W♥M055: Paul McCartney Interview by Colin Richardson

W♥M055 [download (27 min, 25mb)]

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Please enjoy this special episode of We Heart Music Radio as Sally & I figure out the best way to handle our ever-busy schedule.

This week, we were sent a 20-minute recording of Sir Paul McCartney as he talked about his post-Wings album, McCartney II (originally called On His Own). Special thanks to Colin Richardson and HOBO - Coventry Music Magazine for putting this together.

Richardson writes:

In May 1980, towards the end of my "journalist" days, I got an invite to the EMI press reception for Paul McCartney's solo album, "On his own", at Abbey Road studios. I was one of about 100 scribes from all parts of the globe and the set up was very efficient...15 or so oblong tables, each with 8 chairs and the plan was that Paul would move from table to table, spending exactly 20 minutes at each. I managed to get one of the end chairs, thus ensuring that I would be facing the star when he sat down...yes, I was that pushy! When our turn came, I opened the session with what I hoped was some humorous banter, thus getting Paul's attention for when the real questions started. It seems to have worked, since I managed to ask the majority of them....hey, all's fair in love, war and journalism! Well, take a listen...and please don't judge too harshly! I was just 'doing my job!'

From the interview, it was quite interesting to hear about McCartney's Japan problem, first with his midly-offensive title, "Frozen Jap" song, and then his apology for the whole country when their tour got canceled (due to his arrest for marijuana in Tokyo circa January 1980).

It was revealed later through a BBC article, in McCartney's own words:

I was out in New York and I had all this really good grass. We were about to fly to Japan and I knew I wouldn't be able to get anything to smoke over there. This stuff was too good to flush down the toilet, so I thought I'd take it with me.

McCartney spent ten days in jail, then deported from the country. Of course, these kind of stories doesn't surprise me. I mean, just look at some of the Beatles songs, like "Day Tripper", "Strawberry Fields Forever", and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".

Still, despite the Japanese problems, McCartney II, went straight to #1 in the UK and #3 in the US charts.

10/18/2009 20:18:14♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com