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December 31, 2005 -- Billboard (edited for Macca content)

Diversity marks Grammy-nominated albums

A comeback story, a living legend, an established frontwoman making her solo debut, the world's biggest rock band and an opinionated rapper recorded the projects that make up a diverse album-of-the-year slate for the 2006 Grammy Awards.

The nominees are largely music industry veterans, though their styles could not be more different.

Mariah Carey's blend of pop and R&B is competing with Paul McCartney's songwriting prowess, Gwen Stefani's dance-oriented solo foray and U2's rock anthems, while Kanye West offers up fresh, socially conscious rap.

"Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," Paul McCartney:
McCartney's 20th post-Beatles album and his first studio set in four years in many ways marks a return to form. The Capitol Records project, which has scanned 377,000 units, features the artist playing multiple instruments -- the first time he has done so since 1980's "McCartney II." The album also includes some of his most critically acclaimed songs in years, such as "Fine Line." The artist won a Grammy in this category in 1967 as a member of the Beatles for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

"Chaos" peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 when it was released in September.

McCartney told Billboard around the time of the album's release that after meeting with producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck), he discovered that their ideas were "surprisingly similar. I suggested a couple of possible things that I was listening to that we might draw off. And he said, 'No, we've got enough to draw off. People want an album that sounds like you."'

Fans purchased 36.1 million tickets to the top 100 concert tours, compared with 37.6 million in 2004 and 38.7 million in 2003, according to Pollstar, the industry trade magazine.

Despite a slow first-half of the year and the decline in tickets sold, concert tours in 2005 amounted to a 10.7 percent increase in gross receipts over last year's total of $2.8 billion.

The record revenue was due largely to the rare confluence of superstar artists touring.

"You don't normally see three huge acts like that out touring in the same year,'' Bongiovanni said. "McCartney and The Stones alone really helped drive up ticket prices.''

The average ticket price for the top 100 tours rose to a record $57, compared with $52.39 in 2004, Pollstar said. The average ticket price has gone up nearly $7 since 2003.

Still, concertgoers proved this year that they remained willing to pay more to see their favorite acts, and the roster of legends that filled touring arenas had little trouble packing them in.

Until this year, the biggest tour of all time had been The Rolling Stones' 1994 outing, which drew $121.2 million in gross receipts, Bongiovanni said. "Both U2 and The Stones went way beyond that this year,'' he said.

The Rolling Stones' "A Bigger Bang'' tour led all other concert tours in 2005 with $162 million in gross receipts, according to the magazine. The average Stones ticket was $133.98. The tour sold around 1.2 million tickets.

U2 generated the second most gross receipts, $138.9 million, with an average ticket price of $96.92. The Irish rockers' "Vertigo 2005'' tour sold the most tickets, around 1.4 million.

McCartney's tour earned $77.3 million in gross receipts, with the average ticket selling for $135.46. The tour sold around 570,000 tickets.

"The baby boomers really continue to support and fuel the concert business,'' Bongiovanni said.

McCartney's Coronation Street dreams

Heather Mills McCartney wants to follow in the footsteps of acting great Sir Ian McKellen and make a guest appearance in hit soap opera Coronation Street.

The former model, who is married to Sir Paul McCartney, is a huge fan of the TV show, because it reflects her northern heritage.

She says, "I'd love to make an appearance on a British soap. It would have to be Coronation Street, because I'm a northern girl."

Beatle Paul McCartney was given help by the Irish Embassy in London to promote his protest song "Give Ireland Back To The Irish" after it was censored in 1972.

The song had been banned on UK radio stations and an embassy official sent a copy to Dublin so it could be passed on to Foreign Affairs.

"THE HANUKKAH LOUNGE" various artists Craig-n-Co

The novelty CD of the season, to be sure: Songs for Hanukkah re-shaped into electro-lounge. But this disc is more than a goof. It's actually very pleasant to spin, regardless of whether you celebrate the Festival of Lights. Sophisticated and moody, with vocals whispered mostly in Hebrew, this makes for exotic cocktail music with a cute sense of humor, from the Star of David swizzle stick in the martini on the cover to the description of the sound as "Instrumental Jew Age Music."

Featured performers include Craig Taubman, who produced the album, singing "Maoz Tsur;" The Afro-Semitic Experience, with the jazzy "Descarga Ocho Kanelikas;" and Laurence Juber, a member of Paul McCartney's Wings, joining with Taubman on "Chanutronikah." The compilation is available at Amazon.com, and in music stores.

Little James Wilke is obsessed with the Fab Four and goes to great lengths to dress like them and even walk like them, but his interest leads to many questions his mother and father, Matthew Broderick, can't answer.

Parker explains, "He tries to walk like the cover (of "Abbey Road") when they're crossing the street all barefoot and he keeps saying to me, 'Mama, why would Paul McCartney want to not wear shoes when he's walking on the street?'

"I say, 'I don't know but maybe one day maybe we should write him a letter or maybe one day we'll get to meet him and we can ask him why...' He has lots of questions."

It will be a big year for 64-year-olds in Liverpool during 2006.

To mark Sir Paul McCartney turning 64, National Trust bosses plan to offer a free tour of his childhood home at 20 Forth lin Road to everyone who can prove they are the same age.

Simon Osborne, head of the National Trust in Liverpool, said: "Sir Paul McCartney turns 64 and he wrote his song 'When I'm 64' at Forth-lin Road as well."

The National Trust will also be giving a free place to every 64th person to book on to their Beatles tour during the year.

For more details on opening hours and bookings call 0870 900 0256 or log on to www.nationaltrust.org.uk

It's no secret that Paul McCartney and John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono are not good friends.
The pair have been rowing on and off since they first met when McCartney's fellow Beatle fell for Ono in the late 1960s.

But in recent weeks their failure to reach common ground has escalated, with a string of veiled - and not so veiled - swipes from both camps.

Last month, when McCartney played at Madison Square Garden, he included "Too Many People," a song which reportedly contains a sour message for Ono.

The track - which was written by Macca in 1971 - allegedly accuses Ono of hijacking her husband's career.

The cryptic song includes the lyrics: "Too many people pulled and pushed around/Too many waiting for that lucky break/That was your first mistake/You took your lucky break and broke it in two."

A source at McCartney's record label, EMI, revealed: "It's well known Paul and Yoko have never been mates and never will be."

He added: "'Too Many People' is a very elaborate way of saying, 'What the f**k have you got to do with me and John? You were only his wife so stop interfering'. Paul has always said, 'I took abuse from John, who called me a lot worse when he was alive, but I'm not going to take it from Yoko now he's gone'."

The row was stepped up earlier this month when 72-year-old Yoko launched an attack against McCartney at the star-studded Q awards - branding him an inferior musician to John Lennon.

The Japanese artist was at the prestigious ceremony to collect the Q Special Award on behalf of her late husband.

As she went up to collect the prize, she said: "I wish John was here today as he would have really loved it. But I'd like to tell you a story about me and John.

"He always found it extraordinary that people would always cover Paul's songs, and I used to tell him not to worry about all those June and Spoon songs."

McCartney, 63, quickly hit back - saying his bandmate's widow has always said "daft" things about him.

The legendary musician said: "She's John's wife so I have to respect her for that, but I don't have to go any further. I don't want to get into a bun fight but she's said some particularly daft things in her time.

"Yoko is something else. Her life is dedicated to putting me down, that's what she seems to do all the time."

McCartney and Ono's fraught and rocky history began in 1968, when Lennon was embroiled in a romance with the petite artist.

After falling for Ono, Lennon is said to have insisted she attend several recording sessions for The Beatles White Album.

It has been claimed there were tensions during the gatherings, with Ono trying to divide the band and suggesting they alter their songs.

Before long, Lennon and McCartney's songwriting partnership was flagging, and Lennon had started recording music with his girlfriend - the smitten pair went on to make three albums together.

When the group made their last public appearance on the roof of their Apple record label headquarters, Paul is said to have glared angrily at Yoko every time he sang the well-known chorus to the band's hit Get Back.

He later denied it, but the band's split was within sight.

After The Beatles broke up in 1970, Lennon wrote to Paul and his wife Linda, accusing them of treating his lover badly.

He said: "I hope you realise what s**t you, and the rest of my kind and unselfish friends, laid on Yoko and me since we have been together.

"It might have sometimes been a bit more subtle or should I say 'middle class' - but not often."

He also hinted that Paul's own marriage was doomed.

McCartney unleashed his own attack when he included the acidic track "Too Many People" on his second album Ram.

Lennon seemed to retaliate with "How Do You Sleep?" which slated his former partner's solo material.

McCartney was left fuming after being told Yoko had helped Lennon think up the words to the song.

The feud didn't die when Lennon was murdered by unhinged fan MDC in 1980, and has frequently resurfaced in the past 25 years.

In the late 1990s, Ono - who is also at loggerheads with Lennon's first wife, Cynthia - compared her late husband to Mozart but said McCartney was more similar to one of the composer's lesser talented rivals.

The widow also once revealed Lennon used to worry about why so few musicians covered his songs compared to how many reinterpreted the McCartney's work.

There was another row five years ago when the remaining Beatles compiled their greatest hits package.

In order for any Beatles song to be released McCartney, Yoko, former Beatle Ringo Starr and George Harrison's widow must agree on the details.

The hit song "Yesterday" had always been credited Lennon-McCartney, as all Beatles songs written by the pair, but McCartney said it was all his work and asked for his name to go first.

He said: "I felt that after 30 years this would be a nice gesture and something that might be easy for Yoko to agree with. At first she said yes, but then she rang back a couple of hours later and reversed her decision."

Yesterday sparked another row last year when Ono - who claims she can still sense Lennon's ghostly presence - reportedly refused to let McCartney use it on a solo album.

The artist insisted the song was a collaborative effort and denied McCartney access to the track for "Paul McCartney Love Songs".

A source revealed at the time: "He can't believe she is being so petty. Even though she knows John did not have a hand in writing "Yesterday" she insisted that as a Beatles song it should not be included on a Paul McCartney solo album. The situation is becoming more and more petty. And what infuriates Paul the most is that he knows if John were still around there would not even be a problem."

Regardless of who lashes out next, it seems fair to say the rift between McCartney and Ono looks set to drag on and on. In the wake of George's death, Paul, who now regularly includes Beatles hits in his live shows, seems determined to cement his reputation in history as the definitive Beatle.

Yoko is equally determined to maintain her late husband's position as the most revered of the Fab Four. With both parties refusing to give an inch in their feud, the long and winding road to reconciliation is still being trodden.

December 26, 2005 -- Macca Report

New Legs for Lydia Cross with Heather's help

Two-year-old Lydia Cross's legs had to be amputated after she suffered near-fatal blood poisoning in December of 2003.

Lydia's parents, Tony and Jodie Cross were twice turned away from Chippenham Hospital in Wiltshire and told that Lydia had an ear infection. It was only on their third visit that a nurse noticed Lydia was suffering from a form of meningitis and septicaemia. By then the bacterial infection had spread so far doctors had to amputate both her legs below the knee.

After spending 12 days on a life-support machine, Lydia told nurses, "They took my poorly legs away and I'm getting new ones for Christmas."

On March 1, 2004 Lydia and her parents met Heather Mills McCartney.

"Heather Mills was stunningly beautiful and very, very kind to Lydia. She showed Lydia how to get up off the floor by herself when she fell over, something that Tony and I could never have shown her," said Jodie Cross.

Heather put them in touch with the Dorset Othopaedic, prosthetics specialists who make the prosthetics that Heather uses. The prosthetics designed with Heather's supervision are very lifelike.

Cross points out that Heather did not help the family financially or buy a pair of prosthetic legs for Lydia as was reported in newspapers. "Press reports that she helped us financially or bought Lydia a pair of legs are incorrect."

Lydia got her first pair of 'new legs' in February, 2004 at a cost of £8,452 ($14,700). Money was raised from public donations.

"She is very proud of her toes and will quickly take her shoes off to show everyone. As our plucky little girl grows, she will need new legs fitted at frequent intervals. Unfortunately, that is why we are dependent on fundraising," Cross said.

"It's pensioners, fund raising and peoples unbelievable kindness that has paid for our beautiful, little girl's leg's."

To read more about Lydia's miraculous recoverly go to: http://www.lydiacross.co.uk

The wife of rocker Sir Paul McCartney would prefer her loved ones to spend the money on better causes - and she isn't even expecting a greeting card.

She says, "I'm not interested in presents. I just think we should give to charity.

"Hopefully people won't bother with cards and just donate the money to good causes. I'll be sending an email one instead."

The animal rights campaigner, who is taking just two days off from her busy charity schedule to enjoy the festive period, insists the holiday will be low key.

She says, "We're just planning a quiet one. Nothing exciting. Pretty boring.

"We'll be on the sofa watching repeats of old TV shows like everyone else."

But Heather, who turned vegan almost six months ago, is confident her Christmas cooking will make the day a bit more special.

She enthuses, "My daughter is vegan and Paul is nearly vegan too, so dinner won't be entirely traditional. But I know a company who do great fake turkey, and I make sage and onion stuffing and the best roast potatoes to go with it."

McCARTNEY'S PET DEER

Sir Paul McCartney is carrying on the animal-loving legacy of his late wife Linda by providing a friendly living environment for rescued deer.

The "Live and Let Die" hitmaker, 63, opened his Sussex, England, estate to the wild creatures after his screenwriter and sanctuary owner pal Carla Lane asked for his help.

Lane, who wrote hit UK sitcoms "Bread" and "Butterflies", says, "Paul is absolutely an animal man. At the sanctuary we get called out for deer that have been in car accidents. And when we save a deer - although it's only happened twice so far - we go to Paul's woodland to release it back into the wild."

Thanks for your great support over the year and thanks for making the US Tour, the Chaos & Creation album and High in the Clouds such successes.

All of us hope that all of you enjoy the best of the holiday seasons.

Have an extremely happy and peaceful New Year.

Love Paul

I interviewed a music legend!

Ten-year-old Naomi won our Press Pack competition to interview ex-Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney.

This took place at a special event in London. In her report, Naomi tells us about her day that she will never forget!

"I was so excited when I heard I had won.

I am a HUGE fan so it was the best news ever!

I had won the Press Pack competition to go and interview Paul McCartney, a famous musician who has now written a children's book, "High in the Clouds".

I met the Press Pack team outside Waterstone's in London.

There were queues of people outside to see him and it was wicked because we were allowed to skip them.

Everyone seemed frantic and excited because Paul was there and the third, fourth and fifth floors were closed off to everyone except from us and Paul, of course!

We went to a big room where all the windows were blacked out and there was lots of camera and lighting equipment.

We waited around for about 20 minutes, when I ran over the questions I was going to ask Sir Paul.

Then he walked in!

I was so nervous but he was really nice.

The interview went really well.

It felt absolutely amazing talking to Sir Paul; so unreal, I couldn't believe it at all.

He acted like he did years ago in the films that he did with the Beatles (he was very funny and really nice) and even though he's really famous, he was just like a normal guy.

Then we headed down to the reading where there were loads of cameras clicking away at Paul.

He read a bit of his book to a group of school children and then he answered some of their questions.

There were two huge screens either side of him showing bits from the book.

At the end of the signing I met the illustrator of High in the Clouds, Geoff Dunbar.

He was really nice too and he drew me a picture in my Press Pack notebook!

I know it was a day I will remember for a very long time."

-- Naomi, 10, Cambridge

Click here for the chance to win signed copies of Sir Paul McCartney's book!

Click to see video of interview.

Thank you ALL for your kind words and great messages after my show was cancelled due to a sudden outbreak of the Ebola virus. [Kidding!]... It was just a naughty stomach flu.

Hey, guess what? I'll be doing a make-up show at the Viper Room on January 3rd!! 8:00 again, for those who want to give me another chance to steal their hearts. I will be announcing a few special guests on the bill with me as well, just as soon as it's all confirmed. The club has asked me to put the evening together as I like. I WILL be there, rain or shine, flu or not, singing and playing for your pleasure...

Come one, come all, come on.

Brian

Viper Room
8852 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA

Tickets: 310.358.1881

The charity campaigner was reported to have cancelled plans to appear in THE GAMES - which pits male and female celebrities against each other in a series of athletic events - because of a problem stemming from an accident in 1993, when she was hit by a police motorcycle and had to have part of her left leg removed.

But Mills McCartney insists she turned down the show when she discovered she'd have to be filmed around the clock - despite being keen to show disabled kids what they could achieve.

She says, "I talked to The Games people about entering. I didn't know too much about it but when they explained you have to be in a house for nine days and filmed I immediately said, 'Excuse me, no.'

"That's the one reason I didn't do it. I just wanted to show kids with disabilities in a quick and easy way what they can do."

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY's wife HEATHER MILLS McCARTNEY has accused music moguls SIMON COWELL and SHARON OSBOURNE of exploiting wannabe singers in their role on British TV talent contest THE X FACTOR.

The animal rights campaigner claims the pair, who act as judges and mentors on the hit show alongside WESTLIFE manager LOUIS WALSH, manipulate their charges for financial gain.

Shey says, "I don't really agree with all that. Exploiting people. They (contestants) get dropped and not looked after and taken on a rollercoaster. It's not my kind of thing."

Mills McCartney, who is supporting a new charity song which pays tribute to late soccer star GEORGE BEST and will raise money for an organ donor charity, also urges the show's fans not to boost X Factor judges' bank balances by buying winner SHAYNE WARD's single, which is tipped to be the UK's Christmas number one.

She says, "I don't expect (Best tribute) MY BRILLIANT FEAT to compete with Shayne from The X Factor but I do encourage people to download a charity record rather than one which will just make The X Factor team even richer. It could help save thousands of lives."

The catwalk trio were blasted as "hypocritical, superficial and shallow" by SIR PAUL McCARTNEY's wife for their dramatic U-turn on the use of animal skins in fashion.

All three have supported anti-fur campaigns in the past but have since been snapped wearing animal pelt clothes, prompting the furious backlash.

But Mills McCartney insists her harsh words are excusable.

She says, "I don't regret my comments. I don't regret telling the truth. The only way to convey the message about anything is to be absolutely honest, not worry about what the repercussions are.

"Having said that, I don't hear anything from them, obviously because they're just ashamed."

Mills McCartney recently backed out of British reality sports show THE GAMES when she discovered she would be filmed around the clock - and the idea of a programme called THE McCARTNEYS, documenting her life with Sir Paul and two-year-old daughter BEATRICE, fills her with dread.

She says, "I'm afraid not. You've got to be joking. I can't imagine crawling to the bathroom at night being filmed."

The former model said that she preferred to stay out of politics as she believes in being blunt and not diplomatic. She also feels that though politicians start off on the right path, they very often find it difficult to stay on it.

"It's better to stay on the outside. I help in one way and the politicians in another. I would have to become very diplomatic and that's just not me. I believe in speaking the truth. Even though politicians may start off with those reasons for wanting to do it, they can very rarely stick to them. I don't see how it would be possible," Contactmusic quoted her, as saying.

Mills McCartney further said that there was just too much bureaucracy in politics for her liking.

"There's too much bureaucracy in politics. It's a joke, it's a cop out," she added.

The wife of Sir Paul McCartney admits the ambitious single - which will raise money for an organ donor charity - was only conceived ten days ago with friend and former Men At Work frontman Colin Hay.

The track, called "My Brilliant Feat", enthuses about the Manchester United ace's ball skills and has been made available for download on the internet.

And Mills McCartney, who conceived the video for the track, insists the result is "completely beautiful".

She says, "I never knew Best. I'm just a great admirer of his brilliant football and was saddened by his death. He was Pele and Maradona combined into one. Let's pay tribute to his great football rather than harking on about anything else."

Proceeds from the single, which was launched on BBC Radio on Saturday December 17th, will be given to The Donor Family Network.

Best died of multiple organ failure on November 25.

Download the single here via Heather's site.

http://www.heathermillsmccartney.com/media_best.php

Heather Mills McCartney has rubbished claims she lost her prosthetic leg during a violent scuffle with Jennifer Lopez' security guards in September - she insists it fell off because she was hot.

The wife of Sir Paul McCartney was reportedly engaged in a tussle with Lopez's burly minders as she attempted to deliver a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) DVD showing creatures being killed for fur to the singer, who uses fur in her clothing range.

It was claimed her leg fell off because she was manhandled - but she is adamant no one touched her.

She says, "There wasn't a scuffle. The media blew it up out of all proportion.

"My leg got hot. It came off because of the heat. No other reason.

"It was sensationalised. But I don't mind. As long as it raised awareness of the plight of animals killed for fur, I don't mind."

Mills McCartney has consistently blasted the Latina singer for her use of fur, including mink false eyelashes, urging fans to boycott the star's music, movies.

A sign of the times

Book-signings - once earnest events in the back rooms of dusty shops - are now celeb fanfests that close streets and attract thousands. What is the appeal?

Susan Furmage knows what she must look like standing there in Waterstone's sobbing her heart out but, believe her, she is a normal person who holds down a job like everyone else. It's just that she's been waiting for this moment since she was 9 - shortly after John Lennon died and they played I Want To Hold Your Hand on the radio - and something inside her clicked. It's been all about Paul ever since. That's "Paul" as in Paul McCartney, but it's funny how camping outside a bookstore overnight with legions of his other fans can give you this sense of entitlement: you can't help but be on first-name terms.

The last time Paul did a signing in London the whole of Piccadilly came to a standstill because 3,000 people turned up. That was in 2000, with the release of a catalogue of his paintings. This year Waterstone's has implemented the wristband policy favoured by organisers of open-air pop concerts. The first 200 people in the queue get a yellow wristband that guarantees them the chance to meet their hero. After that, out come 200 blue wristbands, which entitle their owners to a signed book and possibly some face-time, depending on how many autographs Paul can get through in 90 minutes. Hillary Clinton signed 500 copies of Living History in an hour, but you'd expect that from a former lawyer. Behind the people with blue wristbands is another queue of people without any wristbands at all and which curls down two flights of stairs and spills out on to the street. Their destiny is to return home empty-handed with the questionable boast that they spent the day in the same building as a former Beatle. In the end Paul signed 300 copies.

Wristbands have the added bonus of giving the fans something to take home with them, part of what booksellers now refer to as the bookshop "experience". In the run-up to Christmas especially, book signings are a key part of that experience, having been transformed from earnest little queues hidden away at the back of a shop to stage-managed extravaganzas with undercover minders and "loss prevention officers".

"Bookshops have remarketed themselves as lifestyle shops," says Philip Jones, of the industry bible, The Bookseller. "They're competing with other media such as DVDs and music and the huge discounts offered by online booksellers. Publishers are putting more emphasis on the cult of the author, especially celebrity authors, to attract a consumer audience."

All of which translates as: Paul's fans are not here to read. Jo Marino organises all the big events at Waterstone's - Palin's Himalaya, Pamela Anderson's Star, David Beckham's autobiography, My Side. Could Martin Amis pack a store like Pammy? "With someone like Amis we would do an 'in conversation with'," says Jo.

The strip of coloured plastic lacks the permanence that some fans crave. Michael Hobbs and Richard White, both from Portsmouth, became admirers of Paul after they discovered some of Michael's father's Wings records in the loft. Standing in line to meet their hero, they discussed their tactics: what they were going to say, whether they would get the chance to shake his hand and how many times they'd shake it if they did.

Wristbands can get lost or stolen, they reckoned, but not a signed limb. Would Paul say yes to signing their arms? It was a gamble, but in the end he agreed. "Now we're straight into a taxi to have it tattooed on."

Susan settles for the memories. She managed to say hi and tell him her name and that was enough for her. Susan's not like this about any other famous people. Why Paul? "It's something I can't explain. There's something about his music, the quality of his voice. He's got this Paul McCartney face."

Susan got married last year. "My husband did say to me that this moment was going to be more important than our wedding day. I tried to reassure him, not very convincingly."

High in the Clouds - Paul's book - is not a book for people of Susan's age. It is written for children but there are conspicuously few under-10s in the line of 500 McCartney fans. Paul doesn't get uptight about it, he says, that's the celebrity game. "I don't mind who buys the book at the signing, it kind of gets the word out."

Even the fanatical fans he can relate to. "In my youth I was quite fanatical about Elvis Presley so I can certainly relate through my own worship days. I try to be excited for them. I wouldn't want to remain austere and bewildered."

Paul is an example of a person who gives good book signings. Ditto Bill Clinton - My Life (2003) - who spent his book tour contentedly swamped by admirers. Since then the number of people showing up to signings has soared. Last year 68,000 people turned up for signings at Waterstone's alone, 14,000 more than in 2003. Often the police are roped in to help.

Standing in the queue, the fans hope not just for a signature but an acknowledgement: eye contact, a dedication, perhaps even a conversation. Amy Allen, 17 from Nottingham, didn't manage to get a kiss out of Paul but "he did call me 'darling', which was enough". Rose van Teylingen, from the Netherlands, managed to get in the fact that she had been in hospital three times this year and Paul's songs helped her to get better: "We had a lovely conversation about my car accident."

THE SLOW, THE FAST, THE FUSSY

Slowest signers include the children's author Jacqueline Wilson (six hours to sign 400 copies of Love Lessons), and Sharon Osbourne (three hours to sign 300 copies of Extreme). Paul McCartney pulled the biggest crowd - 3,000 people turned up hoping to meet the former Beatle in 2000 - while David Beckham drew 700 hopefuls.

Some authors indulge in diva-esque behaviour. The former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani demanded a pot of yogurt, while the actress Carrie Fisher wanted chocolate cake. Paul McCartney operates a no-kissing policy; Rik Mayall, by contrast, kisses all his female autograph-hunters. The cookery writer Nigel Slater refuses to sign books publicly on the ground of acute shyness, and J. K . Rowling no longer does signings for fear of being mobbed. Martine McCutcheon fans were crushed when the former EastEnders actress stopped signing copies of her autobiography half an hour early. The title? Who Does She Think She Is?

Michael: My final guest tonight is a towering figure or twentieth century popular music. His contribution is a permanent one, in a hundred years time and more people will still be singing his songs. He's played everything from The Cavern to huge stadia and most recently The International Space Station.Clip of Paul McCartney playing Good Day Sunshine to The International Space Station.

Michael: Ladies and gentlemen, Paul McCartney. (Applause) That was a gig wasn't it? Playing to the astronauts up there.

Paul: Yes that was something, in front of seventeen thousand people in the audience, yeah.

Michael: I suppose the next thing to do would be the first concert from the moon, would you like to do that?

Paul: Wouldn't get me up there!

Michael: Not very adventurous?

Paul: No, not very good at that. One of the guys told us about take-off, he said, 'You know, you're lying flat back in your chair and on the film it looks like it's sort of slow.' And he said, 'No, it's like a truck hitting you in the back. Within seconds you're moving faster than a bullet.' I thought, 'No, that's not me!' (Laughter)

Michael: We'll talk about your new album in a moment but just to say you got what three Grammy nominations and your producer got the fourth, and it's what your thirty-oddth solo album.

Paul: I think it's my twenty-oddth.

Michael: Twenty-oddth is it, I think it's marvellous, it's very good. I think what's nice about it, it's a very mature album and there's some wistful stuff in it too, but what you've never done in all the years you've been around, all the years I've known you, you've never become cynical have you?

Paul: I like it too much. People keep saying, 'Why do you keep doing it?' I say, 'Why shouldn't I? I love it.' I'm not really that cynical type of person, I like what I do you know and as long as the audiences like it, this American tour has been fantastic, selling out and so you now why should I stop.

Michael: And also when do you find time to write books, you've written your first book. High In The Clouds, which you didn't exactly write, you orchestrated, would that be right?

Paul: Yeah I told the story and then got millions of people in to help me. (Laughter)

Michael: Sounds like a good idea.

Paul: Yeah, no it originally started, we made an animated short, me and Jeff Dunbar. And we wanted to see if we could make it into a feature length animation film. So the idea was to make just one mock up book. But in the process of doing that the lady publisher said, 'No this should be a real book.' So suddenly it was a book.

Michael: But why a kids book?

Paul: The film was a kids film and the characters were Wirrel the Squirrel. It's kind of kiddish! (Laughter) (Puts on American film trail voice) Wirrel the Squirrel, a deep philosophical tail!

Michael: Well you say that but reading the tale you make some very serious points. I mean, it's about the environment and it's about sweatshops and all those things.

Paul: Yeah, well for me, the original idea was to do a full length animated feature. And so to me, if you're going to spend all that time, it's got to be about something I care about. So those themes are in there. Starts off with the forest getting bulldozed. And I think you know, if you can mention those things to kids as they are growing up, without preaching.

Michael: That's the trick isn't it. Now, given your interest in all things like that, we mentioned the environment there, is there where you would not play because of their one policy or another? Where you wouldn't actually go and do a gig.

Paul: Well yeah, it used to be South Africa because of apartheid and we were invited there with the Beatles. Now it's China, really only because of one thing that Heather, my wife and myself have been campaigning against the dog and cat skins that have been arriving from China and have infiltrated the fur trade. And we've seen a lot of film of these dogs being skinned alive and cats. And so yeah, I was recently asked on the BBC news if I would go there and I said no I wouldn't until they legislate against stuff like that. Because it's medieval, it's too barbaric that.

Michael: They would say of course that they eat those creatures so it's their food.

Paul: I know yeah, but I don't think that's what it's about. I mean it's happening in the Czech Republic and they don't eat those creatures. You know it's happening all over. If you ever get round to seeing the film what anyone who is interested should do is check out Heather's website which is heathermillsmccartney.com and there you can see the gruesome details and it's not just to eat them. It's actually a very cruel practise and to me I think it's just medieval, it's barbaric and I think a nation like ours that has Crufts doesn't actually want to the next day see these creatures as hand bags and fur coats.

Michael: I think a lot of people would be unaware that this is going on. This is the point.

Paul: Well exactly and that's why I've had to say that I wouldn't go there. Until they stop it.

Michael: OK and going back to the music or rather the writing. When you were a kid what did you read? What inspired you?

Paul: Treasure Island, Black Beauty a lot of comics.

Michael: Was there any time at that period in your life when you thought you might be a writer rather than a composer and musician?

Paul: Not really no. I think you know, I always had ambition to be something good, I didn't know what it would be, you know, I was always quite ambitious. But I wouldn't buckle down at school, like a lot of people. The teachers didn't help. We had some right perverts as teachers, they used to beat the living 'sh' out of you. There was one guy used a plimsoll, you know, bend over. Wallop. I had a lot of that because I was a bit too cheeky but as for ambition I always wanted to be a writer a songwriter.

Michael: But you were a bit different weren't you? What you're expressing there is the kid who is different. You can't have the gifts that you've got and be normal.

Paul: Yeah. Well I think it's true. They used to accuse you of daydreaming. At the time sounded like a terrible thing to do but you actually think about it now you were actually thinking beyond the classroom. Now I don't want to advise any kids to do this, buckle down, get your exams kids!

Michael: But it's something you're unaware of at the time but when you look back on it, it is the beginning of a creative process. In this album which you've done you play all the instruments.

Paul: I play a lot of them yeah, that was the producer, Nigel's idea. I was actually geared up to play with my band, you saw on tour there but he said, the second week, I want to try something a bit different. So he got me drumming a bit, which I love to do and I think the trick for me, thinking about if afterwards, I think what happened was that I write the songs, I bring them to the studio and then the drummer kind of takes over and he writes the drum part where as if I play it I'm still kind of composing. I'm still writing the guitar, the bass, the drums so I'm composing a little longer into the album.M: But you play flugle horn or something!

Paul: I play flugle horn but it was good to do. I wouldn't play it live, I'd fluff every note but we were recording so I would wangle it in.

Michael: But talking about the album, let's have an indication of a song, a lovely song called Jenny Wren. This is recorded while you're on tour in America.Jenny Wren (Applause)

Michael: What was the, there's a lovely line in one of the songs, it's kind of sums up the album, you say, 'Looking through the back yard of my life, time to sweep the fallen leaves away.' It's a nice image.

Paul: Thank you yeah, that's a sentiment that now applies.

Michael: As you get older and more mellow.

Paul: More mature yeah! Yeah it's a good thing yeah. When you're eighteen you know, you don't wanna cry in case one of your mates catches you. I mean my life was, I'd lost my mum a few years before that. John had lost his but you wouldn't cry because you were eighteen-year-old Liverpool lads and you didn't do that kind of thing. I think now you know it's a good thing to do that and to open up to those emotions. That's the way I feel anyway.

Michael: When you're reminded and revisited by the memory of John, like we are now with the twenty-fifth anniversary of him being murdered. That would, I imagine, have a profound effect upon you.

Paul: Yeah, of course. I mean, it's so tragic the circumstances in which he died, number one. You wouldn't even have to know him for it to have a profound effect on you. But if he's one of your best mates that's very shocking. But you know what I find myself doing is remembering the great stuff. Remembering the laughs and the hysterics. I get an image of the two of us walking around where we used to live with our guitars slung on our backs, before The Beatles, before anything had broken. With our drainpipe trousers, you know, well 'ard. You know we didn't know anything was going to happen but we just felt great and you know my mind goes back to all of that. Rather than the sad stuff.

Michael: You can't have imagined what was going to happen could you? Even on drugs you couldn't have imagined it.

Paul: Well we never had any of them! (Laughter)

Michael: That wasn't even my next question!

Michael: Do you ever get fed up with the back reference to The Beatles all the time? I mean inevitably people do, it was such an important time.

Paul: No, I used to when I started with Wings because that was right after The Beatles and we were trying to forge a new identity so the idea of always being asked about The Beatles meant it was something that you could never top, which was a bit depressing. You were trying to do something, that not necessarily would top it but would be something new. But now all of that feeling has gone, I'm able to look at the whole career, Beatles, Wings now and it doesn't bother me at all now. In fact I really like talking about The Beatles, I can be quite boring about it!

Michael: And what about the business of writing, I mean you've written hundreds and hundreds of songs.

Paul: Mmm, too many!

Michael: I don't know about that, you can never write too many. I mean you can write too few. And that's my question really, have you ever had the musician's equivalent of writer's block?

Paul: Do you know, I've been so lucky with that. And you talk about me and John. We'd to to each other's house and normally in the afternoon from about one till four we'd meet up. Three hours was about the attention span period. And every time we did it we came away with a song. And it's a bit amazing. I think it's nearly three hundred songs we wrote together and the nearest to a flop or to a dry session was I brought in this song that was, 'I could by you golden rings' and we couldn't get past these bloody golden rings. And it was like 'ring, thing'. And it was like, let's have a cup of tea and you know, we got off it and that became Baby You Can Drive My Car. We just switched off these rings, go into a car and got a bit of satire going. And so that one even worked.

Michael: Would you like a guitar by the way?

Paul: I'd love one.

Michael: Well you keep playing air guitar so there's a real one. (Passes Paul his guitar) (Applause)

Paul: Well you see what Michael does, he invites you on the show and you sort of say 'great' and you think well we've got film so you won't have to do anything and then he says, 'Could you bring a guitar?' (Laughter) And you go, 'Yeah but I'm not really prepared.' And so he goes, 'Don't worry I'll hand you it.' Which he's just done. OK I'll tell you what, the only thing that I was thinking of doing, this isn't really performing, just explaining a little thing. Before I did that Jenny Wren piece and it's kind of a finger picking style that I'm not very good at, it's got a melody and a bass line going at the same time. And I was explaining to the American audiences how that sort of started. It was because me and George used to sit around learning all the basic rock and roll chords (strums guitar). But there was one little thing we used to do which was a semi classical sort of thing that was a little show off piece. It was actually classical but we made it 'semi'. It was a thing by Bach and it went like this. (Plays piece by Bach) (Applause) We didn't know the second half so we played it wrong but I liked that way we did and years later I adapted it into the song Blackbird. (Plays Blackbird) Taking that sort of thing you know. (Applause) And I said I'm not prepared and that's all I'm going to do Michael. Naughty boy! I'm afraid that's all we've got time for! (Hands guitar back to Michael)

Michael: How can you have Paul McCartney on the show and not ask him to play, come on!

Paul: Easily Mike.

Michael: Alright, well then that's it then!

Paul: I knew this guy, I'm turning the tables now. We used to play in Manchester on Granada. And we were like little young hopefuls, The Beatles, you know. This guy was a producer at Granada.

Michael: It was a very exciting time and it was great.

Paul: It really was and looking back on it now, a lot of kids say to me that I had the best of it and I say no, get with now. But I do think there's some truth in it. It was a very rich period and we were all in the middle of it.

Michael: And the music that's come out of it and particularly yours, has lasted, and that's the trick. To last, time goes beyond and that's what you've done. Forever and ever. People will be whistling your songs in a thousand years time, Sir Paul McCartney. (Applause) My thanks to all my guests. From all of us here a very good night, good night. (Applause)

The rocker admits he plastered his walls with pictures of the legendary musician and was a massive fan of the Fab Four while growing up.

He said: "They changed my life. It was such an incredible explosion of happiness and hope. I became the biggest Beatles fan in the world.

When Wirral's mother is killed by the bulldozers that raze his woodland home to the ground, Wirral and his friends Froggo and Wilhamina set off to find the utopian island of Animalia, with Gretsch and her Lily Savage wig in hot pursuit. After several close shaves, our heroes succeed in freeing the slaves and sail victoriously to Animalia, while the animals join in a rousing chorus of 'We All Stand Together'.

'I start by thinking of a bit of the story and then my friend Geoff draws a picture of what it might look like,' McCartney explained to his audience of children at the book's launch event in Waterstone's, Piccadilly, last week. He read the opening section of the story and bravely faced questions from his young readers, whose class had won a competition. 'He's famous,' hissed a small boy as we waited for him to appear. 'Is he on telly then?' replied his friend.

'How old were you when you started writing children's books?' asked a little girl. 'Well, it was 10 years ago, so I was 53,' he said. 'You'd think I'd have got round to it before that, but I was very busy writing songs.'

'Where did you get the characters from?' asked another. McCartney explained that he just made them up, starting from the fact that the Wirral, where his father lived, rhymes conveniently with squirrel, and that the story was originally intended as a film, but turned out as a book once they had laid out the script and drawings.

'Is it the real Paul McCartney?' whispered my three-year-old son, when his turn came to shake hands.

'Did you like the story, Paddy?' asked Macca. 'Yes,' said my son, 'but my favourite album is A Hard Day's Night.' Sometimes it can be so hard to shake off the past.

He said, "People say: 'Why do you keep doing it?' And I say: 'Why shouldn't I?' I love it. I like what I do and as long as the audiences like it, why should I stop?"

McCartney estimated that he had written "nearly 300 songs" with Lennon and said that his favorite John Lennon song is "Beautiful Boy," which shows the "gentle side of John." His favorite song that he wrote with Lennon as a Beatle is, "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

"It was a hard choice, because we've written so many," Paul said during a recent BBC 2 Radio interview.

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and relatives of their Beatles' bandmates are suing EMI to recover what they claim is more than $53 million in unpaid royalties, their company said Friday.

McCartney, Starr and relatives of John Lennon and George Harrison are pursuing the case both in New York and London.

"We have tried to reach a settlement through good faith negotiations and regret that our efforts have been in vain," said Neil Aspinall, who heads Apple Corps Ltd.

"Despite very clear provisions in our contracts, EMI persists in ignoring their obligations and duty to account fairly and with transparency," Aspinall said.

EMI declined to comment on the case.

The former model had signed up to begin filming The Games, which pits male and female celebrities against each other in a series of athletic events, early next year.

But doctors have told her she needs further corrective surgery on the severe injury she sustained in 1993 when she was hit by a police motorcycle while crossing a London street.

A show insider tells British newspaper The Sun, "She's really disappointed. She may only have one leg but she keeps in shape.

"She wanted to prove being disabled shouldn't hold anyone back."

Sir Paul McCartney signed a fan's arm - so the admirer could have his signature tattooed on his body.

The former Beatle had been autographing copies of his new book, 'High In The Clouds', at a signing session in London when the fan made the unusual request.

After McCartney scrawled his name on the admirer's arm, the fan quickly rushed off to have the writing permanently engraved on his limb as a tribute to the legendary musician.

Well nearly...

In reality Sir Paul McCartney offered my son, Dylan (2 1/2 years old) some jam on bread.

When I heard McCartney was doing a book signing in London for his new children's book "High In The Clouds," I went early (6:30am) to pick up a wristband at Waterstone's bookstore. The wristband would allow me and my son to get into the book signing on December 14th and meet Sir Paul McCartney!

The day of the book signing I primed Dylan about who we were going see. I showed him photos and sang "Yellow Submarine" with him, etc. He already knew who The Beatles were, but not their individual names.

"We are seeing Paul," said Dylan a few times on the way to the book store. He was a quick study!

I bought the book at the store, and got in line. While we waited, Dylan and I read the book together. After awhile, Waterstone's people came over and said, "Please give us the books. Paul is going to have a stack of signed books next to him. When you get up there he will give you a signed copy."

Of course, Dylan started saying, "Where is our book?"

"Paul is going to give it to us," I explained, repeatedly. (remember he is 2 1/2).

There was quite a lot of security. No coats, no phones, no cameras and no bags were allowed, although they let me carry a bag with Dylan's lunch, nappy and toy pigs. They did take it away just before we met Paul.

Waterstone's people instructed those in line to, "keep it to 'hello' and not any longer because he has 200 people to meet." They also told us not to reach into our pockets or we would be ejected immediately. Fortunately, Dylan was very patient and really good while we waited in the line.

When our turn came, I walked up carrying Dylan. Paul said a friendly,"Hello," looked at Dylan, then at me and said, "This must be Daddy?"

"Yes, I am Daddy, and this is Dylan." He shook both of our hands.

As Paul talked, he ate some jam on bread (it was lunchtime).

He asked, "Would Dylan like some jam on bread?"

I said, "No, that's alright, I mean I think he would LIKE some, but he just had a sandwich."

"So, he doesn't want any?" inquired Paul.

I shook my head "no."

"Here is your book," said Paul handing it to me.

"Thanks," I said.

Paul looked at us again with bread in hand and asked, "Are you sure about the jam?"

I thought about it, but wasn't sure how to carry the book, a jammy slice of bread and Dylan all at the same time without getting jam all over myself. My other thought was how to get the bread out of Paul's hand to give to my son since Paul was still munching on it.

Paul must have read my mind. He indicated that another slice of bread with jam was on the plate beside him. It was a generous offer, but it seemed too difficult a balancing act; carrying the jam slice, the book, and Dylan with only two hands. I had no time to decide with Waterstone's security saying, "Time to move on." So I declined Paul's offer and said apologetically, "No, but thanks very much. Have a Merry Christmas."

Paul said, "Merry Christmas to you and Dylan."

I know Dylan won't remember this meeting in years to come. He probably won't remember it by Saturday, except that we took a train ride to get there. But later in life, he will honestly be able to say that Sir Paul McCartney shook his hand and offered him jam on bread.

Today, Sir Paul McCartney had a book signing for his children's book, "High in the Clouds" in London, at Waterstone's book store in Piccadilly.

McCartney read his book to children from Princes Plain Primary School. Afterwards Paul met with 200 fans who queued up for wristbands on Monday to purchase the book and meet the star.

Paul handed out pre-autographed copies of his book to each one. MORE PHOTOS

Animal rights group People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals obtained the footage after infiltrating a Chinese dog and cat 'warehouse' this summer and Mills McCartney has agreed to air the harrowing video on her website.

But Mills McCartney, who lost her leg in a motorbike accident, admits that watching the footage made her furious with Chinese officials who refuse to outlaw the "barbaric" practice - because she feels for the animal victims.

She fumes, "We watched hours of it (footage) and the dog is still alive for 20 minutes, it's still blinking and shaking and just in total shock.

"I know, from losing my leg... the endorphin and the adrenalin rushes in and you feel the pain but then you're just in absolute shock.

"It's (dog) lying there in complete shock and then they just throw it on another pile of flesh."

Mills McCartney has also exploded the myth that the Chinese eat dog flesh, despite reports to the contrary.

She adds, "The dog that they eat and have the meat from, they don't use its skin or its fur, and the dog whose skin and fur is used, they don't eat the meat. It's barbaric."

Fans of Paul McCartney queued through the night for a chance to attend his book signing.

The former Beatle will sign copies of his children's book, "High In The Clouds," at a London branch of Waterstone's (Piccadilly) on Wednesday.

The bookshop gave out 200 special wristbands, which guarantee a meeting with the star.

Fans camped out all night outside the branch in Piccadilly.

The first person to get a wristband was 20-year-old Lauren Rassam, from north London, who began queuing at 9am Sunday.

Others had travelled from as far afield as Texas and Holland, while Macca fan Graeme Clark took an 11-hour coach journey from his home in Aberdeen.

"High In The Clouds" follows the adventures of character Wirral the Squirrel and is inspired by Sir Paul's commitment to animal rights.

The 63-year-old star said he became interested in animal welfare as a child after watching Bambi.

You have all made me laugh and smile and chuckle and scream through the tour, so this is about you... If not for you I would have very little to remember about this awesome time... The signs, the tears, the funny faces, the looks of surprise and awe...and those were all just in my hotel room.... Bada boom! But seriously, folks... Especially all the first timers on Live and Let Die!! What a blast! Hahaha! Gotcha! And the laughs and screams...

Man.. you don't know how big a part of the show all of you are, so thank you! I will go under a rock now and cry for a month.. Where's my room service, fresh towels, lighters in the air when I walk into the cafes at night? Where are the autograph seekers and the people with CD's for Paul to hear? [Just kidding... don't need any more of those...]

So.. NOW, onto me playing live, without Paul McCartney and band for a bit..Yes, MY band doing my songs in clubs around town. Help me through these trying times... we can do it together.

I love you monkeys... all y'all!! AND your cotton socks.
See you around the campfire, ok?

Love,
Brian

PS.. Mondo Magneto is there now at Amazon, CD Baby and soon to be released worldwide on iTunes!! YESSS! Buy it now.. Your eyes are getting heavy...

PPS.. I will be having a record release party on January 21st! That's a Saturday night, alright? At the Mint in LA at 9 pm, all ages welcome... C'mon!! Let's party, we'll have a big blast! You are all invited.

The Mint
6010 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90035 
323-954-9630

Petr Kubat of the Czech Footwear Association says the last time he saw a dog skin was twenty years ago and it had been bought in Mongolia.

Sir Paul McCartney has credited the animated film character Bambi with inspiring his fight for animal rights.

The former Beatle, 63, is famous for his animal welfare activism. But the singer says that it was the tale of Disney's animated infant deer, whose mother is shot by hunters, that provided a poignant lesson.

"If you think of Bambi, its mum gets killed by a hunter, and I think that made me grow-up thinking hunting isn't cool," he said. "It always gave me that idea.

"You look through a lot of these great stories, Dumbo, his mum is quite badly treated, A lot of these classic stories, through their efforts, kids, as I once was, have grown up feeling it's a bad idea to be cruel to animals."

Sir Paul and the late Linda McCartney, whose meat-free food products were a huge success, were famous as vegetarians and campaigners for animal rights.

The pair bought land across the UK to be kept as hunt-free sanctuaries.

They spoke out against everything from vivisection and hunting, to livestock farming and wearing fur, and even bought a turkey to save it from slaughter one Christmas.

Since Linda's death, the star has taken on her mantle as the world's leading campaigner for animal rights. He has fronted several animal rights campaigns including the RSPCA to the US group Peta.

His second wife Heather Mills is also a vocal campaigner for animal rights, recently clashing with guards during an anti-fur protest at Jennifer Lopez's office.

Sir Paul McCartney has admitted the "horrific" murder of John Lennon still haunts him.

Speaking to BBC Radio 2's Steve Wright, the former Beatle confessed he tried not to dwell on the "nature" of the death of his friend.

McCartney said: "The first thing that goes through your mind is the horrific conditions of his death. That's what always hits me. And you think: "Gosh, my mate, that's what happened to him."

"But, then rather than dwell on that I immediately go to the fantastic times we had and how lucky and privileged I feel to be one of the people who spent the most time with him during his life having met him as a teenager.

"People start these rumours: "He was this, he was that." I say: "Look, I've slept with him." We've done hitch-hiking holidays and we've had to top and tail it because there was only one bed. I say: "I knew him".

"And, we'd get drunk together and do all those kinds of things that you find out about people.

"The bottom line, I think what everybody already knows, he was a fantastic man, really fantastic guy. Just as a man, as an activist, he is one of the great men of the 20th century.

"I'm just very proud to have known him so intimately from when we were kids to virtually the end all the way through."

He admitted: "It wasn't always great, like all great friendships we could dislike each other intensely from time to time."

But he added that he still feels connected to Lennon: "I do and I don't expect it to go even though we are separated by death. It's just something I will always feel, some sort of link with John that's for sure."

Michael and McCartney duet

George Michael and former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney have recorded a duet of Michael's 1991 hit "Heal The Pain." (Reported first on the "Macca Report")

Amazing hitmaker Michael and McCartney have not yet agreed on a release date for the single, but it may be used to raise money for charity.

Michael says, I did a track with Paul and I'm not sure when it will come out, but it's a version of Heal The Pain and it sounds fantastic.

"I imagine it will be released for charity."

Animal rights campaigner Heather Mills McCartney called on the European Union to ban the production and sale of cat and dog fur in Europe.

Mills McCartney, wife of Paul McCartney, revealed evidence Thursday that she said shows a thriving industry and trade in cat and dog skins, mainly in the Czech Republic, which joined the EU in 2004.

"Domestic cats are stolen off the streets in the Czech Republic and we're talking about 2,000 to 3,000 just in the Czech Republic, not in the whole of Europe," she told reporters.

"They skin them alive," Mills McCartney said, displaying a baby blanket sewn together with 20 cat skins.

A video was shown of emaciated dogs and cats kept in dark, cramped rooms and cages. The video also portrayed the killing of a dog.

"It has to stop," said EU lawmaker Struen Stevenson, who is backing the appeal. "The main thing that we are seeking is to have an EU-wide ban on the import, export and trade in cat and dog skins."

The United States and Australia have already instituted bans on the trade, as well as EU member nations Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece and Italy.

Activists have been campaigning for five years to have a ban passed by the EU's European Commission.

"How much more do we have to show to get this ban in place?" asked Mills McCartney, who was in Brussels earlier this year to campaign for the same cause. "How many more animals have to be skinned alive before they (the Commission) go and do something about it?"

Paul McCartney earned three Grammy nominations today for his recently released, critically acclaimed album, "Chaos And Creation In The Backyard." With nominations for Album Of The Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, for the album's first single "Fine Line," and Best Pop Vocal Album, (as well as a Producer Of The Year nod for Nigel Godrich) McCartney's "Chaos" stands as one of the most nominated albums of the year.

"It's always great to be recognized for your work," said McCartney, who recently completed his sold-out, 37-city, "US Tour" of America. "We're very proud of the album, the reception it's had and I'm chuffed for Nigel. It was a great album to make. And seeing as I've never actually won a Grammy for my post-Wings work, it's pretty exciting to think it might happen."

"Chaos And Creation In The Back Yard" is McCartney's 20th studio recording since The Beatles. Upon its release this past September, which marked the end to a nearly four year studio hiatus for McCartney, the recording was met with unprecedented universal critically praise. The comparisons to "Chaos," were made at the time, many pointing out similarities to "McCartney," as well as to the Beatles "White Album."

"Chaos" was produced by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Travis and Beck) and was recorded in London and Los Angeles over the past two years.

When Paul McCartney gave Premiere Radio Networks exclusive access to his 2005 US tour, Sal Cirrincione, Senior Director of Rock Programming and Specials, shadowed the superstar -- en route to shows, backstage, at soundcheck and more. The results of this unprecedented access can be heard in a two-hour special that takes listeners behind the scenes of one of the year's biggest rock tours.

In talking about the special McCartney says, "It's good to have an opportunity to do something for radio. I love radio. Your imagination can go wild because you haven't got the picture, so you have to fill it in and work a little with your imagination. When this opportunity came up to do an all access radio show I thought, 'If I was just someone at home that could be really interesting.' You get to be in all these little corners and nooks and crannies that people normally aren't in and witness the atmosphere of the tour."

In addition to comments by McCartney, his band and his staff, the show presents exclusive live recordings from the tour.

This broadcast will air on rock, classic rock, triple a and oldies stations across the country from December 15th through January 15th. (radio station listing will link will be posted)

ALL ACCESS SONG LIST:

1 - MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
2 - LIVE AND LET DIE
3 - BACK IN THE USSR
4 - FIXING A HOLE
5 - HELTER SKELTER
6 - MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
7 - FINE LINE
8 - MAYBE I'M AMAZED
9 - SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
10 - THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
11 - LET ME ROLL IT
12 - DRIVE MY CAR
13 - JET
14 - TOO MANY PEOPLE
15 - SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE BATHROOM WINDOW
16 - GET BACK
17 - FOLLOW ME
18 - PLEASE PLEASE ME
19 - GOOD DAY SUNSHINE
20- ENGLISH TEA
21 - BAND ON THE RUN
22 - I'VE GOT A FEELING
23 - HEY JUDE

The last time Paul McCartney got a Grammy nomination for Best Album, Richard Nixon had just resigned as president. People were wearing bell bottoms. Hip-hop was something bunnies did. That was in 1974 for "Band on the Run."

But today, on the 25th anniversary of the murder of John Lennon, McCartney has Grammy nominations for Album of the Year, Pop Album of the Year and Best Male Vocal, all for his work on "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard."

Did Lennon send him a message? "Chaos" is considered by some (not all) to be his best album in 31 years. There have been plenty of high spots in between and lots of success, but "Chaos" was dark enough to attract the attention of the Grammy committee.

NOTE: "Flaming Pie" received a (1998) Grammy nomination for "Album of the Year" as did "Tug of War" (1983). Neither won Grammys.

* Chaos And Creation In The Backyard
Paul McCartney
Nigel Godrich, producer; Darrell Thorp, engineer/mixer; Alan Yoshida, mastering
engineer
[Capitol Records]

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Fine Line
Paul McCartney
Track from: Chaos And Creation In The Backyard
[Capitol Records]

Best Pop Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Chaos And Creation In The Backyard
Paul McCartney
[Capitol Records]

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
A Producer's Award.

* Nigel Godrich
Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (Paul McCartney)

The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS from 8 ­ 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT)

After John Lennon was shot dead, a grieving world wanted -- indeed, needed -- to see Paul McCartney, with a wrenched heart, struggling to cope with the sudden loss of his dear friend. Like the rest of us.

But pretty much the opposite transpired. Caught by a camera crew leaving a London recording studio a day after Lennon's murder in New York City, McCartney said with all matter-of-factness:

"It's a drag."

No emotion. No "I can't believe my best mate is gone." No sign of love behind the missing tears.

Just: "It's a drag."

If millions of people worldwide found themselves sobbing, unable to come to grips with the tragedy, how was it McCartney -- Lennon's soulmate for more than a decade -- could be so seemingly cold and unaffected? His reaction still outrages many Beatles fans.

WENT TO WORK

In 1984 McCartney and wife Linda gave Playboy magazine an in-depth interview, during which he explained his infamous public utterance.

"What happened was we heard the news that morning and, strangely enough, all of us ... the three Beatles, friends of John's ... all of us reacted in the same way. Separately," McCartney told Playboy. "Everyone just went to work that day ... Nobody could stay home with that news.

"As I was coming out of the studio later, there was a reporter, and as we were driving away, he just stuck the microphone in the window and shouted, 'What do you think about John's death?' I had just finished a whole day in shock and I said, 'It's a drag.' I meant drag in the heaviest sense of the word, you know: 'It's a -- DRAG.' But when you look at that in print, it says, 'Yes, it's a drag.' Matter of fact.

"What could you say? ... I still haven't taken it in. I don't want to."

He was in denial. Just as when his mother died when he was 14. His way of dealing with that enormous loss was to lock up his emotions in public, and not talk about it even in private. The same thing was happening again.

"(Linda and I) just looked at all the news on the telly, and we sat there with all the kids, just crying all evening. Just couldn't handle it, really."

LEFT ON GOOD NOTE

McCartney said it was "a consoling factor" to know that his last phone chat with Lennon was pleasant and didn't end, as so many of their post-Beatles conversations had, with them blowing up at each other and slamming down the phone.

To Rolling Stone magazine in 1986, McCartney elaborated.

"The last couple of phone calls (John and I) had were getting very nice. I remember once he said to me, 'Do they play me against you like they play you against me?' Because there were always people in the background pitting us against each other.

"And I said, 'Yeah, they do. They sure do.' That was a couple of months before he ... it's still weird even to say, 'before he died.' I still can't come to terms with that. I still don't believe it.

"It's like, you know, those dreams you have where he's still alive, then you wake up and ... 'Oh.'

MEET PAUL MCCARTNEY

In this very exciting exclusive event, Waterstone's in London is proud to be welcoming Paul McCartney this month. 'High in the Clouds' is a delightful collaboration between McCartney, Eddie Dickens creator Philip Ardagh, and illustrator Geoff Dunbar, and introduces such charming characters as Wirral the Squirrel and Froggo- an amphibian balloonist.

Paul McCartney will be signing copies of the book at Waterstone's, 203-206 Piccadilly, London W1Wednesday, December 14th at 12 noon.

Because of Paul McCartney's extraordinary popularity, places at this event are limited, and entry is with a wristband only.

Wristbands will be made available to customers at 7.30am on Monday, December 12th from Waterstone's, 203-206 Piccadilly, London W1. These admit one adult and a child under the age of 16, and will be allocated on a strictly first come, first served basis. They are not transferable, and there is no charge for them. Signed copies are restricted to a maximum of one per wristband-holder, and must be purchased from the host Waterstone's branch on the day of the signing. We regret that signed copies of 'High in the Clouds' cannot be reserved.

Let Paul McCartney check out your remix!

It's the opportunity of a lifetime ­ the chance to remix a music legend. Using our special Create Chaos mixing tool (courtesy of those nice folk at U-myx), you can create your own brand new Paul McCartney track. This unique opportunity allows you to mix and develop a new track using original parts from Paul's new album, 'Chaos and Creation In The Backyard'. Once you are happy with your track, simply upload it to the same tool.

A shortlist of tracks will be put forward for Paul to listen to. If your mix is the one that he likes best, it will be made available for download on his official site, www.paulmccartney.com. We will also send you a Paul McCartney signed presentation disc.

So, what do you need to do? It's simple:

- Go to www.paulmccartney.com/chaoscreation

- Download the Create Chaos tool for PC | Download Create Chaos for Mac (this shouldn't take more than a minute)

- Follow the instructions on your desktop.

- Upload your mix, complete with your contact details to the same tool

- For more information, check out the U-myx Web site.
Happy mixing and good luck!

Paul McCartney was interested in a Beatles reunion just two years before John Lennon was gunned down. On New Year's Day 1979, McCartney signed a £6 million ($10.5 million) deal with CBS Records, marking a split from The Beatles's old label, Capitol.

But a clause in his contract, seen for the first time yesterday, stated that he was permitted to make any recording with "John Lennon, Richard Starkey and George Harrison recording together as The Beatles".

A former Capitol employee who saw the contract said: "This is the earliest evidence of any Beatle making formal overtures toward a reunion." In 1976, Sid Bernstein, the promoter who brought The Beatles to the US in 1964, offered them £130million ($227 million) to reunite for an American tour.

He was turned down. That same year, Lorne Michaels, the producer of US show Saturday Night Live, offered the band $3,000 to reunite for three songs.

He said on live TV: "Divide it up any way you want. If you want to give Ringo less, it's up to you."

What he didn't know was that John and Paul were watching the show at Lennon's home in the Dakota building. Legend has it that the duo considered taking him up on his offer.

In 1979, Bernstein asked The Beatles to reunite for a concert to benefit the Vietnamese boat people and raise £280million ($490 million). Again they refused.

In 1994, the band did get together - if only in the studio. Working with demo tapes of a song John had written in 1977 - Free As A Bird - Paul, George and Ringo added vocals and instrumentation. A year later, they released the tune as part of The Beatles Anthology.

What do Paul McCartney, Goldie Hawn, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Jack Welsh, Mick Jagger, Priscilla Presley, Tina Turner, Steven Tyler, Pierce Brosnan, Blythe Danner, Colin Powell, Dustin Hoffman, Tony Danza, and Harrison Ford all have in common?

They are grandparents and they are how grandparents look today!

They look great, perform like nobody else in their field ... love life, have passion, give generous support to charities, and command center stage. And most declare that being a grandparent is one of the best roles of their lives. In fact, many say that they feel best about themselves when entertaining their "children's children." When interviewed, they reveal that this very special "grand relationship" with their grandkids has accounted for some of their most rewarding moments.

What is sexy? According to GRAND Magazine editors, there's a place for the physical aspects of sexuality: the handsome face, the "just-so" figure, the fashionably dressed man or woman. "But sexiness is not just physical; it's a state of mind as well," according to GRAND's editorial director, Christine Crosby. "Real sexuality is not just in the body but also in the spirit and even in the soul."

Grandparenting is fast becoming one of the hottest lifestyle experiences around. GRAND Magazine launched in 2004 to be a resource for grands and accurately reflect the image of today's active, vibrant generation of grandparents. As baby boomers are becoming grandparents, they are literally reinventing this life stage and GRAND Magazine is there to support them in this vital family role.

GRAND Magazine is open for nominations for the 2nd Annual TOP TEN SEXIEST CELEBRITY GRANDPARENTS and we are asking YOU to tell us who should be named and who would get your vote as GRAND Magazine's SEXIEST CELEBRITY GRANDPARENT!

To vote, just visit http://www.grandmagazine.com. The results will appear in GRAND's Feb/Mar issue on sale on over 7,000 newsstands coast-to-coast.

Let Paul McCartney check out your remix!

It's the opportunity of a lifetime ­ the chance to remix a music legend. Using our special Create Chaos mixing tool (courtesy of those nice folk at U-myx), you can create your own brand new Paul McCartney track.

This unique opportunity allows you to mix and develop a new track using original parts from Paul's new album, "Chaos And Creation In The Backyard." Once you are happy with your track, simply upload it to the same tool.

A shortlist of tracks will be put forward for Paul to listen to. If your mix is the one that he likes best, it will be made available for download on his official site, www.paulmccartney.com. We'll also send you a Paul McCartney signed presentation disc.

The animal-loving ex-Beatle sent Martin a letter on Wednesday (November 30) appealing to him to ban the controversial practice. The Canadian government insists the north west Atlantic harp seal population is currently stable at 5.9 million, after raising the hunting quote to 319,517 earlier this year.

McCartney's letter reads, "We wanted to put you on notice that if Canada moves forward with another hunt next year, we will do all we can to focus attention on this unjustified, outdated and truly horrific practice, including, potentially, visiting the seals and the ice."

McCartney and his wife Heather Mills McCartney may visit the ice floes next year to draw media attention to the issue.

McCartney urged shoppers to boycott the store until bosses agreed to end fur sales, which they did last week.

The former model-turned-activist joined PETA supporters outside J Crew's store in Santa Monica, California, to celebrate the news Thursday December 1.

Mills McCartney helped to launch the boycott campaign 11 weeks ago when she joined a demonstration outside J Crew's Madison Avenue store in New York on September 12.

Along the way, the campaign received additional high-profile support from Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.

J Crew bosses began pulling fur items from its stores and catalogue on the busiest shopping day of the year, the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Mills McCartney says, "There's a world of suffering in every bit of fur trim but J Crew has atoned for its recent flip-flop on fur by finally adopting a policy that will save countless animals and send a strong message of compassion throughout the retail clothing community and beyond.

The rocker says he is the biggest Beatles fan that ever lived and used to dream that frontman McCartney would join his family.

The legendary singer discovered the band when he heard 'She Loves You' on the radio and used to have posters of the group splashed across his bedroom walls.

He told Britain's Sunday Times magazine: "It changed my life. It was such an incredible explosion of happiness and hope. I became the biggest Beatles fan in the world

"I used to dream - wouldn't it be great if Paul McCartney married my sister? My bedroom wall was literally covered in Beatles pictures."

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