lucyinthesky_84
Jun 07, 2002, 10:24 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/07/mroom.mccartney/index.html
McCartney not letting music be
June 7, 2002 Posted: 9:16 AM EDT (1316 GMT)
(CNN) -- For a man about to celebrate his 60th birthday, former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney shows amazing vigor and endless enthusiasm for making music.
He released a new solo album, "Driving Rain," and he's just completed a sell-out tour of North America, powering through hits from The Beatles, Wings and his solo career.
This week he headlined Queen Elizabeth's all-star Jubilee Concert at London's Buckingham Palace.
CNN recently caught up with Sir Paul to talk about his steadfast determination to stay in tune with tunes as he keeps treading that long and winding road.
CNN: Do you ever feel pressure to perform more Beatles and Wings songs than new ones?
McCartney: You know when you start an album you think, 'Wow, it would be great to just go out and do this,' but you sit down with the realities of a tour and you think, 'OK, we can make people sit through all the new material.' But the truth is, if I was going to see a show of someone I liked -- Neil Young or the Rolling Stones, say -- I want to hear some hits. If I'm going to see the Stones, I want "Satisfaction," "Honky Tonk Women," "Ruby Tuesday." I want at least a few like that.
So if I'm going to see Paul I want "Maybe I'm Amazed," "Let It Be." I'd like "Hey Jude" if he doesn't mind. Maybe throw in "Lady Madonna." And I want "Jet," "Let Me Roll It." I want some Wings things. And I want some new stuff, so we try and mix it up.
CNN: How do you feel about the way the media treats you and fame in general?
McCartney: I don't think it's too bad. It became obvious that I was going to be a celebrity because I was in the Beatles and the Beatles were massive. Greece had always been a country where we could escape to on holiday and no one there really knew us, so it was kind of cool. You had your own space.
When I heard that we had gone No. 1 in Greece, I thought, 'Wait a minute. Things are going to change.' So I had to make a decision to go with this thing or get out. Once I made that decision, I worked on being comfortable with it.
People in the street are great, and if people come up to me when I go shopping -- because I go shopping, like anyone -- and I am in the supermarket picking stuff out and someone says, "Can I have your autograph?" I say, "I'm sorry, I don't do that when I am shopping. I'll shake your hand and we'll have a little chat, you know, what are you buying, whatever." We have a moment but I say I don't like to do that because if I do that, someone else is going to ask and I'm suddenly not shopping, I'm signing.
I make myself comfortable with it and I have little rules that I explain to people, "Sorry, I'm shopping" or "I'm eating." Most people respect it. I like the fame because of what you can do for charity ... and I think if your heart is in the right place, you can do a lot of great stuff.
CNN: Do you feel obligated to use your celebrity for the causes you believe in?
McCartney: I would say I feel proud to be able to use it. I don't feel the pressure, but I think (I feel) obligated because I am in this position and I get so much from it and I get so much radiation from people. I think it is a good thing to use that and to say to people, for instance as Heather and I do at the moment, "no more land mines."
------------------
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again.
McCartney not letting music be
June 7, 2002 Posted: 9:16 AM EDT (1316 GMT)
(CNN) -- For a man about to celebrate his 60th birthday, former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney shows amazing vigor and endless enthusiasm for making music.
He released a new solo album, "Driving Rain," and he's just completed a sell-out tour of North America, powering through hits from The Beatles, Wings and his solo career.
This week he headlined Queen Elizabeth's all-star Jubilee Concert at London's Buckingham Palace.
CNN recently caught up with Sir Paul to talk about his steadfast determination to stay in tune with tunes as he keeps treading that long and winding road.
CNN: Do you ever feel pressure to perform more Beatles and Wings songs than new ones?
McCartney: You know when you start an album you think, 'Wow, it would be great to just go out and do this,' but you sit down with the realities of a tour and you think, 'OK, we can make people sit through all the new material.' But the truth is, if I was going to see a show of someone I liked -- Neil Young or the Rolling Stones, say -- I want to hear some hits. If I'm going to see the Stones, I want "Satisfaction," "Honky Tonk Women," "Ruby Tuesday." I want at least a few like that.
So if I'm going to see Paul I want "Maybe I'm Amazed," "Let It Be." I'd like "Hey Jude" if he doesn't mind. Maybe throw in "Lady Madonna." And I want "Jet," "Let Me Roll It." I want some Wings things. And I want some new stuff, so we try and mix it up.
CNN: How do you feel about the way the media treats you and fame in general?
McCartney: I don't think it's too bad. It became obvious that I was going to be a celebrity because I was in the Beatles and the Beatles were massive. Greece had always been a country where we could escape to on holiday and no one there really knew us, so it was kind of cool. You had your own space.
When I heard that we had gone No. 1 in Greece, I thought, 'Wait a minute. Things are going to change.' So I had to make a decision to go with this thing or get out. Once I made that decision, I worked on being comfortable with it.
People in the street are great, and if people come up to me when I go shopping -- because I go shopping, like anyone -- and I am in the supermarket picking stuff out and someone says, "Can I have your autograph?" I say, "I'm sorry, I don't do that when I am shopping. I'll shake your hand and we'll have a little chat, you know, what are you buying, whatever." We have a moment but I say I don't like to do that because if I do that, someone else is going to ask and I'm suddenly not shopping, I'm signing.
I make myself comfortable with it and I have little rules that I explain to people, "Sorry, I'm shopping" or "I'm eating." Most people respect it. I like the fame because of what you can do for charity ... and I think if your heart is in the right place, you can do a lot of great stuff.
CNN: Do you feel obligated to use your celebrity for the causes you believe in?
McCartney: I would say I feel proud to be able to use it. I don't feel the pressure, but I think (I feel) obligated because I am in this position and I get so much from it and I get so much radiation from people. I think it is a good thing to use that and to say to people, for instance as Heather and I do at the moment, "no more land mines."
------------------
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again.