Meeting Macca

I was recently quite moved by Morgan Neville's documentary Man on the Run, about Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBcllNrY0u8

I found it to be an insightful story about an aspect of McCartney's career that is often overshadowed by his eight years as a Beatle (if you count from when Ringo joined, to their breakup in 1970). I loved the imaginative montage animations, the combos of voiceovers and archival footage, and I was impressed by Paul's candor, especially his love for Linda. It also propelled me back in time to when I very briefly met Paul and Linda, in 1985.

During production of When the Wind Blows, when I was installed in the basement cutting room, the producer John Coates appeared and very seriously announced that a special guest would visiting, and I had to be ready with the work-in-progress reel to show.

Everybody in the studio was buzzing. We had a roster of pop artists lining up to do music for the film, including Roger Waters of Pink Floyd who did the soundtrack music (I met Roger several times and he was not a happy man), David Bowie who did our title song (one evening when I was working late I answered the phone to him when he called from Zurich) and Kate Bush (spoiler: Kate did not participate).

When the limo pulled up, it was Paul and Linda. They were friends of the producer who had done the animated Yellow Submarine film 15 or 16 years earlier, and Linda was an animation fan. I admit, at the time, I was disappointed because growing up in the 1970s I had always taken The Beatles for granted, and I had been hoping for Kate Bush. But, despite their entourage and security, they were lovely people, down to earth, and kind. I asked, “So, are you going to do a song for us, Paul?” He chirpily replied, “No, just being nosey!”

In the 20 minutes they spent hanging out, watching the reel, I found them to be unpretentious, Paul was still the cheeky chappie, and Linda was shy. And I've often looked back on that brief meeting, thinking, holy mackerel, how lucky was I to meet them.

After we watched the documentary, Patti asked me, "Do you have any Paul music?" At the time, apart from a few Beatles albums, and a couple of John's solo albums, I confessed that I did not. But suddenly, hearing all the music in the documentary that Paul and Linda and their gang created, I became nostalgic. It reminded me of growing up, my folks back in England, and that time Paul and Linda ambled into my cutting room. So, I've rectified that oversight and I am now in awe, all over again, at the joy and melodies they created.

Silly Love Songs, Band on the Run, Live and Let Die, My Love, Getting Closer, What the Man Said, Mull of Kintyre, Let 'em In, With A Little Luck... –– what a gift.

Thanks, Paul.