Paul McCartney to play smallest gig in a decade

Photo by Associated Press

Paul McCartney has announced he will be performing a lunchtime concert to about 300 fans at London's famed 100 Club on Friday.

The event was announced today and tickets go on sale to the UK tomorrow at 10 a.m. Click here for the Ticketmaster page.

McCartney said he was excited about the intimate venue.

"I've played all sorts of different venues over the years and this kind of show presents a different kind of challenge to performing in a stadium," he said.

The last time McCartney played such a small venue was at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in 1999.

According to reports from CBC News, the 100 Club is facing closure at the end of the year due to a lack of funds.

Tickets for McCartney's show cost £66, and are limited to two per person. McCartney will also be playing the HMV Apollo in Hammersmith, London on Saturday and Liverpool's O2 Academy on Monday.

Paul McCartney mimics royal attack on 'Saturday Night Live'

Photo by NBC
Host Paul Rudd dances while musical guest Paul McCartney plays a tiny harmonica solo.

Paul McCartney mocked Prince Charles and, his wife, Camilla's reaction to student protesters during last night's episode of "Saturday Night Live."

The "Weekend Update" segment, hosted by Seth Meyers, began with Meyers asking McCartney if he could imitate an English accent. Meyers, who played Charles, and McCartney, as Camilla, then spoke over the photo (see video below).

Earlier in the night, McCartney appeared on the weekly musical skit "SNL Digital Short."

The music video entitled "Stumblin,'" set to the tune of Dolly Parton's "9 to 5," featured McCartney on a tiny harmonica solo, dancing alongside host Paul Rudd and cast member Andy Samberg. McCartney also performed a song in the style of "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin (see video below).

Aside from the comedic sketches, McCartney took the stage on four separate occasions, performing "Jet," "Band on the Run," "A Day in the Life/Give Peace A Chance" and "Get Back."

"Weekend Update"


"Stumblin'"

Paul McCartney, Jimmy Fallon perform parody of 'Yesterday'

Photo by NBC
Paul McCartney, left, and Jimmy Fallon perform a spoof of the 1965 Beatles single "Yesterday."

Paul McCartney performed a never-before-heard song, composed of the supposed original lyrics to The Beatles' single "Yesterday" — a song originally entitled "Scrambled Eggs" — last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

While composing the song in 1965, McCartney said he woke from a dream and wanted to remember the timing of the lyrics so he jotted down "scrambled eggs, oh my baby how I love your legs" rather than "yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away."

The duet between McCartney and Fallon replaced additional lyrics with humorous ones like "waffle fries, oh my darling how I love your thighs" before proceeding to talk about their admiration for tofu wings and onion rings.

Follow along the below video with complete lyrics:
Scrambled Eggs,
Oh my baby how I love your legs,
But not as much as I love scrambled eggs.
Oh we should eat some scrambled eggs.

Waffle fries,
Oh my darling how I love your thighs,
But not as much as I love waffle fries.
Oh have you tried the waffle fries?

They are so damn good that they should be illegal
They're like regular fries, but they're shaped like a waffle.

Chicken wings - no, no chicken wings, vegetarian - tofu wings
Oh my baby when I hear you sing,
All I think about is tofu wings.
Oh did you bring the tofu wings?

There's a place I know where I go for kick-ass wings
We could even get a side of onion rings.

Scrambled eggs,
Oh my baby how I love your legs,
But not as much as I love scrambled eggs.
Oh let's go get some scrambled eggs.

"Scrambled Eggs"

Paul McCartney receives Kennedy Center Honors

Photo by Associated Press

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, left, talks with Jerry Herman, Merle Haggard, Bill T. Jones and Paul McCartney while waiting for Oprah Whitney to arrive for a group photo at a dinner honoring the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 4.

Paul McCartney received the Kennedy Center Honors award in Washington, D.C., today, along with four other honorees.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who hosted a dinner last night, welcomed the talent, including television talk show host Oprah Winfrey, dancer and choreographer Bill Jones, country singer Merle Haggard and Broadway composer Jerry Herman.

A surprise list of guests and musicians will perform for the honorees tonight. Entertainers already on the guest list include Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani and Julia Roberts.

McCartney made an appearance at the celebratory dinner last night, held at the State Department.

Past winners include Bruce Springsteen, Brian Wilson, and Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey.

The event will be aired Dec. 28 at 9 p.m. on CBS.

Paul McCartney nominated for Grammy award

Photo by Associated Press
McCartney performed "Helter Skelter," the song which he is currently nominated for, at the 2006 awards ceremony.

Paul McCartney was among the nominees for the 53rd annual Grammy Awards, announced last night in Los Angeles.

McCartney's "Helter Skelter" from the 2009 live album "Good Evening New York City" is up for consideration in the Best Rock Solo Performance category. Other nominees for the category include Eric Clapton for "Run Back to Your Side," John Mayer for "Crossroads," Robert Plant for "Silver Rider" and Neil Young for "Angry World."

In addition, "The Beatles (The Original Studio Recordings)" grabbed a nomination for Best Historical Album, facing such opponents as Buddy Holly and Hank Williams.

The Grammy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. on CBS.

Paul McCartney radio station launches

Photo courtesy of XM Radio

Paul McCartney's "Band on the Run" satellite radio station took over The Bridge on Sirius XM at 3 p.m. EST today.

The commercial-free station will remain on Sirius Channel 33, XM Channel 27 and XM Online Channel 90 until Dec. 26.

According to xmradio.com, the station will include music from McCartney's solo records, Wings albums and songs he recorded with The Beatles.

"The month-long channel will also feature a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this landmark album, hosted by McCartney himself, as well as newly discovered live performances of Wings tracks recorded at Abbey Road Studios from The Paul McCartney Archive," the website reported.

In addition, Band on the Run Radio will be one of six channels broadcasting McCartney's live performance at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y. on Dec. 13.

Paul McCartney to play exclusive Apollo Theater show for Sirius subscribers

A contest is being held for Sirius XM Satellite radio subscribers to win tickets to Paul McCartney's Harlem, N.Y. appearance at the Apollo Theater Dec. 13.

The invitation-only, private subscriber event will be broadcast on satellite radio live.

According to the website, "One Grand Prize winner will be awarded a paid trip to New York City for four people, two nights lodging, four tickets to this exclusive concert, a subscription to 'Everything Plus The Best Of' Sirius or XM in a Lifetime Plan, good for the lifetime of your radio, and an autographed copy of the just-released Band on the Run Deluxe Edition box set. One hundred twenty-five First Prize winners will be awarded two tickets to the exclusive concert."

The contest is open only to those who have been a Sirius XM subscriber before Nov. 15.

Applications for the small prizes will be accepted until midnight, Nov. 21., followed by a drawing Nov. 22. The grand prize contest closes Nov. 28. and a winner will be drawn Nov. 29.

More details, including the official rules, can be found here.

The Beatles come to iTunes

Photo by Kurt Strazdins

For the first time, The Beatles' catalog is available for purchase via Apple's iTunes Store.

Paul McCartney said, "We're really excited to bring the Beatles' music to iTunes. It's fantastic to see the songs we originally released on vinyl receive as much love in the digital world as they did the first time around."

According to Fox Business, each album comes with iTunes LP, which features additional content including lyrics, photos and album art. A digital version of the Fab Four's entire body of work is also available for download for $149, and that comes with exclusive access to a video of the band's first U.S. concert, "Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964." Single albums are priced at $12.99, double albums at $19.99. Songs will cost $1.29 each.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said gaining this content was a personal victory, since The Beatles were one of the most prominent holdouts from his online music empire.

"We love the Beatles and are honored and thrilled to welcome them to iTunes," said Jobs in a press release today. "It has been a long and winding road to get here. Thanks to the Beatles and EMI, we are now realizing a dream we've had since we launched iTunes ten years ago."

Apple hyped up the announcement over the last 24 hours on its website, promising "tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget."

After several hours of tech news sites like Cnet News buzzing about what the company could have in store, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple would finally announce and agreement to offer The Beatles' music.

Other representatives speak out

Ringo Starr: "I am particularly glad to no longer be asked when the Beatles are coming to iTunes. At last, if you want it--you can get it now--The Beatles from Liverpool to now! Peace and Love, Ringo."

Yoko Ono Lennon: "In the joyful spirit of Give Peace A Chance, I think it is so appropriate that we are doing this on John's 70th birthday year."

Olivia Harrison: "The Beatles on iTunes--Bravo!"

REVIEW: 'Band on the Run' remastered

Photo by Linda McCartney

The deluxe edition of the reissue of "Band On the Run" is lavish.

Complete with four CDs, the content is enough to keep any Paul McCartney mega-fan occupied for weeks.

The first CD provides the original nine tracks from the 1973 album, but remastered in Abbey Road Studios for an extra sense of clarity. The crisp quality may lack the personality - and the added hisses and pops - of a vinyl record, but it's a fair trade to feel like Paul, Linda McCartney and Denny Laine are jamming right next to you.

The second CD features nine more tracks, bonus audio chock-full of raw vocals and roaring guitar licks. The album kicks off with "Helen Wheels/Country Dreamer," a nice single worthy of double A-sides. But after that comes the real treasure: Seven live tracks from the "One Hand Clapping" movie, shot live in the EMI studios in the fall of 1974. A goosebumps-inducing version of "Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five" manifests with Paul at the piano for the first half of the song, and roaring through the lyrics during the next half, not forgetting to stop for a puff of a cigarette (see screenshot).

The DVD is a mixed bag - nearly 85 minutes of rare footage, classic music videos and the aforementioned "One Hand Clapping" film.

The footage begins with a 15-minute clip of the making of the "Band on the Run" album cover and, consequently, the band actually posing for the picture (see screenshot). This footage had previously been shown on big screens during McCartney's performance on the title track on his "Up and Coming" tour.

Following the cover shoot is three minutes of Wings in Lagos, where the album was recorded. The home movies offer a behind-the-scenes perspective at the then family of five. The clips are dubbed over with an Eastern-style version of "Band on the Run." The transformation makes the tune sound like a completely different song.

Best of all, however, is the 50-minute "One Hand Clapping" movie, which had never been released on DVD before. Aside from the album tracks, the film includes "Soily," "Little Woman Love," "C Moon" and "I'll Give You a Ring." The video quality is not always great, but it's easily overlooked in exchange for the intimate, uncut portrayal of McCartney.

I have seen Paul McCartney in concert seven times within the past year or so and, generally within the first half of the show, he plays mostly Wings or solo music, including five of the nine original "Band on the Run" tracks.

Particularly, when he played "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five," the emotion seeped through his fingers and onto the piano keys. My favorite memory is of that song. Of course, aside from being on stage, hugging Paul McCartney.


Take a virtual tour of "Band on the Run" [Deluxe Edition]:

McCartney: Kings of Leon are 'really cool'

Photo by MJ Kim / The Sun

Tom Meighan of Kasabian and Paul McCartney in a photoshoot mimicking the 1973 cover art for "Band on the Run."

The reissue of Wings' "Band on the Run" hits stores today and in an interview with The Sun, Paul McCartney said music is just as good, if not better, than it was four decades ago.

"I think there's a lot of great music around, I really do," he said. "You get someone going, 'Oh, it's not like it was in my day!' I say, 'No, it's different. It isn't like it was in your day. And actually some of it is better.' I like Kings Of Leon, I think they're really cool. I like Plan B, he's good. He has really got it, you know, a good singer, man."

The original artwork for Wings' 1973 album featured McCartney and bandmates Denny Laine and Linda McCartney caught in a prison searchlight with six other familiar faces at the time: chat show host Michael Parkinson, actor Kenny Lynch, actor James Coburn, columnist Clement Freud, actor Christopher Lee and boxer John Conteh.

When asked who he would like to include on an updated version of the iconic "Band on the Run" cover, McCartney mentioned a few choice favorites.

"Tom from Kasabian," he said. "Then next to him Beyonce Knowles, looking a bit sort of scared. Then we'd have to get Bob Dylan. And Neil Young. We could have Ricky Gervais. I need a sportsman - Usain Bolt? I'd have to have Barack Obama too. I'd give him a ring."

The "Band on the Run" reissue is available in stores today.

Paul McCartney teams up with David Beckham

Photo by Frederic Nebinger/Corinne Dubreuil/ABACAPRESS.COM

Paul McCartney and David Beckham have invested in Irish Castle Leslie, where McCartney married Heather Mills in 2002.

Although the marriage ended in a bitter divorce much publicized by the media, McCartney has expressed admiration for the castle located in Glaslough, Ireland.

MSN news reported that columnist Cindy Adams said McCartney and soccer star Beckham invested in the 17th century land.

"I now report Paul is the new part owner," Adams said. "He's invested in the joint. Also David Beckham. How much they shoved in, who knows? Put it this way - each owns his own turret."

Beckham's reason for involvement in the estate is still unknown.

Paul McCartney writes song with Keith Richards

Uncut Magazine

Keith Richards and Paul McCartney graced the cover of Uncut Magazine's "100 Rock and Roll Movie Icons" issue in September of 2005.

Keith Richards revealed in his memoir released yesterday that he and Paul McCartney wrote a song together in 2006 when the pair happened to be vacationing in Parrot Cay on the Turks and Caicos Islands at the same time.
In Richards' book entitled “Life,” Richards spoke about one specific encounter with McCartney.



“He told me that because he was left-handed, he and John [Lennon] could play the guitars like mirrors opposite each other, watching each other’s hands,” Richards said. “So we started playing like that. We even started composing a song together, a McCartney/Richards number whose lyrics were penned on the wall for many weeks.”

According to the Paul McCartney Examiner, Richards did not elaborate in the book on what the song sounded like, and it is unknown if the writing session was recorded or if the song was even finished.



If the song ended up being completed, it would need to be recorded and possibly released.



Members of the Beatles and Stones have worked together in the past on such songs as the 1967 single "We Love You," which featured McCartney and Lennon on backing vocals. However, members of the Beatles and the Stones have never written any songs together before.



McCartney is currently signed to Concord Music Group, which has U.S. distribution through Universal Music Distribution, the same company that distributes the Rolling Stones' current record company, Universal Music Group.

Many are speculating about details on the reported song, but McCartney has yet to weigh in.