Paul McCartney was a singer and multi-instrumentalist in The Beatles. Alongside John Lennon, he was half of one of the world's most successful songwriting teams in history.
Paul was one of the most innovative bass players that ever played bass, and half the stuff that's going on now is directly ripped off from his Beatles period. He was coy about his bass playing. He's an egomaniac about everything else, but his bass playing he was always a bit coy about. He is a great musician who plays the bass like few other people could play it.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
The early years
James Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool's Walton Hospital on 18 June 1942. His father Jim worked in the cotton trade and played trumpet and piano in jazz and ragtime bands, and his mother Mary worked as a midwife.
Paul attended the Stockton Wood Road primary school, then went on to the Joseph Williams junior school before passing his 11 Plus in 1953 and gaining a place at the Liverpool Institute.
The following year, while travelling on a bus to the Institute, he met George Harrison, who was also a student there.
In 1955 the McCartneys moved to 20 Forthlin Road, a council house in the Allerton district of Liverpool. It cost them one pound and six shillings a week to live there. The house was bought by the National Trust in 1995, and today is a popular tourist destination. Back then, though, it was an unassuming terraced house built by the local authority in the 1920s.
On 31 October 1956, Mary McCartney died of an embolism following a mastectomy. She was a heavy smoker who had been suffering from breast cancer. The death shook the McCartney family, and later led to a bond between Paul and John Lennon, who lost his mother in 1958.
Jim McCartney was a keen musician who had been leader of Jim Mac's Jazz Band in the 1920s. There was an upright piano in the front room at 20 Forthlin Road, which Jim bought from Harry Epstein's NEMS store, which Beatles manager Brian Epstein would later take over.
Jim encouraged Paul and his brother Mike to be musical, and gave Paul a trumpet following the death of his mother. When skiffle became a national craze, however, Paul swapped the instrument for a £15 Framus Zenith acoustic guitar.
Being left-handed, Paul initially had trouble playing the instrument. He later learned to restring it, and wrote his first song, I Lost My Little Girl. He took music lessons for a while, but preferred instead to learn by ear. Paul also began playing piano, and wrote When I'm Sixty-Four while still living at Forthlin Road.
Paul McCartney met John Lennon at the Woolton fete on 6 July 1957, between performances by The Quarrymen. They became friends and began writing and performing songs together. McCartney later persuaded Lennon to allow George Harrison into the band as lead guitarist in 1958.
With The Beatles
The Beatles, as they became, gradually grew in popularity after performing many times in and around Liverpool and Hamburg, Germany. After Stuart Sutcliffe left the band, McCartney reluctantly took over his role as bass guitarist. He later bought a left-handed 1962 Hofner bass, which became part of The Beatles' iconography during the 1960s.
After The Beatles signed to Parlophone in 1962 and began releasing records, the songwriting partnership of Lennon-McCartney became celebrated. As well as penning the bulk of the band's recorded output, they also wrote for artists including Cilla Black, Billy J Kramer and Peter and Gordon.
As they became a worldwide phenomenon The Beatles relocated from Liverpool to London, but Lennon, Harrison and Ringo Starr eventually moved away from the city. McCartney, however, remained in central London, enjoying the various artistic and cultural benefits of the capital. He lived for some years at 7 Cavendish Avenue in St John's Wood, near to EMI's Abbey Road Studios.
In the mid 1960s McCartney became interested in experimental music, and made tape loops and avant-garde recordings, both with The Beatles and alone. The first to take on a non-Beatles musical commitment, in 1966 McCartney wrote the score for the film The Family Way. It later won an Ivor Novello award for Best Instrumental Theme.
By this time The Beatles had long since tired of touring, having become unable to hear their own voices and instruments above the screams of the audience. McCartney reluctantly agreed to the other members' wishes to stop touring, which they did in August 1966.
When Brian Epstein died in 1967, McCartney made efforts to keep the group together. He effectively led the making of the Magical Mystery Tour film and album, and in 1969 tried to persuade the group to take to the stage once more. Lennon's response was: "I think you're mad."
However, they did play the celebrated rooftop gig on the top of Apple's offices, filmed as part of the Let It Be project. McCartney led the group through their final recorded album, Abbey Road, released prior to Let It Be in 1969.
He was unhappy with Phil Spector's production on the Let It Be album. He also favoured Lee Eastman, father of Paul's wife Linda, when the group were looking for a new manager in 1969. Instead they appointed Allen Klein, a move bitterly contested by McCartney.
Although John Lennon left The Beatles in September 1969, McCartney persuaded him to keep it from the press. Instead, McCartney himself announced the band's break-up on 10 April 1970, during promotion for his first solo album McCartney. The Beatles' legal partnership was dissolved following a lawsuit filed by McCartney in December 1970.
The solo years
As with all the former members of The Beatles, McCartney's solo output was varied, yet also variable in quality - for every Band On The Run it seemed like there was a Frog Chorus. In August 1971 he formed Wings, and in 1977 released Mull Of Kintyre, which remained the UK's highest selling single until 1984. In the 1980s he collaborated with Elvis Costello, and in 1991 released his first classical work, the Liverpool Oratorio. Since then he has released a wide range of albums in a variety of styles, and has undertaken a number of world tours.
John Lennon's death in December 1980 led to a media frenzy. Asked how he felt, McCartney was reported as describing it as "a drag". He was pilloried for the comments, and later expressed regret, saying he had been at a loss for words. He later revealed that he had cried all evening in reaction to the news.
McCartney retired from live performances for a time following the death of John Lennon in 1980, although in subsequent years he returned to the stage for a series of world tours. Wings disbanded in 1981, the same year that he, Ringo Starr and George Harrison sang together on the latter's All Those Years Ago, a tribute to Lennon.
From 1976 McCartney began playing Beatles songs again, after years of refusing to. In the 1990s he reunited with Harrison and Starr to work on the Anthology project, and added instrumentation and vocals to two Lennon demos, Free As A Bird and Real Love.
Today Paul McCartney holds the record of being the most successful musician and composer in pop music history.
Simply the best musician of all time
Hmm, I wonder if this is true. Maybe as an overall musician, but he certainly isn’t the best at one particular instrument, I would say that title should be reserved for Art Tatum as God of the piano. But maybe Paul, with his incredible talent on bass, guitar, piano, drums and whatever else could take the claim of being the best musician of all time.
It all very much depends on how you are defining ‘best’
Do you mean technically? In terms of how many instruments they’ve mastered? Units sold? Or in terms of how much someone’s music has moved the world?
Then there’s the question of taste and cultural veiwpoint.
It;s enough to make yer ears bleed!
i think he is only because he has had experience with the Beatles.
He plays over 40 instruments fluently. So yes I would say the best of all time.
Names such as Beethoven and Mozart, among others, beg to differ.
Beethoven and Mozart are great, but The Beatles are the greatest.
The Beatles are the greatest pop group of all time but Beethoven and Mozart are the greatest classical composers ever.
Beethoven was from the Romantic Period not the Classical. You can’t compare any composer from other Ages to McCartney or any other modern composer due to the changed social conditions which serve as the context of their music. About all you can say with any degree of confidence is that Paul McCartney – more than any other Beatle even – has enjoyed a success DURING HIS LIFETIME – that Mozart and Beethoven would’ve found incomprehensible. So much of what McCartney has written won’t be appreciated until after he’s as dead as these other musical geniuses.
And if that were to be true, someone wouldn’t have taken the enormous amount of time to dedicate a website (and over a million words) to this man and his bandmates.
If Mozart etc. lived in this time they would have websites, but they still would not be as celebrated as Paul McCartney as Classical music is just not on the same level of popularity in modern times as is pop/rock and roll. Listening to ‘here there and everywhere’, ‘yesterday’ and ‘Eleanor Rigby’ for example Mozart and his crew would probably consider Sir Paul an equal musically at the very least…
(And if in our modern era, maybe Mozart and friends would have done a bit of rock and rolling themselves 😉
Beethoven was both Classical and Romantic, but I’ve been doing piano and music theory for ten years now and he’s always considered Classical, if you have to put him in a period.
Hello David, Beethoven is from both periods, classical and romantic.
Beethoven is seen as a bridge between classical, in his earlier works, and romantic in the later.
Classical WAS pop music in the 1700s
I agree. You cannot compare the Beatles to Beethoven, it’s like comparing apples to snails or something. 🙂
i totally agree
thise people were in nmuch different time periods so he could have been the gretest composer of his time.
Very clever, but obviously they mean one of the best in the genre, dumb-ass.
Ocean’s Kingdom! Ludwig and Wolfgang would be proud!
it said POP music, not classical. And Mccartney will rank with both Beethovan and Mozart in the future.
An indisputable master of the bass, the Beatles main piano player, and arguably the best guitarist in the band (Blackbird, Yesterday, Helter Skelter, the lead all through Taxman, etc). That’s for starters. Watch old you tube videos of the Beatles in concert and Paul is the indisputable on stage leader and notable for how effortlessly he plays and sings in concert. The other Beatles must concentrate much more to play their parts. Let’s not forget one of the most versatile and incredible voices there ever was- your voice is an instrument, too.
No doubt an incredibly accomplished musician. But what puts him in the running for best ever, in my view, is mostly the music he wrote and the influence he had on other musicians. The oohs and ahhs of their early period were his idea. Beatle harmonies are almost entirely John or George singing the melody with Paul improvising above. Pretty much anything currently termed Beatlesque is from Paul’s music. He was the force behind Sgt Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, the Get Back to basics of 1968, not only the Abbey Road suite, etc, etc, etc.
And let’s not forget the songs he wrote on those instuments…
well said!!!
Hear Hear! You nailed it Drew. “The music he wrote and the influence he had on other musicians”…namely John, George & Ringo influenced them into what they became. Paul was hungry, ambitious, disciplined and fierce in his quest to the very top of the mountain that started in Liverpool. Paul was loaded with looks & confidence whereas John felt short-changed & challenged. What Paul did, by accepting the role of playing bass after losing Sutcliffe was ‘instrumental’ into putting the cogs to the wheels to make it all happen & work. No other Beatle could or would do that. Paul McCartney was the locus of the Fab Four.
Wonderful. You’ve nailed it.
Now, I don’t really want to add such a late response and let it be negative, but really. The thing is, people in the future won’t be needing any ones opinion, including mine, but will just rely on the 13 albums available to them. They will hear for themselves: Please Please Me, With the Beatles, A Hard Days Night etc. and the start of Beatlemania.
So, think about these albums, think about the first hits. Are you people nuts! THESE WERE ESSENTIALLY SOLO LENNON ALBUMS. Why is your precious Sgt Peppers a masterpiece? Oh…When I’m 64, Yea right!
Don’t fall for that “Paul wrote the middle bit of A Day In The Life” nonsense. If you listen to Paul McCartney, Brian WIlson was a genius! What does that tell you? Now, no doubt Paul absolutely was the better musician, but his writing was totally hemmed in by pop. He didn’t come close to George Harrison once George got going (with Johns help) never mind getting close to John Lennon. Good thing that all the people of the future only need to listen to the CD’s, to know the truth.
Just keep dreaming. Those are your OPINIONS. Not fact.
Paul was as essential to their early success as John and without him the Beatles would have ended with Brian Epsteins’s death.
As Ringo put it: “We owe all these albums (Sgt. Peppers, White Album, Magical Mystery Tour, Let it be, Abbey Road) to Paul.”
I agree that many people are more familiar with their early songs.
But you’ll have a hard time proving that John’s songs are more successful or beloved. Most of their greatest early hits they wrote and sang together anyway.
“I saw her standing there” is by far the best “solo” song on their first album and rightfully was the opener.
Nobody knows any John songs from “With the Beatles” – but everybody starts dancing to “All my loving”.
A hard day’s night was their best early album, and the majority of songs are John’s – but apart form the title track people know “Can’t buy me love” best.
“Beatles for sale” wasn’t the greatest album for either of them, I give John an advantage here because of “Eight days a week” and “No reply”.
“Help” is pretty even, with John’s “Help” and Paul’s “Yesterday”.
“Rubber Soul” is great for both, small advantage for Paul, since he has one of their best known songs, “Michelle” and “Drive my car”.
“Revolver” is pretty even with fantastic songs for both, but this was already the beginning of Paul taking more and more influence in recording and producing, and he was a major influence on many of the other’s songs, most famously “Tomorrow never knows”. Plus his songs have by far the widest range.
And while TNK is my favourite Beatle song, I don’t think we need to argue who wrote one of the most popular melodies ever with “Yellow submarine” (btw, this was MEANT as a children’s song, so don’t start with how it is not emotionally deep or something. Write me a song that every single person on earth will immediatly recognize and sing along and I’ll allow you to criticize McCartney for it).
But why I’m making so many words for someone who reduces McCartney’s contribution to “Pepper” to “When I’m 64″…
Up to the autumn 1965, when Yesterday became a success, Lennon was the dominant composer in The Beatles. But that was a secret, oposed to when McCartney did Yesterday.
This is the list of the music composers of the hits, (not the lyric writer):
1963 Please Please Me, Lennon, B-side Ask Me Why Lennon.
1963 From Me To You, main melody Lennon, the middle part McCartney.
1963 She Loves You, half Lennon,
1963 I Want To Hold Your Hand, half Lennon, B-side This Boy mainly Lennon,
1964 Can´t Buy Me Love, McCartney,
1964 Do You Want To Know a Secret, Lennon. US
1964 A Hard Day´s Night Lennon,
1964 I Feel Fine Lennon,
1965 Ticket To Ride mainly Lennon, B-side Yes It Is Lennon,
1965 Help, Lennon,
1965 We Can Work It Out, half Lennon, B-side Day Tripper mainly Lennon.
During this years, Lennon even dominated as composer the albums and the films. But as I said, it was a secret.
In the interest of fairness, can you share a list of Beatles songs/hits after 1965 and each song’s dominant composer? Thank you Johan.
Adding the list above, here is the list over the music composers of the hit singles o u t s i d e UK and US, 1963-1965:
1964 I Should Have Known Better, Lennon, Canada +Norway.
1964 If I Fell, Lennon, Norway.
1964 This Boy, Lennon, Canada.
1964 I Call Your Name, Lennon, Australia.
1964 You Can´t Do That, Lennon, Australia.
1964 All My Loving, McCartney, Canada+ Australia.
1964 I Saw Her Standing There, McCartney, Canada.
1964 She´s A Woman, McCartney, Canada.
1964 I´m Down, McCartney, Canada.
1964 Things We Said Today, McCartney, Australia.
1965 No Reply, Lennon, Holland.
1965 Eight Days A Week, half Lennon,
1965 I Don´t Want To Spoil The Party, Lennon, Canada.
1965 Norwegian Wood, mainly Lennon, Australia.
1965 Yes It Is, Lennon, Canada.
Music composers of hit singles in UK and or US, 1966-1970:
1966 Paperback Writer, McCartney,
B-side Rain, Lennon (A hit in Canada).
1966 Eleonor Rigby, McCartney, .
1967 Strawberry Fields Forever, Lennon,
Penny Lane, McCartney.
1967 All You Need Is Love, Lennon,
B-side Baby You´re A Rich Man, half Lennon.
1967 Hello Goodbye, McCartney,
B-side I Am The Walrus, Lennon (A hit in Australia).
1968 Lady Madonna, McCartney.
1968 Hey Jude, McCartney,
B-side Revolution, Lennon (A hit in Canada+New Zealand).
1969 Get Back, McCartney,
B-side Don´t Let Me Down, Lennon (A hit in Canada).
1969 The Ballad of John and Yoko, Lennon.
(1969 Give Peace A Chance, Lennon).
1969 Come Together, Lennon.
1969 September, The Beatles split.
1970 Let It Be, McCartney,
B-side You Know My Name, half Lennon.
1970 The Long And Winding Road, McCartney.
Music composers of single hits 1966-1970 o u t s i d e UK and US:
1966 Nowhere Man, Lennon, Australia+Canada.
1966 Girl, Lennon, Spain.
1966 Rain, Lennon, Canada.
1966 Got to Get You Into My Life, McCartney, Canada.
1967 Strawberry Fields Forever, Lennon, Canada+Holland.
1968 Revolution, Lennon, Canada+New Zealand. As mentined above.
1968 Obladi Oblada, McCartney.
1968 I Am The Walrus, Lennon, Australia. As mentioned above.
1969 Don´t Let Me Down, Lennon, Canada. As mentioned above.
1970 A Day In The Life, mainly Lennon, France.
Did Paul do anything of note after 1965 or was he still a wash out?
In Wikipedia McCartney is mentioned as “one of the most successfull composers of all time”, while Lennon is not mentioned in that way.
Correct?
Johan-Your quote from Wikipedia is accurate but it is after all under his biography so why include the names of the many successful composers in history? John’s Wikipedia biography is formatted and written differently, and the author(s), I assume, chose not to make a like comment. However, that does not make Lennon any less a successful composer.
John,
While I can’t deny you your right to your opinion, the fact remains that you have no clue as to what everybody in future times is going to think about all four members’ roles in the band. Although I personally believe that such viewpoints could remain as diverse and conflicting as they are now, I don’t know anymore than anyone else here. But, I do know that such opinions are at their most insightful when they rely less on personal bias and hyperbole and more on genuine appreciation and understanding.
I will add that I disagree with your claim about the Beatles’ early albums being essentially solo Lennon albums, and that I think you’re minimization of McCartney’s role in the creation of “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” is quite ridiculous bordering on silly.
That’s the least-well-informed post I’ve ever read at this excellent site. I wonder if the post might somehow be a parody of, or satire on, the cluelessness of some Beatle fans, the relentless willingness of some people to not read any of the detailed scholarship, any of the books by Lewisohn, Emerick, etc.?
That is one of the most silly (being nice here) comments I’ve seen in quite some time.
I think about 30 seconds of watching George playing “Til There Was You” in the early days might change your tune, at least about Paul’s guitar playing compared to George’s. His technique was flawless, and those are some tricky chords, which he plays effortlessly. That solo Paul did on Taxman is awesome, but it doesn’t necessarily make him a “better” guitar player. Paul knew George was the better guitar player, that’s why he convinced John to bring him into the band. John and Paul couldn’t even tune, as a matter of fact. George tuned their guitars.
paul taught John to tune his guitar. and to play it properly instead of the banjo chords he was taught. George may or may not have tuned their guitars but as to third to join and the youngest, he may have been chosen to do it. plus he may have been better than paul at tuning. it is possible. But Paul definately could tune a guitar!
Exactly, Curt. John said one of the reasons he brough Paul into the Quarrymen is that Paul could tune a guitar.
I would add that Paul was indeed the better guitar player of the group through the mid-60’s. My belief is that George was younger (and the youngest of the group) and it simply took him a while to develop his style and his confidence.
i couldent agree more he is the gratest!!!
Jack of all trades, master at bass and songwriting
Nice to read all of the above information mate. Hey I am not going to ask you to sing & record Searchin
But if you would like to hear 4 Tribute songs I wrote sang & recorded with 2 of my mates. The least I could do for all the memories of my life in the music bis. Being I am now 66 years young. Wait For Me
Till The End Of Time / Peace N Love / Bright Light Shining. Junior Dix
Sorry, that would be Lennon.
Um..What would be?
It might be worth remembering that in their day Beethoven and Mozart were pop music artists – meaning they were “popular music” artists.
It wasn’t considered “classical” in its day. Indeed Mozart especially was a pop star.
One day hundreds of years from now the Beatles may be considered a form classical music.
I could be wrong
Yes you could be wrong. And one day hundreds of years from now, the Rolling Stones will be compared to Willie Dixon and Howling Wolf!
I could be wrong but I’m not.
Paul McCartney “Pop music is the classical music of now.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VdGfNbI65Q
Popular to whom? The only delivery of this music was live presentation and to be in one of those seats?… you had to be an elite and that leaves the rest of the populace in the pubs where I doubt they were raising a pint to Beethoven’s 9th. To this day, it’s not ‘popular’ music. Just like jazz. It’s elite and it’s not simple. Pop music is simple and there’s a lot of money to be made because of that.
Popular to the masses. You’re just historically incorrect on this one. It is indeed the case that people did raise a pint to Beethoven’s 9th or Mozart’s latest in the pubs of those times. Music moved through the people quickly and up and down through the economic classes. In the same way you can go to a bar and hear a cover band doing Beatles – you could go hear local musicians playing the works of the great masters. And large concert halls regularly had performances for the common folk. It’s just fact. Pop music is the classical music of now and classical music was then pop music of then.
Songs that are oh so fun to listen to. His music to me is like cotton candy: sweet and fluffy, tastes good going down, but not much substance.
Obviously you have only heard his more popular songs. Here Today is beautiful, and Waterfalls is quite emotional as well. Also Eleanor Rigby, which is one of my personal favorites, couldn’t really be described as cotton candy, what with the string quartet. Paul McCartney had a terrific grasp of melodic shifts and such.
Listen to “here today” or “wanderlust” (one of my favorites). Paul has a lot of nice happy love, but don’t you dare think that’s all he can do!!
You ain’t kidding, Jammy Jim! Listening to McCartney makes me feel good when I’m down (probably because it’s easy listening, like Billy Joel, Elton John, or James Taylor) but, damn! most of his lyrics… ooh boy! Check out this doozie from his song “The Other Me:”
I KNOW I WAS A CRAZY FOOL,
FOR TREATING YOU THE WAY I DID.
BUT SOMETHING GOT A HOLD OF ME
AND I ACTED LIKE A DUSTBIN LID.
It’s so funny you pull this lyric out: it’s made me cringe for years, and I ADORE McCartney, all of his work.
But that said, the thing I love is that because his lyrics are so obtuse, light or guarded, when some real emotion slips through and he actually lets himself through, it’s even more beautiful. I give you Here Today, You Never Give Me Your Money, Ram On (and WHY do people never pick up that he’s plainly addressing himself in this – having used the stage name Paul Ramon in the Silver Beatles years?), Maybe I’m Amazed or Little Willow as evidence.What a great website!
Coincidentally, I’ve recently been writing about the Ram songs, and mentioned the Paul Ramon connection. You can see the article here.
Yes, even I have to agree that Paul has made some, let us say `unfortunate’ lyric choices..
such as this offering, from `Beautiful Night’:
“You and me together, nothing feels so good
Even if I get a medal from my local neighborhood”
Despite this, I still love the song. It’s beautiful.
How about:
TAKE THESE BROKEN WINGS, AND LEARNED TO FLY…TAKE THESE SUNKEN EYES AND LEARN TO SEE..
These are from Blackbird. And then there is Hey Jude. And many others that I won’t mention. You Lennon freaks are too much.
Disagree, Billy. It’s a great line, in my opinion. Poetry. Nails the whole character, right there. I’m sure if there’d still been a Lennon & McCartney, and Paul had said he was going to change it, John would have said, ‘You won’t. you know! Best line in it!’
But I know a lot of people are bothered by it. I sometimes wonder how that breaks down by country. Is it Brits who dislike it, or not? I suppose in many places like the US where they have ‘garbage cans’ it might sound especially odd, and some might not even know what a dustbin is!
Thanks Martin, you just cleared me up. I’m from Chicago, IL – USA. If we ever used the word “dustbin” it was way before my time.
Poetry is the treasure of each word…not the dustbin.
Paul McCartney makes me melt, even at age 69, and I’m only 39! I hope he sings forever. <3<3<3
Beatles music has survived the death of two Beatles. I’m pretty sure it’ll survive Paul. Besides, they were saying 25 years ago they’d be forgotten. And here we are.
The thing about the Beatles when comparing them to Mozart or Beethoven is that those guys were solo artists, really. The Beatles are such a singular feat because they are as if Bach and Mozart formed a band and collaborated for ten years. The Beatles had two tunesmithing geniuses. Nowhere else do have this happening. Two genius song writers in one band.
“two tunesmithing geniuses”? There were three of them!
true, Ringo was quite the songwriter! But seriously George started writing really good songs years after paul and john were writing hit after hit. He was 3 yrs younger and maturity had to be a factor plus his shyness. And it was likely hard to write and be compared to the 2 main writers. He usually had 1 song per album until the later sixties. And not too many hits after the seventies, so not quite in P&J’s ranking but certainly he created some genius material while he was in this material world!
I love all things McCartney. I have read many unkind things that are said about him. I don’t understand why so many people under-appreciate him. So, I’ve just decided that it most be jealousy. How many people, living or dead, can say they’re so accomplished? I say ‘Rock on Sir Paul. Rock on.
I’m with WhenI’m64, I am 66yrs. old, will be 67 next month. I loved the Beatles and McCartney when I was young, and I love them now that I’m not so young! They were/are the best. What other reason would they and their music be as popular today as it was 50yrs. ago? Rock on Beatles, Rock on Paul McCartney!!!
Never mind the “best musician ever” stuff; Paul was fabulous (especially a fantastic bass player) but we all know a lot of other musicians where more technically accomplished.
What McCartney IS, on the other hand (and something oh so more important then technical virtuosity), is simply the greatest pop/rock composer there ever was. Period. What melodies could (can?) this man write. For god’s sake, no one even come close
Recently, I have been re-discovering, The Beatles. It is truly amazing how their early work stands the test of time. The harmonies are simply beautiful.
Comparing the solo work, to The Beatles work, it seems to me, that within the Lennon/McCartney Partnership, Lennon gave Paul a bit of finesse, certainly in terms of lyrics, whilst Paul gave John some lightness and some accessibility.
Sometimes, people come together in a particular environment, for a space in time and the chemistry between them creates something unique, beautiful and memorable – For me, this was, The Beatles.
I disagree that Paul was the BEST guitarist in the band. He is my favorite Beatle but George is the better guitarist overall.
I love the four of them, each one had their especetial thing, Paul was always the pretty one and he obviously has a great voice, Ringo for me is the cute, is very kawaiii >u< and love how he move his head while he play the drums, about john i love his voice and how he used to make team with Paul, and George I just love his eyes and how he play the guitar, they were and are awesome. I love them as a group and I hope some day I could lisent to Ringo and Paul together in live, that´s my biggest dream ever
this band is 2nd to none and paul has written so many different types of music including classical. plus nobody said a word about how much music was written and released by the Beatles in the short time it was, and even pauls newest release is fantastic. myself I discover things about these guys everytime I listen to them
I’m on the search for a really close, accurate number amount for how many different instruments did John Lennon, and Paul McCartney learn, and use. So, if you can provide such information, I would be most appreciative. Thank you!
(Sorry for my bad english). After all these time and demonstrations, I’m still surprised Paul McCartney is still considered as the ”2nd” one. Paul is undoubtebly the best composer off all time (with Brian Wilson) and also was the pillar of The Beatles band then. Sure, John was innovator and creator, and was alongside Paul for songs and instruments, but this isn’t the political and mythical image of a revolutionary which makes the quality of a musician. The greatest musicologists (and myself LOL !) are unanimous to say Paul is by far an outstanding musician composer ”blessed of the gods” (May be tied with Brian Wilson).
I know that John played banjo, guitar, piano, organ, harmonica, and ukelele . I know that Paul plays bass, both electric and stand-up, guitar, piano, organ, trumpet, drums, and ukelele. There are probably more. Sir George Martin could probably tell you.
just came across songs Paul Mccartney played on according to wikipedia and british archives (drums)- he played on Back in the ussr- dear prudence- Martha my dear -wild honey pie – the ballad of john and yoko-. he played all instruments on McCartney & mcCartney 2 as well as Band on the run-as well as his solo album – chaos and creation in the back yard- in 69 he played on steve millers celebration song& my dark hour and according to wikipedia paul used to change the drum tracks ringo laid down on 4 occassion and thats why he quit.
McCartney , in our generation, is the best song writer , most talented, and most sucessful artist that we know. His work will be remembered long after our great grandchildren are gone. Who else in our lifetime can have that legacy in the music business. Let’s not forget he also shaped the future of music and style. I could go on and on. Yes, there are many extremely talented musicians that are technically on top of their game but which of them will be remembered 100 years from now.
McCartney for President…. ;o)
Can’t believe my dumb luck at not seeing Paul live! I’m from Canada but live in Hong Kong and because not that many big acts come to HK, my buddy and I went online and managed to land 2 tickets to Paul’s first ever show in Seoul Korea back in May this year. Bought flight tickets, booked 2 nights’ hotel plus days off work: Super excited! All systems were go. Finally…we’re gonna see McCartney! But…, just 5 days before the show, Paul fell ill and the show was cancelled. OUCH! That really hurt as we were SOOO looking forward to it! My biggest disappointment ever. (But of course we understand he needed that time and rest to recover fully to get back out there doing Rock Shows so we may continue hoping for another chance to see him live.) …Needless to say it was a gapingly Macca-less 2-night trip to Seoul! (Great Korean bbq though!)
Last year, McCartney suddenly added a show in Seattle right when I have my summer holidays. My buddy unbelievably managed to purchase 2 tickets and very kindly gave me first dibbs to go. But just one week prior I paid for flight tickets to the UK for the summer holidays with my lady. Geez! (Sorry Babe.)
Two years ago, Macca played in Vancouver (finally!) for the first and probably only time. Perfect! Just one problem: I live in HK with no holidays at that time of year! I heard (and keep hearing still) that it was a fantastic show.
In 1976 Paul played the Kingdome in Seattle. I lived just 3 hours’ drive away in Vancouver. I was 14. It was a school night. Seattle is in another country. Dad said in no uncertain words, ‘You’re not going’. (This concert is now the film Rockshow… …so I can be constantly reminded of what I missed.)
The Beatles played in my home town of Toronto in 1964 and1965. I was 2 …and 3.
I’m over the Korean cancellation now.
(Yeah right.)
Paul was the Genius of the Beatles. Of course, it was a band made up of geniuses, but still, he was The Genius among geniuses
Well that may be a rather hyperbolic statement, but I have to admit that it is kind of refreshing to see someone applying such a statement to another one of the band members rather than Lennon. (I grew tired of people talking about him that way a long time ago.)
Many of you are taking this subject too seriously. Put one of the records on. (I guess my usage of the word ‘record’ gives away my age.) . . . Just listen to the most amazing music of all time.
Paul has the gift of music and he doesn’t compromise in his writing. He takes a song where it needs to go even if he finds it vocally challenging.
His use of chords is better than is evident with most untutored musicians and he can concoct unique melodies out of simple structures, which is no easy task. He was and is entirely relaxed on bass guitar while singing – it’s generally harder to play a bass line when singing than it is to accompany oneself on rhythm guitar – and he is as much at home with rock as he is with ballads.
There are some incredible technical musicians around these days but music is a strange entity. You can be the greatest guitar player in the world and yet struggle to write a half decent song. You can also be a poor instrumentalist but possess the gift of composition.
Paul has both. His bass playing is quite superb and the whole world knows that he can write a song or two, and remember, Paul McCartney is a leftie who grew up in an era when everyone was expected to be right-handed. For sinistral musicians, musical instruments were designed for everyone – except you. I believe Gibson has stopped making left-handed guitars these days, which is a disgrace if true.
That Hofner bass that Paul plays – I believe he chose it because it’s almost symmetrical and so it doesn’t look odd when it is turned upside-down. Every guitar tutorial book assumed that each player was right-handed. Lefties quickly learn to cope with this but there are problems everywhere. Ringo, another natural leftie, had to cope with drums which are set up for right-handers.
Paul and John, individually and together, were naturally and instinctively creative. They each have different qualities but I rarely get bogged down in who was best. Having both in the same band was more than enough, and when we add in the efforts of George, how incredible it was that one band had three people who could write memorable and popular songs.
Paul was my favourite when the band first appeared on the scene and as a leftie myself, I can’t tell you how satisfying it was to see a leftie in the greatest popular music band that the world had ever seen.
Paul McCartney.
That name will resonate through the ages.
I always find it rather amusing when people compare The Beatles to the likes of Mozart and Beethoven. These are obviously comments made by people who only possess the slightest knowledge of the works of these giants. Really, these classical composers are still in a different league than John and Paul, and not because these are Established Names, but simply they were far better composers, more talented and greater craftsmen. You only make a fool of yourself when you compare The Beatles with those guys. And there is no reason to do either, because The Beatles were terrific in their own right. There’s no doubt about that John and Paul were the best songwriters in all popular music, by fat.
come on i love paul but he was not the guitarist george was or the drummer ringo was …….. some of you seem to think he could have been the beatles all on his own
Not the guitarist George was? Check your facts. George Martin said he was the best guitarist in the Beatles, and I believe that to be true. Listen to the solo on Taxman: A KILLER solo that Macca did in very few takes because George wasn’t coming up with anything… …on his own song. I love George,, but he was not the musician, writer or talent Macca is. But you’re right. Ringo is a much better drummer. Macca should leave drumming to drummers.
Listen carefully (study even) to the 3 solos on “The End.” George’s playing is on a whole different level entirely than John’s and, yes, even Paul’s playing. George’s last solo is especially beautiful.
I have a dvd here where George Martin clearly states that George was probably the best musician in the band and Paul has said himself that he and John needed a guitarist who could play solos. George played many memorable guitar solos for the Beatles, many of them on Pauls songs, and on his own solo albums. Both Paul and Johns playing improved out of sight during the Beatles and Paul is a great musician no doubt, but no one will ever convince me he was a better guitarist than George. But I am not trying to change your opinion WPL. I just enjoy George and John’s music more than Paul’s. And as I already said I love Paul’s music, as Paul said himself the Beatles were like a square if one corner is gone the whole thing falls over.
McCartney is the last laving Legend. McCartney has done so much for the Beatles fans by playing and promoting their songs in concert and continuing the tour till this day and this helps all of the Beatles and families by receiving royalties from The Beatles song sales and by keeping them in the news. He is the ultimite Beatles ambassador that keeps his cool and never speaks bad about anyone. Rock is dieing these days and Paul McCartney has done so much to keep it alive. Also, You should correct that info on Paul McCartney’s FROG Chorus which children love and was for a childrens movie, like the stupid song Give peace a chance, i dont think people have it on their play list and actually listen to it every few days because it actually sucks, but we know it was written for the peace movement and sung by protesters and is taken in that perspective.
Even see George play a piano on a song. Paul can practically play any instrument and was always the better player. he would even do the drums over on some songs. George has said he never practices and Paul McCartney wrote so many songs and started before George and has said most songs started with his Guitar. I am sure he was better and also is the best bass guitar player in the world. Just the time and practice he put into all the songs he created puts his hours of practice and playing the instrament above almost every musician till this day. He still plays today. John and George havent practiced in years.
How many instruments does Paul know how to play (besides bass, guitar, piano, and drums?)
He played over 40 on both of his solo albums.
Which ones? I saw him playing saxophone in the Coming Up video, and I want to know if he plays sax on any other songs.
Paul McCartney is the greatest songwriter EVER!!! I believed he shaped a whole generation with his music. Everything has been musically has been influenced by his song writing and interpretation.
Names such as Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Van Morrison, Pete Townshend, Ray Davies, Smokey Robinson, Leiber &Stroller, Hank Williams, George & Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Woody Guthrie and Willie Dixon are not mentioned or even considered in any of the above comments.
Why?
One reason is that most of the above commenters have barely listened to the previously mentioned composers.
Or maybe just one or two albums. Pre-rock anyone?
How can you take seriously Chamberlin’s comment above which says–“Everything has been musically has been influenced by his (McCartney) song writing and interpretation.” without listening to the spectrum of all modern contemporary music as well as pre-rock.
Give me a break.
I don’t know if it’s my browser, but at the start of the text it says “Paul McCartney WAS a singer…”
I got really scared and thought that he passed away or something, so I had to check on Google.
My heart nearly stopped when I read that part. I just want to know if it’s just a typo or something more…
Great website by the way! Love to go on here 😀
There is no doubt that Paul is a genius. He was in a band of geniuses each an absolute success in the pursuit of their solo careers. What made Paul unique was his ability to act as a cohesive force holding the other 3 geniuses together.
He’s certainly the most self obsessed, as time passes he imposes himself more and more as the Beatle who wrote John Lennon’s songs and was so sad of course at Lennon’s death. Such a friend that he resented Lennon’s death because he felt it was unfair competition, couldn’t compete with that attention. At least Lennon admitted that by the time he was ready to leave the Beatles ( and that was before McCartney pretended he accidently announced he’d left the band)he couldn’t compete with McCartney’s output at that time. All the other Beatles expressed disdain at McCartney’s self absorption for songs that did not show the Beatles as the creative band they were. Rocky Racoon for God’s sake. Martha My Dear, Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. He tried to falsely create an equivalent rasp to his voice for Oh Darling because Lennon had received,for Twist and Shout , plaudits as the greatest Rock vocal put on disc. I don’t think they were really big mates in the truest sense. Stuart Sutcliffe was Lennon’s true buddy and McCartney just out lived him, another Macca resentment. Paul was divisive not cohesive at all. The other Beatles didn’t want to be Music Hall performers ,they had an affection for that but they were supposed to be replacing the such tired and outmoded entertainment formula. Macca dragged them backwards in that respect and Lennon particularly didn’t want such soft edged guff besmirching the Beatles’ Rock Band credentials. The Stones copied much of what the Beatles were up to then but never did they look for their own Rocky Racoon et al.
Wait for it. I am anticipating a certain anti-Paul’s gleeful concurrence to the above by Mr. Howey, or yet another repetitive response that is typically pro-John and rails against the McCartney-Martin conspiracy.
Oh dear, we’re really into the caricatures now, aren’t we?
Whether John and Paul were “really big mates in the truest sense” is of course impossible to prove, as none of us were there, but how would Stuart Sutcliffe being close with John preclude Paul from being close friends with him? What is this revisionism based on?
“He tried to falsely create an equivalent rasp to his voice for Oh Darling because Lennon had received,for Twist and Shout”
Or possibly equivalent to what Paul himself had achieved on “Long Tall Sally” and “I’m Down”?
There’s no accounting for taste of course but I like “Rocky Racoon”, really really like “Martha My Dear”, and even like “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” (that one’s a bit of a guilty pleasure, perhaps). Why not? I mean sure, the Rolling Stones weren’t doing songs like that at the time but so what? The Stones were doing their own thing by then. Although anyone who thinks the Stones never dabbled in music hall should listen to “Between the Buttons” and “Satanic Majesties”. The number of music hall tunes the Beatles did can be counted on the fingers of one hand, so the Beatles were in no danger of becoming music hall performers.
if Paul McCartney has been overly concerned about proving his credentials as a songwriter of substance after all this time, to prove that he was indeed an artist and innovator, it is party in response to lazy caricatures and people who feel that they can only praise John Lennon by putting Paul down.
So what were you reading then?
My best friends since 1987 and they continue to be there for me to this very day.