FEATURE:
Paul McCartney at Eighty
PHOTO CREDIT: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Thirty-Eight: How Should the World Celebrate His Milestone Birthday?
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THIS is more of a general feature…
IN THIS PHOTO: Paul McCartney in 1965/PHOTO CREDIT: Harry Goodwin
asking how, on 18th June, the world will mark the eightieth birthday of Paul McCartney. On the day itself, there will be articles and a lot of social media love. I have not heard about any documentaries planned. And that is really what is on my mind. There have been interviews and bits with Macca over the past few years. The Beatles: Get Back was a chance to see Paul McCartney’s role in the band’s later days in a new light. It would be fascinating, as the iconic and unsurpassed artist is approaching his ninth decade of life, to see something that is a combination of archive footage/interviews/performances with some newly-recorded interviews. Of course, there will be a mass of affection for McCartney next month! I don’t think there has been anything really deep about McCartney in years. A multi-part documentary where Macca discusses his work and experiences would be fascinating. From his time in The Beatles, though to his Wings days and solo material, his music alone has helped revolutionise modern culture. He is so much more than a songwriter. As a musician, innovator and pioneer, he has influenced millions. Paul McCartney is also an activist, author and human that has no equals! Macca plays his headline Glastonbury set a few days after his eightieth, so there will be a lot of people there who will show their affection for a legend. I feel it may be a year or two before a new album - but there will be a young generation discovering Paul McCartney now. As he heads towards his eightieth birthday, maybe many will not have access to the physical albums of The Beatles, Wings, and Paul McCartney. It is quite a chore sifting through the videos and songs online to really get a sense of who McCartney is.
I think the BBC might repeat their tribute to him that was shown last year. I have not seen too many announcements regarding celebrations, but it would be touching if, on 18th June, BBC radio stations spent a day marking McCartney. Clearing their schedules for his music alone, maybe they could blend that with songs from artists influenced by him. I have sort of covered this before, but Paul McCartney’s eightieth is monumental. I wanted to build on a previous feature speculating what the world will do when McCartney turns eighty. No doubt there will be books about him. I feel the most powerful projects are going to be more audible. Radio stations could dedicate a day to him, and it will be humbling seeing the outpouring of love for the man on 18th June. I also feel artists will put Macca covers online. I have been thinking about a covers or tribute album to him. This has sort of been done before, but a new and expansive album where artists tackle a McCartney song – whether one he wrote in Wings and The Beatles or a solo effort -, would be amazing. Also, although many of his albums are available on vinyl, maybe box-sets of his solo studio albums would prove popular. I have heard nothing about any Beatles albums being remastered and reissued this year. Let It Be has already been remastered, so Giles Martin (son of Beatles producer George Martin) might have to go back to the start with 1963’s Please Please Me – not that much spare material is available! -, or come to an album like Rubber Soul (1965).
Many might say that it is overkill to do so much for a musician turning eighty. There was a lot of focus on Dylan when he turned eighty last year. Books were written, and there was a tonne of new words written about him. I did feel something was lacking in terms of anything televisual or any new podcasts etc. For me, McCartney is even more important and influential than Bob Dylan. Will there be podcasts about Paul McCartney? A biopic that concentrates on his time with The Beatles or his life with Linda McCartney would be intriguing. There are so many possibilities and avenues that could be explored. It is the least the world can do for a man who has helped transform the lives of millions through the past sixty years or so. He will, let’s hope, continue to record brilliant music and leave his legacy. 18th June will be a historic day. I am not sure just how wide and impassioned the dedications, tributes and features will be, but we are about to celebrate the eightieth birthdays of the most musical person who has ever lived. There is doubtless going to be a tsunami of new creativity from artists; a wave of projects planned to properly celebrate Paul McCartney and what he means to me and so many people. There are no finer and more important artists in the world…
THAN the incredible Macca.