Tuesday 3 July 2012

Paul McCartney

This is another in a series of posts about my biggest idols and influences.

For people who don't know much about McCartney here's some xfactor stylie big facts and stats;

His song Yesterday is the most covered song in the history of recorded music.

His song Mull of Kintyre remains the biggest selling non charity song in the UK.

He has written or co written 32 Billboard Hot 100 number 1 singles.

He has sold over 100 million singles and 100 million albums.

Make of this one what you will, he is the only artist to reach the UK number one as a soloist,and as part of a duo, trio, quartet, and quintet.

So there you are, he is a successful chap. I'm well aware that for many Paul presents a certain winsome, middle of the road, even cheesy persona. Indeed John Lennon went as far a to describe one of his former partners' tunes as "granny music." I've had various (often drunken) conversations with people determined to debunk The Beatles and rebel against the received wisdom that they are the greatest band. One young man even said "people only like the Beatles because they are told too... I mean McCartney plays bass with a pick!!!" funnily enough the person saying this wasn't a bass player himself...

In a way I sometimes think that the success of artists like McCartney gets in the way of people appreciating the music. Likewise for every modern standard that frankly gets over played (Hey Jude, Yesterday, Let it Be) there are wonderful songs that get cruelly overlooked.

So the next post is to demonstrate why McCartney has been such an important influence to me as a musician, songwriter and in life generally.

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