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On the occasion of the Wingspan box set, Paul McCartney reminisces about life after the Beatles, a certain "grassy" incident in Japan, and the fun of being onstage with his old lady.
by Steffie Nelson
interview by Rebecca Rankin
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 t's hard to believe that Paul McCartney was only 29 when the Beatles broke up; at an age when many of us are just figuring out our lives he was leaving behind the most successful rock band in history and starting anew. Few thought it was possible to follow up the Beatles, and many were reluctant to give McCartney the credit he deserved, but it's hard to deny that the sunny songs that were Wings' signature helped define what we now consider the "sound of the '70s." The surrealist suites "Band on the Run" and "Jet" showed that catchy hooks were even more effective when linked together with a wink and a nudge. "My Love" reiterated Paul's deeply romantic nature; "Silly Love Songs" was unabashed in its support of its subject matters, innocently asking, "What's wrong with that?" With nine No. 1 hit singles and seven No. 1 albums to the band's credit, this "second act" has a track record many rock stars would kill for.
Realistically, when McCartney decided to form a new band he could have chosen his associates from any number of living legends. But the ex-Beatle wasn't interested in going the supergroup route. Claiming to be "totally mad," he decided to go back to square one: forming a band and hitting the road. Not only that, he chose his wife, Linda, as the keyboard player, despite his acknowledgement that she "couldn't really play" at first. Technical shortcomings or not, Linda was an integral part of Wings. Her high harmonies added to the sweetness of breezy tunes like "Listen to What the Man Said" and her stage presence was sure and warm. And to those who insisted on criticizing her keyboard abilities after she'd been at it for years, Paul now notes that she held her own just fine on "Live and Let Die." "Anyone who thinks that she couldn't play, you try that [tune] sometime. That's not easy."
Here's Paul talking about breaking the status quo by having his "old lady" in the band, and railing against the rock star who slagged him off for it.
On their now-legendary University Tour, Paul, the band, the kids, and the dogs climbed into a van and knocked on British university doors, offering to play a surprise gig; they weren't often refused. The only problem was, the band's 11-song set was only 33 minutes long, and they were booked for an hour. McCartney recalled playing covers of Little Richard's "Lucille" at the beginning and the end of the set, because the fledgling Wings had just one rule at their earliest gigs: no Beatles songs. McCartney talks about the media's initial need to play the Beatles card, and how he squashed those reunion rumors.
McCartney's 1969 marriage to Linda Eastman had everything to do with the course his life took - i.e., the breakup of the Beatles. Although Yoko Ono, with her steady studio presence, is often blamed for putting a rift between the bandmates, Paul was already moving toward family life and fatherhood. He speaks affectionately about the "funky period" in which he and Linda did their own shopping and lived like "ordinary" folk. For Paul, it was a welcome change "after all the limousines and big hotels and stuff." With its nods to domesticity and love songs for his wife, the 1970 home-recorded solo debut McCartney reflected this new attitude. Released just weeks before the final Beatles album, Let It Be, the collection featured the classic "Maybe I'm Amazed."
Here's Paul talking about why "Maybe I'm Amazed" resonates with people. He also shares an important songwriting tip.
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