Sir James Paul McCartney CH MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, s… Read Full Bio ↴Sir James Paul McCartney CH MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and record and film producer who gained worldwide fame as co-lead vocalist and bassist for the Beatles. His songwriting partnership with John Lennon remains the most successful in history. After the group disbanded in 1970, he pursued a solo career and formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda, and Denny Laine.
A self-taught musician, McCartney is proficient on bass, guitar, keyboards, and drums. He is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing (mainly playing with a plectrum), his versatile and wide tenor vocal range (spanning over four octaves), and his eclecticism (exploring styles ranging from pre-rock and roll pop to classical and electronica). McCartney began his career as a member of the Quarrymen in 1957, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Starting with the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, he gradually became the Beatles' de facto leader, providing the creative impetus for most of their music and film projects. His Beatles songs "And I Love Her" (1964), "Yesterday" (1965), "Eleanor Rigby" (1966) and "Blackbird" (1968) rank among the most covered songs in history.
In 1970, McCartney debuted as a solo artist with the album McCartney. Throughout the 1970s, he led Wings, one of the most successful bands of the decade, with more than a dozen international top 10 singles and albums. McCartney resumed his solo career in 1980. Since 1989, he has toured consistently as a solo artist. In 1993, he formed the music duo the Fireman with Youth of Killing Joke. Beyond music, he has taken part in projects to promote international charities related to such subjects as animal rights, seal hunting, land mines, vegetarianism, poverty, and music education.
McCartney is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time. He has written or co-written 32 songs that have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and as of 2009, had sales of 25.5 million RIAA-certified units in the United States. His honours include two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1999), 18 Grammy Awards, an appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965, and a knighthood in 1997 for services to music. As of 2020, he is also one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with an estimated fortune of £800 million.
Best known for primarily using a plectrum or pick, McCartney occasionally plays fingerstyle. He was strongly influenced by Motown artists, in particular James Jamerson, whom McCartney called a hero for his melodic style. He was also influenced by Brian Wilson, as he commented: "because he went to very unusual places". Another favourite bassist of his is Stanley Clarke. McCartney's skill as a bass player has been acknowledged by bassists including Sting, Dr. Dre bassist Mike Elizondo, and Colin Moulding of XTC.
During McCartney's early years with the Beatles, he primarily used a Höfner 500/1 bass, although from 1965, he favoured his Rickenbacker 4001S for recording. While typically using Vox amplifiers, by 1967, he had also begun using a Fender Bassman for amplification. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he used a Wal 5-String, which he said made him play more thick-sounding basslines, in contrast to the much lighter Höfner, which inspired him to play more sensitively, something he considers fundamental to his playing style. He changed back to the Höfner around 1990 for that reason. He uses Mesa Boogie bass amplifiers while performing live.
McCartney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as a member of the Beatles and again as a solo artist in 1999. In 1979, the Guinness Book of World Records recognised McCartney as the "most honored composer and performer in music", with 60 gold discs (43 with the Beatles, 17 with Wings) and, as a member of the Beatles, sales of over 100 million singles and 100 million albums, and as the "most successful song writer", he wrote jointly or solo 43 songs which sold one million or more records between 1962 and 1978. In 2009, Guinness World Records again recognised McCartney as the "most successful songwriter" having written or co-written 188 charted records in the United Kingdom, of which 91 reached the top 10 and 33 made it to number one.
McCartney has written, or co-written, 32 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: twenty with the Beatles; seven solo or with Wings; one as a co-writer of "A World Without Love", a number-one single for Peter and Gordon; one as a co-writer on Elton John's cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"; one as a co-writer on Stars on 45's "Medley"; one as a co-writer with Michael Jackson on "Say Say Say"; and one as writer on "Ebony and Ivory" performed with Stevie Wonder. As of 2009, he has 15.5 million RIAA certified units in the United States as a solo artist plus another 10 million with Wings.
Credited with more number ones in the UK than any other artist, McCartney has participated in twenty-four chart topping singles: seventeen with the Beatles, one solo, and one each with Wings, Stevie Wonder, Ferry Aid, Band Aid, Band Aid 20 and "The Christians et al." He is the only artist to reach the UK number one as a soloist ("Pipes of Peace"), duo ("Ebony and Ivory" with Wonder), trio ("Mull of Kintyre", Wings), quartet ("She Loves You", the Beatles), quintet ("Get Back", the Beatles with Billy Preston) and as part of a musical ensemble for charity (Ferry Aid).
"Yesterday" is one of the most covered songs in history with more than 2,200 recorded versions, and according to the BBC, "the track is the only one by a UK writer to have been aired more than seven million times on American TV and radio and is third in the all-time list ... [and] is the most played song by a British writer [last] century in the US". His 1968 Beatles composition "Hey Jude" achieved the highest sales in the UK that year and topped the US charts for nine weeks, which is longer than any other Beatles single. It was also the longest single released by the band and, at seven minutes eleven seconds, was at that time the longest number one. "Hey Jude" is the best-selling Beatles single, achieving sales of over five million copies soon after its release.
In July 2005, McCartney's performance of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with U2 at Live 8 became the fastest-released single in history. Available within forty-five minutes of its recording, hours later it had achieved number one on the UK Official Download Chart.
In December 2020, the release of his album McCartney III and its subsequent charting at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 earned McCartney the feat of being the first artist to have a new album in the top two chart positions in each of the last six decades.
A self-taught musician, McCartney is proficient on bass, guitar, keyboards, and drums. He is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing (mainly playing with a plectrum), his versatile and wide tenor vocal range (spanning over four octaves), and his eclecticism (exploring styles ranging from pre-rock and roll pop to classical and electronica). McCartney began his career as a member of the Quarrymen in 1957, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Starting with the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, he gradually became the Beatles' de facto leader, providing the creative impetus for most of their music and film projects. His Beatles songs "And I Love Her" (1964), "Yesterday" (1965), "Eleanor Rigby" (1966) and "Blackbird" (1968) rank among the most covered songs in history.
In 1970, McCartney debuted as a solo artist with the album McCartney. Throughout the 1970s, he led Wings, one of the most successful bands of the decade, with more than a dozen international top 10 singles and albums. McCartney resumed his solo career in 1980. Since 1989, he has toured consistently as a solo artist. In 1993, he formed the music duo the Fireman with Youth of Killing Joke. Beyond music, he has taken part in projects to promote international charities related to such subjects as animal rights, seal hunting, land mines, vegetarianism, poverty, and music education.
McCartney is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time. He has written or co-written 32 songs that have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and as of 2009, had sales of 25.5 million RIAA-certified units in the United States. His honours include two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1999), 18 Grammy Awards, an appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965, and a knighthood in 1997 for services to music. As of 2020, he is also one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with an estimated fortune of £800 million.
Best known for primarily using a plectrum or pick, McCartney occasionally plays fingerstyle. He was strongly influenced by Motown artists, in particular James Jamerson, whom McCartney called a hero for his melodic style. He was also influenced by Brian Wilson, as he commented: "because he went to very unusual places". Another favourite bassist of his is Stanley Clarke. McCartney's skill as a bass player has been acknowledged by bassists including Sting, Dr. Dre bassist Mike Elizondo, and Colin Moulding of XTC.
During McCartney's early years with the Beatles, he primarily used a Höfner 500/1 bass, although from 1965, he favoured his Rickenbacker 4001S for recording. While typically using Vox amplifiers, by 1967, he had also begun using a Fender Bassman for amplification. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he used a Wal 5-String, which he said made him play more thick-sounding basslines, in contrast to the much lighter Höfner, which inspired him to play more sensitively, something he considers fundamental to his playing style. He changed back to the Höfner around 1990 for that reason. He uses Mesa Boogie bass amplifiers while performing live.
McCartney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as a member of the Beatles and again as a solo artist in 1999. In 1979, the Guinness Book of World Records recognised McCartney as the "most honored composer and performer in music", with 60 gold discs (43 with the Beatles, 17 with Wings) and, as a member of the Beatles, sales of over 100 million singles and 100 million albums, and as the "most successful song writer", he wrote jointly or solo 43 songs which sold one million or more records between 1962 and 1978. In 2009, Guinness World Records again recognised McCartney as the "most successful songwriter" having written or co-written 188 charted records in the United Kingdom, of which 91 reached the top 10 and 33 made it to number one.
McCartney has written, or co-written, 32 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: twenty with the Beatles; seven solo or with Wings; one as a co-writer of "A World Without Love", a number-one single for Peter and Gordon; one as a co-writer on Elton John's cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"; one as a co-writer on Stars on 45's "Medley"; one as a co-writer with Michael Jackson on "Say Say Say"; and one as writer on "Ebony and Ivory" performed with Stevie Wonder. As of 2009, he has 15.5 million RIAA certified units in the United States as a solo artist plus another 10 million with Wings.
Credited with more number ones in the UK than any other artist, McCartney has participated in twenty-four chart topping singles: seventeen with the Beatles, one solo, and one each with Wings, Stevie Wonder, Ferry Aid, Band Aid, Band Aid 20 and "The Christians et al." He is the only artist to reach the UK number one as a soloist ("Pipes of Peace"), duo ("Ebony and Ivory" with Wonder), trio ("Mull of Kintyre", Wings), quartet ("She Loves You", the Beatles), quintet ("Get Back", the Beatles with Billy Preston) and as part of a musical ensemble for charity (Ferry Aid).
"Yesterday" is one of the most covered songs in history with more than 2,200 recorded versions, and according to the BBC, "the track is the only one by a UK writer to have been aired more than seven million times on American TV and radio and is third in the all-time list ... [and] is the most played song by a British writer [last] century in the US". His 1968 Beatles composition "Hey Jude" achieved the highest sales in the UK that year and topped the US charts for nine weeks, which is longer than any other Beatles single. It was also the longest single released by the band and, at seven minutes eleven seconds, was at that time the longest number one. "Hey Jude" is the best-selling Beatles single, achieving sales of over five million copies soon after its release.
In July 2005, McCartney's performance of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with U2 at Live 8 became the fastest-released single in history. Available within forty-five minutes of its recording, hours later it had achieved number one on the UK Official Download Chart.
In December 2020, the release of his album McCartney III and its subsequent charting at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 earned McCartney the feat of being the first artist to have a new album in the top two chart positions in each of the last six decades.
10 Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Late at night when the wind is still
I'll come flying through your door,
And you'll know what love is for.
L'm a bluebird, i'm a bluebird
I'm a bluebird, l'm a bluebird
Yeah ,yeah ,yeah.
I'm a bluebird, i'm a bluebird,
I'm a bluebird
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Touch your lips with a magic kiss
And you'll be a bluebird too,
And you'll know what love can do.
L'm a bluebird, i'm a bluebird
L'm a bluebird, l'm a bluebird
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
L'm a bluebird, i'm a bluebird,
L'm a bluebird,
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird.
Fly away through the midnight air
As we head across the sea,
And at last we will be free.
You're a bluebird, you're a bluebird,
You're a bluebird, you're a bluebird
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You're a bluebird, you're a bluebird
You're a bluebird
Yeah, yeah ,yeah.
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird.
All alone on a desert island
We're living in the trees,
And we're flying in the breeze.
We're the bluebirds, we're the bluebirds
We're the bluebirds, we're the bluebirds
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We're the bluebirds, we're the bluebirds
We're the bluebirds
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird.
I'll come flying through your door,
And you'll know what love is for.
L'm a bluebird, i'm a bluebird
I'm a bluebird, l'm a bluebird
Yeah ,yeah ,yeah.
I'm a bluebird, i'm a bluebird,
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Touch your lips with a magic kiss
And you'll be a bluebird too,
And you'll know what love can do.
L'm a bluebird, i'm a bluebird
L'm a bluebird, l'm a bluebird
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
L'm a bluebird, i'm a bluebird,
L'm a bluebird,
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird.
Fly away through the midnight air
As we head across the sea,
And at last we will be free.
You're a bluebird, you're a bluebird,
You're a bluebird, you're a bluebird
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You're a bluebird, you're a bluebird
You're a bluebird
Yeah, yeah ,yeah.
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird.
All alone on a desert island
We're living in the trees,
And we're flying in the breeze.
We're the bluebirds, we're the bluebirds
We're the bluebirds, we're the bluebirds
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We're the bluebirds, we're the bluebirds
We're the bluebirds
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird
Ah ha,
Bluebird.
The lyrics of Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder's "Ebony and Ivory" follow the adventures of two bluebirds in love, who explore the world and spread the power of love to everyone they meet. The bluebird seems to symbolize love or the spirit of love, as they come flying through the door and touch lips with a magic kiss which, in turn, turns the lover into a bluebird too. The bluebirds fly across the sea and eventually find themselves living in trees on a desert island, where they continue to fly freely in the breeze and spread their love.
The song is an upbeat, cheerful ode to love and the beauty of the natural world. The lyrics are playful and whimsical, encouraging listeners to imagine themselves as bluebirds, flying high and free. While the lyrics are simple and repetitive, they create a sense of joy and exuberance that perfectly captures the feeling of falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Late at night when the wind is still
I will come see you when the world is quiet and calm
I'll come flying through your door,
I will come to you with swift movement and urgency
And you'll know what love is for.
You will feel the full depth and meaning of love in our relationship
I'm a bluebird, i'm a bluebird
I am a symbol of love and freedom
Touch your lips with a magic kiss
My kiss will make you feel special and transformed
And you'll be a bluebird too,
You will join me in this feeling of love and freedom
And you'll know what love can do.
You will understand the transformative power of love in our lives
Fly away through the midnight air
We will journey together through the darkness of life
As we head across the sea,
We will travel across unknown waters, towards new experiences
And at last we will be free.
We will find freedom and happiness in our love
We're living in the trees,
We are living in an idyllic and natural paradise
And we're flying in the breeze.
We are free and full of joy, soaring in the wind
We're the bluebirds, we're the bluebirds
We are the embodiment of love and freedom
Bluebird
A repeated expression of the sentiment and feeling of the song
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Michael Noland: The Bottom Line
You sure did, and I can’t tell what an uplifting of a thing to see when I first sat down to answer the comment stormcop!
Thank you so much!
By the way I pinned your donation to the top of the comments!
My wife’s jaw literally dropped when I showed her!
But I always appreciate you comments as you well know!
Look for a future video shout out!❤❤❤
gretschviking
I love seeing these lists. It's fascinating to see what other fans think!
My list is as follows (no live album):
1. London Town (I love everything about this album)
2. Back To The Egg (Ditto)
3. Venus And Mars (Ditto and i LOVE the over compressed production as it reminds me so much of 1975.
4. Red Rose Speedway (Except for "Loup", I LOVE this album all the way through!)
5. Band On The Run (Overrated album. Why? Because the first three songs on side two drag it down. Capitol was smart to add "Helen Wheels". "1985" is a tour de force!)
6. Wild Life (Good little chunky album!)
7. Wings At The Speed Of Sound (To understand why this is last, just listen to your own commentary on it. You nailed it!)
I have to mention that i love everything about "Girls School" but, along with it's phenomenal "A" side, "Mull Of Kintyre", it WAS released in the USA. Problem is, the silly disco / KISS / punk obsessed American listeners of 1977 had no clue (nor cared) what a "mull" nor a "kintyre" was, plus, the song is a waltz which prompted them all to say "Duuuuuuuh.......what's dat?!". US radio stations decided to flip the single and plug "Girls School" and it reached #33. It's my all time favorite McCartney single and most certainly deserved a much better fate. Also, the video for "Mull Of Kintyre" is my all time favorite of any promotional film, ever.
And......."Sally G" has NOTHING to do with "London Town"!
I'm loving your videos! Keep 'em coming!
Willswalkingwest
What a fun video. It's very cool hearing from an actual McCartney fan with a different take on the albums. I've tried to rank the Wings stuff. In fact, when I saw the title of your video I tried to do an impromptu ranking to see how close it came to yours. LOL. It didn't.
I'm glad SOMEONE has the balls to call out the medley on Red Rose Speedway. Some of my favorite tracks are on that album but it just fizzles out.
And funnily, I listened to Speed of Sound just two days ago at the gym. I loved it when it came out back in 76. But the other day I actually did say to myself how much better it would have been without the others all getting their chance at the lead microphone.
Regarding the Wings Over America. Before the album came out, in Daytona Beach where I lived, a local radio station simulcast his concert at the Forum in Los Angeles.
I recorded it on my Radio Shack stereo 8-track... Honestly, I thought it was crap. I'm sure it had a lot to do with the way it was being broadcast. The singing was so out of tune and the hooting and hollering between songs just went on and on and on.
I was/AM a HUGE Wings fan, in all of the incarnations so when I heard the concert I was terribly disillusioned.
The tape survived for decades, it's long lost now and I really regret not taking care of it.
ANYWAY, my girlfriend bought me the live album and when I played it I couldn't believe how good it was. I knew nothing about production, post production or any of that. I wore out my first vinyl copy of that album.
Of course, many decades later I learned that Paul actually did more than just a little post production, even some of the vocal tracks were redone in studio to make up for the bad vocals that were live.
It's STILL a great album.
One last point, THANK YOU for putting Venus and Mars up at number 2. It's a highly underrated disc, even by McCartney fans. It's my default favorite. Band On The Run is a masterpiece, of course but I default to Venus And Mars when I want a good listen.
Great job as always!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matthew Shelbourne
Great video, I thought I would share how I would rank Wings albums. Unlike you I am not going to include the compilation albums or the live album, but I am going to rank 9 albums:
9, Holly Days (basically a Paul McCartney/Wings album/project credited to the albums lead singer Denny Laine)
8, Wild Life
7, Wings At The Speed Of Sound
6, Red Rose Speedway
5, London Town
4, McGear- Mike "McGear" McCartney (backed by Paul, Linda, Denny L and Jimmy on every track, Denny S. on one track. Paul produced and co- wrote most of the songs on the album)
3, Venus And Mars
2, Back To The Egg (like McCartney and Ram, an album that was canned by the critics when released, but receives lots of love from the modern day critics)
1, Band On The Run
Michael Noland: The Bottom Line
Hey Sue!
Did you notice the donation at the top of the comments?
See what you started?
Again your donation really sent a message, and I just wanted to say thank you again!❤❤❤
California is beautiful! My new intro was filmed at Santa Cruz, where The Lost Boys was filmed!
I just love hanging out there!❤❤❤
stormcop55
Thanks!
Michael Noland: The Bottom Line
Wow stormcop! Thanx so much for supporting the channel! ❤❤❤
I so appreciate it it, and I want you to know all donations go to updating the studio, and helps to improve the quality of my videos!
You just set the record for a donation to the channel!🏆🏆🏆
Sue Peacock
Coolness!
Sue Peacock
I'll see when I can outdo the donation!
stormcop55
@Sue Peacock LOL we are all just trying to support Michael and our Tribe!! :)
David Law
I recently revisited Back To The Egg and I agree it has aged much better than some of his more lauded albums. It has a couple of real bangers on it . Under appreciated album for sure .
Michael Noland: The Bottom Line
Wow David so many comments backing Back to the Egg!
Color me impressed brother!❤❤❤
Son of The Rabbit People
I loved Egg then and I still do. I agree it has aged well. Spin It On has an almost punk rock feel to it, and Old Siam Sir is rock and roll greatness.
Roger Cleven
Back to the Egg is my favorite Wings album! Definitely underrated.
Michael Noland: The Bottom Line
And guess what Roger? A whole lot of people are agreeing with you and I in the comments!
Awesome!❤❤❤