 2004 festival, which began in 1970 and attracts more than 150,000 people, are now under way.
It is not known whether he intends to take up the offer.
Paul's book of poetry "Blackbird Singing" has been translated into French and just released in France.
November 27, 2003
KFOX in San Jose, CA is having a Beatles Thanksgiving!
98.5 KFOX - FM has saved you a place at our Thanksgiving table, right next to John, Paul, George, and Ringo! Join us all this week for the Beatles Family Tree A to Z- all the great Beatles music, plus lots of solo work! Listen Live.
Hear DJ Greg Kihn's Paul pre-concert interview (from San Jose, 2002) here. Windows Media Player or Realplayer
November 26, 2003 -- Contact Music News
Stella Eyes Music CareerDesigner Stella McCartney could be swapping the fashion world for a singing career - if people stop buying her clothes.
The daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney has forged a successful career in the fashion industry, but will follow her famous dad into music if things don't work out.
She says, "I must confess to being a frustrated musician. For me, singing is the most natural thing in the world. I've grown up with it and I know that I've got that gift. At times I make music, but in private. I like to think that if people stop liking my clothes, I'll make a record."
November 25, 2003 -- The Globe
Ex-Beatles drummer Pete Best was a guest at "Supermegafest" held this past weekend at the Framingham Sheraton in Boston. When asked if he was surprised that 61-year-old Paul McCartney became a father again he replied, "Not really. He's from Liverpool."
November 23, 2003 -- TelegraphKeepers of the fame flame
Celebrities might move on, but their homes are guarded night and day by live-in custodians, says Christopher Middleton.
The resemblance is truly unnerving. When John Halliday opens the door of 20 Forthlin Road - Paul McCartney's childhood home - you really do believe for a minute that you're in the presence of the celebrated Beatle himself.
Those bushbaby eyes, those pouchy cheeks, that dense Scouse accent. But no. It is 39 years since the McCartney family moved out of this little, terraced council house on the edge of Liverpool - and five years since the National Trust bought it and opened it to the public.
Hence John's presence. He's 55, a lifelong Beatles fan, and - in short - it's his job to live in Paul McCartney's old house. As resident custodian, he is required not just to look after the property and spend each night there, but also to host four tours a day, five days a week, maximum 15 visitors per tour.
It's a tight schedule - and a tight fit. Snug to the point of squashed, No 20 has just three tiny rooms downstairs (parlour, dining-room and kitchen) plus three shoebox-size bedrooms upstairs (one of which is John's and closed to the public).
"Can you believe it?" he beams, as he welcomes you into the room where the young Lennon and McCartney composed their first big hit "Love Me Do." "I get paid to live rent-free in the house that's the birthplace of The Beatles."
All round the walls, photos taken by Paul's brother Mike bear testimony to the historic (and not-so-historic) events that have taken place under this roof. Here's a picture of Paul lolling on the floor by that very fireplace, strumming his guitar. There is a picture of him and John Lennon sitting right by that door, poring over the lyrics of "I Saw Her Standing There." And there's a 1960s picture of Paul's dad Jim, washing his sons' underpants in a tin bucket (Paul's mother Mary died of breast cancer in 1956).
"No question about it, this is the best job I've ever had," says John, who shares No 20 with his grown-up son (Paul, naturally). "Before I came here, I was working night shifts in a factory, trimming electric flex and wondering what I was doing with my life.
"I saw this post advertised in the paper, but I never thought the National Trust would choose me."
It is not hard to see why it did. Born and brought up in the Anfield area of Liverpool, John's teenage dream was to be a pop star.
"During the 1960s, I was rhythm guitarist in a local Liverpool band called The Potions. We played a lot of pubs and weddings, and my brother and I were quite good on the vocal harmonies, but we never really made it. It's ironic, then, that I should end up living in a pop star's house."
Ironic, too, that of an evening the house is filled with songs that first saw the light of day in the front room, 40 years ago. "I still love playing all the Beatles albums," says John. "Over the years I'd say "Abbey Road" is the one that has best stood the test of time, with "Rubber Soul" a close second."
But it is not all just sitting back and listening to the sounds of swinging Merseyside. Each day, before the public arrive (at 10.50am), John has to clear away all vestiges of his tenancy. Everything from cereal packets to the microwave oven has to be shut away in a pantry, and the doors to his bedroom and bathroom firmly locked ("We try to keep the house 100 per cent in period").
There is also a constant round of security checks, involving computerised fire and alarm systems that hadn't been thought of when the McCartneys first came here in 1955 (Paul aged 14, and brother Mike aged 12).
The best part of the job is meeting the fans who have made the pilgrimage to Forthlin Road from places as far away as Hawaii and Siberia. "Some cry, some laugh, some just sit on Paul's little single bed and shake their head in disbelief," says John, who is spared Fab Four fatigue by the fact that the house is closed to the public during the winter.
"From the start of November to the end of March, I go and work in the grounds of Speke Hall (a nearby NT stately home), which is great, because it helps me re-charge my batteries."
The McCartney home is open from April until October, from Wednesday to Sunday. Four National Trust minibus tours per day visit the house - plus John Lennon's childhood home, Mendips. Tickets £10 per adult. For details telephone 0870 900 0256.
November 21, 2003 -- Daily Record
Sir Paul McCartney and his wife Heather have taken a break from looking after their new baby, Beatrice, to enjoy a romantic meal at a posh London restaurant.The couple tucked into dinner at one of their favorite eating places, the exclusive Le Caprice.
The 61-year-old music legend was clearly delighted to get the chance to escape his parental duties for the night as he flashed a "Just the two of us'' message to fans.
And Heather appeared to have fully recovered after giving birth to 7 lb Beatrice in an emergency Caesarean op last month.
November 19, 2003 -- UTV
Limerick woman Shonagh Daly has been asked to perform for American president George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.The 23 year old who released her first single "All I Want" last week will sing an Andrew Lloyd Webber song at the lunch time function tomorrow, November 20.
The US Ambassador to Britain requested Shonagh to sing at his residence in Regent Park following her performance at Ground Zero shortly after the Sepetmber 11th attacks.
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Elton John and Paul McCartney will also attend the lunch.
November 19, 2003 -- Ireland Online
There are plans to turn the life and times of Northern rock guitarist, Henry McCullough, into a Stateside film.McCullough, who's now 60, has been associated with most of the music giants of recent decades. He played with Paul McCartney in Wings, and at Woodstock.
Recently a US-based producer flew to his Coleraine home for talks about the proposed project.
November 18, 2003 -- Guardian UnlimitedFab four? Drab four more like. Dave Simpson explains why he thinks the Beatles are overrated, and over
This week's release of "Let It Be... Naked" has aroused some interesting - and unusual - comments. "Pub rock... second raters," said Q. "Teeth-clenchingly mawkish," grumbled the Guardian. Could the world be starting to wake up to the fact that the Fab Four were not that fab after all?
I've never liked the Beatles. There. I've said it.
I was part of the lucky generation born between the Beatles' world-conquering existence and the now endless wave of CD repackages, anniversary collections and retrospectives that force-feeds secondhand Beatlemania to modern generations of unsuspecting youth. When I was a kid discovering Showaddywaddy and Wizzard (who I still prefer to the Fabs), the Beatles were just a fading throwback loitering in secondhand shops. My mum reminisced, horrifyingly, about their "nice suits". One school trip took us to a museum which had cardboard cutouts of John, Paul, Ringo and The Other One. Maybe it was the fact that they were bigger than me, didn't smile, and smelt musty, but there was something about them I found very scary.
I never bought the myth - all that thumbs aloft, wacky Scousers, lovely boys, world peace stuff which we now know to be nonsense because they were in fact either taking heroin, fighting among themselves or dreaming up the "Frog Chorus" all that time. Even at my early age, something in McCartney's eye said, "Sshh, in 30 years I'll be asking my lawyers to get the credits reversed to McCartney-Lennon and presiding over a de-Spectorised version of "Let It Be" which will show how much we relied on top producers."
Even when I outgrew Slade, the Beatles remained thoroughly uninteresting. A mate of mine - troubled that I was a Non-Believer - lent me The Beatles "Live At The Hollywood Bowl." It sounded like a bootleg of Gerry and the Pacemakers and a lot of girls screaming. I pushed it aside in favor of the UK Subs. Lennon's death triggered national Beatle worship all over again, but for me rock's most significant loss of 1980 was Joy Division's Ian Curtis.
Of course, even this Beatlephobe cannot deny their incalculable cultural significance: they wrote their own songs before the Stones did and gave the world the bowl cut. They are feted for their lyrics. But for every "In My Life," there's "I Am The Walrus": "You've been a naughty girl, you've let yer knickers down". Poetry? Not really.
When I think of the great moments of pop history, the Drab Four were not around. They didn't turn up at Live Aid or on the Anarchy Tour, and their chief influence on acid house was to provide a toe-curling hit for Candyflip. They did, however, pen a number one hit for Gareth Gates in 2002.
The Beatles are what they always were - the safe, money-spinning, housewives' choice. Their albums are easy listening (fine for 50-somethings, but the Beatles were cardigan-wearing duffers in their 20s). "Sgt. Pepper," their much-trumpeted "psychedelic" album was as mindbending as an Asda mushroom pie. Give or take "Helter Skelter," they never even rocked, really. Next to the Stones, the Who or the Troggs, the Beatles are the low alcohol lager of the 60s.
Of course, you're not supposed to say this. Do and they'll burn you in the street. When I once casually mentioned in a feature for Melody Maker that Oasis were better than the Beatles, the postbag bulged for months. Karl Wallinger - who penned the Fab-alike "She's The One" for Robbie Williams - howled on Radio One in outrage. Like Michael Jackson-worshippers and Cliff stalkers, Beatles fans refuse to confront the notion that their heroes could be flawed. But is the fact that their fanbase includes Mark Chapman, Michael Jackson and Mike Read not enough to put anyone off?
Like Christmas, Beatlemania is now a vast and increasingly meaningless business run by ageing Fab fans. The record industry is in such trouble that it relies on endless repackages of "Eleanor Rigby." "Let It Be... Naked" might not be the end. Next could be "Rubber Soul... Naked." One day, we might even be confronted with Paul McCartney naked. To move on, pop must rid itself of this whistling, thumb-raising cancer. Oasis and the Rutles aside, the list of great bands inspired by the Beatles is not long, yet they continue to exert a stranglehold, pumped out of taxis, covered on Pop Idol, even appearing on the cover of last week's NME.
The line we're always pummelled with is that they set the standard for great songwriting. Yes, "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Hey Jude" are marvellous. But if I ponder the rest - especially "Yellow Submarine" or "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" - all I think is "Help!"
Send your comments about this article to: arts.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk
Read feedback to this article
Nov 18, 2003 -- Daily Post
Stella McCartney dedicates images of inspiration to support Red CrossStella McCartney is among a host of stars who have donated photographs for the Red Cross. More than 80 high profile international figures including Angelina Jolie, Kate Moss, Nicole Kidman, Moby, Eric Cantona, Helena Christensen and David Coulthard contribute images of "what inspires them." Proceeds from the project support European Red Cross societies and European youth projects
A book called "On the Other Side of the Lens" has been published to accompany exhibitions in London, Berlin, Paris, Milan and Stockholm.
With the help of the camera company, Canon, the celebrity images capture and share what inspires these famous figures. Anita Kerwin-Nye, head of youth, schools and community first aid at the British Red Cross said the book captures the essence of inspiration and is a fitting testament to the work the Red Cross is doing across Europe to help empower young people to make more of their lives and of those around them.
November 17, 2003 -- BBC News
Five million copies of the album, called "Let It Be...Naked," have been pressed to meet worldwide demand. The album is expected to ship platinum...more
November 17, 2003 -- Telegraph"No celebs" proviso placed on island sale
A laird has put his island estate on the market with strict instructions that celebrities with less than impeccable taste are not welcome.
He lists Sir Paul McCartney, Cilla Black and Rod Stewart among those to whom he would not sell Dippin Lodge on the isle of Arran. In one advertisement in Private Eye, he stated, "Would suit privacy-seeking celebrity with impeccable taste: so that's Halliwell, Posh, Cilla, Rod, Hucknell & Cowell out for starters." Another advertisement stated "Heather Mills McCartney can b***** off too."
Ron Stewart, owner of the 18-room hunting lodge in 50 acres for which he is seeking £850,000 ($1.4 million), said he did not want the wrong kind of buyer disturbing the island peace. His selling agent, Bob Brass, of Arran Estate Agents, said, "I can assure you the sentiment is heartfelt."
In recent years, almost every estate mansion put on the market in Scotland has been linked with a celebrity.
Margaret Currie, a local councillor, said, "People come to Arran to enjoy a peaceful environment. If it were packed with photographers chasing celebrities the calm might be lost."
November 17, 2003 -- ICLiverpool
Baker's days with MaccaPaul McCartney's representative on earth lights up one of the 60 cigarettes he will smoke today and pours scorn on the notion that he could ever commit the ultimate betrayal . . .
"There is as much chance of me writing a book about Paul as there is of me taking life seriously," says Geoff Baker, who has served his lord and master as press officer for 14 eventful, newsworthy years.
"I could write hundreds of books about Paul, but I'd never do it - even if someone put a gun to my head. It would cheapen everything. I think it's entirely wrong to work for someone and then write a book about him."
But you could do it? There would be nothing stopping you?
"Of course I could do it. But it isn't a consideration. It's never going to happen."
It would be letting Paul, and himself, down. Although Geoff, in his own self-deprecating words, did "**** up" and let his boss down quite recently.
And he is big enough to bring up "That David Blaine thing" just a few minutes after we meet, as he prepares to oversee an afternoon of promotional TV interviews for the born-again Beatles' album "Let It Be ... Naked."
He was fired by Paul - though reinstated within hours - after it emerged that he had tipped off a London Evening Standard photographer that his boss would be visiting the scene of Blaine's stunt by Tower Bridge.
There were reports of a certain amount of unpleasantness, including a scuffle between Paul's pals and the snapper, although Paul later played down the incident as "a group of friends on a night out" and dismissed the "sacking" as a joke.
Anything you'd like to add, Geoff: "Yes, I'm a **** ".
So the conpiracy theorists were wrong and it wasn't a Baker/McCartney stunt to generate even more headlines? "We're not that ******* mad!"
Further explaining their relationship, he adds, "There has been the odd barney over the years, but it's always me - I cause them. It's me being hotheaded, because I just am. It doesn't matter if I'm working for Paul McCartney, the Pope or whoever. I'm a bit intolerant of authority. But if Paul McCartney was a dickhead I wouldn't work for him."
He pauses to consider his role in life, "I think it's hysterical that I work for someone who is the most famous person in the world apart, perhaps, from the Pope - although the Pope's songs aren't as good. But it'll probably end very soon - probably after Paul reads this! I really wouldn't be surprised if it ended this year."
You've been doing the job for 14 years, so why should it end now? "Because I don't presume anything. I keep having to change the remark, but when I'd worked for Paul for 10 years I said, 'If you work for Paul McCartney for 10 days that would make your life.' I'm not saying that in a sycophantic way, because he gets enough of that. But it's ******* fabulous. It's a privilege; it's not work. It's been a blast. And that's what I think it's meant to be; fun and a laugh - it's only rock 'n' roll."
We are, at this point, sitting on the steps of the Abbey Road studios. Some tourists are gawping at us. One is probably saying, "Look at that scruffy so-and-so - it must be Geoff Baker."
Non-stop Geoff - possibly powered by Duracell batteries - does wonderful impressions of a hyperactive child and a runaway train at this world-famous musical landmark in London's St John's Wood.
He has, for once, agreed to step out of Paul McCartney's shadow and into the spotlight - but only because it will give him the chance to further promote the new, stripped-down version of The Beatles' album, "Let It Be." ("Let It Be ... Naked" is out today in the UK).
Geoff, who is great company and one of the most enthusiastic people I've ever met, is excited. Very excited. Over the course of more than four hours, he will tell me and several others, "The Beatles are on the ******** front cover of the NME, for the first time since they split up! How cool is that?"
Sir Paul, naturally, is at home with his wife, Heather, holding the baby.
Geoff, then, with more than a little help from his friend and fellow free-lancer, Berni Kilmartin, spends a frantic afternoon overseeing a mini-media circus (believe me, touchy, tempera-mental and time-consuming TV crews can take a lot of looking after).
The 47-year-old father-of-four fetches, carries, smokes some fags (cigarettes), runs along corridors, hands out press packs, smokes some more fags, sits in on the interviews - and finds precious minutes here and there to answer my questions and be photographed by the Echo's Frank Loughlin.
When we arrive, he is on his knees before The Beatles, applying gaffer tape to giant posters - and praising the new (old) album to the heavens, "This is a great day for Liverpool, Paddy. And the audacity of the whole thing - remixing an album made 33 years ago! That's not a scam, it's Scouse front!"
His rough and ready appearance - a mop of unruly black/grey hair, casual blue sweater and jeans - seems to match the organized chaos of his high-energy, action-packed day.
Dorset-born Geoff, who lives in Wiltshire with his second wife, certainly couldn't be described as a pompous man, and he says, "I like the fact that Paul isn't pompous. When he was knighted he accepted the honor on behalf of the people of Liverpool. He didn't need to do that; he wasn't going to sell any more albums by doing that."
Being Paul McCartney - and being Paul McCartney's press officer - means questions, questions and more questions. And Geoff says, "The most ridiculous thing I see in this job is when interviewers say to Paul 'Now, I'm going to ask you a question you've never been asked before.' Because he's ALWAYS been asked it before!"
As yet another TV crew set up in the control room of Abbey Road's studio two (where "Sgt. Pepper" was recorded), Geoff explains his working non-routine, "It all depends on the project. If Paul's on the road, I'll be working with him every day. But at other times, I can go for weeks without talking to him."
It may only be rock 'n' roll, but Geoff Baker likes it. In fact, he loves it.
After rewarding the French TV crew with an interview - they'd come a long way - he rounds things off by telling me his favorite Beatles' song.
"'Birthday' from The White Album, because it was playing when I had sex for the first time - when I was 14-years-old."
Very rock 'n' roll, Geoff. And I bet you lit up a fag immediately afterwards ...
November 17, 2003 -- TV Guide OnlineGetting Naked with Billy Preston
He's a successful artist in his own right, a prodigy who toured as a teenager with Little Richard, shared the stage with Ray Charles and the Rolling Stones, and conquered the pop and R&B charts as a solo artist. Yet Billy Preston doesn't mind it one bit when a reporter calls just to talk about the Fab Four. After all, it was Preston's brilliant keyboard work on "Let It Be" and "Abbey Road" that earned him "Fifth Beatle" status, an honor he still cherishes almost 35 years later. Though he hadn't yet listened to the Phil Spector-free "Let it Be... Naked," Preston is thrilled when TV Guide Online tells him his keyboards sound even better. "It feels great that I'm being heard!" says the 57-year-old.TVG: So it doesn't bother you when people only want to talk about the Beatles?
Preston: It's fine with me that people still call to talk about it. It's still important to me. [Working with them] was a great honor. I appreciate it and I am grateful for it.TVG: So much is happening at once - "Let it Be... Naked", "Concert for George," The Ed Sullivan Shows Featuring the Beatles and the "Lennon Legend."
Preston: Yeah, you just have to get it all. (Laughs)TVG: Do you agree with the decision to change Let it Be and remove Phil Spector's work?
Preston: I do. Everyone probably has a different approach to [the album] and hears it in different ways. There's so much there to work with, and doing different things to [the music] will make it different and interesting. Now we get to hear the other versions they recorded of the different songs.TVG: This was essentially Paul McCartney's project. Ringo Starr gave his approval and so did George Harrison before he died. Do you think it was fair to change it without John Lennon?
Preston: Oh, I don't think it would have mattered. He was adventurous anyway, he would have tried it. He would have been for it.TVG: You played at the "Concert for George." Was that tough?
Preston: It was wonderful because a lot of old friends were there who had worked with George and it was like a homecoming. We had a great Thanksgiving dinner at his house and his spirit was there with us, it was a wonderful kind of fellowship.TVG: Was there any sadness?
Preston: I cried when I saw the film. There were certain moments, looking at his picture and hearing those songs. Paul and Ringo, too, we were all crying, we all shed tears.TVG: What was your most important musical contribution to the Beatles?
Preston: Actually, I'd say it was a spiritual contribution. At the time [during the recording of Let it Be] they were unhappy. They said that when I came, I kind of gave them a lift. They got together, settled down, stopped arguing and had fun for a change. That was the best part for me.For more on the Beatles pick up this week's issue (November 22- 28) of TV Guide magazine.
November 17, 2003 -- Reuters/APMcCartney song for Aids benefit
Sir Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel and Cat Stevens have joined a huge rock event aimed at helping Africa's 30 million Aids sufferers.They are backing Nelson Mandela's campaign - named 46664 after his former prison number - which culminates in a concert in Cape Town on 29 November.The show at Cape Town's Greenpoint Stadium also features artists such as Ms. Dynamite, Queen, Anastacia, The Corrs and Youssou N'dour. South African artists appearing include Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Johnny Clegg and Angelique Kidjo.
Gabriel will perform his song "Biko," written as a tribute to anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, who was killed in 1977, in front of a South African audience, for the first time. Beyonce and U2's Bono are also backing the event, being televised by MTV.Sir Paul has written a song with fellow musician Dave Stewart. He collaborated with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics on "Whole Life" which was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London where the Beatles created their most legendary songs. The pair set to work the day after the former South African president visited Britain to launch a global phone and internet campaign to raise awareness of AIDS. "Whole Life" can only be heard on the campaign website at www.46664.com.
The show will air on MTV on World Aids Day, 1 December, to a potential global TV audience of more than three billion in more than 90 countries.
November 17, 2003 -- USA TODAY
It's certainly a thrill: "Sgt. Pepper" is best albumTo everyone's complete lack of surprise, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" has been anointed the best album ever in a new Rolling Stone poll.
The Beatles' consecrated 1967 classic tops "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time," a collector's issue on stands Friday. Though typically the odds-on favorite for such rankings, "Sgt. Pepper" wasn't a slam-dunk.
"There was a horse race," says Rolling Stone music editor Joe Levy. "Early on, any number of albums in the top 10 were in the lead. The final result is no shock, but there's a reason for that. The Beatles, after all, were the most important and innovative rock group in the world. And Sgt. Pepper arguably set the tone for what an album could be."
The Beatles have four albums in the top 10. Predictably, the list is weighted toward testosterone-fueled vintage rock. The top solo female is Joni Mitchell, whose 1971 Blue is No. 30.
Rolling Stone asked musicians, critics, historians and key industry figures to rank their 50 favorites. The 273 participants included Beck, U2's The Edge, Jackson Browne, Art Garfunkel, Missy Elliott and members of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Linkin Park and The Doors. The Ernst & Young accounting firm devised a point system to weight votes for 1,600 submitted titles.
Voters were invited to identify favorites from any period or genre, allowing a smattering of country (Johnny Cash), jazz (Miles Davis) and seminal blues (Howlin' Wolf). The list also accommodates greatest hits collections and live recordings; four James Brown picks include two sets of hits and Live at the Apollo (1963). Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, The Drifters and Loretta Lynn, who flourished during the era of 45s, are represented only by hits compilations.
"Artists whose best works were singles are not going to be well represented," Levy notes. For example, he adds, "Disco is under-represented because it's a singles-driven genre."
Top 20 albums
1. Beatles - Sgt. Peppers2. Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
3. Beatles - Revolver
4. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
5. Beatles - Rubber Soul
6. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
7. Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
8. Clash - London Calling
9. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
10. Beatles - White Album
11. Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions
12. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
13. The Velvet Underground & Nico
14. Beatles - Abbey Road
15. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
16. Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
17. Nirvana - Nevermind
18. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
19. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
20. Michael Jackson - Thriller
November 16, 2003 -- The Sunday Herald
Truth behind ballad that split Beatles -- As stripped-down version of last Beatles album is re-released, Paul McCartney tells of writing The Long And Winding Road in Kintyre.
It was the song that broke up The Beatles, the last straw in the increasingly fractured relationship between Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and the trigger for plunging the band members into decades of bitterness and feuds.Now McCartney has revealed what drove him to write "The Long And Winding Road" at High Park Farm near Campbeltown, and spoken of his delight at finally hearing it stripped of Phil Spector's "wall of sound" after a 35-year struggle to have it re-released.
The former Beatle was talking on the eve of the launch tomorrow of "Let It Be Naked," a stripped-down version of the final official Beatles album.
"It's so bare that's it, no frills, no artifice," said McCartney when engineers played him the result of painstaking work to restore the song to the way he originally envisaged it.
The song was written in 1968 at the farm where McCartney would later write "Mull Of Kintyre" and "Maybe I'm Amazed." It was inspired by the tensions that were threatening to tear the band apart.
"I just sat down at my piano in Scotland, started playing and came up with that song, imagining it was going to be done by someone like Ray Charles," he said. "I have always found inspiration in the calm beauty of Scotland and again it proved the place where I found inspiration."
But recording the song and indeed the entire "Let It Be" album proved a torturous process. The original idea was to showcase The Beatles as a live band, without the increasingly expansive arrangements which had become the trademark of their more recent recordings. But rows marred the recording sessions and the band were unhappy with the end results.
According to "Revolution In The Head," a highly acclaimed book on The Beatles' songs by the late Ian MacDonald, "The Long And Winding Road" proved a particular bone of contention early on. Lennon's bass playing on the track was considered to be woeful.
MacDonald wrote, "The song was designed as a standard to be taken up by mainstream balladeers. Demos were sent to Tom Jones and Cilla Black. It features some atrocious bass-playing by Lennon, prodding clumsily around as if uncertain of the harmonies and making many comical mistakes. Lennon's crude bass playing on "The Long And Winding Road," though largely accidental, amounts to sabotage when presented as finished work."
The Beatles largely abandoned the basic "Let It Be" recordings to be pulled together by studio technicians. When they were still not happy with the results, Lennon asked American record producer Phil Spector to perform a rescue operation.
Spector completed the work in eight days when he overdubbed "The Long And Winding Road," "Across The Universe" and "Let It Be" with 18 violins, four violas, four cellos, a harp, three trumpets, three trombones, two guitarists and 14 singers.
When McCartney heard it he was furious but unable to prevent the album's release. He regarded the work done to "The Long And Winding Road" as desecration. Days later he told the other Beatles he was leaving the band.
He has never really put his anger and disappointment behind him and recently persuaded surviving Beatle Ringo Starr and Lennon's widow Yoko Ono to agree to release a stripped-down version of the album.
McCartney said yesterday, "I love the idea of releasing the record stripped-down, so that it's just the band. You get a very clear picture of how the band were singing and playing at that time and what a good little band this band was. And that's what shows on this new album. When we're talking about the tensions between the music, unfortunately that sticks because it was a group breaking up. I can't say, 'Yeah that was easy to deal with,' or that it's a great memory because it was my favorite band in all the world breaking up."
It's not just McCartney who has been delighted by the new version. "'The Long And Winding Road 'blew me away without the strings," said Starr. "There's nothing wrong with Phil's strings, this is just a different attitude to listening. But it's been 30-odd years since I've heard it without all that and it just blew me away."
Immediately after the Beatles split, McCartney fled back to his Scottish farm and had what he described as some kind of breakdown hitting the bottle and not getting out of bed for days.
It was there he discovered vegetarianism; where, with his late wife Linda, he rebuilt his shattered confidence following the break-up of the Beatles; and where he also got busted for growing cannabis.
Ironically he bought the farm after viewing it with his girlfriend at the time, the actress Jane Asher, but it was left in a run-down state for years until the break-up of The Beatles.
McCartney is currently juggling recording a new album in London with the responsibilities of fatherhood after the birth last month of his fourth daughter Beatrice.
"Let It Be ... Naked"
NEIL ASPINALLThe reason for putting it out is that the record sounds great; just that band. The "Let It Be" film hasn't been released with the album because we're still working through hours of outtakes.
YOKO ONO
Ringo's performance is incredible. Many drummers are sort of copying him now I don't think they can ever be Ringo. He was somehow holding them up and making sure that "Let It Be" is alright. Now this record is showing how it was . The Beatles were incredible; they didn't need any help and I think this version especially shows that.
GEORGE MARTIN
John said to me before we started "Let It Be": "I don't want any of your production rubbish on this one. I don't want any overdubbing of voices. I don't want any editing. Everything has got to be performed live like it used to be. It's got to be real, man, it's got to be honest."
November 16, 2003 -- The Scotsman
The man across the desk looked deep into my eyes. "You have issues with your inner controller," he warned me. But this wasn't some New Age seminar, nor a session with a Californian life coach. Newly pregnant, this was my first meeting at my chosen hospital of birth, the impossibly fashionable St John and St Elizabeth in St John's Wood, with its most sought-after obstetrician, Dr Yehudi Gordon."My inner child or my fetus?" I asked.
"Your inner child is in conflict with your inner baby."
"What can I do?"
"Acquiesce," he said.
And thus began a seven-month relationship with the softly spoken South African who gave me what I am convinced was the sort of pain and angst-free birth that more than justified the £5,500 fee I paid.
And I am sure, too, that Heather Mills McCartney - who shared Dr. Gordon's attentions with me - chose him to deliver baby Beatrice because, while some might think he is a bit heavy on the indulgent psychobabble, his intuition and ability to debunk neurosis are legendary.
His manner is both impassive and direct. Within seconds, you find yourself opening up to this father-confessor figure. When I told him of my chronic morning sickness he said, "It is what it is." Gordon believes the souls of babies choose their parents. When I said my baby hadn't made such a great choice with a non-earth mother like me, he replied, "On the contrary. It was a very good choice. She could have chosen a starving mother in Africa with Aids."No wonder his patient list reads like a Rolodex of fame. Emma Thompson, who wrote an accolade for his best-selling book Birth and Beyond, Kate Moss, Sadie Frost, Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, Jerry Hall and Elle Macpherson all had their babies delivered by Gordon.
As the founder of "John and Lizzie's" birth unit, Gordon prefers to do his Caesarean sections not under the glare of theatre lights, but candlelit, with one light poised on the critical area. A trailblazer in obstetrics - in the 1970s he was one of the architects of the active-birth movement, and in the 1980s he introduced water births in the UK - Gordon's popularity is partly due to the backlash against the rise in the "too posh to push" movement.
At the St John and St Elizabeth's birth unit, with its wafting aromatherapy oils and two midwives on hand, this is pushing at its poshest. Last year, 69 per cent of deliveries there were natural, active births, while Caesarean section and forceps deliveries were almost half the national average.
Daisy was born at 5.59am and, when Gordon arrived shortly afterwards, she was lying in her father's arms. In a touching gesture, Gordon laid his hand lightly on Martin's cheek and left. He was amused but not as surprised as I was by my daughter's calm self-containment. She was the only baby on the birth unit not to cry the first night to be held. I went for my post-natal visit the day after the McCartneys' baby was born. "Congratulations for delivering the most famous baby in Britain," I said. "Congratulations to you for having the best-behaved baby in Britain," he replied.
November 14, 2003
London Beatles auction features hard to find Paul McCartney memorabilia
Cooper Owens Fourth Annual Beatles Auction is currently taking bids on rare lots of Paul McCartney items such as autographs, "All the Best" original color separations and a "Flowers in the Dirt," press kit.Also available are beautiful Beatles photographs from the studio of Dezo Hoffmann, a signed (by all four Beatles) "Peoples Journal" caricature matted with a photo of Paul McCartney shown signing it from 1963 and much more.
Bids can be placed online now at www.cooperowen.com until the end of the auction on November 20 which will culminate with a live event at the Hard Rock Cafe in London.
November 14, 2003
BBC News online has a video clip about the new "Let It Be Naked" album with footage from the "Let It Be" film. Click here. You'll need RealPlayer.
November 13, 2003 -- Gannett News Service
Is is wrong of me to think that The Beatles are too old to be having babies?Paul McCartney is a father again at 61. His oldest child is 33. His stepdaughter from his first marriage to the late Linda McCartney is 39. His new wife, Heather Mills, is 35.
Maybe ages don't mean anything, but think how people would react if the news was of a famous woman having a baby at 61.
People would say it wouldn't be fair to the child for her to be pushing 80 when the child is just finishing high school. Can you imagine Yoko Ono announcing she was a mom again? Not many people would be singing "I Feel Fine" about that.
This could give a whole new meaning to Beatles' songs, like when Mills starts going around the house singing "Help!"
My girlfriends have mixed feelings about Sir Paul being a pop again, especially the ones around the age of his new wife. Those feeling their biological clocks ticking can see why she would want a Beatle baby. It's for her, they say.
She's even emerging as a symbol of hope for women who think they might never have children. She became a mother even after suffering cancer of the uterus and two ectopic pregnancies during her marriage to Alfie Karmal. Good for her, I guess. She's longed for a baby for years. She married a much older man, and she knew her chances were slim for having a family.
With couples marrying later and having second families, delaying childbearing is a fact of life. It can be a wonderful thing. Older parents often have the benefit of experience and maturity.
But isn't being a new parent at 61 a little selfish and immature?
Isn't part of parenthood supposed to be about being there to guide a child through life? Who wants their old man to really be an old man?
I can even accept the double standard society has about there being an age limit for women having children. That's more about biology than ethics.
I don't think women should lie about their age to qualify for infertility programs (like the 63-year-old California woman who in 1997 became the world's oldest mom).
It is strange, though, that nobody led a media campaign accusing actor Tony Randall of competing to be the world's oldest dad when he fathered his first child at 77.
Society kind of said, "more power to him," the same way sports commentator Frank Gifford, who's almost 70, gets winks about having young children, and fans reacted with joy about 68-year-old opera icon Luciano Pavarotti having a baby with a girlfriend half his age.
It's not that I think we need some sort of public policy saying what age is too old to have children. That would be dangerous. So is losing perspective in the pursuit of "having it all."
November 13, 2003 -- The Manila TimesSweet, sensual Stella
On and off, I've followed the story of Sir Paul McCartney's daughter since she first hit international headlines in the mid-'90s. Stella then graduated from London's famed Central St. Martin's College of Art and Design, and had no less than supermodel pals Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss strutting her fashion for her degree show. Stella's entire collection was quickly snapped up by a London boutique called Tokio after the much publicized graduation, and from then on, her career as a fashion designer was unstoppable.
While many fashion critics chalked up Stella's early achievements to her famous ex-Beatles surname, succeeding news bits proved the cynical lot wrong. It turned out that that "Paul McCartney's daughter" had already served a long apprenticeship in fashion even before she went to college.
At 15, Stella had worked with Christian Lacroix on his first couture collection, after which she worked in Savile Row to learn more about her future profession. By 1997, Stella legitimately earned her place in the world of fashion when she presented her first collection as chief designer of the French couture house Chloe to high acclaim. Her designs were dubbed as an effective fusion of contrasts-"feminine and sharp," "soft and edgy," "sexy and sensual," "extrovert and delicate"-a signature which she brought with her to the house of Gucci where she now has her own Stella McCartney label. From that short bio, it goes without saying that Stella's success story is refreshing, especially so when you categorize her under the "children of giant music legends" label. A privileged girl who chose to work her way up the ladder by taking her craft seriously. Of course, it would be just as easy to speculate that she might be a prima donna anyway, or a ruthless career woman as stereotypes of rich and famous offspring go. She could also be just as wild as Lisa Marie et. al.
Fortunately though, my recent experience of Stella McCartney's celebrity hasn't strayed from the image the international press portrays of her. She really does seem to be the romantic girl through and through just like her modernized petticoat skirts and lace-laden designs suggest.
Last week, I was at the Manila launch of her self-named fragrance Stella, which, according to the organizers, official distributor Lux Asia Philippines, was exactly how the famous fashion designer would have wanted it to be. An intimate get-together in a room filled with pink roses, the Sound of Music soundtrack (her favorite) playing in the background, while the guests dine on vegetarian specialties (Stella is a staunch advocate of animal rights, a cause she inherited from her late mother Linda in 1998). She even recorded a video-message for the local press where McCartney's little girl came across as a shy and sweet young lady. All flushed, she apologized for faltering at the start of her speech, saying she's only used to being backstage.
Even Stella's new fragrance echoes her interests, style and personality. Her sweet, romantic side is captured in the top note of rose essence, while her signature style-combining opposites-floats from the stronger scent of amber.
"The biggest inspiration for the perfume-and my own personal goal-was to create a perfume that I would want to wear," she says in an interview for the product. "I have a clear view of what I like and what I don't like. I wanted a smell that reflected my English side; something very traditional. At the same time, I wanted to take my favorite smells and put them together in the same way that I use contradictions in my fashion design. And so the concept for the perfume was to try and create something pure and uncomplicated. I wanted a smell that was delicate, feminine-rose -mixed with a sexier and darker edge-amber."
The two facets are present down to the bottles of perfume and eau de parfum-strong heavy glass, tinged in plum and pink. Now while these little bits and pieces of information do not necessarily translate to a Stella McCartney devoid of attitude problems or a bizarre lifestyle, they do provide a stamp of consistency in her public image and work. And that's enough to set her apart from her equally famous "peers." Just maybe, Stella McCartney's story could teach the future kids of John Mayer or Mandy Moore that being born into wealth and fame is not a reason or an excuse to live on the wild side.
November 11, 2003
It appears that someone named James Paul McCartney (Macca) has registered on the Friends United Web page that puts old classmates in touch with each other. Paul is registered under the Liverpool Institute High School For Boys (Mount Street) 1958 (year of leaving), and asks that his former classmates get in touch with him via email or voice mail through the Web page.
"Hello everybody, would love to get in touch again with a few of my old mates from "The Innie" You know who you are. I've had a wonderful life and would like to know where life led you all.
Cheers Paul."
November 10, 2003 -- NME
MACCA SET FOR 'TEMPORARY' HIPDOM?Paul McCartney is set to follow in the footsteps of Elton John by having a lost dance classic re-released.
Elton scored a UK Number One single in September when his 70s track "Are You Ready For Love" was re-released due to demand. Now McCartney's "Temporary Secretary," an excursion into electro which first appeared on his 1980 LP "McCartney II,"is to feature on a forthcoming compilation, "Secret History," which features groundbreaking 80s electronic dance tracks.
"Temporary Secretary" was the third single to be released from the "McCartney II" album and is also his only single to be released on 12" only. Only 25,000 copies were pressed, and original copies now exchange hands on auction websites such as Ebay for upwards of £50.
McCartney said of the track, "People have asked me what were my influences at the time I made the track, and really it was just the arrival of synthesizers and sequencers. The concept for the track came from an Alfred Marks Temp. Employment Bureau advert I saw in the paper."
He added, "I'm really chuffed at the renewed interest in a track I made 23 years ago. Is this a musical direction I1ll be exploring again in the future? Who Knows!"
"Secret History" will be released on January 12.
November 10, 2003
Macca heads Russia celebrationsNew father Sir Paul McCartney was heading celebrations to mark the Russian Revolution.
A concert film of his performance in Moscow's Red Square earlier this year will be a highlight of Russian TV program to mark the anniversary of the 1917 revolution.
Ironically the music of McCartney and The Beatles typified a spirit of free thinking which spread throughout the USSR and brought an end to Communism. From the band's heyday and into the Eighties their music was banned - fans could not buy their records and radio play was forbidden.
The concert film "Paul McCartney In Red Square" features pundits talking about the Beatles' influence in eroding the strength of Russia's political system.
Timothy Ryback, Professor of Political Studies at the Salzburg Institute, said, "There was no more pervasive force throughout the Soviet bloc than The Beatles."
November 1917 saw the Bolsheviks seizing power in Russia after Tsar Nicholas II was dethroned earlier in the year.
Sir Paul said, "We had such a great time there when we visited. The Russian people were really friendly and I feel honored to have been part of this social change."
November 7, 2003 -- The Sun
Macca's our pop backer!
New dad Sir Paul McCartney is secretly nurturing his other baby - an unknown band he hopes will become the next Beatles. Macca was knocked out by the three rockers after seeing them perform in Liverpool. He set up the band, named Cracatilla, with a newly-formed record label, called Industry Of Cool. And the 61-year-old star gave them a six-figure sum to develop their musical talents and buy new gear. Sir Paul - whose wife Heather gave birth to daughter Beatrice a week last Tuesday - says they have the talent to be as big as the Beatles.Industry Of Cool's managing director Gary Wilkinson told The Sun, "Macca's involvement with Cracatilla has been hush, hush. He first saw them play at the end of last year and Sir Paul says they played some of the best music he has heard in 20 years. He has been very supportive of them and seen them play at lots of small gigs. He is helping the band develop - he sees them as his baby. They are a bit like Crosby Stills & Nash meets Santana.
The band is made up of song writing guitarist Jay Lewis, 21, drummer Lewis Fitzgerald, 24, and bassist David Penswick, 24. Sir Paul was first told about the band by bosses at his fame school, The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts which helps develop new talent. A source at the Institute said, "This is a real rags to riches story."
November 7, 2003
Paul and Heather had a dinner party Thursday night (November 6) to celebrate the arrival of baby Beatrice and to raise money for Adopt-A-Minefield's "Night of A Thousand Dinners." The party was originally scheduled to be a "pre-birth" celebration but was changed when Heather unexpectedly gave birth to Beatrice three weeks early on October 28.
November 6, 2003 -- Nettavisen
PETA PROTESTS: McCartney wants to save Rudolph the Reindeer
Paul McCartney and the other members of the animal activist organization PETA compare keeping reindeers in Finnmark with slavery.PETA, the large international animal rights organization, has directed its focus to reindeer keeping, or the murder of reindeer, as PETA choose to call it. "Rudolph needs your help!" is the clear message on PETA's web page, an organization with approximately 50,000 members, according to the Norwegian television channel, NRK.
One of PETA's most famous supporters is Paul McCartney. Furthermore, the organization is famous for getting models to protest against fur in the nude. The organization is now urging people to boycott stores that sell reindeer fur.
The Lapp Ellinor Utsi has made clothes of reindeer fur for twelve years, and she said she is frustrated by PETA's new campaign.
"The animal activists are talking about a world they know nothing about," Utsi said.
November 6, 2003 -- Entertainment News
McCartney Baby Goes HomeSir Paul McCartney's wife Heather Mills has been discharged from the exclusive London hospital where she gave birth to the couple's first child last week.
Heather gave birth to Beatrice Milly (October 28) by caesarian section at the St. John and St. Elizabeth Hospital - but mother and baby are both fine, and Heather has been allowed to return to the family home.
A hospital spokeswoman says, "Heather went home Sunday (November 2) night. She and the baby are doing very well."
November 6, 2003 -- The Sunday Star (New Zealand)
TV One's Tuesday night Expose documentary slot is shaping up to be Hatchet Job of the Week.First it was the reptilian James Hewitt, Princess Diana's former "Love Rat". This week, it was the new Mrs. Paul McCartney, Heather Mills. By the end of the former, it was clear that you couldn't even say of Hewitt that he was kind to animals, for it turned out that he cast off his old dogs and old lovers in a job lot. By the end of the latter, however, many viewers will have been rooting for naughty Heather much to their surprise.
She's certainly a piece of work, to judge from the testimonials screened on Heather Mills, "The Real Mrs McCartney." But she also turns out to be a triumphant anti-heroine adventuress, in the grand style of Becky Sharpe and Moll Flanders.
Heather wisely refused to participate in her own hatchet job, but you could almost hear her intoning, as Moll did in her coquettish voice, "Well, what would YOU have done?"
The starting point for Heather's perfidies is undisputed. She had a seriously rotten childhood. Nasty father. Deserting mother. Abuse. Neglect. And though her subsequent stepfather interviewed extensively seemed nice as pie, no teenager ever has an easy time with a step-parent. Not when they're already as damaged as everyone agrees Heather was.
After a spot of petty thievery, she went on to the grotesquely misnamed "glamour" modelling that's posing for sleaze pics and vids for perves.
Gratuitous, but riveting, the documentary showed us a bit of one of Heather's topless 'glamour' tapes. It was vile. But you'd have to say, she had a terrific figure.
She parlayed this, and her pretty face and kittenish charm, into a career of depending on wealthy men. She studied how this was done, by befriending the chief mistress of Adnan Khashoggi, the playboy arms dealer.
This man-sponging phase seemed to span the whole period which her official CV likes to call her modeling career. Aren't men dopes?
Extensive interviews were shown with her main mug, Alfie, who even went so far as to marry her, and his now-avenging sister. Alfie put up with all manner of lies and disappearances from Heather, and always took her back. Now, he expects our sympathy, simpering at the camera like a wounded puppy.
His sister was so astonished and indignant on his clueless behalf, that most viewers will have cheered: Go Heather.
Come the accident that cost her her lower leg, Heather played her finest trick. The media seized a chance to beat up her story: "Top Model Loses Leg in Police Accident." And shrewdly, Heather went along with it. never mind that she was not, nor ever had been a "top model", barely even a "model".
You could call that bloodlessly calculating. But you could also call it brave and shrewd.
She traded upon this white lie to create a new role for herself a sort of disabled Princess Diana, the lady bountiful dispensing hope, and jolly new prosthetic limbs, to the maimed.
This was utterly self-serving, but also did a lot of good for a lot of people.
The show presented evidence that she had garnished, romanticised and flat-out lied about bits of her past. But by then, who cared?
I began watching as a sceptic, believing Heather an insulting successor to the genuine, brave and worthy Linda McCartney, whose whole life was blameless, and who endured cruelty from fans and the industry for having the temerity to marry Paul, and not be a glamourpuss.
I finished watching, greatly softened-up. Heather may not be worthy to scrape Linda's organic turnips, but she's a smart material gal, who has lived on her wits and gall, every bit as much as her looks.
Nasty as it was, the program didn't establish that she'd ever harmed anyone, except Alfie, who really had more than adequate warning to get out of the way.
November 5, 2003 -- The Sun
Honeymooning Stella McCartney was said to be "distraught" last night because she has yet to see dad Sir Paul's new baby.Fashion designer Stella timed her trip so she would be back when stepmum Heather, 35, gave birth - but half-sister Bea arrived nearly three weeks early on October 28.
Stella returns to Britain today with new hubby Alasdhair Willis, 31, and plans to rush round to coo over the tot. A close pal said, "She is distraught she is away at such an important time in her family's life."
The Sun can reveal Bea's arrival has thawed the frosty relationship between Stella, 32, and her stepmum.
Proud Macca, 61, phoned his daughter at her mystery honeymoon destination as soon as Bea was born. Delighted Stella sent balloons to the London hospital.
November 4, 2003 -- MESSAGE OF THANKS FROM PAUL
"Heather and I are delighted with the good wishes you have sent us. We and baby Beatrice send our love to you all."
(Left to right) Mary 1969, Stella 1971, James 1977 and Beatrice 2003
November 2, 2003 -- The MirrorTHE BAB FOUR
The black and white photo of Sir Paul McCartney and his new baby is a trip down memory lane.
It harks back to August 1969 when he posed with daughter Mary and first wife Linda.
Mary, August, 1969
Two years later and he opted for a similar snap hours after the birth of Stella. Then, in September 1977, he celebrated son James's arrival in the same way. Beatrice was born in a different century but there was no way Sir Paul was going to break with tradition.
Stella, September, 1971
His brother Mike was called in to take the picture with the proud parents beaming huge smiles while Beatrice lies back with her mouth wide open. In the oldest photo Sir Paul adopts a more serious look. Mary, feeding from a bottle, is now a photographer and animal rights campaigner.
At 33, she is just two years younger than her stepmother Heather.
In the second photo, Sir Paul and Linda are with sleeping baby Stella, now a fashion designer.
James, September, 1977
But by 1977, Sir Paul at last manages a smile as he proudly shows off newborn son James,now a musician and architect. As Mike left the St John and St Elizabeth Hospital at 5pm yesterday, he said: "The baby's lovely. Really beautiful. I think she looks like both of them, but you'll have to make up your own mind."
Beatrice, October, 2003
Asked why he had been chosen to take the picture of his newborn niece, he joked: "Because I'm a genius photographer."
November 2, 2003 -- Reuters/Billboard
International artists are joining MTV in a multimedia campaign to raise awareness of the impact of HIV and AIDS in South Africa.Nelson Mandela is the figurehead of the new campaign. He was in London for the Oct. 21 launch of 46664, which will deliver a concert, CD and DVD and organize a global petition on AIDS.
The centerpiece of the initiative is a three-hour, multi-artist concert to be held Nov. 29 at Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town. Performers will include U2 vocalist Bono, Beyonce, members of Queen, 50 Cent, the Corrs and the Eurythmics.
A 90-minute edit of the show will air Dec. 1 (U.N.-designated World AIDS Day) on MTV channels worldwide. SABC will televise the show live domestically; Tiscali will Webcast it live internationally.
MTV is offering the TV package free to other broadcasters. The European Broadcasting Union and the Asian Broadcasting Union will distribute it in 80 countries.
The 46664 initiative was developed by Eurythmics member Dave Stewart, who wanted to help musicians support the fight against AIDS in Africa.
Stewart recruited fellow musicians Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen earlier this year to record new material to be used to benefit the Nelson Mandela Foundation's AIDS work.
The first fundraising song to be made available is "46664 (Long Walk to Freedom)," co-written by the late Joe Strummer, Stewart and Bono.
Performed by Bono, Youssou N'Dour, Abdel Wright and Stewart, it is one of two songs available for download at 46664.com for $1.99 each. Consumers can make donations and hear the songs by calling various premium phone numbers published on the site.
Paul McCartney, Beyonce, Ms. Dynamite, Timbaland and Paul Oakenfold are featured on new material to be rolled out through the site and phone services.
A CD including the new material will debut in early 2004, and a DVD of the entire concert will be released. No decision has been made on a label for either.
November 1, 2003 -- The MirrorHEATHER GIVING ME COURAGE TO WALK AGAIN - AMPUTEE'S SO GRATEFUL TO LADY McCARTNEY
You could forgive Heather Mills McCartney having other things on her mind. After all, the birth of her baby, Beatrice, was just 24 hours away. But that didn't stop her welcoming brave teenager Laura Range into her home earlier this week.
Laura lost her leg when she fell in front of a train following a scuffle on a railway platform. But thanks to Heather, just five months on from the tragedy, Laura is not only walking, she's dancing, too. That's because Sir Paul's wife arranged for the 13-year-old to be fitted with a leg just like hers.
On Monday, Laura arrived at Heather and Sir Paul's London home to show off her new limb - and the following day, Heather gave birth by Caesarean section to 7lb Beatrice. "Laura is incredible," says Heather, 35, as she looked back over the youngster's progress.
Heather first met Laura's family when the teenager was in intensive care in Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Then, during the summer - when she was five months pregnant - Heather made a special trip back to her husband's home city to take the teenager swimming.
"Heather has been simply amazing," says Laura's 47-year-old mum, Karen. "She was heavily pregnant, yet she has gone out of her way to help Laura. Without her, we wouldn't have this leg and Laura wouldn't be the way she is. She has never cried or complained about what happened to her - she seems to have just accepted it and moved on - and a lot of that is down to Heather and her positive attitude.
We feared that Laura might never walk again but when Heather told her how much she does - dancing, swimming and even skiing - Laura was so excited and optimistic. Laura is a keen dancer herself and went to jazz-dance classes before the accident. In fact, she still wants to be a dancer when she leaves school. Thanks to Heather, she got all her old confidence back really quickly. Her school put in a lift especially for her and suggested that she bring a wheelchair. But when Laura went back in September, she was so determined that she walked into school on her crutches and walked up the stairs rather than take the lift. She's even dancing again now."
Karen says that her daughter will stay on the crutches until she gets used to the new limb and has a few adjustments to make it perfect. "We were made up when we saw it for the first time," she recalls. "It was just like looking at her with her own leg back."
Heather, who lost her left leg following an traffic accident 10 years ago, has spent years campaigning for better artificial limbs for amputees and has just launched a custom-made cosmetic cover. These give limbs a more life-like appearance and are called the Heather Mills McCartney Cosmesis (HMMC). Some local authorities refer patients to Dorset Orthopaedic - the company which makes the covers in conjunction with Heather. Others aren't so lucky and have to pay for them. But now, by making the cover available off-the-shelf, Heather has managed to get the price down to £1,500 ($2,550), so people can afford to buy them direct.
After hearing of Laura's plight, Heather arranged for the teenager to be fitted with one of the covers for free, as a special gift. Laura and her mum travelled to Dorset for the fitting and on the way back, stopped off at Heather's home to show it off. Heather says, "It was great to see her but I really knew that Laura was going to be OK when we went swimming together. I remember the first time I went swimming after I lost my leg. On dry land, you feel quite awkward but in the water there's an incredible sense of freedom. I said that I'd teach Laura to swim again and, within minutes, she was challenging me to a swimming race and asking me if I could do a headstand. I had to tell her I would but there was a baby in the way so I couldn't get down there!"
Like Heather, Laura had her left leg amputated below the knee. She was waiting on Sandhills station to catch a train for the six-minute journey to her home in Bootle, Liverpool, in May, when a girlfriend became involved in a scuffle with a boy. Laura tried to intervene but fell onto the track as the train pulled in. She was dragged 30 yards before the train stopped and doctors had to amputate her leg at the scene.
Heather counsels hundreds of amputees every year and when she received a call about Laura, she happened to be in Liverpool as Sir Paul was playing a concert in the city. Laura was still in intensive care but Heather met Laura's father Keith, and her brothers Dean and David, and left a personally inscribed copy of her autobiography "A Single Step." Inside it she wrote, "Stay strong and brave and, most of all, remember all will be well. With determination you will achieve all your dreams and more."
Heather was inspired to help other amputees after her own experiences. She recalls, "I was given the ugliest leg in the world by the NHS. I remember going on holiday and looking down at it on the beach and thinking how horrible it was. I couldn't wear bikinis or even short skirts. It wasn't vanity, I just didn't want to be pitied and for the only time in my life I got down about being an amputee. I figured that if people could produce such life-like models at Madame Tussauds in London then it was possible to make decent legs for those of us who needed them. Yet here I was with a leg shaped like a rugby player's."
Heather discovered Dorset Orthopaedic and acted as its guinea pig as it tried to develop better fitting and more life-like legs. "It didn't always work though," Heather recalls. "I was once in a restaurant with an ex-boyfriend and, when I got up to go to the loo, my leg came off and flew across the room under another table. I had to pick it up and hop to the loo. "
Then they wanted to put hairs and veins on the leg's cover. I remember saying, 'Are you mad? Women spend thousands getting varicose veins removed and shaving their legs every day.' "If I'm going to have an artificial leg, it has to look beautiful. I don't want corns on the toes, bunions or anything like that!"
Now the technique has been perfected, amputees are offered more than 25 silicone color swatches, in order to get as close as possible to their skin tone. Measurements and photographs of the other leg are also used to help with sculpting.
Aswell as being available in Britain, Heather is also selling the HMMC throughout America and via the Internet. She takes just 10 per cent of the sale price as a small contribution to the costs of running her office. "It doesn't go anywhere near covering the costs but I just wanted to get the Cosmesis out there at an affordable price."
In addition to developing the cover, Heather has also been busy with her charity Adopt-a-Minefield, which campaigns to raise funds and awareness to rid the world of landmines. And throughout her pregnancy, she spent hours every week counselling amputees. On average, she speaks to six people a day and meets two new people a week.
"It's worldwide and then when there are disasters such as the Staten Island ferry, there are loads of people wanting to speak to me. First of all, it's the families and then three to six weeks later it's the individual themselves."
Now however, it's time for Heather to take stock. The McCartneys are delighted after the birth of Beatrice, especially so because Heather suffered two ectopic pregnancies and for years she feared that she would be unable to have a child of her own. For the next few months, the couple are looking forward to being with Beatrice.
"I want to be a proper mum," says Heather. But she plans to be back at work by the end of January. And then, one of the first dates in her diary will be to take Laura swimming again. The youngster can hardly wait. "Heather's gorgeous and has been really nice to me," says Laura. "I have her photo as the background on my computer. I can't believe that I've got a leg just like hers."
More information on the Heather Mills McCartney Cosmesis is available at www.dorset-ortho.co.uk and www.heathermillsmccartney.com
December 2003
December 30, 2003 -- BBC News
Ozzy Osbourne has been voted rock star of the year in a poll of music fans.Osbourne, who is recovering from a quad bike crash and recently secured his first UK Number One single, won the accolade from Virgin Radio listeners.
Justin Hawkins, frontman with The Darkness, came a close second in the poll of 3,000 fans.
U2's singer Bono was voted into third place, ahead of Robbie Williams and Coldplay's Chris Martin.
"Ozzy Osbourne is the kind of rock legend we would all secretly love as a dad," said Ben Jones, the presenter of Virgin's Most Wanted show.
"He's in a massive rock band and has lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle to the full - the kind of fatherly advice you get from Ozzy Osbourne comes from experience.
"And Justin Hawkins from The Darkness has spent the year jumping around in a catsuit when he's not flying around in his space-ship - it's definitely been his year."
Other rock stars to make it in to the top ten included two Sixties legends - Rolling Stone Keith Richards at number six and Beatle Sir Paul McCartney at number seven.
White Stripes' singer Jack White and Pete Docherty of new British band The Libertines also made it into the top ten.
December 29, 2003
Paul was spotted at Abbey Road Studios on Christmas day were he signed an autograph for a lucky fan. Paul presented Heather with the master tape of the song "Mother and Child" as a Christmas gift while at the studios.
December 27, 2003 -- The Scotsman
Ex-Beatle gets it all backIn A remarkable development during January, rare tapes of the Beatles' Get Back recording sessions made in 1969 were seized by police in Holland in an anti-piracy operation - more than 30 years after they went missing.
In February Sir Paul secured a £600,000 ($1 million) fee to give a private performance at the birthday party of US TV executive Wendy Whitworth - and donated the cash to the Adopt-A-Minefield anti-landmine campaign championed by his wife, Heather.
In August his fashion designer daughter Stella married Alasdhair Willis, a magazine publisher, at Mount Stewart House on the Isle of Bute.
In October Sir Paul became a father for the fifth time at the age of 61, with the birth of Beatrice Milly. But even the rich have their money problems. This month it emerged that Stella McCartney Ltd. had annual sales of just £434,600 ($738,820) and debts of £4.5 million ($7.6 million).
Seeing as Sir Paul was said by People magazine to be the world's top-earning celebrity in March, raking in £120million ($204 million) in the previous year, the family's fortunes look secure.
December 27, 2003
Beatle-Funded School Playground Opens
Paul McCartney gave $5,000 to boarding school No. 38 after his visit to St. Petersburg in May. The school is located at 20/75 Rastannya Ulitsa. The playground is due to open Friday.McCartney came to the city at the invitation of Anthea Eno, wife of musician Brian Eno, to officially inaugurate the work of a charity, the Menshikov Foundation.
"We actually flew into St. Petersburg," McCartney was quoted recently as saying by Britain's Observer newspaper.
"Anthea has links there, and after Brian did a masterclass at my old school, LIPA, she said I should do a master class there," McCartney said. "So when we started talking about Russia, I told the promoters I wanted to link in Anthea's offer to do a master class and cut the ribbon at an orphanage called the Menshikov Foundation."
McCartney's visit to the city also took in the State Hermitage Museum and the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, where he was presented with a certificate expressing the conservatory's wish to make him an honorary doctorate - though he has not yet been granted the actual honor.
Vsevolod Gakkel, the head of the local branch of the Menshikov Foundation, said McCartney was impressed by a performance that the boarding school's students gave to him.
The brief concert included his piano piece "A Leaf" performed by student Katya Veselova and "Celebration" from his 1997 classical work "Standing Stone" sung by the school's choir.
The foundation is a U.K. charity that operates in St. Petersburg to help musically gifted, but deprived children.
December 26, 2003 -- Ananova
Beatles' bar damaged by fireA pub which was a favorite haunt of the Beatles has been damaged by a fire.
The Grapes, where the Fab Four would drink after they played at the Cavern club, suffered smoke and property damage in the fire on Mathew Street, in Liverpool.
Lennon's, a bar next door to the Grapes, was worst hit after rubbish in the street caught fire.
A Merseyside police spokesman said it was not clear whether the fire was started deliberately or was sparked by a discarded cigarette.
A spokeswoman for Merseyside fire services said, "A number of buildings were damaged by heat and smoke with extensive property damage."
December 26, 2003 -- Sky News
Virgin Radio surveyed 3,500 people to identify the outstanding shows of the year. Robbie Williams proved he was the consummate entertainer at Knebworth, playing hours of hits to fans.The Stones were honored for their Twickenham show in London in August.
Another veteran whose performance was highly rated by fans was Sir Paul McCartney, who came fifth. His homecoming show in Liverpool rounded off his world tour.
Coldplay were third with their show at the V2003 festival, which finished with a rendition of Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World.
Virgin presenter Pete Mitchell said, "For men of their age the Stones are extraordinary live and it is an honor to hear Macca playing those Beatles classics which the nation loves. It was a great year to measure the gigs from these legends alongside performances from today's rock elite.
The Top 10:
1. Robbie Williams - Knebworth
2. The Rolling Stones - Twickenham, London
3. Coldplay - The V Festival
4. The Darkness - Carling Apollo, Hammersmith
5. Paul McCartney - Liverpool
6. Radiohead - Glastonbury
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers - The V Festival
8. Blur - Astoria, London
9. REM - Brixton Academy, London
10. The White Stripes - Brixton Academy, London
December 25, 2003 -- The Globe
Guys and dollsSir Jagger, Dame Mirren, Lady Heather Mills McCartney -- what's amiss in this list? The form of those titles, that's what: Though they've all appeared in print recently, not one is correct. And if Her Majesty the Queen is going to keep handing out honors to celebrities, then fans and journalists really ought to know knight from wrong.
Addressing the knights and dames should be fairly simple. The men are Sir Mick and Sir Paul and Sir Elton, not because they think it's all a lark (though they may), but because "Sir Firstname" is the proper short form. (Around the table at Camelot, you never heard Sir Lancelot referred to as Sir du Lac.)
The dames' names are handled the same way: As the legendary soprano Joan Sutherland told a class in San Francisco several years ago, "It's Dame Joan -- there is no Dame Sutherland." Helen Mirren, star of "Prime Suspect" and the new "Calendar Girls," is Dame Helen on second reference, as her compatriot Judi Dench is Dame Judi.
The wives of knights, on the other hand, are simply Lady Hislastname -- except for Lady McCartney, as she became upon marriage to Sir Paul. She insists that she is Lady Heather Mills McCartney, not having grasped that her given name doesn't belong in her new courtesy title -- though Lady Mills McCartney would probably pass muster these days.
Most of this should be irrelevant to US journalists, since newspapers nowadays are sparing with courtesy titles of any sort, and most pop entertainers don't expect their honorifics to show up in reviews. But when the odd British title comes across the copy desk, editors need to know the score: Last August, as reader Michael Short noted in an e-mail, an AP obituary of Sir Wilfred Thesiger, the renowned African explorer, erroneously called him Sir Thesiger -- a mistake that should have been intercepted.
Further than this we probably should not venture: The English have had centuries to complicate their royal, noble, and lesser titles, and they've used that time to the fullest. Diana, Princess of Wales, was the scourge of the copy editors (all half-dozen of them) who knew that "Princess Diana," though universal, was a non-title. "The wife of the Prince of Wales is The Princess of Wales," says the government's official rulebook. "The wife of Prince Charles, the former Lady Diana Spencer, should always be referred to as such, never as `Princess Diana."'
The rules changed weirdly after the Waleses' divorce: Lady Di was no longer a princess, but she could still use "Princess of Wales" after her name. No wonder the press, Brits as well as ignorant colonials, threw propriety out the window and opted for "Princess Di." Even Debrett's, the centuries-old guide to the aristocracy, breaks down and calls her "Princess Diana" on its website.
The system is endlessly mysterious: A baronet's wife, like a knight's, is Lady Lastname, but the daughter of an earl (a far, far better thing), such as Lady Diana or Trollope's Lady Glencora Palliser, is Lady Firstname. Upward nobility can wreak havoc: When her husband accedes to a dukedom, Lady Glencora loses her name; she's now just Your Grace or Duchess. As for their son, who's suddenly Silverbridge -- well, never mind. The Founding Fathers did us a great favor by abjuring a titled aristocracy; we can be thankful that the occasional Sir Mick is as bad as it gets.
December 24, 2003 -- Capital Gold Radio
Paul will be on Capital Gold Radio London, Sunday, December 28 at 8pm BST (3pm ET). To hear the interview live, click this link.
Paul McCartney In Concert and In Conversation (8pm 10pm)Whilst Sir Paul was on his record-breaking Back in the World Tour over the summer, David Jensen met up with the legend. We played out this world exclusive with excerpts from his Earls Court concert. Therefore we have Paul McCartney in Concert and In Conversation!
December 23, 2003 -- UKNews
SIR PAUL AND HEATHER READY FOR MORE KIDSSir Paul McCartney is already planning a second child with wife Heather - just two months after she gave birth to their daughter Beatrice Milly.
Friends of the family say the pair are so thrilled with the new addition to their family, they're ready to begin trying for another.
A pal says, "They would love to have another baby and they don't want much of an age gap between their children. And because he's now 61, Paul doesn't want to leave it for too long before having another go. So there won't be much rest for Heather."
Baby Beatrice was 35-year-old amputee Heather's first child - Sir Paul has four grown-up kids from his marriage to first wife Linda, who died of cancer in 1998.
December 21, 2003 -- New York Post
Seth Swirsky's new book, "Something to Write Home About," features handwritten letters from celebrities with their baseball memories.
Wrote Sir Paul McCartney in 2001:
Dear Seth,
I became a Yankees fan when my friend Lorne Michaels got seats for us in 2000. It was the first game Heather and I had actually been to! So we became instant fans. Yeah, it was pretty cool hearing my music played at a game . . . it's just a pity that they didn't win this year, but, if they had to lose, it couldn't have been to a better State - Arizona!
Go Yankees!
Cheers!
Paul McCartney
December 18, 2003 -- Daily MailIs Stella another falling star?
Stella McCartney has been reflecting bitterly in the past week on the cruel hand the fates have dealt her.
Here she is, a star couturier in the full flow of creativity, and all people can do is snipe because her father is a multi-millionaire superstar.
If her dad was just an ordinary bloke, so Stella's reckoning goes, her grand fashion empire would be able to flourish unhindered by the carping remarks that it was her parentage, not her talent, that got her where she is today.
This, of course, is the bone of contention between Stella and a mounting chorus of critics, who feel that had it not been for the golden McCartney name she might not have been catapulted to the top of her profession at such a terrific speed.Stella begs to differ, and puts all criticism about her clothes down to simple jealousy.
At 32, she heads her own glittering empire, Stella McCartney Ltd.
There are three grand stores in the most fashionable locations in London, New York and Los Angeles.
Is Stella's empire crumbling?
Unfortunately, these mini-cathedrals to high fashion, adorned with artwork and chic sofas, are often bereft of customers and have the atmosphere of a mausoleum.
So is Stella's empire crumbling? Her company's latest accounts certainly suggest all is not well, showing a £4.5 million ($7.6 million) deficit for 2002-2003, following a loss of £2.7million ($4.6 millon) the year before.
Sales in the UK were just £434,611 ($738,838).
Unfortunately for Stella, these latest figures for her eponymous label have given further ammunition to those who say she isn't up to the job.
In recent weeks, she has been criticized in public by designer Jeff Banks and model Elizabeth Jagger, daughter of Sir Mick and Jerry Hall.
Banks, who has twice been British Designer of the Year, said, "Stella's clothes are very amateurish but then because of who her old man is, it doesn't seem to matter.I don't wish Stella any harm, but I would still say, unequivocally, that she would not be in the position she is in if it hadn't been for her father."
Earlier this week, it was the turn of 19-year-old Elizabeth Jagger to take up the cudgel.
Jagger, surely the epitome of the wealthy young "rock chick" to whom Stella's designs are targeted, said, "I think Stella is lazy in her designs. It's not enough just to rehash trouser suits."
So how has Stella responded to this onslaught, which has been given credence by her company's dismal accounts? She is defiant."She's basically saying her critics can get lost, although she sometimes expresses her feelings in stronger language than that," a friend told the Mail.
In an interview given yesterday to defend herself, Stella refused to get into a public slanging match with Banks and Jagger.
Criticized by Lizzie Jagger
"It's a human reaction to be hurt but I don't want to have any negative response. I wish them all the best."
But she had this to say about the pros and cons of having such a famous father: "I'm not going to ask for sympathy and I'm not going to apologize for it. It's the product that counts."
The product, though, is not selling as well as it might and, despite her bravado, the figures will be a great embarrassment to Stella, who is determined to "make it" on her own in the world without any help from the legendary McCartney name.
She refuses to acknowledge that it has helped her.
She thinks she's victimized
"She thinks everyone's envious, especially journalists. She thinks she is being victimized simply because of who she is," says a source. "She says she has done it all on her own and gets angry when people suggest otherwise. Her view is she can't help being born a McCartney and wishes people would just get over it. She is very proud of the fact that she has learned her trade and can make a skirt out of a piece of cloth. She says her bosses are not unhappy with her and she thinks she can do what she likes. As far as she is concerned, there isn't a problem."
As Stella points out, she can always get her A-list mates such as Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow - whose fulsome figure in a McCartney creation in New York last week revealed her pregnancy - and Kate Moss to wear her clothes.
So who cares about the hoi-polloi? Stella, it emerges, is firmly of the belief that Madonna was unaware of her identity when she first came to her studio. "She says she didn't even know who I was, so it was purely on my work that that relationship was founded," says Stella.
The trouble is, her wealthy friends wear her clothes free of charge, which doesn't improve the balance sheets.
So what has gone wrong? Some commentators think Stella's ideas can be rather odd and that she is prone to self-indulgent nostalgia trips.
There was, for example, a recent regrettable homage to the Eighties - a notorious fashion decade - which brought with it an unfathomable penchant on Stella's part for leggings. Then came the boilersuit.
Stella thinks it hip to revive such crimes against style, but it would seem few would agree with her. She currently has a thing for culottes. "Her mother used to wear them so she thinks they're really cool, but they haven't taken off," says a friend.
Perhaps these styles might appeal to younger women, but they can't, as a rule, afford Stella's price tags - around £1,000 $1,700) for a dress. Stella insists her clothes aren't that expensive and has said, "You can buy T-shirts or lingerie for £75 ($127.50) and shoes for £190 ($323)."
And so the Stella McCartney stores, all of which opened amid great fanfare this year - Madonna and Sadie Frost were at the West End opening; Demi Moore and Cate Blanchett brought film-star glamour to the LA party - are often wanting customers.
Earlier this week, the West End store was practically empty. Over in Los Angeles, it was a similar story.
"The shop assistants hang dejectedly around the windows looking desperately for people to wander in, which they don't," says one shopper.
A newspaper which kept watch on Stella's three boutiques counted just seven sales in the course of a day - three in London and New York and one in Los Angeles.
Stella's defence of the poor sales figures is that they are only represenative of the UK. But given the scarcity of customers, can there be much optimism that the sales figures in the States will be any better?
Stella, as befitting the daughter of a multi-millionaire, says she does not lose sleep about when her company will go into the black. 'I don't lie awake at night worrying about money," she admits.
But perhaps her bosses at Gucci do.
One of Stella's problems, says a fashion insider, is that her "gigantic ego" stands in the way of her listening to advice. "Stella refuses to take anyone's opinion on board. She believes so much in her own talent that she will stick with her ideas because she has to be seen to be strong."
But some friends think that behind the aggressive self-belief is a deep insecurity. "Stella has a vulnerable side," says a source. She doesn't think she's very pretty. As a young girl she was quite chubby with red hair and freckles and she's convinced she's not attractive. If you see her at a party and say she looks nice, she'll often say things like: 'Are you sure, do you really mean it?' And she's always going on about having been bullied at school. She needs a lot of reassurance."
That reassurance now comes in the form of Stella's new husband, publisher Alasdhair Willis, whom she married on the Isle of Bute in August - guests included Madonna and Guy Ritchie, Pierce Brosnan, Sting and Trudi Styler, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Stella's wedding dress, which she designed with her Gucci boss Tom Ford, was modelled on her late mother Linda's wedding outfit.
Friends say the newlyweds are very happy and keen to start a family. "They've been trying for a baby although they're in no rush," says one. "Stella is pretty relaxed about the fact that nothing has happened yet."
Another friend thinks that Willis is "under the thumb' and rarely contradicts his opinionated wife. "What Stella wants Stella gets, and he agrees with her on everything. They're very happy. She gets all the reassurance she needs from Alasdhair."
Willis, says the friend, also appeals to the "essential middleclass core of Stella" who - ridiculously - likes to consider herself working class and takes celebrity friends to working men's cafes in Notting Hill and Primrose Hill, where they all hang out and feel agreeably "edgy" together.
While Stella has found happiness with her new husband, she has finally accepted that her father's wife will always be part of his life. Before Sir Paul and Heather's marriage last year and the birth of baby Beatrice, in October, Stella had clung to the hope that the relationship would run out of steam.
But she has begrudgingly had to concede that he is happy. When she returned from her honeymoon in America recently, she went straight round to see her baby sister, bearing the gift of a £95 ($162) cashmere blanket.
"Since Beatrice came along Paul has been so happy and Stella can see that," says a friend, "and she is happy for him."
Do we take it that Stella and Heather have made up and are now the best of friends? Hardly.
Stella loathes Heather
The loathing on Stella's part seems to be as strong as ever, but these days she appears not to show it as much. "Stella still thinks Heather is manipulative," says one who knows her. "Stella doesn't like her but the iceberg is melting a little. She can see how happy her dad is and has to acknowledge that. And Paul has made it clear that he chose Heather as his wife and she has to respect that."
Heather's view of Stella is similarly unambiguous. "She thinks Stella has been cushioned from real life and needs to grow up. "Heather thinks if Stella has a problem she should come out and say it. She can't be doing with icy glares and brooding silences. Stella can be quite sulky, but Heather doesn't give a damn. She's not remotely in awe of her, as some people are, because Stella can be very off with people she doesn't know. sHeather's not interested in her and her trendy friends, which annoys Stella. Paul is a bit wimpish about the situation. He sees Stella on her own a lot to keep the peace."
It is doubtful whether Heather will defend Stella regarding her designs, having once let it be known she thought her creations "tarty".
So what now for the Stella McCartney empire? At present her parent company, Gucci, is giving her handouts to keep the company afloat.
To date, the Italian fashion house - which paid £6million ($10 million) to Stella to entice her away from Chloe, which she joined from St Martin's School of Art - has made payments of £9million ($15 million) to keep her in business.
Her graduation show made the front pages because she got pals Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell to grace the catwalk, a move from which sprang the accusation that Stella is only where she is today due to her connections.
Yesterday, Stella indicated that she now regrets getting the supermodels involved. "I was naive and I wish I hadn't done it on one level," she says.
On another level, one assumes, she doesn't regret it because it brought maximum exposure and a job at Chloe shortly afterwards.
At the weekend a spokesman for Gucci insisted that the company is "1,000 per cent behind Stella McCartney", adding without a hint of irony that it was "natural to lose money in the beginning".
However, a few days ago, another source said, "At some point we are going to have to decide whether this is throwing money down the plughole."
As for Stella, she said recently that if the design business didn't work out, she might follow in her father's musical footsteps, no doubt a sentiment Gucci executives - currently several million pounds out of pocket - will be interested to hear.
Frustrated musician
"I confess to being a frustrated musician. For me, singing is the most natural thing in the world. I've grown up with it and I know I've got that gift. At times I make music, but in private. If people stop liking my clothes, I'll make a record."
She has also been telling friends that she would like to "take time out," bemoaning the fact that she has worked solidly without a break since leaving school.
"She's saying she has never had a gap year and has always worked and could do with a rest," says the source.
Certainly she is full of tough talk about her wobbling empire, but is Stella finally feeling the pressure?
December 17, 2003 -- Rolling Stone
Apple: Beatles Tape "Bollocks"Band spokesperson says 1976 reunion didn't happen
The Internet site momentsintime.com is auctioning an erased tape from what it claims was a secret Beatles reunion. The acetate, which features five hand-written song titles, is alleged to have been recorded at Los Angeles' Davlen Studios on November 2, 1976.The site's curator, Gary J. Zimet -- who is also currently offering the copy of "Double Fantasy" John Lennon signed for his killer, Marc David Chapman, for $525,000 -- says that Davlen owner Len Kovner told him that the session ended in an argument, after which the members stormed out. He also said that Beatles producer George Martin was present.
The songs listed on the tape are "Happy Feeling," "Back Home," "Rockin' Once Again," "People of the Third World" and "Little Girl." Zimet says it was erased "at the Beatles' insistence to try to keep secret the fact that this session ever took place" and that he's unerased version is in the vaults at Abbey Road.
Beatles/Apple Records spokesperson Geoff Baker scoffs at the claims, "The whole thing is bollocks. What reunion? What tape? I've never heard of these songs, and I've never heard of any reunion."
Bruce Spizer, author of several books on the Beatles, also doubts the session ever took place. "I've never come across anything to indicate that the four of them and George Martin walked into a studio at any time," Spizer said. "What are the odds of them coming together and no one finding out or reporting on it? If something like this happened, it would have leaked out at some point."
Zimet says Kovner is reluctant to talk publicly about the reunion because he fears reprisals from Paul McCartney. "I think it would prove embarrassing to him," Zimet said of McCartney. "He's a control freak and he doesn't want it known that the Beatles got back together and that it ended in failure." Kovner did not return phone calls by press time.
Zimet says he has received word of yet another Beatles reunion session that took place in Bermuda shortly after the alleged Los Angeles one and that he is trying to obtain those tapes.
December 16, 2003 -- This Is London/Evening Standard
Yoko renews battle with Sir Paul
Yoko Ono appears to have reignited her feud with Sir Paul McCartney. He is said to be furious that John Lennon's widow has removed his name from the credit of the song "Give Peace A Chance" on a new DVD, "Lennon Legend." The song - released in 1969 by the Plastic Ono Band - was written by Lennon. But, as he was still in the Beatles at the time, it has always carried the Lennon-McCartney credit.
A year ago, Sir Paul enraged Yoko by reversing the usual Beatles credit to "composed by Paul McCartney and John Lennon" on a live album. He said he only did it on songs he wrote alone but she threatened legal action, saying it was "absurd and petty."
In June, Sir Paul said he would not swop any more credits. And the feud appeared to be over when he, Yoko, Ringo Starr and George Harrison's widow Olivia agreed on a new version of the "Let It Be" album. Yoko hinted that all was not forgiven, however, during an interview last month.
Stephen Bailey, manager of The Beatles Shop in Liverpool, said, "Even though 'Give Peace A Chance' was written by John Lennon it has always had the Lennon/McCartney credit. Yoko kept Paul's name on it when she released the Lennon collection DVD in 1989 so I can only imagine she changed it after Paul did the swop on the other credits."
Last night, a source close to Sir Paul said, "He thought they had sorted everything out. He's really angry that she has chosen to do something this petty."
December 16, 2003 -- New York Post
The British press has not been kind to Stella McCartney of late, and her PR company is investigating whether a fashion industry rival is to blame.
First, detailed reports surfaced that the Gucci designer's business lost money over the past year. Then, Sir Mick Jagger's model daughter Lizzie called McCartney "lazy in her designs" in an interview.
According to the London Daily Telegraph, the British PR firm Brunswick, which reps Gucci, has begun badgering the press to determine whether the items have been planted by McCartney's competitors.
"The recent stories have seemed to be a little bit malicious, so it's a valid theory," a source told the Telegraph.
December 16, 2003 -- The Sun
What do you get the missus for Christmas if you are SIR PAUL McCARTNEY?Her very own song, of course. Macca secretly recorded an orchestral version of an unreleased Beatles song last week. Called "Mother And Child," it will be a special festive present for Heather and their baby daughter Beatrice.
Macca spared no expense on the musical gift, drafting in top violinists and harp players to studios in North London. Well, he is the 12th highest earner in the UK, earning more than £40 million ($68 million) last year and boasting a £760 million ($1.3 billion) fortune.
A close friend said, "Paul didn't want to give Heather just jewelry or perfume this year. The song is the best way he could think of to show how much he loves Heather and Bea. He will play the song for them on Christmas Day. It's a beautiful and emotional track and he knows how much it will mean to Heather. Paul never thought he would fall in love after his first wife Linda died, let alone be as happy as he is now. He loves being a new dad again and is having the time of his life. He is giving Heather something priceless and just for her, to say thank you for being a wonderful wife and mother. He is determined this song belongs to Heather. And he wants Bea to cherish it as she grows up. Heather will be blown away. She has no idea what Paul is planning."
Whoops, until she reads my column today . . .
Macca began writing "Mother And Child" in the Sixties but never finished it. The Beatles had planned to include it on the album "Let It Be" but it never saw the light of day.
The pal added, "Paul loves how the track sounds but he has no plans to release it as a single."
December 14, 2003 -- The Observer
Banned in 1964, The Beatles never set foot in Russia. Sir Paul McCartney finally flew in this summer, playing Red Square. In this OMM exclusive, he talks us through his picture book.Don't know how lucky you are, boys
We actually flew into St Petersburg. Brian Eno's wife Anthea has links there, and after Brian did a masterclass at my old school, LIPA, she said I should do a masterclass there. So when we started talking about Russia, I told the promoters I wanted to link in Anthea's offer to do a masterclass and cut the ribbon at an orphanage called the Menshikov Foundation. Then the St Petersburg Conservatoire decided they were going to give me a honorary doctorate. Which is unbelievable! I mean, this is where Tchaikovsky went! There is similarity between LIPA and the Conservatoire, but I was just walking round, thinking, 'Stravinsky....Tchaikovsky...'
I didn't play for them. I would have had to practice a little bit, seeing as Tchaikovsky was the opening act. But it was a lovely thing, fantastic. And when it was time to leave St Petersburg I was joking, saying, 'Come on, it's time to march on Moscow.'
Really knock me out
The concert was great, the reception we got was fabulous. At first it was just going to be 35,000 people, all seated, which wasn't what we had in mind at all. But they opened it up and we had real hardcore fans at the front and back, and dignitaries and paying customers sandwiched in between. The rest of the crowd was bananas. It was everything I'd ever hoped for. And then Putin did turn up halfway through, which was an added bonus, because he's very popular - I'm sure it won't do him any harm either. Heather and I had spoken to him about landmine clearances earlier, and when he turned up I was singing the line, 'May we never be called to handle all the weapons of war we despise,' on 'Calico Sky', which is probably the only anti-war sentiment in the whole show.
Hardly knew the place
In the Sixties, we'd heard The Beatles were massively popular in the Soviet Union, and that there were Levis and Beatles records on the black market. We were massively touched, because when we were kids, with the whole idea of the Iron Curtain and stuff, it just seemed like a mystical land of intrigue. We were quite honoured that they knew us and apparently loved us.
Finally to go there and get officials coming up to me saying, 'We learned English from your songs, "You say yes! I say no! Hello! Goodbye!"' I couldn't believe it. Another one would come up and go 'When I find myself in time of trouble_ Mother Mary come to me.' I mean, bloody hell! These guys were, 50, 60 years old, and one of them was the Russian Defence Minister, who said to me 'When I bought "Love Me Do..." - and I was just went 'Woaahhh!'
Back in the USSR
The reaction to 'Back in the USSR' was just electric. I knew it was going to be good, but nothing could have prepared me for the actual reaction. And I should have known really, logically and intellectually. Lots of people said to me, 'This is the only song that anyone ever wrote about Russia,' - in the pop genre. And they asked, was it tongue in cheek? And I said, 'Yeah, 'course, it was a pisstake on Chuck Berry's "Back in the USA".' Everyone was like, 'We can't wait for you to play it!' We usually play it in the middle of the set, and for most shows it works well there. But when we did it, I just thought, it's in the wrong place. And Putin had missed it by the time he'd arrived, so I just added it to the encore and razzed it up a little bit more, and I introduced it by saying, 'We've had a special request for this one again.'
Take me to your daddy's farm...
At the Kremlin we were met by a very Russian-looking general, taken down these huge corridors and shown into the inner sanctum. I asked if Tony Blair had been in here but the translator said no, apparently there was another room for him, and this was even more inner sanctum, this was Putin's private quarters. Putin stage-managed it of course, but when you're in the Kremlin you don't walk in and say, right, we want to do this and that. So we met Putin in front of all the cameras, then he sent all the press out, and eventually he even sent his translator out, because he speaks pretty good English. And he was fabulous. We had a quite intimate conversation about his life, which was quite refreshing. Then I asked, 'Are you coming to the show?' and he said, 'I'm not sure I'll be able to get there,' which I understood, because of all the security issues. But there was a piano in there so I played him 'Let it Be'. I hadn't been so nervous in years - it was my first gig in Russia, and it was just me, Heather and Putin.
Been away so long...
The idea of playing Moscow was first mooted back in the Wings days, I think, but it didn't happen for one reason or another. Then a couple of years ago I was going do a few gigs to get back into the swing of things, and the idea of Red Square was raised again, and I said I'd love to do it. But that was before 9/11. We'd been in New York to pick up an award for my wife Heather and on that day we were on the runway at JFK waiting to take off when the first plane hit the Twin Towers. We could actually see it through the window. So we ended up spending a week or so in America, reliving it with the American people, and then got involved with the Concert for New York. But after the US tour, we did Japan and Mexico, and we were coming back to Europe and I said we really must go to Russia. We did, and it was fantastic.
Leave it 'til tomorrow
We went back and had a look around Red Square the day after the show, and we had a bike ride. I was told off by the cycling bureau or someone. The guy couldn't speak very good English and he just kept going, 'Niet! Niet!' and I was like, 'What?'. And he said, 'No cycling,' meaning on Red Square. So I asked, 'Why not?' and he said, 'Sacred place.' So I said, 'But I just did a concert here last night,' and he said, 'I know_ good show, great show!' And there were a lot of incidents like that, but it was all very good humoured... and at the end of the day we sneaked a little bike ride in.
The documentary "Paul McCartney In Red Square" wil be broadcast on ITV1, 10:40 pm, Saturday, December 27.
December 14, 2003 -- The Argus
Tis the season to be jolly and a time of goodwill to all men. And what more traditional way of spreading the Christmas message is there than carol singing?
But in these days of rising prices, security fears and political correctness, how generous - in money and spirit - are we to unsolicited callers? Do we dig deeply into our pockets or adopt a Scrooge "bah humbug" approach? How do neighbors react when the sound of "Silent Night" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" interrupts our evening meal or TV viewing? And is there a difference in attitudes between wealthy folk and the less well off?
The Argus decided to put the generosity of the people of Brighton and Hove to the test. We accompanied Brighton-based a cappella group The Botticelli Angels and four cute children to serenade householders in different parts of the city and rattle tins for the Argus Appeal. We called at the same number of houses in each location and compared takings. And we proved that, with a couple of exceptions, it doesn't make any difference whether you're loaded or counting the pennies - people are happy to give to a good cause. From council houses in Whitehawk to the exclusive villas of Millionaires' Row, the Christmas spirit is alive and well. Here's how our carollers fared.MILLIONAIRES ROW: Average donation £3.75 ($6.50). Western Esplanade in Hove is home to some of the most famous names and biggest pay packets in Britain. Although fiercely protective of their privacy, residents gave us a warm welcome. Some of the houses had lights on but no one answered. But not everyone was so shy. A young woman answered the door of her home and, seeing the children singing, said, "Aaah." She was then joined by her husband and one of the most famous musicians in the world, Sir Paul McCartney. Heather and Paul nestled together in the doorway and listened as we 'rum pum pum pummed' our way through "The Little Drummer Boy." Then Sir Paul beckoned seven-year-old Christian forward to squeeze a note into his collection box. The pair wished us all Merry Christmas before going back inside to baby Beatrice. We had been hoping to catch DJ Fatboy Slim - Norman Cook - and wife Zoe Ball but alas they were nowhere to be seen.
The Argus Appeal raises money for causes around Sussex. Every penny goes to people in need in our community.
December 14, 2003 -- BBC NewsHunt enters Sir Paul's sanctuary
A hunting group has apologized after straying into an animal sanctuary owned by Sir Paul McCartney. Leaders of the Quantock Staghounds have said they are sorry for allowing their hounds to follow a deer onto the former Beatle's land.
The site, near Dulverton, Somerset, is managed by the League Against Cruel Sports, which filmed the chase. Twenty riders and 30 hounds were involved; the hounds were called off after 10 minutes and the stag escaped.
The hunt says the deer got through a section of wire fencing which should have kept the hounds off league property. A spokesman for the hunt said, "We try our utmost to prevent these things from happening. People own the land and we respect their wishes. If they don't want the hunt on it we do our best to keep off the land."
An area of woodland planted at the site in memory of Sir Paul's first wife, animal rights campaigner Linda McCartney, was not damaged in the incident.
December 14, 2003There's no catwalk conspiracy against me, says Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney - the Gucci designer, darling of the celebrity A-list and daughter of Sir Paul - took the highly unusual step of issuing a denial, through The Independent on Sunday, that she was the victim of a conspiracy conducted by jealous rivals in the fashion industry.The latest twist in the designer's career comes at the end of a "difficult" few weeks, which culminated three days ago in reports that a public relations company had been hired by Gucci to seek out anyone spreading bile about their star player.
Until October, McCartney was a figure largely unsullied by the gossip and rivalries endemic in the industry. Most of her designs have attracted lavish praise and are worn by much of film and music's elite, including her close friends Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. Demi Moore, Cate Blanchett and Pamela Anderson, are also part of her inner circle.
Now, however, even the furiously over-the-top world of fashion must be having to pinch itself.
McCartney has been on the receiving end of an unprecedented series of personal attacks that last week culminated in feverish speculation about a "hate campaign" against her and doubts over the commercial viability of her business. She told the IoS yesterday that she wanted to distance herself from reports that Brunswick, a top PR firm, had been hired by Gucci to search for malcontents.
"I do not believe there is a conspiracy against me," she said, breaking a protracted silence on the recent unpleasantness. "I am not represented by Brunswick PR, and therefore surprised by this current situation."
It was a terse though rare statement and one that will do little to quell the frenzy of off-catwalk conspiracy theorising. This may have much to do with the sheer breadth of the cast-list that has made McCartney's woes one of the most curiously compelling shows in town.
Trouble began in October, when the designer Jeff Banks derailed her jolt-free run-up to Paris Fashion Week by calling her clothes designs "amateurish" and putting her success down to "pedigree" rather than talent. Mr Banks's remarks were reported widely, and followed the revelation that McCartney, 32, had been paid £6m by Gucci for a 50 per cent stake in her fashion company, Stella McCartney Ltd, in April 2001. Her salary was put at more than £700,000. McCartney's designs sell for between £250 and £1,000 each.
Last week, however, Banks was eager to clarify his now notorious critique of McCartney. "I got misquoted," he told the IoS. "What I meant was that the presentation of her work on the night [the British Designer of the Year Award] was amateurish, it looked cheapand cheerful."
However, he stood by his comments about McCartney's name having helped on her fashion career.
In November, McCartney lost her key patron in the industry when Tom Ford - chief designer at Gucci, friend of her father, Sir Paul McCartney, and the man who brought both her and the designer Alexander McQueen to the company - announced that he was to leave the firm.
Then, last week, the accounts of McCartney's firm came under scrutiny when it was revealed that her company had lost £4.5m in the year to January 2003, which was double the losses of the previous year. Most worrying, sales of McCartney designs netted her company a meagre £434,000.
At the same time, the 19-year-old model Elizabeth Jagger - daughter of Sir Mick - joined the ruck, saying that McCartney was "lazy in her design". She added, "She's a bit full-on for me. She treats me like a sister. I hate that rock-chick vibe. I just don't hang out with other kids of rock stars."
Last week, however, the industry appeared to be closing ranks around McCartney. "The British have a complicated relationship to success," said Sally Singer, of the fashion bible US Vogue.
"They want to cut down to size anyone who seems glamorous, and Stella - with her father especially - is the biggest in line for that. Everyone's sales are down. It's a tough sector."
"The fact is she has done her training," said Nicola Wood, of the trade journal Draper's. "She does have talent. Gucci doesn't pick up someone just because of a name. It's still early days for her company."
December 12, 2003 -- The Sun
Hunting hounds have rampaged through a wood planted by Sir Paul McCartney in memory of his late wife Linda, it was claimed yesterday.Anti-blood sport campaigners said they had video of the dogs chasing a deer on the land near Upton, Somerset.
Sir Paul was out of the country last night but a spokesman said, "He will not be happy. The reason he bought the land was to create a sanctuary."
December 11, 2003 -- Email from PaulMcCartney.com
Paul McCartney and James Taylor played Live for first time in 25 years for Adopt-A-Minefield - 23rd September 2003. Paul remembers the special night !Many of you will know of my support for Adopt-A-Minefield and its work clearing minefields and helping landmine survivors. Each year since 2001 I have performed a live show in LA to raise funds for Adopt-A-Minefield. The first year I played with my longtime friend Paul Simon and last year Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys joined me on stage.
In 2003 I hooked up with my old friend James Taylor. Not only was James Taylor one of the first artists that the Beatles' Apple Record Label signed, but I also sung back up vocals for James in the past and played bass on his 1991 track "Carolina In My Mind." We both also performed separately at the "Concert for New York" to raise money for the victims of the September 11th attacks.
I have always been an admirer of James's work, but not since 1968 have we shared the stage and sung together. So it was a pleasure to perform with him again and to relive some old memories.
James's set included "Fire And Rain," "Carolina In My Mind" and "Country Road."
Following the performance, Jay Leno conducted an auction for Adopt-A-Minefield, then my current band and I took to the stage. We greatly enjoyed performing 10 tracks for the nearly 1,200 attendees. Included in the set were "Calico Skies," "Blackbird," "Eleanor Rigby," "Michelle" and "Let it Be." A highlight for me was James joining me on stage to perform "Two of Us."
The evening was a great success raising over $ 1.2 million for Adopt-A-Minefield. It's not too late for you to take action and join in the great success of the Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign. With the Christmas and New Year holidays fast approaching do your shopping with Adopt-A-Minefield. There are many options such as: the "no more landmines" T-Shirts, which I designed and wear at all my concerts (in all sizes including a baby size I wonder why?), Gift Vouchers for friends, colleagues and loved ones or simply give a donation in the name of someone special. All proceeds go to support Adopt-A-Minefield's work to clear minefields and provide assistance for survivors of landmine accidents. For details please visit www.landmines.org or www.landmines.org.uk
Heather and I hope you and your families enjoy the holidays and the New Year.
All the very best,
Paul McCartney
December 10, 2003 -- AP/Yahoo News
Jazz singer Diana Kral has tied the knot with her beau of one year, Elvis Costello, in a wedding in England, Costello's public relations firm confirmed Wednesday.The couple married Saturday night in a ceremony at Elton John's mansion in Surrey, England, Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reported.
"The wedding was a private event with close friends and family in attendance," Shore Fire Media said in a statement.
About 150 guests, including Paul McCartney and Canada's consul general to New York, Pamela Wallin, were sworn to secrecy, the newspaper reported. Krall grew up outside Vancouver, British Columbia.
The 39-year-old jazz singer and Costello, 49, live in New York and have a home on Vancouver Island. The marriage is a first for Krall. Costello's previous two marriages ended in divorce.
December 10, 2003 -- Vogue.com
GUCCI'S STELLA DEFENCE THE
Gucci Group has hit back at the hysteria over Stella McCartney's latest profit margins yesterday, announcing that it is perfectly happy with the way things are going.
Rumors were quick to emerge that loses of £4.5 million( $7.6 million) on 2003 sales of £434,611($738,838), coupled with the news that Tom Ford, who lured Stella to Gucci, is leaving, would mean that her partnership with the Italian fashion giant would not last much longer. However, Gucci stood its ground yesterday afternoon, claiming that there was absolutely no need for alarm.
"These figures are in line with the agreed business plan to develop the brand since its launch just over two-and-a-half years ago," said Gucci's spokesman, Tomaso Galli. "They reflect investments in product development and new store openings in London, and New York over that period. Sales have more than doubled and we are very happy with the way business is going."
December 10, 2003 -- The Sun
Jagger girl rap for Stella
Mick Jagger's model daughter Elizabeth took a swipe at fashion designer Stella McCartney yesterday - and accused Beatle Sir Paul's girl of toadying up to her.Elizabeth, 19, who earns up to £20,000 ($34,000) a shoot, slammed Stella's "lazy" work as it emerged her company has run up a £4.5million ($7.6 million) loss.
She said, "It's not enough just to rehash trouser suits. She's a bit full-on. She treats me like a sister and I hardly know her. I hate that rock chick vibe."
Elizabeth, whose mum is Jerry Hall, is now trying to break into acting.
December 9, 2003 -- Femail
Paul shows baby Bea the world
He may be casually shouldering his latest offspring, but Sir Paul McCartney can't hide the look of a concerned father.
The 61-year-old and baby Bea took their first public stroll since her birth two months ago. But as the day was bitterly cold, McCartney made sure that Beatrice Milly was well wrapped up and hugged close as he went shopping for vegetables near the family's £5million home in St John's Wood, North London.
"He looked as proud as anything," said an onlooker, "but wanted to keep Bea as warm as possible."
MORE
December 9, 2003 -- The Daily Record
I WANNA HOLD YOUR HANDFUL
He may be on the wrong side of 60 but Sir Paul McCartney showed that he's still the daddy as he took baby Beatrice for a stroll.
After all those years bringing up his other kids, it looked as though Macca was out of practice as he took five-week-old Bea out on a shopping trip near their home in St John's Wood, London.
After trying a variety of positions to get well-wrapped Bea comfortable, the 61-year-old ex-Beatle opted for the tried-andtrusted fireman's lift.
One onlooker said, ''He took a while to find the right way, but once he'd got her up on his shoulder, he looked as steady as a rock as he strode along. He was a natural.''
December 9, 2003 -- Ananova
McCartney fashion business loses £4.5m ($7.6 million)The design label of Stella McCartney has slipped further into the red with annual losses widening 67 percent to £4.5 million ($7.6 million).
Stella McCartney Ltd., which is backed by fashion house Gucci, reported maiden sales of £434,611($738,838) for the year to January 31.
Board members including Gucci chief executive Domenico De Sole said the sales return and losses were "in line with directors' expectations based on an agreed business plan."
Gucci paid $5 million (£3.2 million) in July last year and a further undisclosed sum in April in accordance with the business plan and budget.
The money was needed "to enable the company to pay its liabilities as they fall due," the board said.
A flagship store of Stella McCartney Ltd. opened in London in April, and it opened its latest branch in September in Hollywood.
According to the accounts filed at Companies House in London, Stella McCartney Ltd. made an operating loss of £4.5 million of which one-third comprised wages and salaries for 12 staff.
Gucci holds a majority stake in the company set up by the 32-year-old daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney after she quit rival fashion house Chloe in 2000.
Gucci is currently in a period of transition with Mr. De Sole and head designer Tom Ford soon to relinquish their posts.
December 8, 2003 -- Arizona Central
A bass guitar signed by former Beatle Paul McCartney was on the auction block at Saturday night's party for the Golden WHEEL charity benefiting West Valley youths. Partygoer Michael Brooks hit the right chord with his bid of $6,500.
December 7, 2003 -- NMECheck out The Beatles on video from the 1969 "Let It Be" studios sessions with outtakes.
Windows Media Player (download) Hi Med LowRealPlayer (download) Hi Med Low
December 4, 2003 -- Dotmusic.com
Britney Spears and Paul McCartney are both being linked to the new "Carry On" film, according to rumors.
Burt Reynolds has been tipped to play I P Freely, the central character in the film, entitled "Carry On London." The Channel 4 website says Britney is keen on playing temptress Rhoda Freely, the daughter of I P Freely.Meanwhile, Sir Paul McCartney has been approached to record the film's opening song. Producer James Black said, "Paul is very keen and I've been told Britney wants to play the part. Her involvement is not based on whether or not Burt accepts."
EastEnders actors Daniella Westbrook and Shaun Williamson are tipped to play the characters Delilah Goodhand and Dicky Ticker Neil and Christine Hamilton, Gary Wilmot and Isabella Hervey have also linked to the film. It will be made at Pinewood Studios.
December 4, 2003 -- BusinessWire
As the year 2003 draws to a close and seasonal music fills the air, ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), the world's largest performing rights organization, today announced a list of its 25 most-performed Holiday songs based on their most recent performance data for the first three years of the 21st Century. The new ranking, when compared with the list issued by ASCAP at the end of the 20th Century, indicates changes and interesting trends.The most performed ASCAP Holiday song of the past three years is "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. This perennial, originally written in 1934, was recorded the same year by orchestra leader George Hall, and is frequently heard today in versions by Bruce Springsteen, and the Crystals.
Another song on the move is "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year," by Edward Pola and George Wyle, written in 1963 and first recorded by Andy Williams.
Two songs have entered the ASCAP Holiday list for the first time -- "Santa Baby," written by Joan Javits, Philip Springer and Tony Springer, and Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" (charting at #25). "Santa Baby," originally a hit for Eartha Kitt in 1953, has been given new interest via a popular recent recording by Madonna, and McCartney's Holiday classic is of comparatively recent vintage, first recorded back in 1979.
December 3, 2003 -- PRNewswire
Tropic Island Hum, Tuesday and Rupert and The Frog Song To be Released on DVD on April 13, 2004Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein announced today that the Company has acquired a trio of classic animated stories produced by musical legend Sir Paul McCartney. "Tropic Island Hum," "Tuesday" and "Rupert & The Frog Song" are scheduled to be released on DVD and video. McCartney and Weinstein most recently collaborated on "The Concert for New York City," which raised $35 million for the victims of 9/11.
McCartney worked with long-time collaborator Geoff Dunbar to create additional special effects in order to enhance the animation. In addition, newly recorded live-action footage -- featuring McCartney himself -- will be included."While the world knows Paul as a creative, musical genius, he is also a master of animation and I'm thrilled to be working with him again," said Weinstein. "In keeping with the great Disney tradition, these three titles are breathtaking and will be a real treat for families to watch together."
"I've loved animation since I was a little kid and I'm proud that Harvey and Miramax are handling the release of these three little gems," said McCartney.
Jeff Tahler, vice president of acquisitions, is overseeing the project for Miramax in New York and Colin Vaines, executive vice president of European production and development, is handling the project for Miramax in the UK.
Stuart Ford, executive vice president and co-head of Miramax International, negotiated the agreement on behalf of the Company. Lee Eastman of Eastman & Eastman negotiated the agreement on behalf of McCartney.
December 3 2003 -- Ananova
Gwyneth Paltrow says she's a lightweight who's always the first to go home from the party. The actress, in an interview with Elle magazine, confessed she was hungover after a night out with Stella McCartney."I'm such a lightweight," she said. "I had a girl's night last night and I had two glasses of champagne, and today... I'm not a partier. I'm really kind of a nerd. I'm always the first one to go home. It's so funny because I realised that when I was in my twenties I was trying to fit in, to be as cool as Kate and Sadie... you know? And I just realized, I'm 31 years old and I'm a nerd, I don't party. I go home and I get in bed, it's really sad."
Stella McCartney is one of Gwyneth's closest friends and she added, "She's a brilliant, brilliant girl. She's a very loyal friend, you can tell her anything, she's really warm and she's there for you, she's just so lovely. And she's so talented! The way she puts things together... Last night, she was wearing her really skinny, tiny jeans, these fabulous vintage heels and some strapless thing - I don't know how she made it. She always finds these old things and then does something to turn them into the most chic thing. You put them on and you feel like a real Stella girl, because they're cool and grown-up at the same time."
December 3 2003 -- Daily Post
Stella McCartney backs revamped Cricket storeAt a time when the rest of the country has gone rugby mad, the word on everyone's lips on Merseyside is Cricket.
The revamped Cricket fashion store in Liverpool's prestigious Cavern Designer Shopping Centre is to re-open tonight following an extensive re-fit.
And top fashion designer Stella McCartney has already given the store her personal seal of approval.
McCartney - who now has her own label, named Stella, after leaving leading fashion house Chloe - was shown the plans for the redesign at a haute couture show in Paris earlier this year by her close friend and Cricket director Justine Mills.
Label lovers are in for a treat with designs from the likes of Stella, Roland Mouret, Pucci and Missoni all on display.
December 2, 2003 -- Vogue.com
A STYLE ALL HER OWN
Stella McCartney claims not to design for anybody in particular. While Catherine Deneuve played muse to Yves Saint Laurent and Nicole Kidman is Karl Lagerfeld's latest fashion love, McCartney admits that she has nobody in mind when she designs her collections.
"Unlike other designers, I am incapable of saying, for example, that Jennifer Lopez inspires me," the British designer, who was famously told by Tom Ford to "design the clothes you wear" after the first collection for her Gucci-backed eponymous line bombed, told the Daily Express.
"Neither do I find the music world especially glamorous - and that's because I know its secrets too well."
December 2, 2003 -- The Sunday Mail
JOOLS' 10 JEWELS: LATER PRESENTER PICKS HIS MAGIC MOMENTSIT wasn't easy, but Jools Holland has finally done it he has chosen his 10 magic moments from Later.
The BBC2 series (UK PAL version), which has become the most respected rock show on TV, has seen performances from scores of big name artists, including R. E. M., Tony Bennett, Elvis Costello, Bryan Ferry and The White Stripes.
But for Later's host Jools, there are 10 incredible acts whose appearance made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
The former Squeeze star plays the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow on Thursday and Friday to promote his great new album, Jack O' The Green.
To preview the gigs, Jools relived those amazing Later moments.
1. JOHNNY CASH: Will The Circle Be Unbroken He radiated real greatness. It was more than just being a great songwriter he was almost like a heroic figure. I had utter respect for him as a man and a musician.
One of the first gigs ever went to when was 12 was Johnny Cash at the Royal Albert Hall. He wore patent leather winklepickers which he tapped in time to the music.2. RADIOHEAD There There I'd like to do a version of that song with my big band. It would lend itself to a huge arrangement. I love Thom Yorke as a frontman.
It would be great to see what those great guitar lines sounded like played by a horn section.
3. SOLOMON BURKE, TOM JONES & ROBERT PLANT: Shake, Rattle And Roll: We shot this as part of my New Year Hootenanny. It was a special moment. You had three great and very different vocalists working together.
Eric Clapton was in the band, too, and the audience went crazy. It doesn't get much better than that.
4. ANNIE LENNOX: Wonderful There's something about Annie's voice which is so perfectly in tune. It's so rich in texture, I believe she could be an opera singer if she wanted to.
It was electric watching her at such close quarters. Her work over the years has been of consistently high quality.
5. TERRI WALKER: Ching Ching (Lovin' You Still) I didn't know much about Terri before she came on. I'd heard her album, Untitled, and thought it was good. But in the studio her voice blew me away.
I was so impressed I asked her to sing a track Misfit on my album. She did it brilliantly in one take.
6. DAVID BOWIE: New Killer Star David or Mr Bowie as I call him has been on a few times. Henever does things half-heartedly he's totally committed to his music.
He was quiet in the dressing room beforehand then seemed to grow in stature when he began to sing. He's also so magnetic and exciting to watch.
7. LOU REED: Perfect Day When I asked him what inspired the song, he said: ''I wouldn't know a perfect day if it came along and bit me.''
He remains such an influential performer. His work with The Velvet Underground still sounds cutting-edge more than 30 years after it was written.
8. PAUL McCARTNEY: Party He was promoting his Run Devil Run album and proved he has what I call ''the boogie element''.
Lots of people think McCartney can only sing ballads but when he does 100 per cent rock 'n' roll, he is brilliant. He learned how to do that backing Little Richard in Hamburg clubs. You can hear it in his voice.
9. LEONARD COHEN: Democracy Although his music seems very dark and serious, Leonard is an incredibly funny guy. It's just that his humour is very dry.
Leonard is also an extremely humble, charming man. But he really comes alive when he performs.
10. ROBBIE WILLIAMS: Angels Robbie did a brilliant version of Angels with Bonnie Raitt accompanying him on slide guitar. It was a really unusual take on such a well-known song, but it worked brilliantly. On Jools'album, Jack O' The Green, the artist roster reads like a Who's Who of Pop.
He persuaded Ringo Starr to come down to his studio in Greenwich to sing Boys a classic R & B track from The Beatles' debut album, Please Please Me.
''I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, '' recalled Jools.
When Jools' own guitar player was unavailable to record a track called Mabel, he called another pop star pal Eric Clapton.
Other big names performing on the album include the legendary Smokey Robinson, ex-Free and Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers, Peter Gabriel, Ronnie Wood and Suggs of Madness.
But who would form Jools' ultimate rock band? The piano player has his music ''dream team'' already picked.
Jools told me: ''I'd have Ringo Starr on drums alongside Gilson Lavis of Squeeze. He's played with me for 20 years, so I couldn't miss him out.
''On guitar I'd have T-Bone Walker, Charlie Mingus on bass and Billy Preston on keyboards. On backing vocals, I'd have Ray Charles, Annie Lennox, Bonnie Raitt and Kelly Jones of Stereophonics.
''David Bowie would play harmonica and there would be a horn section of Louis Armstrong, Junior Walker and Chris Barber.
''On lead vocals, I'd have to choose Bessie Smith. She was the best no question.''
RECOMMENDED NEW PAUL BOOKS CD'S AND DVDS
Home Page | Wings Tour (photos) | 1989-90 Tour (photos) | 1993 Tour (photos) | Back in the US 2002 (reviews) | 2002 USA Tour (photos) | Driving USA 2002 (reviews) | 2003 Tour (reviews) | 2004 Tour (reviews) | Meet Paul (photos) | Standing Stone (photos) | Macca Report (Paul News) | Archived News Index | Paul Photo Book| Back in the World CD/DVD Detailed info | McCartney
Animation DVD | Fab Buys Shop | Beatles News | Ringo News | John News | George News | Bill Bernstein (interview) | Rusty Anderson (interview) | Brian Ray (interview) | Geoff Dunbar (interview)| Macca-Chat (Internet chat room) | Fan Close Encounter Page | Paul Shop | Message Board | Links | Paul Concert Tickets
Jorie GracenGET BACK TO THE TOP
