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October 2008

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October 31, 2008 -- The Guardian (UK)

The Beatles, the video game

The Fab Four are to get pixellated, as Apple Corps signs the band up to star in a new game from the creators of Rock Band

Is this how the characters will look?

The Beatles are coming to the world of video games. Unfortunately, players won't have the chance to travel back in time to save John Lennon, but the creators of Rock Band are planning an "experiential journey" through the Fab Four's career and music, to be released in late 2009.

"This game will take you on a journey from the Beatles' first album Please Please Me until the last album at Abbey Road," Jeff Jones, CEO of the Beatles' Apple Corps label, announced in a conference call yesterday. "It will span samples of the whole catalogue all the way through."

The project is a collaboration between Apple Corps, MTV Networks and Harmonix, the game developer whose hit Rock Band franchise has become a powerful vehicle for music promotion. The surviving members of the Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, will be involved in the game's creative planning, as will Beatles widows Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison.

Though there had been rumours of a Beatles add-on to Rock Band proper, the game will be a stand-alone title. It is not yet clear whether Rock Band's current peripherals ­ that is, guitar, bass, microphone and drum controllers, - will be used in the Beatles game, or if new hardware will be developed.

Nor is it clear whether players will have the chance to play "as" John, Paul, George or Ringo. Reps made vague comments about the game exploring the "imagery" of the Beatles alongside the music, which evokes visions of yellow submarines zapping at Blue Meanies. McCartney's statement was equally ambiguous. "The project is a fun idea which broadens the appeal of the Beatles and their music," he wrote. "I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out."

The game's music at least will be bona fide. The soundtrack will be drawn from the master recordings of the Beatles' UK releases, with any additional music production overseen by George Martin's son, Giles, who co-produced the Beatles/Cirque du Soleil show, LOVE.

The game announcement is a major blow for Activision, who publish Rock Band's main competitor, Guitar Hero. Both companies had been courting the Beatles for years, hoping to add songs like While My Guitar Gently Weeps to their titles. While Apple Corps cited MTV's involvement and Rock Band's full-band game-play as major factors in their decision, finances will also have contributed. Jones hinted at an unusual licensing deal being inked for the game, with each party owning a "piece" of the project. "Nothing is typical about the Beatles," he said.

Sherlock of rock

By Ryan McNutt

It's the most famous chord in rock 'n' roll, an instantly recognizable twang rolling through the open strings on George Harrison's 12-string Rickenbacker. It evokes a Pavlovian response from music fans as they sing along to the refrain that follows:

It's been a hard day's night
And I've been working like a dog

The opening chord to A Hard Day's Night is also famous because for 40 years, no one quite knew exactly what chord Harrison was playing. Musicians, scholars and amateur guitar players alike had all come up with their own theories, but it took a Dalhousie mathematician to figure out the exact formula.

"I started playing guitar because I heard a Beatles record-that was it for my piano lessons," says Jason Brown of Dalhousie's Department of Mathematics and Statistics with a good laugh. "I had tried to play the first chord of the song many takes over the years. It sounds outlandish that someone could create a mystery around a chord from a time where artists used such simple recording techniques. It's quite remarkable."

Four years ago, inspired by reading news coverage about the song's 40th anniversary, Dr. Brown decided to try and see if he could apply a mathematical calculation known as Fourier transform to solve the Beatles' riddle. The process allowed him to decompose the sound into its original frequencies using computer software and parse out which notes were on the record.

It worked, up until a point: the frequencies he found didn't match the known instrumentation on the song. "George played a 12-string Rickenbacker, John Lennon had his six string, Paul McCartney had his bass, none of them quite fit what I found," he explains. "Then the solution hit me: it wasn't just those instruments. There was a piano in there as well, and that accounted for the problematic frequencies."

Dr. Brown deduces that another George-George Martin, the Beatles producer-also played on the chord, adding a piano chord that included an F note impossible to play with the other notes on the guitar. The resulting chord was completely different than anything found in the literature about the song to date, which is one reason why Dr. Brown's findings garnered international attention. He laughs that he may be the only mathematician ever to be published in Guitar Player magazine.

"Music and math are not really that far apart," he says. "They've found that children that listen to music do better at math, because math and music both use the brain in similar ways. The best music is analytical and pattern-filled and mathematics has a lot of aesthetics to it. They complement each other well."

Read what the Beatles fans have to say about the mystery chord

MTV strikes deal to use Beatles songs in video game

MTV Networks announced on Thursday a deal to use songs by 60s group The Beatles in a custom video game similar to its popular "Rock Band" video, marking the band's first key plunge into digital music.

There is no set release date or sale price for the game, but it is due to be ready for a worldwide release in about a year, said MTV Networks and The Beatles' Apple, which handles the affairs of the group that broke up in 1970.

The companies released few details about the game -- which will be a custom video and not a "Rock Band" brand game -- saying it is still in development. They would only say that it will be an "interactive music making game."

"Rock Band" -- which is developed by MTV's Harmonix and published by Electronic Arts Inc and competes against Activision Blizzard Inc's rival "Guitar Hero" video -- lets fans play plastic guitars along with music on TV screens.

Jeff Jones, chief executive of Apple Corps Ltd, said while he could not say how many songs would be used in the custom game, it would use music from throughout The Beatles' career.

"This game will take you on a journey from The Beatles first album 'Please, Please Me' all the way through the last album 'Abbey Road.' It will span samples of the whole catalog all the way through," Jones said.

MTV Networks, owned by Viacom Inc's, said the game was creatively conceived by former Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and the wives of late Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison.

"The project is a fun idea which broadens the appeal of The Beatles and their music. I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out," McCartney said in a statement.

Starr said it was wonderful that The Beatles' legacy "will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in. Let the games commence."

While The Beatles' video will be a custom game, other bands including classic rock veterans Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and others have licensed their music to "Guitar Hero" or "Rock Band."

Pop music fans consider The Beatles one of the greatest rock bands ever. Surviving members of the group as well as its representatives have jealously guarded the distribution of their music online.

For example, Beatles songs are unavailable on Apple Inc's iTunes over concerns by the band members and others close to them that the songs could be easily pirated.

When asked about plans for the digital distribution of The Beatles catalog, Jones said "We're still working out the details, we have no announcement to make, we have not date or any information, we're still working on the details."

MORE

Fox News

MTV's 'Rock Band' Will Feature Beatles Songs

Big Beatles announcement Thursday morning. The group is licensing key songs to MTV Games' "Rock Band" video game. The announcement will be for a "Rock Band" game set to appear for Christmas 2009. Sources tell me that Paul McCartney has already seen a demo of it, and approves.

The word is that this "Rock Band" game will "blow away" all the others. It should include classics like "Revolution," "Helter Skelter," and "Hey Jude." The Beatles never license their master recordings for anything, especially movies or TV. Putting together "Rock Band" with their songs is a coup for MTV's Judy McGrath and Van Toffler, and shows that Apple Corps' Jeff Jones is set to bring the Beatles into the 21st century.

But again, don't expect an announcement about downloading any time soon. The Beatles make a fortune off sales of their CDs. So far it's worked for them to say away from things like ITunes and other services. And it may stay that way for some time to come.

Well done to homeless Anthony Silva who, thanks to more than a bit of magical mystery, finds himself £2,000 ($3,612) richer after allegedly 'discovering' the missing waxwork head of former Beatle Paul McCartney in a rubbish bin on Reading Station last week.

While the story itself certainly made a pleasant change from all the doom and gloom of the looming recession, I can't help but think there's something a little bit odd about the whole thing.

If I was a sceptical sort I might even go so far as to suggest that the whole story was concocted in a bid to boost publicity for the auction of fairground memorabilia yesterday.

Still, all cynicism aside, Reading's own Nowhere Man not only found the head and earned himself a nice reward, but he actually managed to recognise it as that of Paul McCartney ­ no mean feat in my book as the head in question bore absolutely no resemblance to the musical maestro we all know so well.

The features are all wrong and where do you start with the hair? The waxwork's wig was just too similar to the one being worn by Mr Silva to be a coincidence.

And how many tenuous references in the story were there to Beatles' songs? From Ticket to Ride (as in jumping the trains), to Taxman (Mr Silva plans to pay off some tax debts with the reward), I've Just Seen A Face (a bad waxwork in a bin, as it happens), Lend Me Your Comb (need I mention the wigs again?), Money (That's What I Want) ... I could go on but I'll Let it Be at this point.

It's all sounding far too much like a Paperback Writer has gotten involved.

According to reports, Macca's head was expected to fetch between £5,000 and £10,000 ($9,030 and $18,060) at auction ­ seriously, who in their right mind would pay anywhere near that for it?

Unless the head itself had been the subject of lots of recent media attention of course.

A waxwork head of Sir Paul McCartney which was found by a homeless man after it was left on a train has sold for £5,500 at auction.

Anthony Silva claimed a £2,000 ($3,612) reward after finding the head in a bin at Reading station. He said he had been using the model as a pillow.

The auction organiser Joby Carter left the head under a train seat at Maidenhead station on October 16.

It was bought by an American bidder at auction in Maidenhead on Sunday.

Halloween mask

The wax model was listed to sell for between £5,000 and £10,000 ($9,030 and $18,060).

Carter told BBC News Online: "The sale went well and I was happy with the final price.

"To be honest I'm glad to see the back of it."

Silva had thought the waxwork was a Halloween mask.

The head was made in the 1960s and displayed at the Louis Tussauds museum in Great Yarmouth.

Carter's Entertainment auctioneers sold the item, along with fairground memorabilia.

Paul McCartney: I owe Liverpool £300,000

Sir Paul McCartney owes city taxpayers more than £300,000 after being overpaid for this summer's Liverpool Sound gig.

Macca's production company MPL needs to repay £323,046 ($583,442) because the council ended up providing staffing "commitments" for which MPL was paid.

The ECHO understands MPL flagged up the debt to the council.

A document obtained by the ECHO reveals the council will end up losing money on the high-profile Capital of Culture event at Liverpool FC's Anfield stadium.

The balance shows around £1,917,000 ($3,462,230) was spent staging the event which generated £1,874,318 ($3,385,144).

Even when Sir Paul pays up, the authority is still expecting to make a £42,800 ($77,300) loss.

The final balance does not include the £323,000 ($583,359) the council spent on a feasibility study into the scrapped plan to stage the concert in the Salthouse Dock, or the £150,000 ($270,910) donations to McCartney's LIPA and the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Fund.

The donations, the documents reveal, came from "special budgetary provision".

Today, opposition leaders demanded a clear breakdown of the figures and an inquiry into the financial management of the event.

But the council claimed the June concert did wonders for the city's image, equivalent to millions of pounds' worth of advertising exposure at home and abroad.

A Culture Company spokesman said "We've had to itemise every single piece of expenditure and income and we've had to wait for some figures to come back from the club before we could send the final bill to MPL and then their accountants can check there's been no duplication of costs.

"The repayment should be imminent."

Labour group leader Cllr Joe Anderson said: "We thank them for notifying us that we've overpaid them.

"The real issue is that we've put on a concert with world-class acts and we still manage to lose money."

Sir Paul McCartney asks daughter Stella to make him some clothes

Macca's had enough of being an embarrassing dad - and has asked designer daughter Stella to make his clothes for him.

We're told: "All of Stella and Kate Moss's friends rib Sir Paul about his fashion sense."

Ah, let him be...

Paul McCartney has a new album coming out in a few weeks that a lot of folks might overlook because it's been done as the Fireman, the name he uses for the side projects he co-produces with Youth, the former bassist for Killing Joke. But that would be a shame, because it's one of the most interesting albums Macca has done in a while.

The first two Fireman albums, back in the ' 90s, were instrumental ambient "trance" and electronica dance tracks, and were largely ignored, even by fans. We've known for some time now that the new Fireman album would be a departure because it would feature McCartney vocals, but "Electric Arguments," due out Nov. 18, isn't just a trance album with singing. It isn't your typical Macca album, either, falling somewhere between his avant-garde projects and his mainstream studio collections, with several songs that easily could have fit on his past two "regular" albums.

The British press, off-target as usual, have called it a "dance" album, but it's actually quite diverse stylistically, ranging from mainstream rock to blues to country to pop to folk and, yes, with a couple of tracks that do bear more of a resemblance to the previous Fireman efforts.

I have a detailed review in the new issue of Beatlefan, but to recap briefly:

The album opens with "Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight," a deliberately paced blues-rocker built around a heavy guitar riff and featuring an extremely raucous Macca vocal. Then he shifts gears immediately with "Two Magpies," a folk-blues acoustic number.

The album really hits its stride with six straight tracks that would enhance any McCartney album, starting with "Sing the Changes," a rollicking tune with a wide open, airy feel, echoey vocals and chiming guitars. It would sound great done in concert. Then comes "Traveling Light," a folky ballad with a haunting flute and a delicate, pretty melody. Macca alternately sings it in a whispery lower register and an almost fragile falsetto. Next is "Highway," an upbeat classic rock tune with a great bass line and some bluesy harmonica. With its catchy chorus, it could almost be a Wings number, except for the deliberately unpolished, loosey-goosey production. The Fireman goes acoustic again for "Light From Your Lighthouse," a countryish tune with a gospel-styled chorus. The vocal is interesting: Macca sings it in a gruff voice and backs himself in falsetto. Then comes "Sun Is Shining," a folk-rock tune with some delightfully melodic bass and a vintage Macca sing-along chorus. And then the album's piece of classic McCartney pop-rock, "Dance 'Til We're High," which has an infectious beat and a gorgeous middle eight and chorus. The layered production on this one, with its strings and pealing bells, calls to mind Phil Spector.

Those are the album's high points, but the remainder is enjoyable, too. "Lifelong Passion," the track Macca previously made available as a charity download, is a soothing bit of Indo-Celtic pop. From there, "Electric Arguments" sounds a bit more like what you might expect of a Fireman album with vocals. The nearly 6-minute "Is This Love?" has a hypnotic, trance-like backing, "Universal Here, Everlasting Now" drops a classical-sounding piano phrase into a heavily layered production. And the album's grand finale, "Don't Stop Running," features shimmering acoustic guitars and a catchy hook. It appears to come to an end, but after a couple of minutes of silence you get Macca fooling around on synthesizer.

"Electric Arguments" is an enjoyable, at times challenging blending of McCartney's usually diverging melodic and experimental sides. It certainly would come as a revelation to anyone who's dismissed him as just an ex-Beatle or Mr. Silly Love Songs. But even if you haven't been fond of his noncommercial stuff in the past, you'll find enough pure Paul here to guarantee repeated plays.

If you'd like to add to or have your say about anything in this column go to http://billking.livejournal.com/ and click on "comment" . You don't have to be registered with Live Journal.

Kaiser Chiefs Rick Wilson's mum meets Sir Paul

Ricky Wilson, frontman of the UK rock band, Kaiser Chiefs used his fame when he took his mum to meet Paul McCartney after a gig.

''Stella McCartney took Mum into Paul's dressing room and as we were walking through the door she whispered to her: ' Tell him you're a fan, he likes that'. And he (Paul McCartney) called my mother Mum -- and he's older than she is.

''I didn't like that, but she did.''

Fashion designer Stella McCartney is a canny lady when it comes to property. Three years ago, she bought a run-down Notting Hill students' hostel for £4 million ($7.2 million), gambling that she could obtain planning consent to convert it into a family home.

"Stella won permission and was then deluged by property developers wanting to buy the site off her," reports a neighbour. "Instead, she has spent a year converting it into a home for her husband, Alasdhair Willis, and their three children. It's now worth about £7.5 million ($13.6 milion)."

Six years ago, the daughter of Beatle Sir Paul spent £1 million ($1.8 million) on a decrepit Victorian chapel in North Kensington. She transformed it into an award-winning HQ for her fashion, perfume and accessories empire.

The pioneering range has increased its sales by a staggering 20% YOY and is looking to increase this figure further with the launch of brand new products to the range.

An innovator and creative free thinker, Linda McCartney was an inspiration in a world yet to fully appreciate or understand a vegetarian lifestyle.

Linda's ethics still remain and are even more relevant and valuable now as consumers tighten their belts, are more health conscious and have become more aware of the environmental impact of mass meat production.

Linda's revolutionary cookbooks enabled people to have confidence, enthusiasm and know-how to prepare home-cooked vegetarian meals for all the family.

They are the inspiration for these new products which include new meals, vegetable accompaniments and snack items.

The McCartney family take part in every step of the process of creating a new product for the Linda McCartney range; from the early stages of deciding the ingredients and tweaking recipes, to the style of the photography and packaging.

Linda McCartney Falafels are a first for the brand delving into the snack market, a popular authentic Middle Eastern street food brought into the home for everyone to enjoy.

The Falafels are made with chickpeas, broad beans, lemon, coriander and spices; an ideal source of fibre and protein for every diet.

Perfect for sharing with friends or a quick and easy light lunch with hummus, sliced red onion, shredded lettuce and yoghurt all in a warm pita.

The Falafels also come in a biodegradable bag, so not only are they delicious, they're better for the environment too.

The meat-free food brand has always celebrated great British food with dishes such as Country Pies, Vegetarian Sausages and Cornish Pasties.

This continues with the new Linda McCartney Vegetarian Roast with sage and onion stuffing, it's sliceable and therefore, the perfect meat free alternative for family Sunday roasts.

Enjoy the new burger in a ciabatta bun with crisp iceberg lettuce and tomato, or topped with melting mozzarella and basil, accompanied by a warm sour cream and chive potato salad. Mouth-wateringly good!

The new Linda McCartney Vegetable Roastie is packed with delicious 'superfoods' such as butternut squash, water chestnuts, pulses and seeds.

As the main component of a dish or a vegetable accompaniment, the Vegetable Roastie is a great tasting, wholesome and nutritious vegetable treat.

Frozen foods are not only better value for the consumer; they lock in nutrients and help to reduce food waste as they last longer than fresh produce.

These new products continue Linda's mission, with the complete support of the McCartney family, in promoting a meat-free lifestyle to ensure a healthy future for our planet.

"We love these new products; the Vegetarian Roast is our favourite when we all get together as one big family. Linda McCartney Foods has an exciting future ahead of it and we are proud to be expanding the range keeping to Linda's values and sharing her passion."

The McCartney family

Homeless man is £2000 ($3,647) richer

The missing waxwork head of Sir Paul McCartney has been found in a bin at Reading train station. As previously mentioned, the item was left behind by auctioneer Joby Carter, who offered a £2000 reward for its safe return.

It's been reported that a homeless man ­ Tony Silva ­ found the head and took it to Abbey Road Studios to collect his prize. Joby Carter hopes to make back the £2000, plus a sizeable profit, when the waxwork goes up for auction on Sunday (October 26).

We're sure that the extra publicity created by losing the head will help Mr Carter's cause. Unless the head has been damaged it's bin around.

She spent the dosh on plush properties, lavish holidays and a staff wages bill of £500,000 ($911,860).

The former porn star - dubbed Mucca - was awarded £24.3 million ($44 million) in March after her six-year marriage to Sir Paul McCartney, 66.

But she is getting through her fortune at such a rate that she had talks with Macca about him buying her £4 million ($7.3 million) home because she claimed she could no longer afford to run it.

Sir Paul is eager for her to stay at the luxury estate in Robertsbridge, East Sussex, because the couple's four-year-old daughter Beatrice is happy there.

Mills, 40, has spent £1million ($1.8 million) so far on renovations.

They include an outdoor swimming pool that her lover Jamie Walker, 36, is building at her request, although he is recovering from a broken leg.

In July Mills spent £2.5 million ($4.6 million) on a flat in New York and she has invested nearly £6 million ($11 million) in other homes.

She also faced massive bills from her former publicist and divorce lawyers.

A source said: "Heather's been moaning her money isn't going as far as she thought, but she's just burning her way through it.

"She reckons she has spent £10 million since the divorce and still doesn't have a finished house to live in. She hasn't changed. In her eyes the whole world is against her."

Mucca also donated $1million of vegetarian food to homeless children in the Bronx.

Man claims Macca's wax head find

A man has claimed to have found a waxwork head of ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney which was left on a train.

The model of the mop-topped star, which is to be auctioned on Sunday, was left under a seat by businessman Joby Carter at Maidenhead station on Thursday.

In a desperate bid to recover the item, which is listed to sell for up to £10,000 ($18,245), he offered a £2,000 ($3,649) reward.

Mr Carter has arranged to meet a man on Thursday who provided a photo of him with the head.

"We got a phone call from Abbey Road studios from a man claiming to have the head," Mr Carter said.

"We've had a lot of pranks calls so my assistant asked him to send in a picture and low and behold there he is holding the head.

"He has not given us much information but he wanted to meet me personally."

First auction

The waxwork model was made in the 1960s and displayed at the Louis Tussaud's museum in Great Yarmouth.

Carter's Entertainment auctioneers are auctioning it along with other fairground memorabilia in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

"This is the first auction I've organised so you can't imagine my relief at the hope of getting the head back.

"It may cost me £2,000 in a reward but it will save my face.

"The silly thing is since the appeal to find the head we've had more bids come in, with interest from Japan and America, and the sell price is guaranteed to have gone up.

"But I will think twice about organising another auction," Mr Carter added.

Dawn Porter: My thing for 'sexy' Macca

When Dawn Porter met Sir Paul McCartney in Liverpool seven years ago, she could hardly have predicted it would end up in a naked swingers party.

It did, although in fairness the former Beatle wasn't on the guest list.

Instead he was among those responsible for setting Dawn on the road to a documentary making career which has seen her exploring everything from Dirty Dancing to free love communes.

But, while theirs was a purely mentor/student relationship, LIPA graduate Dawn admits she wasn't entirely immune to Sir Paul's charms.

"I met him at my graduation ceremony and he was wearing a white linen suit and Jesus sandals and I totally thought, I get it. I get why you're a sex symbol," she giggles. "That day I just thought he was so hot. He just had this aura about him. I'd never understood what all the fuss was about, then I totally went 'wow!'.

It's a typically naughty admission from Dawn, who has built a growing fan base by presenting even the most potentially embarrassing subjects as if she was chatting to a girlfriend rather than millions of TV viewers.

Although, as the LIPA entry on her CV (resume´) shows, she didn't plan it that way.

The 29-year-old originally came to Liverpool from her home in Guernsey to study acting. She loved living here, she says - splitting her time between digs on Smithdown Road and Stanhope Street. "Liverpool's an amazing place to be a student because it's so creative and buzzy," she recalls.

"I was training as an actress but in my third year I realised I really wanted to be a TV producer and write. What frustrated me with acting was not having any voice. I started to want to get my opinion across.

"So instead of a play in my third year, I went down to London and did a work experience placement with Baddiel and Skinner. I worked as a runner in the evenings and in their PR office during the day and I just went, this is what I want to do, I want to work in this media TV world.

A waxwork head of ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney has gone on a magical mystery tour after it was left on a train.

Businessman Joby Carter had collected the model of the mop-topped sixties star to be auctioned on Sunday.

In a desperate bid to recover the item, which is listed to sell for between £5,000 ($9,221) to £10,000 ($18,443), Mr Carter has offered a £2,000 ($3,688) reward for its return.

The head was left in a bag under a seat on a train from London at Maidenhead station in Berkshire on Thursday.

The service would have terminated at Reading.

Mr Carter said: "It was just a silly thing to do, if it wasn't so critical to get it back for the auction it would probably be quite funny.

"So far, we've had a lot of hoax calls from people claiming to have seen the head but nothing concrete.

"Someone may have just picked it up and thrown it away without realising what it was or someone might be trying to sell it.

"I've put up the reward and am desperate to get it back."

The waxwork model was made in the 1960s and displayed at the Louis Tussaud's museum in Great Yarmouth.

Carters Entertainment auctioneers are auctioning it along with other fairground memorabilia in Maidenhead.

"The silly thing is since the appeal to find the head we've had more bids come in and the sell price is guaranteed to have gone up.

"But until it is found it is worthless," Mr Carter added.

Sir Paul McCartney's new love Nancy Shevell has moved in with the Beatles legend -- five months after his divorce from Heather Mills.

Superstar Macca sought the blessing of Beatrice, his four-year-old daughter by Mills, before asking Nancy to live at the sprawling Peasmarsh estate.

American heiress Nancy, 47, had begun spending nearly every weekend at the secluded East Sussex home, bought by Macca as a wedding gift for first wife Linda in 1969.

But last week the singer asked her to make the move permanent.

His fashion designer daughter Stella, 37, has also given her blessing to the relationship -- but urged her dad not to rush into marriage.

A family friend said: "Paul and Nancy are as solid a couple as you can get after just a short time together.

"She always seemed to be at Peasmarsh anyway so it made sense to him just to ask her to move in. She'll still travel between here and America but is setting up home with Paul.

"He asked Beatrice if she liked Nancy and got a resounding 'Yes', which meant the world to him."

Sir Paul, 66, began his romance with Nancy last November amid legal wranglings over his divorce deal with Mills, 40.

Macca hops on board eco campaign

A surfboard featuring a design by Sir Paul McCartney is being auctioned in aid of environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage.

The Cornwall-based campaigners are also selling boards with designs from artists such as Tracey Emin and Gavin Turk in London on October 23.

All the boards are made out eco-friendly foam and 50% organic material.

SAS hopes to draw attention to eco-surfboard design and influence surfers into making greener choices.

SAS Board Director, Hugo Tagholm said: "These days you can buy not only greener surfboards, but eco-wetsuits, recycled leashes, organic surf wax and much more.

"These choices don't just apply to surfers - all recreational water users can make choices to ensure their chosen sport is as environmentally friendly as possible."

The Cavern Club in Liverpool, the Star Club in Hamburg and Shea Stadium in New York are all landmarks in the history of The Beatles. But now a new shrine is to be added to the list: the Fox and Hounds in Caversham.

The run-down, little-known pub on the outskirts of Reading, Berkshire, has been revealed as the venue where, on Saturday, April 23, 1960, John Lennon and Paul McCartney played their only gig as a double act, calling themselves The Nerk Twins ­ in front of an audience of just three people.

Strumming acoustic guitars and singing without microphones, the teenage duo perched on bar stools in the tiny tap room to perform a set that included an old Les Paul and Mary Ford hit, The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise, as well as Be Bop A Lula and other rock'n'roll and country standards. They reprised the concert the following lunchtime, to the same resounding apathy from the locals.
lennon mccartney

'At first, nobody went into the tap room to watch them,' recalled Mike Robbins, the then landlord of the pub. 'My regulars were in the other bar, saying "Who are these Nerk Twins, then?"'

In fact, the two future stars had been playing for years under a variety of names, including The Quarrymen, The Silver Beetles, The Silver Beats and, just a few weeks after the Fox and Hounds gig, The Beatles.

The unlikely performance happened because Mike's wife Betty was Paul McCartney's cousin. The couple had both worked as Butlins Redcoats before taking on the pub and the teenage Lennon and McCartney were keen to get their advice.

'It was the Easter school holidays and John and I had hitchhiked down from Liverpool to help out in the pub,' Paul McCartney recalled. 'We generally dossed around for a week and worked behind the bar. Then Mike said that me and John should play there on the Saturday night. So we made our own posters and put them up in the pub: "Saturday Night ­ Live Appearance ­ The Nerk Twins".

'It was the smallest gig I've ever done. We were only playing to a roomful, a small, throbbing roomful.'

Now a hunt is on to find one of those hand-drawn posters. Beatles memorabilia expert Paul Wane said: 'It's a long shot but you never know what's in somebody's attic. The fact that these posters were hand-drawn by Paul and John would make them a fantastic find.
pub

'The most money ever paid for a Beatles poster was £75,000 ($140,000) for the Shea Stadium concert. A poster from the Fox and Hounds would easily attract as much interest. I estimate it would sell for between £80,000 ($150,000) and £100,000 ($186,000).'

Beatles expert Bill Heckle, owner of The Cavern Club in Liverpool, said last night: 'The Fox and Hounds is irrefutably a pub of huge historical significance. As the only venue ever to host a public performance by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, it should be a world-famous pub. With proper investment it should become a destination for Beatles fans and general music fans.

'In Liverpool, a nerk is a derogatory term for somebody completely without street cred, but this place has real credibility as where John and Paul cemented their musical partnership. I think it should be renamed The Nerks' Head in their honour.'

Although the gig seemed destined to be just a couple of lads with guitars singing to little reaction, Paul McCartney credits the pub session for giving him and Lennon a crucial lesson in creating the Beatles stage act that would make girls scream around the world.

'My cousin used to tread the boards ­ he was a bit showbizzy,' he recalled. 'He'd been an entertainments manager hosting talent contests at Butlins and he'd been on the radio. He asked us what song we were going to open with and we said Be Bop A Lula. He told us, "No, it's too slow. This is a pub on a Saturday night, you need to open with something fast and instrumental. What else have you got?"

'We said, "Well, we do The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise' ­ I played the melody and John did the rhythm ­ so we played him that and he said, "Perfect, start with that, then do Be Bop A Lula."

'This was our introduction to showbiz wisdom here and I would remember his advice years later when we were organising The Beatles' shows.'

The potential of Lennon and McCartney was, however, lost on the Fox and Hounds locals. Mike Robbins remembered: 'When Paul and John had gone, one of the locals said to me, "When are you having them Nerk Twins on again, then? They were a load of bloody rubbish but they brought a bit of life into the pub."'

The Fox and Hounds' current landlord, 57-year-old Tony Gomez, who has been running the pub for 25 years, was completely unaware of the hidden history of his tap room.

He said: 'When I heard that Paul McCartney and John Lennon played here, I thought people were having me on. I guess this news will put the pub on the map ­ and a lot of local people are going to be looking for those posters.'

Paul McCartney, Tenerife December 6, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

Yesterday, Macca's concert seemed so far away, now it looks as though he'll be here to play. It was starting to look as if the proposed Paul McCartney concert at Golf Costa Adeje on Saturday, December 6 wouldn't happen, but a leading Tenerife hotel has started to take reservations for package deals that include accomodation and tickets.

There is still no confirmation on the official Paul McCartney website or anywhere else I can find on the internet but the 5 star Grand Hotel Iberostar Anthelia at Playa del Duque are taking bookings for 2, 3 and 5 night stays. Iberostar is a major international chain and of course local to the golf course where another British knight, Sir Elton John performed back on January 24. The same promotion company, Canarias Live Sun Festival, are behind the Macca gig, which was announced tentatively a couple of months ago.

The deals on offer are all for a double room with a sea view in the luxury hotel and spa, and include breakfast. For 2 nights the cost is 195 euros each, 3 nights 255 euros each, and 5 nights 425 euros each, but that option includes a meal in the poseidon restaurant, that could be quite an adventure.

Hopefully confirmation and ticket prices will follow soon, but to give you an idea here are the prices from the Elton John concert. The flash seats were 120 euros, dropping to 90 euros and 35 euros in the cheaper areas, they can get 20,000 people in and should have learned a few lessons from the scrum down at the start of the Elton concert.

So get practicing folks "Simply having a wonderful Christmas time" and of course "bom, bom, bom, we all stand together bom, bom."

McCartney's break-up song on Sawhney's album

Musician Nitin Sawhney's latest album 'London Undersound' has a series of high-profile collaborations and Paul McCartney singing about his breakup with Heather Mills.

When the tabloids blitzed London with the bitter split of the former Beatle, Paul McCartney, and his former wife Heather Mills, the musician Nitin Sawhney couldn't help calling up Macca, his friend of 12 years, and ask if he wanted to write down his feelings in a song. That's what The Beatles always did. The call eventually resulted in a maudlin, acoustic, love ballad called 'My Soul' and features in Sawhney's latest album, London Undersound.

"Paul came down to my house for a couple of days and we started putting together the track which delves into the paparazzi infiltrating his life during the breakup. More than the split, it's about his soul being stolen," says Sawhney, who also penned the lyrics of the song with McCartney. The alimony is not part of the song that goes, "I long to know all your secrets/ I want to walk through your fire/ Light up my eyes with your smile", which is also believed to be McCartney's dedication to Mills and has a tinge of Indian classical vocals in the background.

London Undersound

"My Soul" (Paul McCartney)

I long to know
All your secrets
I want to walk
Through your fire
Light up my eyes
With your smile

I was awakened
By magic
I was alone
In this world
Take me away from here

Life spinning round
At a blistering pace
I've been shot
From a gun
To your final embrace
My soul, your heart
Two worlds
Apart
This life
Is all we have

How could this steal
All these feelings
How could they lie
To this world
A picture away
From your smile

Life spinning round
At a blistering pace
I've been shot
From a gun
To your final embrace
My soul, your heart
Two worlds
Apart
This life
Is all we have

One soul displaced
One heart replaced
Feelings defaced
Invade our space
No one left
To give us

Back our time
We could climb
Every mountain
Swim to every sea
When the all world
Is asleep
We can set
Ourselves free
My soul, your heart
Two worlds
Apart
This life
Is all we have

Mmm
Yeah, yeah
We could climb
Every mountain
Swim to every sea
When all the world
Is asleep
We can set
Ourselves free
We could climb
Every mountain
Swim to every sea
When all the world
Is asleep

We can set
Ourselves free
My soul, your heart
Two worlds
Apart
This life

ORDER from Amazon.com (US Import)

ORDER from Amazon.co.uk

By: Howie Edelson

Paul McCartney says that the lyrics to his latest experimental album under the Fireman moniker are literally happy accidents. McCartney, who usually writes his own lyrics, chose a more avant garde approach for the third Fireman album, "Electric Arguments", which is the first to feature vocals and lyrics.

McCartney explained to The Telegraph how the lyrics came about: "It was sort of a William Burroughs, cut-up approach," he says. "I'd get out poetry books and just kind of scour them and find phrases, then stick them to a phrase from another book, so I wasn't nicking somebody's whole poem. And I'd go on like that until I had enough to sing. I still don't know the lyrics myself."

For the past 15 years, McCartney's Fireman collaborator, DJ/producer Youth, has helped McCartney take his improvised studio pieces and form them into musically diverse and off-beat records. The former Beatle says he welcomes the teamwork in the studio: "I like having a collaborator. Otherwise, I get the feeling of being an absent-minded professor alone in his laboratory all day. I did the first solo McCartney record all on my own. It seemed a bit lonely. There's a track on there that's about 10 minutes long. Try playing maracas for 10 minutes in a row on your own. I was standing in the room thinking, 'That's it -- I've really lost the plot.'So, after that, I thought it was probably nice to have someone in the room with me."

Ringo Starr's former producer, Mark Hudson, first worked with McCartney in 1997. He says that McCartney has more than earned the right to be as experimental as he wants to be: "There's a weird thing about getting older and being relevant. And sometimes we try to be, 'Oh, we better sound like Coldplay or Radiohead, 'cause that's what's happening now.'And I think that when it come to the Beatles, they have nothing else to prove other than being what they wanna be. And if they wanna stretch out and try something new, they could do a polka album -- 'cause they paid their dues and done their stuff."

McCartney's latest Fireman album, "Electric Arguments", will be released on November 25th.

Paul McCartney looks up adoringly as red-hot redhead Geraldine perches on his lap.

But Macca's just mucking about - it was Peter Kay in drag for his reality TV spoof on Channel Four last night.

The Beatles legend played Geraldine's mentor as she won Britain's Got The Pop Factor And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice.

A grateful Peter said: "I'll treasure it for ever. Paul's a gentleman."

October 11, 2008 -- Times Online

McCartney broke up Beatles at Scottish retreat

A new book called "The Beatles in Scotland" claims the singer-songwriter broke up the band while at his home in Kintyre

Sir Paul McCartney decided to quit the Beatles and sue his former bandmates while walking on a beach near his home on the Mull of Kintyre, according to a new book.

The decision, which ended the most successful songwriting partnership in the history of pop music and provoked a bitter feud with John Lennon, proved so painful that the former Beatle has never revealed the circumstances in which it was made.

However, a Scots author claims to have uncovered new evidence proving that McCartney resolved to break up the band during his self-imposed exile at High Park Farm in Campbeltown in 1970.

Ken McNab, a former journalist and author of The Beatles in Scotland, which is due to be published next month, claims to have evidence from eyewitnesses and locals who spent time with McCartney during his time in Kintyre that the musician finally resolved to break up the band while in Scotland.

"He [McCartney] was the one who had to take the decision to take John, George and Ringo to court to end their song writing and musical partnership and I've discovered very good evidence which tends to suggest that that ultimate decision was taken while he was walking along the beach on the Mull of Kintyre," said McNab. "I've managed to obtain eyewitness accounts."

McCartney was unavailable for comment.

By: Howie Edelson

Representatives for Paul McCartney have denied that they called for a photo of the Beatles to be removed from a McDonald's in the Fab Four's hometown of Liverpool, England. The Abbey Road Best (abbeyrd.best.vwh) website reported that it was PETA's representatives alone that called for the picture to be removed.

McCartney's former publicist, the sometimes controversial Geoff Baker, who was fired in 2004 after representing the former Beatle for 15 years, was incorrectly quoted as once again representing him in his tirade against McDonald's. Baker was asked for a statement by Liverpool's Mercury Press Agency and said, "What sort of morons do McDonald's think Beatles' fans are? It's ridiculous and insulting to use images to peddle hamburgers. Fans should boycott McDonald's, and not just in Liverpool."

McCartney's current publicists issued a statement saying that Baker's comments were not an official statement from the McCartney camp. Baker posted on his blog (geoffbakerdiaryofamadman.blogspot.com), writing, "Just for the record. There is a news story in The Sun newspaper today alleging that I am 'Macca's spokesman.'Err...this is new to me and, I suspect, Paul and the excellent Stuart Bell, who actually is the spokesman that I am not."

Baker, who was particularly close with the late Linda McCartney, was fired due to an ongoing cocaine addiction, which he has since received treatment for. Since his firing he has made it public that he and McCartney's second wife Heather Mills never got along.

If you're familiar with The Fireman's previous output, then 'Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight' will come as a shock.

On their previous two albums, the experimental outfit formed by Paul McCartney and producer Youth have specialised in wordless, ambient electronica.

By contrast, this track -- taken from 'Electric Arguments', the first Fireman album to emerge in 10 years -- is a wailing, swampy blues number, with an intriguing link to The Beatles.

Paul McCartney explains:

"'Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight' is a phrase that an old friend of mine from back in the 60's, a guy called Jimmy Scott, used to say down the clubs. He was actually the guy who originally said 'Ob-la-dee ob-la-da', and I made a song out of that.

"You'd say to him, 'Too much, man' and he'd say, 'No, nothing too much just out of sight.' So I grabbed that and suddenly you could see where it was heading and I followed that trail."

We're a long way from 'Ob-La-Di', however. Indeed, it's hard to remember the last time McCartney sounded quite this ferocious. At times the track recalls the fire-and-brimstone intensity of Spiritualized, while the frantic coda finds Sir Paul whimpering like a dog over scabrous bursts of slide guitar. 'Flaming Pie' it is not.

Download The Fireman's 'Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight'

'Electric Arguments' is released on November 25 on One Little Indian Records.

The ex-Beatle's new album is a strange and wonderful concoction. Neil McCormick went to Abbey Road studios to talk to its creator

Paul McCartney unveiled his new album, Electric Arguments, at Abbey Road studios yesterday.

And it's a corker - albeit a fruity and bizarre one. Unusually for the legendary songwriter, he went into the studio with nothing prepared, and improvised it all on the spot.

"I had to make a disclaimer to the engineers," he admitted. "I said this could be the most embarrassing moment of my life. It was thrilling, but it could have been a terrible mistake. It could ruin my whole career!"

Looking sprightly and immaculate in a casual grey suit and T-shirt, with a little sprig of eucalyptus poking mischievously out the breast pocket, the veteran superstar was bubbling over with almost childlike enthusiasm for his latest venture.

The album was recorded as a side project with producer Youth (aka Martin Glover, former member of Killing Joke) and will be released under the pseudonym of the Fireman.

Their two previous collaborations - Strawberries Ocean Ships Forest (1993) and Rushes (1998) - were essentially ambient clubbing experiments, so wilfully obscure they slipped out without attention. However, Electric Arguments has turned into something more recognisably McCartney-esque, albeit showcasing his talents in a whole new light.

"There's no songs on the first two Fireman albums; it's just trance stuff, and basically each track is one chord," said McCartney. "On this record, I started saying maybe we should go for another chord somewhere and, whoah, it just exploded. Some of the songs even have four chords!"

Entirely avoiding the beautifully crafted, sometimes over-polished pop for which he is renowned, Electric Arguments is a rough-hewn musical stew, a steaming broth of raw blues, folk, country, trance, dance and dub, yet somehow settling into melodies with recognisable verse and chorus.

"We were like mad inventors," said McCartney. "The process was just to set up a groove and play stuff. Youth would say, 'How about a bit of harmonica?' So I'd play that. 'How about a bit of drums? Guitar? Tin whistle? Throw everything at it, see what sticks.' I think, having written so much over the years, even when I am improvising I have an ability to spot what's working, and just go with that."

Muddy and distorted, these tracks are less like songs than sketches, with a great sense of spontaneity and musical imagination. In a way, they are more suggestive of the Beatles' White Album out-takes than anything the public might associate with McCartney's solo career.

To be released on his own MPL label next month, Electric Arguments is such a pure listening pleasure, it has started to take on a life of its own.

In a Beatle-still-cool shock, Radio 1 taste-maker Zane Lowe has singled out lead track Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight as his "Hottest record in the world right now" for two weeks running, which must be the first time the youth-centric station has put its weight behind a record by a 66-year-old.

The song is a raw Chicago blues, an abstract Helter Skelter by way of Led Zeppelin, with Macca whooping and hollering: "I said I love you/I thought you knew/The last thing to do was to try to betray me." The lyric (what there is of it) has been interpreted as an attack on his ex-wife Heather, although I am not so sure.

The 13 songs were each written and recorded in a day, with McCartney playing instruments and Youth manning the recording desk. The idea of singing vocal lines was a spontaneous one, with the result that McCartney had to make up lyrics on the spot.

"It was sort of a William Burroughs, cut-up approach," he says. "I'd get out poetry books and just kind of scour them and find phrases, then stick them to a phrase from another book, so I wasn't nicking somebody's whole poem. And I'd go on like that until I had enough to sing. I still don't know the lyrics myself."

What makes Electric Arguments so heartening is that such an established star would have the confidence and desire to explore new musical avenues. It often seems that McCartney does his boldest and most interesting work with strong creative partners. After all, this is the man who forged the template for modern popular music with John Lennon.

"I like having a collaborator," McCartney said. "Otherwise, I get the feeling of being an absent-minded professor alone in his laboratory all day. I did the first solo McCartney record all on my own. It seemed a bit lonely. There's a track on there that's about 10 minutes long. Try playing maracas for 10 minutes in a row on your own. I was standing in the room thinking, 'That's it - I've really lost the plot.'

"So, after that, I thought it was probably nice to have someone in the room with me."

The Fab Four had strong ties to Ireland, both family-wise and professionally, and a newly released book, aptly called "The Beatles and Ireland", pulls all the Irish stands together in what will be a must read for fans of the group.

"There is one chapter of the group's career that has been overlooked ­ the story of their Irish heritage and connections with Ireland. When the Beatles first played in Dublin at the Adelphi Cinema in November 1963, Paul McCartney announced that it was 'great to be home,'" says a press release touting the new work.

In addition to chapters on the group's Irish family roots, shows and appearances in Ireland, there are also some gossipy tid-bits. You may remember that McCartney tied the knot for the second time at the Castle Leslie estate in Co. Monaghan in June of 2002. The bride, Heather Mills, turned out to be a horrendous choice for the widower Macca, and his designer daughter Stella knew it.

One chapter in the book quotes Stella telling one of the many cameramen at Castle Leslie that she did not want to be recorded. "Look I don't want to be in the film... I don't want anything to do with this, please don't put me in the video," she said. How right she was, though the ill-fated union did produce a daughter, Beatrice.

The book, according to publishers Collins Press, details every connection the Beatles ever had with Ireland, and there are many. Did you know that they played two gigs in Belfast within the span of 12 months in 1963? Or that John Lennon purchased an island off the coast of Mayo at the end of the sixties?

Not everyone in Ireland was enamored of the supergroup, though. They gave what could charitably be described as a difficult interview to Irish broadcaster RTE in November of 1963, and as the host, Frank Hall, recalled years later, "They were damn hard to interview.

"They were a bunch of young *****. I was too hard on them. They were too young to be famous," Hall said years later.

"I didn't like John Lennon particularly. He was cheeky. Above all I disliked Ringo Starr. He was the worst drummer I'd ever heard. They must have been loyal because anybody else would have dropped that guy, and he couldn't sing either."

The authors, Damian Smith and Michael Lynch, have pulled together some interesting sounding chapters, everything from "Drive My Car: The Beatles, an Irishman and an Austin J4," to "Republican Beatles." With regards to the latter, it's well known that Lennon in particular sympathized with the Catholic civil rights struggle in Northern Ireland; he also wrote a song, "The Luck of the Irish," in tribute to the victims of the Bloody Sunday riot in Co. Derry.

The book isn't available through an American distributor, but can be ordered on amazon.co.uk. Just search for the title and it'll come right up, complete with a preview of the first chapter about the group's Irish genealogy.

WEBMASTER'S NOTE: The Macca Report recommends this very interesting book.

Klaus Voormann, best known for his history with The Beatles, is recording an album with his old friends such as Ringo Starr and Joe Walsh.

At Popkomm yesterday, Voormann joked about what it would have cost if he had to have paid Ringo to be on his album. "How much would you have to pay to hire Ringo Starr," he said.

Voormann played bass on many of the old solo Beatles albums. He was on Ringo's first solo album 'Sentimental Journey', he played on John Lennon's 'Imagine' and on George Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass'.

"Ringo played for free but it cost me $500 for a drum tech to set up his kit," he laughed.

Voormann is also an artist. He designed the iconic Beatles cover for 'Revolver'.

Klaus is working on the album with people from his past. Joe Walsh and Paul McCartney have also contributed to the album.

October 8, 2008 -- The Telegraph

Sir Paul McCartney calls for McDonald's boycott

Sir Paul McCartney has called for fans to boycott McDonald's after the fast food chain used an image of the former Beatle in its Liverpool store.

The singer, who has been a vocal advocate of vegetarianism for 30 years was said to be furious after discovering pictures of the Beatles had been placed prominently in a restaurant in his home town.

His image appeared alongside former band mates John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison.

Geoff Baker, a spokesman (???) for Sir Paul said: "What sort of morons do McDonald's think Beatles' fans are.

"It's ridiculous and insulting to use images to peddle hamburgers. Fans should boycott Mcdonald's, and not just in Liverpool."

Sir Paul is a staunch supporter of animal rights, president of the Vegetarian Society of Great Britain and an ambassador for People for the Ethical treatment of Animals (PETA). His late wife Linda had her own range of vegetarian foods.

A PETA spokeswoman said: "He became a vegetarian after watching lambs play in a field outside his home and surely would not want anyone to use his likeness to help promote meat.

"We hope anyone who sees his picture on the wall will be reminded that he's a vegetarian and skip the Big Mac for a veggie burger."

A McDonald's spokeswoman said the pictures were to "acknowledge the outstanding contribution the Beatles made to both local and global culture."

WEBMASTER'S NOTE: Geoff Baker was mistakenly referred to in this article as Paul's spokeperson. Stuart Bell is Macca's publicist and spokesperson. Paul did not call for any boycott on McDonalds. PETA called for the McDonalds boycott which has nothing to do with Paul.

It would seem teaming with the producer Youth has inspired Sir Paul to roll back the clock a bit. The single, "Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight", has got a bit of the feel of his best post-Beatles work (ie: "Live and Let Die"), with Led Zeppelin III mixed in. Or maybe McCartney's noted the rise of current Brit-chart-toppers Kings of Leon.

At any rate, it's the sound of this boomer letting it boom. Or maybe this is what it sounds like when a divorce costs you nearly £25 million ($50 million).

Download Sir Paul's new single

OUR SHOW IN TEL AVIV, ISRAEL

I'm back in LA after 3 weeks away, first in London for 1 week of rehearsals, then Rye in the south of England near the coast, for 3 days more. The rehearsals were swell... I'm always surprised when my hands and voice know where to go when it's been months since we played together! Paul was in top form, and we worked our buns off.

We had 4 days off in London and then Abe Jr., our drummer [for my new friends] and I were invited to Paris for a day of recording there with a French artist, Florent Pagny. So we flew over because the Eurostar was down, due to a fire in the Chunnel. We stayed at the Costes Hotel and had an amazing dinner at Philippe Stark's new Thai food hotspot, "Bon". We worked from 9 a.m. til 6:30 the next day, and then jetted back to London.

Body surfing in Tel Aviv

The next day we all flew with Paul to Tel Aviv on a private charter jet. It's fun to be together.. after 6 years with the same line-up, we are family now... He doesn't feel the need to entertain us all with Beatle stories and we can all just chill out together.

When we arrived in Tel Aviv I didn't know if it was safe to get out and walk around there, the only long haired blond guy within a thousand miles!! Hahahaha!! So, the next day I got out for a walk on the beach after a pot of strong coffee. On the way back I saw Wix [keyboards] in the water and jumped in to join him for some good bodysurfing in Israel... it felt amazing and the water was glorious. We then went to the park where we were to play the next day for a rehearsal... It sounded perfect onstage, so much so that we were all puzzled. See, there's an old saying... "good soundcheck, BAD gig !!!" But actually, it was just that we have a great new monitor guy, Jonathan.

So... Show Day!!!

The next day we all went over at about 2pm to soundcheck, rehearse, eat and relax... Our backstage "camp" was so groovy... check out the pics! We had all these bamboo day beds all over this grassy area with our awesome catering [Eat Your Heart Out] making ridiculous vegetarian food and awesome killer desserts, so that when we hit the stage at 8:30, we were fed and happy...

WOW!!! 53,000 people, many of whom had been lined up since the night before to get a good place, rushed in at the end of our sound check, yelling and celebrating what was to come... By the time we hit the stage the sun was down and the mood was up... WAY UP! This was one of the coolest crowds we have ever performed for. So much heart and soul, singing every lyric in perfect English. They cried during Paul's gorgeous pairing of "A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance".. not a dry eye in the house... The cel phones and lighters in the air during "Let It Be" could have lit up a desert.

One of the best shows of the past 3 years...

Paul sang with so much energy and we all played our hearts out for what turned into one of the best shows of the last 3 years. It was cool of Paul to drive through the wall to the Church of the Nativity on our first day there and he made his best effort show that he was there simply to play music, not for any political statement.

So... BIG thanks to all of our new fans and friends in Tel Aviv. Thanks for making us all feel at home! Watch this space for news of upcoming shows... and check out my photos from TelAviv!

News of my home studio and my new dog, Charlie!!

Also, I am just about finished with my new home studio so that my work on my upcoming project can continue right here at home with my new dog, Charlie!! Isn't he beautiful?? Hahahaha!! I love this little dude! He is learning to play Soccer now!

I might be back in Paris next month for some TV shows with Johnny Hallyday in Oct... I just finished his new CD. It is spectacular, with so many cool tunes, great production and players, recorded the old fashioned natural way... and Johnny, singing his lungs out! Watch for it, ok?

Also, I also just finished work on Kelly Clarkson's next CD, and it is really off the chain!! So listen for that as well...

Ok, abientot, cheers, shalom and ... later!

Love,
Brian

See all the photos HERE

http://www.brianray.com/news/

Sir Paul McCartney showed his love for girlfriend Nancy Shevell by buying her a bunch of flowers and popping them in a bottle of mineral water.

The couple were spotted taking a romantic stroll in Paris after attending his daughter Stella's fashion show.

They had lunch at the upmarket Laperouse restaurant before walking to Gare du Nord train station to catch the Eurostar and go back to London.
Macca

Nancy looked effortlessly chic in knee-high boots and a crepe mini-dress.

Paul, 66, presented his gift to the 47-year-old New Yorker at an exclusive restaurant.

Shevell has given friends the firmest indication yet that she could become the third Lady McCartney.

The heiress, who has a penchant for crocodile handbags and steak, has turned vegetarian to impress the ex-Beatle.

The striking brunette has even changed her political views for her liberal lover.

'Nancy has toned down her super-Republican views and given up her beloved steaks, which shocked us.

'When they travelled around America this summer, they lived on avocado sandwiches and tomato soup. Now Nancy orders veggie food all the time,' says a friend.

Will Nancy really prove her commitment to animal-loving Macca and ditch her crocodile-skin Birkin bag?

Track will feature on the former Beatle's forthcoming album

Sir Paul McCartney has spelt out his feeling for partner Nancy Shevell with music.

The pair have been dating for almost a year and now Macca, 66, has decided to show his affection for the heiress, 48, with the love song.

'Paul has written a song about his relationship with Nancy, which is expected to be on his new album next year,' a source tells the Daily Express.

'The title isn't known yet but it's obviously going to be pretty romantic. Paul has long been inspired by the women in his life and Nancy is no different.'

Sir Paul paid ex-wife Heather Mills, 41, £24.3 million ($48.6 million) when they divorced earlier this year.

October 3, 2008 -- The First Post

Sacha Baron Cohen tips up at Stella McCartney's Paris show

Sacha Baron Cohen gatecrashed Stella McCartney's show in Paris - as his alter ego Bruno, the camp Austrian fashion journalist. Baron Cohen - who was arrested in Milan last Friday after leaping onto the runway at Agatha Ruiz de la Prada's show - sat in the second row of McCartney's pret-a-porter show sucking Tampax, clapping along to the music and elbowing those in front of him for a better view. Baron Cohen is currently filming his latest movie, Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Male, which is due out next year.

Doing their best to ignore Bruno was Sir Paul McCartney, fresh from his 'Give Peace a Chance' concert in Tel Aviv last week, model Twiggy and singer Sharleen Spiteri.

McCartney's show was hailed for its sex appeal, with low-cut suits, revealing tunics and off-the-shoulder sweater dresses. The off-beat British touch was also evident in the show's backdrop - a giant work in fuzzy felt by artists Jake and Dinos Chapman, inspired by children's colouring books.

October 3, 2008 -- The Sun (UK)

Macca's flaming furious at Mucca

PAUL McCARTNEY has launched a fuming tirade in a new song that will leave his ex HEATHER MILLS needing a lie down.

The opening song on his upcoming album with side project THE FIREMAN is a ferocious rant with the normally mild-mannered Sir Paul finally letting rip.

"Nothing Too Much, Just Out Of Sight" doesn't hold back as The Beatles legend screams his way through the opener on aptly-titled album Electric Arguments.

To hear a clip of the song click here.
To say the attack is thinly-veiled would be like calling Macca a bit of a fibber.

Key lyrics include: "The last thing you do was to try and betray me/ In new morning light/ I'll never forget it/ And that's just outta sight."

Elsewhere in the song, Macca rants: "I remember you well/ Oh woman betrayed you/ I couldn't resist you/ When I made you."

But the best is saved for the very last line. Macca signs off: "And you have money/ And no manners."

To hear Macca screaming his way through the in-your-face track is absolutely brilliant.

It's about time he got a few things off his chest - and there is no more deserving target than his money-grabbing ex-missus.

Their four-year marriage broke down in 2006 and Mucca won a £24.3 million ($48.6 million) divorce payout earlier this year.

The Fireman is Macca's collaborative project with YOUTH - a top record producer and founding member of punk rockers KILLING JOKE.

The duo released two ambient electronic albums in the Nineties but the new release, out on November 17, is a big departure.

It's a rip-roaring rock record and the first recording from the duo to feature lyrics - and I'm pleased to see that Macca hasn't let them go to waste. The album was recorded in just 13 days and each song was written and recorded in one session as an outpouring of Macca's feelings that day.

"Nothing Too Much, Just Out Of Sight" sounds like it might have come after a particularly tough day in court.

The official press release describes the song as "classic rock and an instant attention-grabber".

You can say that again. Especially if your name's Heather.

For two stormy years, he kept his cool through the most bitter and high-profile divorce in recent history.

But it seems Sir Paul McCartney is at last getting the chance to air his grievances about the breakdown of his marriage to Heather Mills.

He has recorded an album under the pseudonym The Fireman, and Miss Mills has emerged as the thinly-veiled target of its lyrics.

The album title itself - "Electronic Arguments" - is a reference to the texts, emails and alleged phone-bugging which took place between the pair as their marriage slipped into acrimony.

In the first track, which is called "Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight", Sir Paul sings the lyrics: 'You said you love me - but was it true? The last thing to do was to lie about me silently.'

The second track, "Two Magpies", is a reference to Miss Mills and her sister Fiona.

They tried to squeeze hundreds of millions of pounds out of Sir Paul in the divorce case, which ended in the High Court in March with him making a settlement of £24.3 million ($48.6 million) to Miss Mills.

Moved on: Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell take a walk in Paris after going to his daughters fashion show on Thursday - on his new album Sir Paul sings a song about his new love

Sources said that he named the song as a dig at the sisters since magpies are known to have the habit of taking brightly-coloured shiny trinkets and jewellery to make their nests with.

"Two Magpies" also refers to the fact that Heather and Fiona grew up in Newcastle, where Newcastle United football club is referred to as The Magpies because of the black and white colouring of the home kit.

The final track on the album, "Don't Stop Running", refers to Sir Paul's final decision to split from Miss Mills and never look back.

There is also an upbeat ballad on the album - "Lifelong Passion" - which sources say Sir Paul wrote about his new love, Nancy Shevell.

The album, due to be released next month, was recorded over nearly a year, with each individual track being written and recorded in the space of just one day.

Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney has teamed up with Peter Kay for a spoof talent show comedy.

Macca agreed to appear in a cameo role in Kay's new Channel 4 project this month.

The pop icon has filmed several scenes for the comic's mickey-taking Britain's Got The Pop Factor And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice.

The two-hour programme is a spoof of TV talent shows and Kay dresses up to play some of the wannabe starlets, while Macca, 66, is believed to be appearing as himself.

A show source said: "They met at Sir Paul's recent Anfield gig and Peter asked him if he could spare a day to do some filming.

"He loved the idea. He is a fan of Peter's work. Getting Macca is a big coup."

Other big names appearing in the show on Sunday, October 12, include rock band Kaiser Chiefs and TV presenter Cat Deeley.

October 2, 2008 -- The Telegraph (UK)

Stella McCartney at Paris Fashion Week (VIDEO)

Stella McCartney put a combination of sea-inspired pieces and masculine tailoring together for her s/s '09 show, writes Hilary Alexander

Looking super fit and radiant after the birth of her third child, eight months ago, fashion's favourite super mum, Stella McCartney, made the Paris prêt-à-porter season a true family affair this morning.

Her three children joined her backstage as she checked the models and made final tweaks to her spring/summer 2009 collection.

"Good luck, mummy" called out her eldest, son, Miller, three-and-a-half. Her father, Sir Paul McCartney, meanwhile, just back from his historic "Give Peace a Chance" concert in Tel Aviv a week ago, slipped in quietly to take his front-row seat along with Stella's husband, Alasdhair Willis, and her brother, James; Twiggy and her husband Leigh Lawson; and the singer, Sharleen Spiteri. "It was very special," he said. "Particularly as I got the chance to go to both Israel and Palestine."

The collection restored sex appeal to McCartney's fashion vocabulary, in a colour palette largely centred upon flesh-tones and soft pastels. High-voltage jumpsuits, with low-slung lapels, and frisky short-suits, open to the waist, put cleavage high on the agenda. Loose-cut, cowl-back tunics revealed a similar display of bare spine and cheeky, satin shorts came with a little French Maid's "apron" in front.

Starfish embroidery on oversized, hooded kaftans, pineapple, cowrie and palm-tree prints and Perspex shell jewellery underscored the summery mood of the clothes.

McCartney also put renewed emphasis on one of her skills - masculine tailoring - in slouchy blazers, with shoulder-pads, worn with semi see-through, sequined slips, strapless, bow-front mini-dresses and T-shirts and slim trousers.

The backdrop to the catwalk featured a huge felt mural, 7 metres high by 14 metres long, inspired by children's colouring books, which was designed by the British artists Jake and Dinos Chapman. McCartney hopes to later auction the artwork for a children's charity.

As the models made their finale entrance, the soundtrack moved into the 1970 Paul McCartney song, "Maybe I'm Amazed" - one of the former Beatles' favourites, which he dedicated to his late wife, Linda.

"It's quite moving," Sir Paul said, with tears in his eyes. "The show was beautiful. She's beautiful."

There was plenty of flesh on show, but Paul McCartney was only interested in the fashion at Stella's catwalk show in Paris today.

The singer kept his eyes fixed firmly on his daughter's occasionally daring designs as he sat front row at the unveiling of her spring/summer 2009 collection.

It was something of a family affair, with Stella's brother James and her husband Alasdhair Willis also showing their support while her three children joined her backstage.

There was more star power too in the form of Twiggy and her husband Leigh Lawson and singer Sharleen Spiteri.

Stella gave a nod to her A-list dad during the show, with the the models making their finale entrance to the 1970 Paul McCartney song, "Maybe I'm Amazed".

Paul McCartney Takes Girlfriend to His Daughter's Paris Show

A beaming Paul McCartney declared himself happy with life as he took his girlfriend, Nancy Shevell, to a fashion show staged by his daughter Stella in Paris.

The ex-Beatle, 66, was full of smiles as he sat front row at the show Thursday. Asked about his own life and quest for happiness, he told PEOPLE, "I'm in a good place, I think."

Shevell, 48, didn't sit with McCartney but has attended several events with him recently, including a charity exhibition and auction of his daughter Mary McCartney's photography in London and his recent concert in Israel .

McCartney, sitting alongside son James and son-in-law Alasdhair Willis, cheered and whistled as Stella took her bow on the runway. His eyes were teary as his song, "Maybe I'm Amazed," closed the show.

"It was very moving ­ I'm a proud dad, and that nearly tipped me over the edge," he said afterward.

So what's next, aside from a romantic few days in Paris? "I'm making music, I'm playing music," McCartney said, before rushing backstage to congratulate his daughter.

"Hello, Dmitry! It's Paul McCartney from London..." Oh yes, that's him. A dream come true? - asked the wife. No so much, but... Stop, there was a dream! A couple of months ago, I woke up and told my other half that in my dream I was just interviewing Paul and then went to his concert. A good sign, she said, but we forgot about that and didn't even remember the dream when it was announced that McCartney would play Israel.

All the puzzle pieces came together when my not so little effort for the paper I work for brought about the interview opportunity, and this was a puzzle called The Grand Scheme Of Things. Could I, as a Soviet teenager enamored with THE BEATLES, ever dream of attending the show of one of them - even in Perestroika times? But then, could I dream of the sci-fi tales of little, button-like phones fleshed out by reality? The times have made it all real, and the conversation with Paul, too.

But... Over the years, while interviewing great musicians I call "unsung heroes" - among these, John Gustafson, McCartney's old friend whose name cropped up in our warm-up chat - I used to say, "They're interesting people, while I wouldn't have known what to ask Paul McCartney about! Everyone knows everything about the man!" Yet when the ex-Beatle called, there were much more questions than time allowed for. Maybe next time. This time, though, Paul McCartney said, "Over to you". All right, then.

First off, Paul, I'd like to thank you for your music that's been soundtracking my life since I've been growing up back in the USSR...

Paul: Uh, that's great! Thank you, it's my pleasure entirely.

Now, on with the action. Your Israeli show is called "Friendship First": what's next, then?

Paul: Peace! The origins of this [title] is this is it's my first visit to Israel, and that's the word "first", so instead of just calling it "The First Concert"... And also, the other idea was to call it "The Friendship Concert" because, you know, my theme in coming to Israel is one of friendship and peace, and humanitarian outreaching to all people, as I think we all want peace. So I've put the two together: "friendship" and "first" meaning my first concert. And then that has the third meaning which is, to put friendship first, before anything else. So that was the meaning behind that - to indicate the peaceful outreaching nature of the concert.

What is your own personal relation to Jews in common? I mean Linda was from a Jewish family...

Paul: Oh, that's good. I know a lot of Jewish people, I have a lot of Jewish people in my family, I have a lot of Jewish friends. But to me, that's not really important what religion people are attached to, because by the same argument I have a lot of Christian friends and Muslim friends. It's just happened that I do have a lot of relatives and friends who are Jewish. They're wonderful people. And, as you say, because Linda was the mother of my children, they're Jewish - half-Jewish - and that's great! I mean I think it's fine. As long as people are good people that's all that matters.

Being, perhaps, not so religious but spiritual person, what do you feel before playing Israel?

Paul: Well, the main reason when I give a concert is to bring my music to any region or any country. So to me, emphasis is on the music. And because the atmosphere at my concerts - because of music! - is often great and warm and very strong, loving it's what happens, normally. And I like to think there's a chance that we can all be uplifted by the concert. Again, the emphasis really is on the music, but if the music brings some uplifting feelings, then that's important, too.

But that's to people. And what about yourself?

Paul: You know, I'm a part of it, I'm just a part of it. I love coming to play my music. This year, I've been in Liverpool, Kiev in Ukraine, Quebec in Canada, and now Tel Aviv in Israel. And to me, there's a lot of similarities between the people: they all love music, they mostly love [their] family. So I come just as one of those people, I just happen to be the guy who's written the music and sings the songs. And it's important to me that I'm the same as the other people in the audience on many levels - I'm a family guy, I love peace, I love music. So we have a lot in common, and that's one of the things I enjoy about facing this concert.

Are you going to visit Jerusalem?

Paul: I don't think I'm going to have time but I'd really love to! I'm going to be on a little bit of tight schedule. So many of my friends say, "You must visit it!" But what happens for me is I come to a place and realize that I have to come back because normally there's never enough time to see everything I want to see.

How did this idea of "hit and run" concerts rather than proper tour come about?

Paul: It's just my personal situation at the moment. I've just finished a divorce situation, so I'm very keen to put my family first. This means that at the moment rather than do a lengthy tour which will take a lot of organization and scheduling worked out, what I'm doing what is easier - just do one-off things. And I must say, I rather enjoy it, it's a kind of nice way to do it, really. It's just as exciting but it doesn't present too many problems to me as a full-length tour would. But I will do full-length tours - but maybe next year.

The terrorists' threats you're receiving... You were in such a situation before, after the "BEATLES more popular than Jesus" remark. The times are different, though. Isn't it scarier now than back then in 1966?

Paul: There's always an element of that to most things you do, and I think it's something that you just have to ignore. I think you have to remember what you're doing it for. You know, when I went to Quebec recently there were people saying very strongly that I shouldn't have come because the British defeated the French [four hundred years ago], and they didn't think it was appropriate for me to play there. But I tend to... It's not the point. I play to all people, and I play to people not governments, and I believe strongly that all people are peaceful and would want peace. So that's the thing. I don't worry about that [danger], I know what my motives are, and I think that a lot of people understand that my motives are peaceful ones.

Talking about British. You're still speaking Scouse. So what does being a Liverpudlian mean to you?

Paul: Oh, it's very important to me, you know. It's my hometown, it's the city I love. I return there quite a bit because I have my own school there which is called LIPA, the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, which is the school that George and I - George Harrison and I - attended when we were teenagers. We attended that school from the age of eleven on. I obviously have many relatives there. So it's great, I love it, and I always fall back into all the old habits, and it's good. I think what is good in it for me is it reminds me that I'm just a person like anyone else.

It's not that often that you play lead guitar on-stage but when you do it's just great. Don't you think you're underestimated as an instrumentalist?

Paul: I don't know. I don't really read a lot of the feedback. But I started off originally on guitar and then moved on to bass when THE BEATLES needed a bass player. So guitar was my first instrument that I learnt, so I love playing guitar. I didn't use to play much lead guitar because, obviously, in THE BEATLES we had George and then in WINGS we would always have two lead guitarists, so my main thing was bass or a piano. But because I love it so much, I now like to play it. And if I'm underestimated that's okay, that means I'm better than you think.

Then, you poetry. Everybody's saying John Lennon was a great poet - and he was, indeed - but nobody says this about you. My favorite piece of McCartney music is "Monkberry Moon Delight" which has fantastic lyrics.

Paul: Thank you. That's very surrealist! I'm glad you like that. Well, I like that, too. I think what it was was when we were in THE BEATLES, in the very early days John had a book of his writings, "In His Own Write", published, and I think that set it all, that single event made people think of John as a poet. I think if I had had a book of poetry then, it might be the other way round. But I don't mind, you know, I don't mind really what people think. I think John was a great writer, so it's okay for me that my poetry has been published much later. I'm happy to have things like "Blackbird" and, like you said, "Monkberry Moon Delight" published - probably in time, when the people have time to analyze the whole thing and sort of realize that we both are pretty good writers.

By the way, there's a lyric in "Rock Show": "a man movin' cross the stage, it looks like one used by Jimmy Page". Who did Jimmy use?

Paul: You know what? It's fictitious. It's really just a general song. I think I was just talking about a guitar used by Jimmy Page of LED ZEPPELIN.

I heard you're open to collaboration. If I'm, being a lyricist, will send my writings to Paul McCartney, would he consider using it?

Paul: Oh, I don't know, I would probably look at it. Obviously, many people do send lyrics but... it's not how it normally happens. I normally know someone [to write with], it's not normally done through the post.

What about your recent collaborations with Brian Wilson and Yusuf Islam?

Paul: Well, it's not so much a collaboration as I've sung on their records. They're friends of mine, and I often... As a friend of mine he says to me, "Would you sing on my new record?", as Brian Wilson and Yusuf have said. And they're such friends that I'm happy to do it. It's always a fun thing. But I wouldn't really call it a collaboration, I'd say that I'm a guest appearance on their records.

Starting anew with WINGS, you tried to not rely on the BEATLES legend - if it was legend already in 1971. When did you accept, and was it hard to accept, that no matter what you'd do, there'd always be comparisons to what you'd done with them?

Paul: I always knew that. That was one of the difficulties with WINGS that I could see that the things we did would be compared [to THE BEATLES], so I specially didn't play the BEATLES' material, but once WINGS was established in its own right and once we had great success with tours and records, then I thought it was okay then to play anything from my repertoire. So nowadays I play a lot of BEATLES songs, and some WINGS and some solo, but I do play many more BEATLES songs than I ever did because now I feel I'm established more than when WINGS started.

The "Mojo" magazine broke the news that THE BEATLES' remastered catalogue will be finally made available next year. Are you excited about the prospect?

Paul: Yeah, sure. That's going to be great, yeah. I'm looking forward to it. We are working on some things, you know. I think it's very good as there's a demand for it. People still love BEATLES' music, so it's always exciting to work on that.

And then there's the "Let It Be" DVD everyone's waiting for.

Paul: All these things will happen it time because you just can't do it all at once. We are preparing these things, there's work that people have done, but I just don't want to flood everyone with THE BEATLES' products. I think it's a question of releasing things in a long time. But that will come!

Speaking of time. Isn't it the time to write a "bus" song? I mean you're always telling stories about riding on a bus - there's a snippet on the "Live At The BBC" CD and your recent New York ride. Sure, there was the middle eight of "A Day In The Life"...

Paul: Exactly! That's what I was going to say, in the middle eight of "A Day In The Life" I'm riding on a bus. Eh, yeah, you know I like buses, that's a very good form of transport. As to write a song about it, you have to just see what comes out. Because I love the bus it doesn't mean I'm going to write a song about it, but often your memories come into your songs and that's why that happened in the middle eight of "A Day In The Life": it was me remembering getting to school each morning. I was always being late, and I had a half-hour bus journey, but that was great. As to whether I'll write more "bus" songs, we'll have to wait and see.

Unlike many other stars, you're always being "humane". How different is McCartney the man from McCartney the legend?

Paul: Ah! To me it's all the same, you know. I'm just very lucky I've been very successful with my job, but here I'm sitting in the car here, in London, at the traffic lights, so I feel just the same as I've ever felt, I feel like a normal guy in many ways. So my private side is very normal, while my public side is much bigger and much more visible. But I like to keep my feet on the ground, so much so that I've actually got to get off the phone now. Are you okay with that?

Of course! But to sign off... Success, fame, riches, knighthood - you more than deserved all of this. But is there still anything you'd like to achieve in life?

Paul: Yeah. I always try to do something better. I never know what that might be - I have many interests that I still haven't properly tried. I love photography, for instance, so maybe one of these years I will have a photographic exhibition. I have many things like that, but basically, I'm always just trying to write a better song, play a better concert. So we'll see how it'll go in Tel Aviv. I hope it'll be the best concert yet. Listen, Dmitry, send my best wishes to your readers, to your audience, and I hope you'll enjoy the concert.

As for the concert, it was great. Of course, it was great, even though there was no surprises. But who cared? It was Paul McCartney after all - after all these years of speculations and rumors of the Israeli ban which seem not to be grounded at all. We said goodbye, but he said hello. A pity, my 1y7m old boy wasn't able to watch the show. But then again, maybe next time.

Paul McCartney to release dance album as 'the Fireman'

Apparently, each of the 13 tracks was written in just one day. But who are we to tell Sir Paul how to write a song? Especially when it sounds like Jack White with a glockenspiel

When Paul McCartney releases a new album next month, he will not be playing the style of music that made him famous. Instead, Sir Paul is returning to a genre he last visited in the late 90s ­ a dance music project called the Fireman.

The Fireman's Electric Arguments will be released by One Little Indian on November 18. Once again it pairs Paul McCartney with Youth, the Killing Joke bassist and dance music producer. Although McCartney wrote all the songs, the two share production credits for the album's 13 tracks.

Electric Arguments is the first Fireman album to include vocals ­ 1993's Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest and 1998's Rushes were both instrumental releases comprised of ambient electronic tracks. But that's not the only change to the Fireman's sound ­ a studio source described Electric Arguments as "like Arcade Fire meets Led Zeppelin," according to the Telegraph. Or in other words, like Jack White with a glockenspiel.

The opening track, Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight, premiered on BBC Radio 1 last night while Lifelong Passion (Sail Away) was previously released as part of an Adopt-a-Minefield event this June. Each track "has an entirely different personality," according to the official press release, "yet somehow this collection sits together perfectly".

The project only appears slightly more dubious with the news that each of Electric Arguments' 13 tracks were written and recorded in just one day. Though we hope that this pace made for spontaneous sounds, the rapid-fire sessions ­ spread over the course of a year - are more likely to have made for slapdash, half-arsed tracks. Then again, who are we to tell Paul McCartney how to write a song?

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