Sir Paul McCartney pays tribute to MJ

Sorry if this is already up, I couldn't see it.

Michael Jackson is dead: Sir Paul McCartney pays tribute

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/m...s-tribute.html

Sir Paul McCartney has paid tribute to Michael Jackson, following his death at the age of 50, calling him a "massively talented boy man with a gentle soul".

Speaking about his occasional musical partner, Sir Paul spoke warmly of Jackson's talent and "gentle soul".

The pair collaborated on tracks in the 1980s though the relationship was strained later by Jackson's ownership of much of the Beatles catalogue.
He said: "It's so sad and shocking. I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones.

"I send my deepest sympathy to his mother and the whole family and to his countless fans all around the world."

Sir Paul featured on Jackson's record-selling Thriller album, collaborating with the King of Pop on "The Girl is Mine".

Their relationship was affected in 1985 when Jackson beat a joint bid by Sir Paul and John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono to buy the rights to more than 200 Beatles songs.

Jackson sold half of the song catalogue to Sony in 1995, but is thought to have still earned £40 million a year from the remaining share.

It was reported earlier this year that Jackson planned to leave the rights to Sir Paul in his will.

Sir Paul and Jackson initially teamed up to record the songs Say Say Say - later a single - and The Man, which were to be included on the former Beatle's Pipes Of Peace solo album. Jackson stayed with the McCartney family during the recordings.

Say Say Say, which they recorded at Abbey Road studios, was a US number one but stalled at number two in the UK.

The pair teamed up again later for the track The Girl Is Mine on the US star's Thriller release.

Released prior to the earlier songs, it is widely seen as the weakest on the album, and features the pair ribbing each other over their rivalry for the affections of "the girl". Jackson notably tells his collaborator: "Paul, I think I told you, I'm a lover not a fighter."

It was during their recordings that Sir Paul is said to have pointed out to Jackson how lucrative his back catalogue had been. And it was Jackson's purchase of that Northern Songs catalogue for 47 million dollars (£28.5 million) - outbidding Sir Paul - in the mid-1980s which was to cause friction between them.

Despite Jackson's money problems over the past few years, his interest in the catalogue - and other publishing rights - has remained his biggest financial asset.

In the 1990s, Jackson merged his company with that of his label Sony's publishing wing and he has continued to hold a 50% stake in the Sony/ATV music catalogue. Jackson's interest is estimated to be worth in the region of £300 million.

There has been speculation that Jackson planned to eventually leave the rights to his one-time ally, but Sir Paul has claimed that some of the rights would revert to him in due course anyway.

In an interview in 2005, he said: "There are years approaching, there are dates approaching, that we never thought would approach, where things revert to me. So really, it's a waiting game rather than a big proactive buying game."

It's nice for Paul to pay tribute to MJ. I wonder if they ever reconciled after MJ bought the Beatle's songs.

A "massively talented boy man."

Is it just me, or is that a really awkward way of phrasing it? A boy man? I wonder if that was a mistake, or if Paul really intended to emphasize MJ's "childlike" personality. I know that was a big thing with Jackson ("Neverland Ranch," hello!) but it's still weird to hear a 50-year-old being described as a "boy man." And considering the allegations against Jackson through the years, it's kind of creepy as well.

Or, if Paul meant to say he was massively talented both as a boy (w/Jackson 5) and later as a man, there are much better ways of phrasing it!

Aside from that, it is a very nice and respectful tribute by Paul. I'm also curious about whether Jackson's death will have any impact on the publishing rights to the Beatles songs. I guess we'll find out eventually.

Good on Paul. What he did was gracious and speaks very well of him and also speaks to a very good character.

And yeah, many people, including the newscasters in California and my local news pundits refer to Michael Jackson as a "man-boy." A relative said last night when the subject of Michael Jackson came up, "He was not an adult and he never had a chance to be a boy." I fully concur with that finding. Still, I think Paul's tribute was a good one that reflects very well on him.

Kind words.

Yeah I agree that they are kind words. But like EB said, this boy man thing is a strange choice! I guess he knew Michael better though so I guess he thought that that was a fitting thing to say. Since I have been watching so much on MJ these last few days, there plenty of footage of him saying himself how he was young at heart and all that....so who knows, perhaps he would be thrilled with that tribute!

I've been kind of crazy over the weekend, but just had a chance to see what Paul said about MJ on his website. It seems very genuine and obviously sweet things that Paul said.

There is an additional comment now from Paul

Memories of Michael

I first heard from Michael when he phoned me over the Christmas holiday season in 1980 and my initial reaction was “who is this and how did he get my private telephone number?”. Michael laughed and explained who it was and, as we talked and I asked him why he was ringing, he said “Do you wanna make some hits?” and that was the start of our adventure together.

He came over to England with his close friend and minder, Billy and they visited our house in the country many times as Michael and I put together the ideas for our songs together. First of all, we came up with and finished an idea for a song I had started which became 'Say Say Say.' We recorded in Air Studios, London with George Martin producing and eventually went to California to make the video for the song. Funnily enough, I was staying at the ranch that Michael later bought and made into Neverland.

My memories are of his great sense of humour and we seemed to spend most of the time playing around and having a laugh. He became very friendly with my family and we had lots of great times together. Although we drifted apart in later years I will always remember fondly the fun we had working and playing together. My family and I send our deepest condolences to his family and, like them, we know that his great talent will never be forgotten.

http://www.examiner.com/x-2082-Beatl...ichael-Jackson

Aw!

Trust Paul to relate the positive. That speaks very highly of him.

Originally Posted by FPSHOT

I first heard from Michael when he phoned me over the Christmas holiday season in 1980 and my initial reaction was “who is this and how did he get my private telephone number?”. Michael laughed and explained who it was and, as we talked and I asked him why he was ringing, he said “Do you wanna make some hits?” and that was the start of our adventure together.

Um, didn't Paul try to give him the song "Girlfriend" two years before this?

Originally Posted by ringo_rama

Um, didn't Paul try to give him the song "Girlfriend" two years before this?

That is what I read as well. Also what the memory starts with makes it like it was first ever contact, but this is what I saw pass by

Girlfriend" is a song written by Paul McCartney. McCartney thought of the song as one that Michael Jackson might like to record, and mentioned this to Jackson at a party in Hollywood. However, McCartney ended up recording it himself with his band Wings, and it was issued in 1978 on the album London Town. Subsequently, it was suggested by Quincy Jones as a possible track for Jackson to record for his 1979 album Off the Wall. Jones was unaware that the song had been written for Jackson in the first place. Jackson's recording omitted the middle eight heard in McCartney's version. It was issued as a single in 1980, in the UK only, as the fifth and final single from the Off the Wall album. It performed rather poorly, just managing to enter the top 50 at #41 and falling out of the top 100 completely after five weeks.

McCartney and Jackson subsequently worked together on "The Girl Is Mine" from Thriller and two tracks from McCartney's Pipes of Peace album, "Say Say Say" and "The Man". The musical partnership would end in the 1980s after Jackson purchased the ATV Music catalog, which held the rights to numerous Beatles tracks, which McCartney contested.

Memories never was the best quality within any of the Beatles

I think the only story Paul remembers is how he wrote "Yesterday." And considering he's told it approximately 14,000 times in the last forty years I don't know if it's a fair example.

BTW--a combined 17 minutes to find all the smilies in this post

I love that Paul is able to be positive about his memories of working with Michael, it is nice that he has such good memories of their times together.

Originally Posted by EasternBird

A "massively talented boy man."

Is it just me, or is that a really awkward way of phrasing it? A boy man? I wonder if that was a mistake, or if Paul really intended to emphasize MJ's "childlike" personality. I know that was a big thing with Jackson ("Neverland Ranch," hello!) but it's still weird to hear a 50-year-old being described as a "boy man."

But keep in mind that Paul's memories of Michael are mostly from when Michael was in his early to mid twenties. Especially now that Paul is older he remembers him as "the kid".

I agree it's awkward phrasing though.

Originally Posted by ringo_rama

I think the only story Paul remembers is how he wrote "Yesterday." And considering he's told it approximately 14,000 times in the last forty years I don't know if it's a fair example.

Yeah, how did that happen again..? It came to him in the...shower? On a trip? I always forget. Tell us again, Paul!

I'm impressed with Paul's statements

but not so impressed with his memory

Aw, that was nice of Paul to say that

Originally Posted by ringo_rama

I think the only story Paul remembers is how he wrote "Yesterday." And considering he's told it approximately 14,000 times in the last forty years I don't know if it's a fair example.

I can't wait for the next time I am again enlightened with that story.

I think the "boy man" phrase is reasonable considering everything we know about Michael Jackson. He's just saying that Jackson was never really an "adult" like most people. He lived in a world of suspended adolescence. He was still "childlike" even at age 50.

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I actually quite like a lot of Michael Jackson's music. But... his cover of "Come Together" was pretty terrible.