Paul about his vocal-harmonies

www.PaulMcCartney.com

APR

29

2016

You Gave Me The Answer – René in Switzerland asks…

The spring sun has started to show its face here in London (as well as the occasional snow shower, which as odd as it is we’ve taken as the weather’s tribute to Prince’s song, ’Sometimes it Snows in April’). The season – definitely a favourite here in our office – is traditionally associated with new beginnings, and this year is no different.  

As we start to put away our winter wardrobe and dust off the spring collection, we’ve begun making plans to spend as much time outside as possible and enjoy those first budding rays of the year. What a perfect time of year then for Paul to launch his brand new ‘One On One’ tour!

So far Paul’s performed concerts in Fresno, Portland, Seattle and two nights in Vancouver, and this weekend he kicks off the next dates in Little Rock, Sioux Falls and two nights in Minneapolis. After this, Paul heads down to Argentina.

And if this brand new tour wasn’t enough, we also have lots of exciting things happening for Paul’s forthcoming release Pure McCartney. While there is much, much more to come, one of our favourite things about this release is re-discovering some of Paul's ‘deep cuts’ through the new website feature ’Sticking Out Of My Back Pocket'. So far this has included the tracks ‘Bip Bop’, ‘Too Much Rain’ and the subject of this month’s question from René in Switzerland;‘Dear Boy’. Rene asks: "On ‘Dear Boy’ there is some nice counterpoint going on. When you are recording your music, do you build up the vocal-harmonies intuitively, or do you arrange and write them down first?”

Before flying off to start his tour in North America, we spoke with Paul who responded: "Thank you for your question, René. I wrote the song without counterpoint before the studio. And then in the studio, I came up with the harmony parts. So the answer is that it’s a combination of both!"

This question called to mind a songwriting Q&A we set up at the tail-end of 2014 with Lily Cole’s Impossible platform. In that Q&A Paul answered a similar question about how complete a song will be before he takes it into the studio. If you’d like to learn more about Paul’s writing process, you can read that Q&A by clicking HERE!

You can also learn more about the track 'Dear Boy' in the new website feature 'Sticking Out Of My Back Pocket’, published this week. The feature includes Paul talking about how Linda's vocals helped shape the tune. Learn more about ‘Dear Boy’ by clicking HERE!

Do you have exciting adventures planned for spring? Let us know in the comments below…

www.PaulMcCartney.com

APR

29

2016

Sticking Out Of My Back Pocket: ‘Dear Boy’

For this week’s ‘Sticking Out Of My Back Pocket’ we're heading to the RAM album for the track ‘Dear Boy’.

Now way back when, one of our favourite subjects at school was Music. Along with its history and making as much noise as possible in the practice rooms, we also got to learn about counterpoint. If you’re unfamiliar with counterpoint, it’s where you have different instruments voicing independent melodies all at the same time. Although it’s often associated with music from the Baroque period, counterpoint has been popular from Bach to Mozart, through to modern day film composers like John Williams (check out the brass in the opening bars of the ‘Star Wars’ theme for a triumphant example!). Counterpoint is also a difficult thing to pull off without the music sounding muddled, or messy.

If you’d like to hear a perfect example of counterpoint in pop music, all you need do is listen to Paul and Linda’s ‘Dear Boy’. In just over two minutes they weave together numerous tracks of vocals with a spellbinding effect.

Recorded at Sound Recorders Studio in Los Angeles for the 1971 album, ‘Dear Boy’ tips its cap to the style of music that Paul characterised as, “That sort of English, posh music hall”. In the liner notes for the album’s 2012 reissue, Paul described the song: "Originally the thought behind [it] was that Linda’s ex-husband – a very nice guy called Mel – I kinda felt like he had missed Linda – he’d not seen in her what I had seen in her – and so the song was really written to him. You know, ‘You’ll never know what you missed, dear boy’."

RAM is the only album credited to both Paul and Linda and it’s on tracks like ‘Dear Boy’ where Linda’s input really shines through. Here’s Paul talking about Linda’s vocals,

"What I liked about Linda’s singing was the tone of her voice – I’d never worked singing with a woman before, so I liked this idea of her range. I first found out she could sing and could sing well in the studio when we were finishing off my track ‘Let It Be’ with The Beatles. She and I were living near the studios and I went in one night to put some harmonies on it, and there was one high harmony I wanted to do, but it was just about out of my range. I said, 'Do you want to try it?' and I told her the line, and she tried it. It worked really well, you know. If you listen to it now – the high harmony on The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ – that’s Linda doing it. So I knew it could work.

"On something like ‘Dear Boy’, which was more complex – on ‘Let It Be’ it was basically one high note – on this there were more melodic lines so it was quite complex to do, but I could see that she could do it. So we just took the time. I put my part on, and then encouraged Linda to just take it easy, relax, put a good performance in, which she did. And years later, some of my really cool, professional friends who knew what was good and what wasn’t, would listen to those harmonies and point them out and say, ‘Those are really great harmonies’. I remember Elton John commenting on that, and I remember Michael Jackson commenting on that."

The recording of ‘Dear Boy' was also augmented by Denny Seiwell who contributed drums. Check out the full track below:

Pure McCartney will be available on 2CD, 4CD, 4LP and Digital, and is available to pre-order now from the links below:

Amazon Standard - Click HERE!
Amazon Deluxe - Click HERE!
iTunes - Click HERE!
Pure McCartney Store - Click HERE!

Check out the full details of 'Pure McCartney' by clicking HERE!

The Rockford Public Library Present Beatles Month

www.wifr.com
The Rockford Public Library Present Beatles Month
By: WIFR
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2016

Rockford, IL – Rockford Public Library is pleased to be providing a month long celebration of the Beatles.

On May 6th we start off the month by inviting you to enjoy a live program and book signing with Beatles Scholar Aaron Krerowicz. Aaron will speak about the music of the Beatles in a 60-minute multimedia presentation at 6:00 PM, in the Sullivan Theater, at the Nordlof Center.

Aaron will autograph books right after the performance in the lobby.
Following Aaron at 8:00 pm, hear a live acoustic performance by “John” and “George” of Chicagoland’s “Meet the Beetles” tribute band, the “lads not quite from Liverpool”. Meet the Beetles are some of Chicagoland’s finest musicians paying tribute to the greatest band in history. These lands have come from every point on the rock n’ roll compass to create a “Beatles Concert Experience”, complete with the look, accent, proper instruments, and onstage banter.

This is a free event, with a cash bar provided by Kryptonite.

Fab 4 Film Festival. 
On Sunday May 22nd, the Rockford Public Library presents a Beatles Fab 4 Film Festival. Starting at noon we will show back to back Beatles movies and a special 4 part viewing of Ed Sullivan Show appearances. The movies are FREE! We suggest that people get their early as only about 220 seats have a great view of the movie screen.

12:00 Noon, A Hard Day’s Night
2:00 pm, Magical Mystery Tour
4:00 pm, The Beatles In Their Own Write
6:00 pm, George Harrison Living in the Material World

Excerpts from the Ed Sullivan shows starring the Beatles will be shown between films!

All month long we will feature music CDs, books and DVDs featuring the Fab 4. Watch our website and Facebook pages for books, and more.



About Aaron Krerowicz
Despite being born 15 years after the band broke up, Aaron Krerowicz is the United States of America's only full-time professional Beatles music scholar. In November 2011, he won a research grant through the University of Hartford to study the band. The results of this on-going venture have been presented through more than 200 analytic presentations at universities, libraries, continuing education programs, and community centers throughout the United States and England.



About Meet the Beetles
John Lennon – Scott Carlson: Scott has performed in many venues with various bands and as a solo performer. This versatile musician began as a traveling vocalist. Along the way a bass found its way into his hands, and Scott played the role of Paul McCartney for three years. Then he picked up a rhythm guitar and switched to the role of John Lennon. For this role he also picked up a harmonica.



About The Movies
A Hard Day’s Night. A lively, good-natured spoof of "Beatlemania" portraying a frantic 36 hours in the lives of the rock group.

Magical Mystery Tour. The Beatles charter a special bus and embark on a magic journey through the English countryside. Features popular Beatles songs including 'The Fool on the Hill,' 'Blue Jay Way,' 'Your Mother Should Know,' 'I Am the Walrus,' and 'Magical Mystery Tour.'

The Beatles In Their Own Write. (This film investigates and discovers the story of The Beatles via their own music and in so doing reveals, in a way previously undocumented, just how this unlikely collective came to write the songs that made the whole world sing.)

Complete Ed Sullivan shows starring the Beatles. Now viewers can experience the moment music changed forever! When the Beatles stepped onto Sullivan's New York stage on Sunday, February 9, 1964 to make their American TV debut, 86 percent of all TVs on at that hour tuned in. The Beatles appeared on the Sullivan show four times!

George Harrison Living In the Material World. Using unseen photos and footage ... director Martin Scorsese traces the life of George Harrison in a personal film, weaving together performance footage, home movies, rare archival materials and interviews with his family and friends"

 







www.rockfordpubliclibrary.org
The Beatles: Band of the Sixties - A Presentation and Tribute Concert




Friday, May 6, 2016 - 6:00pm to 9:00pm
J.R. Sullivan Theater / Nordlof Center
Ages 18 & Over
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED

First, we'll hear Beatles scholar and author Aaron Krerowicz explore the music of the Beatles in a 60-minute multimedia presentation, followed by a Q&A and book signing, as well as a cash bar provided by Kryptonite. Immediately following, we'll enjoy a live acoustic performance of Beatles music by "John" and "George" of Chicagoland's "Meet the Beetles" tribute band, "lads not quite from Liverpool."

www.PaulMcCartney.com

APR

27

2016

Grand Rapids Date Added To Paul's 'One On One' Tour

PAUL McCARTNEY
ONE ON ONE

First Ever Grand Rapids Appearance
August 15 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena

He’s conquered some of the largest venues on the earth, set numerous records across the globe, cemented a singular position in music history, and now he sets his sights on Grand Rapids.

Paul McCartney is set to make his first ever Grand Rapids appearance at Van Andel Arena this summer. McCartney brings his brand new 'One On One' Tour to West Michigan on Monday, August 15, 2016 at 8:00 PM.

PRE SALE DETAILS:

Pre-sale tickets for Paul's Grand Rapids concert will be available through Ticketmaster from 8am (local / 1pm BST) on Thursday 28th April. The password for this pre-sale will be: 1ON1WITHPAUL

Monday August 15 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
(Pre-sale tickets on sale from 8am local)
GET PRE-SALE TICKETS HERE! / PASSWORD: 1ON1WITHPAUL
GET VIP TICKETS HERE! 

As with the launch of every new Paul McCartney tour, 'One On One' has unveiled a dazzling re-designed set, and dozens of classics from the most beloved catalog in popular music, spanning Paul's entire career--as a solo artist, member of Wings and of course as a Beatle—and no shortage of surprises.
 
Having opened April 13 to rave reviews, 'One On One' is the first new Paul McCartney tour since the juggernaut that was' Out There' came to its stunning conclusion on October 22, 2015 with Paul’s first ever concert in Buffalo, NY. 'Out There’s finale capped off an incredible 2015, in which the tour played 27 shows in 22 cities throughout the world, with highlights including Paul’s historic debut in South Korea—where the crowd at Seoul Olympic Stadium’s refusal to stop singing the refrain to 'Hey Jude' literally forced Paul to reprise the song in the first encore, playing that signature bassline live for the first time—three nights at the Tokyo Dome and one at Budokan, a sold out stand at Paris’ majestic Stade de France, more than a dozen packed arena shows across the U.S., UK and Europe, and triumphant headlines at festivals such as Firefly, Roskilde, and Lollapalooza in Chicago—the latter a tour de force performance for a 100,000-strong crowd featuring a guest appearance from Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard on 'Get Back.'
 
The Paul McCartney live experience is everything any music lover could ever want from a rock show—and so much more: Nearly three hours worth of the greatest moments from the last 50 years of music, dozens of songs that have formed the soundtracks of our lives. Paul and his band have played an unparalleled range of venues and locations: outside the Coliseum in Rome, Moscow's Red Square, Buckingham Palace, The White House, a free show in Mexico for over 400,000 people, the last ever show at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park where The Beatles played their final concert 1966, and even one performance broadcast live into Space! Featuring Paul's band of the last 10+ years – Paul "Wix" Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (bass/guitar), Rusty Anderson (guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums) – the show is never anything short of life-changing.
 
The 'One On One' Tour features a brand new production, as always utilizing state of the art audio and video technology to ensure an unforgettable experience from every seat in the house. Employing massive screens, lasers, fireworks and, of course, a staggering selection of the best songs ever written or performed, every Paul McCartney show promises a once in a lifetime evening that transcends and elevates the potential of live music.
 
Tickets will go on sale beginning Monday, May 2 at 10:00 AM and will be available for $29.50, $99, $168, and $253 at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place® box offices, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of six (6) tickets will apply to every order and prices are subject to change.
 
American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Thursday, April 28 at 10:00 AM EST through Sunday, May 1 at 10:00 PM. A purchase limit of four (4) tickets will apply to all presale orders.
 
Keep checking PaulMcCartney.com for further announcements.

PAUL McCARTNEY
ONE ON ONE
North American Dates 2016—New Dates in BOLD

April 30 - Little Rock, AR - Verizon Arena
May 2 - Sioux Falls, SD - Denny Sanford Premier Center
May 4 & 5 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
July 8 - Milwaukee, WI - SummerFest
July 10 - Cincinnati, OH - US Bank Arena
July 12 - Philadelphia, PA - Citizens Bank Park
July 17 – Boston, MA — Fenway Park
July 19 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium
July 21- Hamilton, ONT - FirstOntario Centre
August 7 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium
August 9 – Washington D.C. – Verizon Center
August 13 - St. Louis, MO - Busch Stadium
August 15 – Grand Rapids, MI — Van Andel Arena
August 17 & 18  – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena

The Magical History Tour fills Henry Ford exhibit

www.detroitnews.com
Beatles magic fills Henry Ford exhibit
Greg Tasker, The Detroit News
April 28, 2016


The “Double Fantasy” album John Lennon signed for Mark Chapman hours before Chapman killed him is part of the exhibit.
(Photo: Exhibits Development Group)

It’s been nearly 50 years since The Beatles disbanded, but an exhibit opening Saturday at The Henry Ford brings the magic of the Fab Four back to life with music, memorabilia and more.

“The Magical History Tour: A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition” chronicles the rise of John, Paul, George and Ringo from humble beginnings in Liverpool, England, to phenomenal success in the United States and around the globe and their subsequent solo careers.

“The Beatles and their story continue to change and inspire our world today,” says John Neilson, senior director of museum and attractions at The Henry Ford. “The Magical History Tour fosters historical, cultural, artistic and musical learning for all ages in an engaging and interactive atmosphere.”

The “Magical Mystery Tour” is the most exhaustive Beatles exhibition ever assembled, Neilson says, describing it as “an immersive and educational retrospective driven by the music and culture they produced.” The memorabilia includes concert posters, instruments, letters, clothing and rare photographs. The exhibit premiered at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, British Columbia, in August, and continues to Chicago, Davenport, Iowa, and St. Paul, Minnesota, after its Dearborn run.

The fun begins as soon as you walk through a wall-size Ringo-esque drum into the exhibit, divided into four sections.

The first, Beginnings, Influences and Life in Liverpool, explores the early years. You can see the original drum set from the Quarry Men, the band that preceded the Beatles, formed by John Lennon in 1956. You can hear excerpts of music that inspired each of them — for Paul McCartney, the selections include “Roll Over Beethoven” by Chuck Berry. There’s also a reproduction of the small stage at the Cavern Club, where The Beatles performed regularly in the early 1960s.

“My favorite part of the show is the creation of the environments of the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England, with wonderful musical instruments, where members of The Beatles first performed,” Neilson says. “From 1961 to 1963, The Beatles made nearly 300 appearances at the club, with their last occurring in the summer of 1963, just six months before the Beatles’ first trip to the U.S. They really coalesced as a group in this period, and ‘Beatlemania’ was sprouting across England. This was the end of an era for the group. The small club of their early years could no longer satisfy audience demands.”

The journey continues through three other sections: Life on the Road; Innovation in the Studio, and The Decade of the Break-up.

Life on the Road captures the frenzy that erupted when The Beatles arrived in the United States in 1964. The exhibit includes photographs taken by Curt Gunther from the tour, many of them never on public display before. They chronicle the transition from nervous excitement to panicked frenzy. “So this is America. They must be out of their minds,” Ringo Starr quipped at the time. A merry-go-round of audio equipment lets visitors hear excerpts from press interviews.

Innovation in the Studio allows visitors to listen to the music, instruments and sounds The Beatles experimented with, and play some of the instruments. The final section explores their breakup, with the original legal document dissolving The Beatles on display, as well as albums and memorabilia from each their solo careers.

That section includes Lennon’s last autograph, written on the cover of his Double Fantasy album, several hours before he was murdered. Lennon autographed the album for Mark David Chapman, who shot the singer-songwriter outside the Dakota apartment building in New York. An Associated Press bulletin announcing Lennon’s death is also on display.

“The Magical History Tour: A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition” is the latest music-focused exhibit at the Dearborn museum, following “Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion Power.” That show, which explored the role women have played in rock ‘n’ roll, was held in 2014.

“We noticed that it was definitely a cross-generational exhibit, and the best exhibit are always the ones where multiple generations can identify and leave inspired by them,” says Melissa Foster, media and film relations manager at The Henry Ford.

Greg Tasker is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.


The Magical History Tour: A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition

Saturday-Sept. 18

Exhibit admission: $5; museum entrance fee is additional

The Henry Ford

20900 Oakwood, Dearborn

(313) 982-6001

thehenryford.org



The world was waiting just for you... 





www.thehenryford.org
The Magical History Tour
A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition
If you missed it in 1964, here’s a second chance.



Exhibit
at Henry Ford Museum

April 30-September 18, 2016

$5, plus Museum admission.

Presented by: meijer

The Beatles changed pop culture and the world of music forever. Were you an original Beatlemaniac? Or are you simply inspired by their music today? Either way, you’ll have the chance to experience the creativity, love and curiosity of the Fab Four firsthand as The Magical History Tour: A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition makes its U.S. premiere at The Henry Ford. Don’t miss the most comprehensive Beatles exhibition ever assembled, featuring instruments, clothing, rare original photos and many never-before-displayed artifacts!

Follow the Beatles' iconic story from the very beginning, through the throes of Beatlemania, to the years of experimentation and dissention, and finally to their far-reaching inspiration today. This amazing story is told from the perspective of the Beatles, and visitors will experience pivotal points in their lives through this exhibition.









Your experience includes
· Instruments, equipment and other personal belongings, including the original Quarrymen drum kit.
· Letters, memos and pivotal documentation of the Beatles’ career, including the official “break-up letter” typed by John to Paul's lawyer and signed by John, George and Ringo.
· Rare photographs from the Beatles’ touring years, including many that have never before been seen.
· A vast collection of Beatles merchandise and memorabilia, including the album signed by John Lennon to his eventual killer hours before his death.
· Variety named the Beatles the Icons of the 20th Century. Experience why in this immersive, educational and fun exhibit — only at The Henry Ford.

Pricing

Admission to both Beatles Exhibition
and Henry Ford Museum
                                      Member Non­member
Senior (62+)                   $5.00                   $24.00
Adult (13-61)    $5.00                   $26.00
Youth (5-12)                   $5.00                   $20.75
Children (4 & Under) Free Free

Parking is $6 per vehicle for non-members, free for members.


The Magical History Tour: A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition is developed by Exhibits Development Group in collaboration with PMA Collective. This exhibition is not endorsed by, sponsored by, associated with or otherwise affiliated with the Beatles, Apple Corps Ltd., or any member of the Beatles or their representatives.


The famed "breakup letter" typed by #johnlennon





www.magicalhistorytourexhibition.com
THE MAGICAL HISTORY TOUR



THE EXHIBITION

        The Magical History Tour: A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition is a robust artifact and photography exhibition supported by rich environments and interactive experiences. Through an experience of the band’s perspective, the Exhibition will tell the story of the Beatles, from the beginning when the group was formed, through the end when Fab-Four separated and into their solo careers.

        The Exhibition consists of four sections: Beginnings, Influences and Life in Liverpool; Life on the Road; Innovation in the Studio; and The Decade of the Break-up.

        The world premiere of the Exhibition will open at Pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver, BC on August 22, 2015. Other hosting venues include: The Henry Ford, Dearborn, Michigan; Chicago History Museum, Chicago, IL; Putnam Museum of History & Science, Quad Cities, IA; and Minnesota History Center, St. Paul, MN.



EDUCATION

       The incredible story of The Beatles does not start and end with just their music. Yes, their iconic sound and recording innovations make them leaders in music history.. However, this exhibition also focuses on the immense impact these four lads had on popular culture.

        Through interactive displays, real documents and letters between the Beatles, photographs and key artifacts, their story from humble beginnings, to world wide fame is shown here. Visitors will learn about their importance and influence on the world, and their inspiration to millions. 



COLLABORATORS

        Exhibits Development Group (“EDG”) and PMA Collective have selected two of the strongest partners in exhibition, theater, opera and institutional design to support the development of The Magical History Tour: A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition. Together with EDG, LUCI Creative and Geoffrey M. Curley + Associates (“GMC+A) will help tell this compelling story of the Beatles and create a hands-on, theatrical and interactive experience.



DISCLAIMER

        Exhibition developed by Exhibits Development Group in collaboration with Peter Miniaci & Associates. The Magical History Tour: A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition is not endorsed by, sponsored by, associated with, or otherwise affiliated with The Beatles, Apple Corps Ltd., or any member of The Beatles or their representatives.

PHILIP NORMAN WRITES ABOUT LINDA McCARTNEY

www.dailymail.co.uk
Linda a groupie? No, but she was VERY liberated about sex, writes Philip Norman in his major new biography of Paul McCartney
By PHILIP NORMAN FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 26 April 2016

In the concluding extract from his major new biography of Paul McCartney, Philip Norman reveals how Linda’s not-so-subtle seduction techniques worked on a host of stars … and led to one of the happiest and most enduring marriages in pop. 

At the start, no one could have predicted that the relationship between Paul McCartney and the New York photographer Linda Eastman would be the spectacular success it became.
For one thing — as his fans cattily pointed out — Linda was hardly glamorous. Her long blonde hair always looked unkempt and her clothes were frankly dowdy.
For another, she’d recently divorced her first husband, by whom she had a daughter, and clearly had no immediate intention of settling down. Hence she was gaining a reputation not only for taking pictures of rock stars but also for sharing their beds.


Photographer Linda Eastman talks to Beatle Paul McCartney at the press launch of the Beatles' new album, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The couple married two years later


One of a series of pictures issued on October 19, 1998, of the late Linda McCartney, taken by her husband Paul over the last 25 years

By 1967, her detractors regarded Linda as a rarefied form of groupie. Indeed, before meeting McCartney, she’d already had brief affairs or one-night stands with several icons, including Mick Jagger, Doors’ singer Jim Morrison and the Hollywood star Warren Beatty.
At press conferences thronging with photographers, it was Linda who always managed to stand out. A female photographer called Blair Sabol described what happened when they all turned up to take photos of Beatty.

‘I remember how impressed I was with her come-on talents as she sat in front of him in a mini-skirt and her legs in full wide-angle split for at least six rolls of [film],’ she said.
‘Warren ended up ushering me out of his suite within 30 minutes — and kept Linda for two days.’


The couple with their children, Heather McCartney, Mary McCartney and Stella McCartney, in 1975


The family on their way to Jamaica in 1973

But did that make Linda a groupie? With hindsight, she seems more like a genuine free spirit, whose emancipated attitude to sex was hardly uncommon in the early years of the feminist movement.
In one respect, at least, she was ultra-conventional, remaining a scrupulous and caring mother to her young daughter, Heather.
McCartney first met Linda when she turned up to photograph The Beatles in London. As usual, she was impossible to ignore — kneeling in front of him to take pictures and looking deep into his eyes.
After seeing her again at another press conference in New York, he left a message with her answering-service, inviting her to meet him in Los Angeles.


Paul holding his daughter Mary, followed by Linda, as he arrives at London airport on March 25 1971


The family sharing a moment of delight with their beloved horses. Here, Linda is pregnant with daughter Stella

Meanwhile, not knowing whether she’d turn up or not, he allowed his luxurious poolside bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel to become a meeting place for gaggles of gorgeous women who competed nightly for his favours.
As former Beatles’ aide Tony Bramwell later recalled, the day Linda arrived she was forced to join the throng waiting for Paul.
To ensure her welcome, she’d brought along a drawstring bag full of pot. ‘She was … totally spaced out,’ said Bramwell. ‘She had a joint in her hand and a beatific smile on her face.
‘As I looked across the room, I suddenly saw something happen. Right before my eyes, Paul and Linda fell in love. It was like the thunderbolt the Sicilians speak of — that once-in-a-lifetime feeling.’
Within a few months, Linda was living with McCartney at his home in St John’s Wood in London. ‘I thought she was lovely,’ Tony Bramwell says. ‘And she tidied him up a bit … No one had been looking after him … The house had turned into a bachelor dump.
‘Martha [the sheepdog] was c****ing all over the floor and nobody bothered to clear it up.’


Linda, Paul and Denny Laine in 1977. Linda was liked from the start by Paul’s employees — unlike John Lennon’s lover, Yoko Ono

Linda’s introduction into The Beatles’ inner circle caused no shockwaves. She stayed in the background and was liked from the start by Paul’s employees — unlike John Lennon’s lover, Yoko Ono.
‘She’d never send the office-boy out to buy her Tampax, like the Japanese one,’ says Bramwell.
Later that same year, McCartney accompanied Linda to her tiny flat in New York in order to bring her six-year-old daughter, Heather, back to live with them in the UK.
They spent ten days there, sleeping on a modest fold-down bed. Afterwards, McCartney said he’d been impressed by the way ‘she seriously looked after her daughter — it all seemed very organised … in a slightly dishevelled way’.
For the first time, Paul became aware of something in Linda he could define only as ‘womanliness’ — a quality far more profound than the dolly-bird prettiness that had always attracted him before.


Paul and Linda at the launch party for Mary Hopkin's debut album which was produced by Paul and launched on the Apple label

Back home in Britain, he took his new girlfriend to his remote farm on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland, and found she was more a child of nature than she’d ever been of skyscrapers and yellow cabs.
The farm was barely habitable: it had rats, just three rooms and no hot water. Yet on that first visit, Linda said something that resolved any lingering doubts McCartney may have had about commitment and monogamy: ‘I could make a nice home here.’



They married in March 1969, with Heather as their bridesmaid.
When they returned to their home in St John’s Wood, there was a large crowd of die-hard fans outside, who greeted Linda with boos, catcalls and spittle.
Paul tried to appeal to their reason: ‘Look, girls,’ he almost pleaded, ‘I had to get married sometime.’


Paul and Linda walk to Marylebone Registry office to get married with her daughter Heather


Paul and Linda at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, in 1973

Despite McCartney’s millions in the bank, the hallmark of his life with Linda was simplicity, and their growing family became the centre of their lives at the comfortable home in Peasmarsh, Sussex, that Paul had rashly designed himself.
It was no rock-star mansion but a bog-standard four-bedroom structure in red brick with a steeply pitched roof — like an enlarged version of the Liverpool council house in which he’d grown up.
The décor was Linda’s usual style of comfortable-verging-on-shabby: soft, neutral-coloured fabrics, stained and scuffed by the children and their innumerable, seldom-house-trained pets.
Linda became a familiar figure in Peasmarsh village, where her fashion sense caused much comment. ‘All that money, yet she still goes round in gym-shoes,’ one shopper remarked. ‘And she doesn’t even bother to do up the laces.’
The children were all sent to state schools, and any luxury was reserved for the family’s horses, who had a paddock and stable-block with under-floor heating.


Paul and Linda give a news conference in New York to announce dates for a world tour on February 12 1993

Still a regular pot-smoker, Linda remained hippie-ish and laidback — unless she sensed that anyone was being cruel to animals or trying to take advantage of her husband.
There was now little trace left of the New York feminist, who’d boldly gone to bed with some of the biggest names in the world. ‘Mother and wife is it for me,’ Linda admitted.
This wasn’t entirely true: in the 1980s, she published her own vegetarian cookbook which mainly featured meatless facsimiles of the traditional dishes her husband preferred. One of her early creations, for example, had been a ‘bird’ made of pasta so that he’d still have something to carve at Christmas.


A regular pot-smoker, Linda was hippie-ish and laidback — unless she sensed that anyone was being cruel to animals or trying to take advantage of her husband

Compiling the recipes proved a laborious process because Linda was an instinctive cook who never bothered to measure things out. Nor were the dishes she made the most shining examples of healthy eating.
‘She used tons of butter and double cream, and seemed never to have heard of cholesterol,’ says Peter Cox, who collaborated with her on the book. ‘I tried to tone it down by only putting two pints of cream into a cheese omelette where she would have used three.’
Following the runaway success of the cookbook, Linda signed a deal with a frozen food company, who agreed to use her recipes for ready-to-eat meals. Linda McCartney vegetarian frozen food was launched in 1991, and was an instant hit. Within a year, it was bringing in more money than her husband’s music.



On their 25th wedding anniversary in March 1994, the McCartneys had much to celebrate. Their marriage had been an unqualified success and their four children — their last had been a boy — were a close and united clan.
Just a few months later, Linda felt unwell and consulted her local doctor. He said she had a cold and told her to come back in two weeks.
When she did so, feeling no better, he referred her to a specialist in London, who found a malignant tumour in her left breast.
The same illness had claimed Paul’s mother at the age of 47, and he was understandably devastated. Linda was immediately admitted to the Princess Grace Hospital in London for surgery to remove the tumour.


Just a few months after their 25th wedding anniversary, Linda felt unwell and consulted her local doctor. He said she had a cold and told her to come back in two weeks. When she did so, feeling no better, he referred her to a specialist in London, who found a malignant tumour in her left breast

By the time the story broke, she was recuperating at Peasmarsh. Emerging to speak to reporters, McCartney said the operation had been ‘100 per cent successful’.
In fact, the cancer had already spread to her lymph nodes.
The family spent a miserable Christmas and New Year, and then Linda began an in-patient course of chemotherapy at the London Clinic. Paul stayed with her throughout, sleeping in her room.
She was appalled to discover that many of the drugs used in her chemotherapy had been tested on animals, but he wouldn’t hear of her refusing the treatment.
It must have struck her, too, that her illness was a blow to her vegetarian crusade. The major benefit of going veggie, Linda stressed on the packaging of her frozen meals, was increased resistance to cancer.
Interestingly, Peter Cox had since become vegan, convinced that cancer could be triggered by over-consumption of dairy products. Remembering all the butter and cream he’d seen Linda load into omelettes, he couldn’t help wondering if they’d helped trigger her disease.


The family spent a miserable Christmas and New Year, and then Linda began an in-patient course of chemotherapy at the London Clinic. Paul stayed with her throughout, sleeping in her room

At the time, however, neither he nor any but Linda’s family and close friends knew what she was going through. Between treatments, she tried to live as normal a life as possible, finding happiness, as always, with her beloved horses.
‘It always struck me that there was a parallel between the way Linda dealt with her cancer and the way she dealt with the overwhelmingly hostile reaction to her marriage to Paul,’ her friend Danny Fields said later.



‘She looked very carefully at her situation, considered the indignities and possibilities, and — although there were moments when it seemed she might go under — she came out of her corner, fully expecting to win in the end.’
In other circumstances, 1997 should have been one of the couple’s best. McCartney was knighted for ‘services to music’, their daughter Stella was appointed creative director of the Parisian fashion house Chloé, and McCartney released a critically-acclaimed album, Flaming Pie, in which their son James debuted as a professional guitarist.
‘At that stage,’ a friend recalls, ‘[Paul] had the greatest confidence that [Linda] would get better.’


Christmas marked the second anniversary of Linda’s diagnosis. Along with protracted bouts of chemotherapy, she had endured a bone-marrow transplant and tried numerous homeopathic remedies and alternative therapies

Christmas marked the second anniversary of Linda’s diagnosis. Along with protracted bouts of chemotherapy, she had endured a bone-marrow transplant and tried numerous homeopathic remedies and alternative therapies.
She’d even given up pot, though it was the one thing that dulled the pain and the terror.
In March 1998, the McCartneys were in Paris to see Stella unveil her spring and summer collection for Chloé. Every journalist who asked Stella to name her greatest fashion influence got the same reply: ‘My mum.’
The McCartneys had lunch with a friend, who thought Linda seemed ‘buoyant’. It was an illusion: her latest examination showed that the cancer had become aggressive and metastasised in her liver.
Back home, Linda joined Paul in the studio to record some songs she’d written herself — including one called ‘Appaloosa’, which celebrated the breed of speckled American horse that she loved most.
Otherwise, she faced the inevitable with stoical calm. Preparing for a future she would never see, she discussed further developments for Linda McCartney Foods, chose photographs for an exhibition of her works, and even made arrangements for the first Christmas her family would have to spend without her.


At the beginning of April 1998, McCartney took her to a simple home he’d bought near Tucson, Arizona. It soon became clear she had only days to live. Pictured: Paul and Linda at High Park Farm, Scotland

At the beginning of April 1998, McCartney took her to a simple home he’d bought near Tucson, Arizona. It soon became clear she had only days to live. Clear, that is, to everyone except Linda, who continued to go out riding until April 15, when her strength finally failed.
Paul decided not to tell her she was close to the end.
‘I talked it over with her doctor and he said, “I don’t think she would want to know. She is such a strong, forward-thinking lady and such a positive girl that I don’t think it would do any good.”’
Linda died in the early hours of April 17, aged 56.
‘The kids and I were there when she crossed over,’ Paul would remember. ‘They each were able to tell her how much they loved her.


Linda died in the early hours of April 17, aged 56. ‘The kids and I were there when she crossed over,’ Paul would remember. ‘They each were able to tell her how much they loved her

‘Finally, I said to her, “You’re on your beautiful Appaloosa stallion. It’s a fine spring day and the air is a clear blue . . .” I had barely got to the end of the sentence when she closed her eyes and gently slipped away.’
Early in May, a group from the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was given permission to visit the old mill on Paul’s Sussex estate. The visit had to be cancelled because that was the day he chose to scatter Linda’s ashes over the hillside.
He still treasures a photograph, taken a few years earlier, of the two of them at that same spot. He reclines on the ground, chewing a blade of grass; she sits on her Appaloosa in a rather formal orange dress, bareback and barefoot. Never happier.

Paul McCartney: The Biography, by Philip Norman, is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson at £25.
To buy a copy for £20, visit mailbookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640. Offer until this Saturday, p&p free on orders over £12.