Paul McCartney Recorded the Only Song His Father Ever Wrote

16 July 1974 Paul McCartney Recorded The Only Song His Father Wrote

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Paul McCartney Recorded the Only Song His Father Ever Wrote

Paul McCartney recorded the only song his father, Jim McCartney, ever wrote. However, McCartney Sr. had an unexpected reaction.

by HANNAH WIGANDT

CheatSheet

Published on February 26, 2023

Paul McCartney recorded the only song his father ever wrote. Jim McCartney had been in a band called Jim Mac’s Jazz Band and played tons of music for Paul and his brother Michael when they were growing up. McCartney Sr. wrote one tune during his lifetime, but he had an unexpected reaction to his son’s recording of it.

Paul McCartney’s father, Jim McCartney | Mirrorpix/Getty Images

Paul McCartney loves music because of his father

In The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul wrote that his father came from the music hall era. The family was “steeped” in it. The family often sang together around their piano, especially during parties.

Interestingly, Jim got the family’s upright piano from Harry Epstein’s North End Music Store (NEMS). Epstein’s son Brian later became The Beatles’ manager.

Paul’s Auntie Jin and Auntie Milly used to sing an old music hall song called “Bread and Butterflies.” Later, Jim worked as a limelight operator at the Royal Hippodrome, which helped more music creep into the McCartney household.

Paul’s father was the family pianist, but there was always someone around who could play the instrument. “It was a wonderful thing because it meant people broke into song a lot, like in musicals,” Paul wrote.

Paul, his father Jim and brother Mike (1974)

Despite being proficient in the instrument, Jim did not want to teach his son piano. He wanted Paul to learn from a professional. Jim didn’t consider himself one, even though he’d performed many times with his jazz band and had his own song.

Paul recorded the only song his father ever wrote

In The Lyrics, Paul said that his father only ever wrote one song, at least to his knowledge, called “Walking in the Park with Eloise.” Later, with his band Wings, Paul recorded the song so that he could play it to Jim. After recording the tune in Nashville, Paul and Wings released it as a single under the name The Country Hams. Paul even had friends like Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer play on it.

However, Jim had an unexpected reaction to his son’s recording. When Paul talked to his father about the single, he said, “Dad, you know that song you wrote?” Jim said, “I didn’t write a song, son.” Paul had to remind him of the song. However, Jim said, ‘No, I didn’t write it. I made it up.”

Jim had a ‘great effect’ on Paul’s life

In The Lyrics, Paul spoke many times about his father’s influence on him. Jim is the reason why Paul has added so many music hall references and sounds to his music. Paul’s father was there for the birth of many Beatles songs too, and provided a safe haven for his son when the pressures of fame became too much.

Paul wrote that it’s “good to know” that his father got to hear songs like The Beatles’ “Golden Slumbers.” Jim died seven years later. “He lived long enough, though, to know what a great effect he had on my life,” Paul said.

Paul didn’t even care about what Jim said about “Walking in the Park with Eloise.” The former Beatle never regretted recording his father’s only song. It was an honor.

Paul : The recording of the song happened when I was in Nashville. I mentioned it to Chet Atkins and he said, ‘We should record that for your dad!’ So, it was Chet’s idea. We got a couple of guys together and recorded it. Then I played it to dad, who was very happy to hear the tune he ‘didn't write’.

Personnel

Paul McCartney – bass, washboard

Denny Laine – acoustic guitar

Geoff Britton – drums

Chet Atkins – electric guitar

Floyd Cramer – piano

Bobby Thompson – banjo

Denis Good – trombone

Don Sheffield – trumpet

Bill Puitt – clarinet

Beatles in Germany : 100 Copies To Commemorate Sixty Anniversary

www.genesis-publications.com

Sixty Years Ago In 1966: The Beatles Return to Germany

by Genesis Publications

Sixty years ago , on 24 June 1966, the Beatles stepped onto the stage at Munich's Circus-Krone-Bau to begin the Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee – a three-day, six-concert return to the country where they had first honed their craft as a young band.

It was the Beatles' first appearance in Germany since their final engagements at Hamburg's Star-Club in December 1962. In the years between, they had transformed from an ambitious Liverpool group into the most famous band in the world.

The timing of the tour was remarkable. Only days earlier, the Beatles had completed recording their new album, Revolver. Yet as John, Paul, George and Ringo arrived in Munich, they found themselves revisiting familiar territory. Germany had played an essential role in their story, from the long nights of Hamburg's Reeperbahn to the friendships and experiences that shaped their early identity as performers.

The German concerts also marked a turning point. The Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee became the opening chapter of the Beatles' final world tour, which would take them onwards to Japan, the Philippines and, ultimately, their last live performances in the United States later that summer.

To commemorate this anniversary, Genesis Publications has assembled just 100 Anniversary Copies of BIG: Beatles in Germany.

Originally published in a limited edition of 1,750 copies, BIG: Beatles in Germany presents an extraordinary visual record of the Beatles' relationship with Germany through the lenses of photographers Günter Zint and Ulf Krüger, accompanied by a narrative by Roman Milisic and a concluding chapter by Tony Sheridan.

Each Anniversary Copy includes:

• A copy of BIG: Beatles in Germany in a newly designed slipcase

• An original Pahna heart-shaped gingerbread seal from the 1997 publication

• A facsimile concert ticket and Star-Club menu

• A facsimile promotional card signed by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in 1966

• A commemorative stamp sheet from the original publication

• An exclusive 8" × 11" darkroom print from the Genesis archive, produced from the original negatives and suitable for framing

• A publisher-signed certificate of authenticity

As we mark sixty years since the Beatles returned to Germany, these specially assembled Anniversary Copies celebrate not only a brief tour of six concerts, but also a country that played an indispensable role in the Beatles' remarkable journey.

BIG: Beatles In Germany

Tony Sheridan, Günter Zint

"I grew up in Hamburg, not Liverpool." – John Lennon

Germany was where The Beatles truly became a band.

From 1960 to 1962, the group honed their craft in Hamburg's clubs, an experience so fundamental that John Lennon later claimed he had "grown up in Hamburg, not Liverpool". It was in Germany that The Beatles made their first commercial recording, where John Lennon returned to film How I Won the War in 1966, and where the group staged their triumphant Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee during their final tour in June that same year.

First published by Genesis Publications in 1997, BIG: Beatles in Germany documents this extraordinary relationship across 138 pages, nearly 200 photographs, and words from the Beatles’ friends and German collaborators, tracing the band's story from their early nightclub residencies to their final tour.

To mark the 60th anniversary of that tour – and nearly three decades since the book's original publication – Genesis Publications has assembled just 100 Anniversary Copies. Presented in a newly designed commemorative slipcase, each set includes one original archive darkroom print selected from the Genesis archive, together with rare memorabilia and facsimiles inspired by the Beatles' German years.

These specially created sets offer a unique new presentation of one of Genesis's early Beatles publications.

THE PHOTOGRAPHY

BIG: BEATLES IN GERMANY

'A terrific pictorial document' – Beatle Brunch

BIG: Beatles in Germany is illustrated with a wealth of rare and seldom-seen photographs documenting the Beatles' extraordinary six-year relationship with Germany.

Among the photographic treasures are Peter Bruchmann's classic images of the young Beatles at Hamburg's Top Ten Club and previously unpublished photographs by Günter Zint documenting John Lennon's time in Germany during the filming of How I Won the War, and the Beatles' triumphant return for the Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee of June 1966.

Together, these photographs reveal the Beatles both on stage and behind the scenes, from their formative years in Hamburg to their return to Germany at the height of Beatlemania in 1966.

THE MANUSCRIPT

BIG: BEATLES IN GERMANY

'Was it down to fate? I couldn't say that the whole thing that happened in Hamburg at that time was intent in producing The Beatles, sending them out into the world. That might have been true, but we didn't experience it like that. To us, it was a free-for-all, a wonderful, crazy, electrifying time...' – Tony Sheridan

Introduced by guest editor Ulf Krüger, BIG: Beatles in Germany combines a richly illustrated narrative history with original recollections from many of those who witnessed the Beatles' German years first-hand.

Throughout the book, original text from Astrid Kirchherr, Peter Brüchmann, Günter Zint and archival quotations from John Lennon provide personal insights into the people, places and events that shaped the Beatles' formative relationship with Germany. Together with input from Beatles historians Uwe Blaschke and Thorsten Schmidt, their contributions bring to life one of the most significant periods in the band's development.

The book concludes with a specially written afterword by Tony Sheridan, singer on 'My Bonnie' – the Beatles' first commercial recording. Here, Sheridan reflects candidly and at length on the earliest days of the Beatles' career and his enduring friendship with the band.

For collectors and discographers, BIG: Beatles in Germany also includes a detailed seven-page German Beatles discography, complete with release dates, formats and catalogue numbers, creating an invaluable reference to the Beatles' recorded legacy in Germany.

THE ARCHIVE PRINT

BIG: BEATLES IN GERMANY

Exclusive to these Anniversary Copies is an original darkroom photographic print on fibre-based paper, measuring 8 × 11 inches and suitable for framing, created and used during the making of BIG: Beatles in Germany.

Printed directly from the original negatives and produced by Genesis during the preparation of the book, these traditional darkroom prints occasionally bear original pencil annotations on the reverse relating to image size and page placement, and have remained preserved in the Genesis archive for nearly three decades.

Featuring rare Beatles photographs by Peter Bruchmann and Günter Zint, many of these unique production prints reproduce images by photographer Günter Zint, whose signature also appears within the accompanying book. Together, they offer a fascinating insight into the making of BIG: Beatles in Germany and establish a direct physical connection with one of Genesis Publications' early Beatles editions.

No two Anniversary Copies contain the same archive print. Each of the 100 sets includes a different original production print selected from the Genesis archive, ensuring that every Anniversary Copy is individually unique.

THE ANNIVERSARY COPIES

BIG: BEATLES IN GERMANY

Created exclusively to mark the 60th anniversary of the Beatles' final tour of Germany, only 100 Anniversary Copies of BIG: Beatles in Germany have been assembled by Genesis Publications.

Each individually numbered set includes:

• Signed copy of BIG: Beatles in Germany in a commemorative slipcase

• Original mid-Sixties 'We Love The Beatles' gingerbread seal by Pahna (146 × 142 mm)

• Original 1997 Beatles stamp sheet

• Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee concert ticket (facsimile)

• Star-Club menu (facsimile)

• Beatles promotional card signed by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in 1966 (facsimile)

• Individually numbered A5-size 'We Love The Beatles' print (1997)

The centrepiece of each Anniversary Copy is an original archive Beatles print created during the making of BIG: Beatles in Germany:

• One unique darkroom photographic print, printed directly from the original negative (8 × 11 inches / 229 × 270 mm) and suitable for framing

• Publisher-signed Certificate of Authenticity identifying the individual photograph contained within the set

The accompanying book forms part of a signed limited edition of only 1,750 copies worldwide and is personally signed by guest editor Ulf Krüger, photographer Günter Zint and the late Tony Sheridan.

Master printed in Italy on Bodonia art paper, BIG: Beatles in Germany comprises 138 pages measuring 300 × 245 mm (11¾ × 9⅝ inches).

Only 100 Anniversary Copies

The Anniversary Copies

£445	Publication price: £495

1988 Rock Song, Written by Iconic Supergroup, Became a Signature Classic

parade.com

1988 Rock Song, Written by Iconic Supergroup, Became a Signature Classic

Five rock icons united to create one of the greatest supergroups of all time.

By Geca Flores

Entertainment Writer, Parade

Jul 15, 2026

The Traveling Wilburys are undoubtedly one of the bands most consistently recognized among the greatest supergroups in rock history.

Together with legendary acts like Cream, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Asia and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, these bands united an all-star lineup of celebrated musicians and solo artists whose combined talents and star power helped define what a true rock supergroup should be.

In a ranking released by BBC Music, The Traveling Wilburys, composed of George Harrison of The Beatles, renowned singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, Tom Petty of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Jeff Lynne of the Electric Light Orchestra and Roy Orbison, landed at No. 7 among the 23 bands.

George Harrison of the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, English musician, songwriter and record producer Dave Stewart, of the British pop duo Eurythmics, American singer-songwriter and musician Chrissie Hynde, of the British-American rock band The Pretenders, and American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor Tom Petty of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys in 1990.

Lester Cohen/Getty Images

Described by the publication as “the starriest supergroup of all time,” the band managed to deliver two hit albums and several notable tracks, including “Handle With Care.”

Released as the opening track on their 1988 debut album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, the song showcased an upbeat, catchy folk-rock sound with rich, contrasting vocal harmonies from its members.

The lyrics have often been interpreted as exploring vulnerability, emotional exhaustion and the search for love and tenderness in a relationship.

Some listeners have also interpreted the track as the band’s “confession” about the exhausting realities behind fame and aging in the music industry.

“Handle With Care” was initially intended to serve as the B-side for Harrison’s single “This Is Love” but was ultimately released as The Traveling Wilburys’ debut single instead.

The track peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 while the album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

Tom Petty and Bob Dylan onstage with the Traveling Wilburys, 1989 - Getty Images

Apart from their Billboard success, “Handle With Care” became one of The Traveling Wilburys’ signature songs, alongside another hit track, “End of the Line,” both of which appeared on Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1.

Unfortunately, shortly after releasing their first album and amid the supergroup’s success, Orbison passed away from a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 52.

The remaining four members continued the band with drummer Jim Keltner joining them for Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 in 1990.

“Roy was the absolute reason why they even came together in the first place,” the drummer described the late Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee during his 2018 interview with Billboard.  “They all loved George and would have certainly come together for him. But with Roy, it was a no-brainer. The first album had this magic to it, and that was all Roy.”

Moreover, Keltner praised how Orbison became the center of the group, saying he “kept them having fun and knowing they were doing something special.”