Home » Jazz Musicians » Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

Original member of the Fab Four, The Beatles. Composed many songs for the Lad's before departing to a solo career. Began a new group, Wings which was very successful. Continued to make the Playboy's Best Bass Player of the year.

McCartney composed title tracks for several Motion Pictures, including HELP!, A Hard Days Night, James Bond and Vanilla Sky, which the later two were nominated for an Academy Award. He received an Oscar in 1970 for Best Music, Original Song Score, Let It Be. He has toured around the world several times, drawing a large audience, performed with many artists over the years, and been covered by just everybody. Paul has received numerous Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.

Musicianship

Putting aside his voluminous songwriting artistry, his skills arranging and producing, McCartney's musicianship is what sets him apart. Accomplished on many instruments, weather on a Martin acoustical guitar or at the key board of a baby grand, his craftsmanship excels. His vocal range and styling move a ballad with feeling and the blues with grit. His bass line played almost as the lead was a driving foundation, the glue that held together the Beatles sound.

During the early years of the Beatles' recording career, he developed rapidly as a musician, singer and songwriter. McCartney also became arguably the most creative and influential rock bassist of his time, elevating the electric bass from back-row obscurity to starring prominence. Paul still owns and uses the original Hofner bass that he purchased in Hamburg in the early Sixties and which features on all their early recordings.

By 1965 McCartney was pressuring the engineers at EMI to get a better bass sound on The Beatles' recordings, frustrated by the relatively weak sound on their earlier records and keen to emulate the powerful, booming bass sounds that he was hearing on recent Motown and Atlantic soul recordings from America. Another step forward was his purchase of a radical new American-made solid body bass, the Rickenbacker 4001, buying the very first model 4001 bass ever imported into England.

Several other important technical advances aided him in his development as a recording artist. He began to regularly use a new technique known as direct injection or "DI", which allowed him to plug his bass straight into the recording console, resulting in vastly improved presence and fidelity. He also took a keen interest in the engineering, mixing and mastering of the Beatles' records, ensuring that his bass tracks were not subjected to the heavy audio limitation and compression that was commonly applied in those days.

Rolling Stones: Hackney Diamonds (2CD)

Read "Hackney Diamonds (2CD)" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
March 2, 2024

The Rolling Stones have taken some risks of greater and lesser proportion over the course of their sixty-plus- year career, but perhaps no gamble is so great as the decision by the surviving members of the band to continue on after the passing of drummer Charlie Watts. With the blessing of their co-founder in place for the presence of musician/producer Steve Jordan at the kit, the self-appointed 'greatest rock and roll band in the world' carried on with ...

Extended Analysis

Revolver Super Deluxe Edition (5CD)

by Doug Collette
October 30, 2022

The five CDs in The Beatles' Revolver Super Deluxe Edition reaffirm a fundamental verity regarding the group's work. The Liverpudlian quartet was never more unified in its creativity than in writing, recording and producing the sixteen tracks that comprise the box in collaboration with producer George Martin, engineer Geoff Emerick and the additional musicians and technicians who participated. The curators of this set in turn have channeled the remarkably pragmatic and disciplined approach of the Beatles and company. ...

Extended Analysis

Let It Be - Super Deluxe Special Edition

by Doug Collette
October 24, 2021

It's perfectly reasonable to state that the Beatles' Let It Be Super Deluxe Special Edition is the iconic group's third attempt to release music from their (three weeks of) January 1969 recordings. Originally set to be released as an album titled Get Back Don't Let Me Down and 12 Other Songs (as emblazoned on a contemporary cover photo replicating that shot on their very first long-player from 1963), that collection morphed into Let It Be (Apple, 1970), the initial foray ...

Extended Analysis

Paul McCartney: New

by Mike Perciaccante
October 26, 2013

Welcome back Paul McCartney. For lack of a better phrase, he's back to where he once belonged. He's released a collection of songs that is all at once lyrically pleasing, Beatlesque, forward-thinking, modern, vintage and above all else rocking. On New, Sir Paul sounds re-energized. Gone are the introspective, reflective and somewhat somber lyrics and music that plagued Memory Almost Full (Hear Music, 2007), his last collection of original offerings (2012's Hear Music release Kisses On The Bottom was a ...

Music Industry

A Tsunami Is About The Hit The Music Business And Paul McCartney Is Riding The Wave

Source: HypeBot
March 23, 2016

News that Paul McCartney was taking advantage of a US Copyright Act provision that allows songwriters to reclaim their catalog after 56 years has sent shock waves through the music industry. Imagine the impact on the bottom lines over the next decade as UMG, WMG and Sony lose revenue from hit song after hit song as songwriters exercise their rights. Paul McCartney, one of the 10 richest musicians in the world, has launched a bid to reclaim the publishing rights of ...
read more

Obituary

Paul McCartney, Lucian Grainge Pay Tribute To George Martin

Source: HypeBot
March 11, 2016

Often described as the 5th Beatle, record producer and executive George Martin left an indelible mark on modern music. Among the many tributes paid to Martin, who passed away at earlier this week, were statements from Paul McCartney and UMG CEO Lucian Grainge. Sir Paul McCartney I’m so sad to hear the news of the passing of dear George Martin. I have so many wonderful memories of this great man that will be with me forever. He was a true gentleman ...
read more

Recording

Will Paul McCartney's Low-Priced Album Apps Add to Digital Music's Downward Pricing Pressure?

Source: HypeBot
July 19, 2014

To some degree album apps are being treated as novelty items with marketing appeal even when there's a lot of new art involved from remastered music to photos and video. That means pricing is treated differently than it would for a new album in an established format. With Paul McCartney's release of back catalog album apps for the iPad at $7.99 with remastered tracks and lots of extra content, I'm wondering if we're getting close to the point where an ...
read more

Music Industry

McCartney Tribute: Tony Bennett, Foo, Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Source: JamBase
February 3, 2012

STAR-STUDDED TRIBUTE TO MUSICARES PERSON OF THE YEAR PAUL MCCARTNEY An impressive star-studded cast will come together to honor 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year honoree Paul McCartney during a sold-out gala on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles, two days prior to the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. Hosted by actor/comedian Eddie Izzard, artists set to perform are current GRAMMY nominees Tony Bennett, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Neil Young & Crazy Horse (in their first live performance since 2004), Norah Jones, James ...
read more

Recording

Paul McCartney Confirms New Album Title and Tracklist

Source: JamBase
January 10, 2012

KISSES ON THE BOTTOM OUT FEBRUARY 7 On December 19 2011 Paul McCartney announced that February 2012 would see the release of his brand new studio album. Scores of fans then streamed the new original track 'My Valentine,' many assuming it would be the new record's title track. While a few Twitter hints have been dropped and rumors have run rampant, Paul puts an end to speculation today, confirming that the album will indeed be titled Kisses On The Bottom. ...
read more

Recording

Paul McCartney - The Love We Make (2011)

Source: Something Else!
December 7, 2011

Paul McCartney, sitting in a plane waiting to return to his native England, saw the smoke rising from the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001. The son of a volunteer firefighter during the German Blitz of World War II, McCartney was moved to assemble an all-star concert in honor of New York City's surviving first responders and the families of those who perished at the World Trade Center. The forthcoming behind-the-scenes DVD The Love We Make, set for release today ...
read more

141

Recording

One Track Mind: Paul McCartney and Wings, "Live and Let Die" (1973)

Source: Something Else!
July 30, 2011

By Tom Johnson Let's look beyond the goofy flutes and whatnot—and the oddly aggressive nature of the song, because it's just so out of character for the nice man. Paul McCartney screwed up “Live And Let Die" in a huge way in my book because of a horrible grammar mistake. It's no wonder the song's so angry, he's mad he wrote such a half-baked line. You know the line, I know you do: “But in this ever-changing world in which ...
read more

162

Recording

Paul McCartney and Wings:band on the Run Reissue 11/02

Source: JamBase
September 17, 2010

FEATURING REMASTERED RARE BONUS AUDIO & VIDEO CONTENT WITH SPECIAL PACKAGING MPL and the Concord Music Group are pleased to announce the re-release of Paul McCartney & Wings' iconic Band on the Run on November 2, 2010. Heralded as one of the greatest albums of all time, the GRAMMY winning, smash # 1 album—originally released December of 1973—yielded the immortal title track and world-wide hit “Jet," becoming Wings' most successful and celebrated album ever. Band on the Run will be ...
read more

240

Interview

Paul McCartney: From Wings to the West Wing

Source: Something Else!
July 29, 2010

Tonight's “Paul McCartney: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in Performance at the White House"--premiering at 8 p.m., and then repeating all week on PBS stations--had us digging through the stacks, looking for favorites from throughout his career. (Click through the titles for complete reviews.)GOOD EVENING NEW YORK CITY (2009): There are plenty of live favorites here, but McCartney mines deeper into a catalog stuffed with great music, too--underscoring his easy command of the substantial ...
read more

Music Industry

It's All Tutu Much: McCartney Writing Ballet Music

Source: Michael Ricci
June 17, 2010

Sorry, Sting, but it sounds like Paul McCartney has just lapped you in the race to be the pop musician with the most classical bona fides.

Mr. McCartney, the former Beatle and Wings man whose orchestral works include “Standing Stone" and “Ecce Cor Meum," told BBC News that he has agreed to write the music for a ballet and has already started work on the project.

“I'm interested in doing things I haven't done before," Mr. McCartney said to the ...
read more

"Paul was one of the most innovative bass players ever. And half the stuff that is going on now is directly ripped off from his Beatles period."
(John Lennon, Playboy Inteview with David Scheff, September, 1980, courtesy of Dennis Alstrand)

"Because the Hofner's so light you play it a bit like a guitar - all that sort of high trilling stuff I used to do, I think, was because of the Hofner. When I play a heavier bass like a Fender, it sits me down a bit and I play just bass."
(Paul McCartney interview from Bass PLayer Magazine, July/August 1985, courtesy of Dennis Alstrand)