You say it's your birthday...
Jun. 18th, 2011 11:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIt's someone's 69th birthday today. Since I have a soft spot for the man in question, I can't let the occasion pass unremarked.
First of all, there's the music. Just one bit of illustration of Paul McCartney's versatility. The estimable Allan Pollack, in his Notes on I'M DOWN (one of the Beatles' screamer songs they used to conclude concerts with in the 1965 tours:
As Lewisohn points out (and well he should), "I'm Down" was recorded on June 14, 1965 at the same session as "I've Just Seen A Face" and "Yesterday". Whether by coincidence or by design, it was indeed a day on which Paul's prowess in the versatility department was fated to be displayed with astonishing prowess. Given that our current subject was second in the batting order that day, maybe I'm still amazed that, with only a 90 minute break for dinner and a smoke, he was ready after all that earlier shouting to come back in to tackle Ol' "Scrambled Eggs". But that's Our Kid for you.
Well, quite. The songs in question, in the order in which Paul recorded them that day:
I've just seen a face:
I'm Down, from the Shea Stadium concert:
This performance of Yesterday was the first live performance of that song, and it hadn't been played on the radio before, either. You can tell Paul is a bit nervous; also, George's introduction is parodying the then equivalent of American Idol. Note John's joke at the end.
And that was all pre-Rubber Soul/Revolver, which was when everyone, but especially Paul and John, went to another level as composers and singers. And after that look at the early days, a look at current day Paul, decades later, as vocalist and singer, showcasing both the balladeer and the rock side.
Calico Skies, one of his songs from the 90s, sung during a concert in Madrid 2004:
And That Was Me, a song from 2007, performed in Paris a year later:
And since the above rock song had an autobiographical content, here one more look at ye olde days. The Beatles at the 1964 NME concert. Paul sings Long Tall Sally and Can't buy me love:
Now, on to the more pictorial content of this post. Reading biographies you get the impression he had/has a love/hate relationship to being called "the cute one". But, well, he is. Whether being knocked on the head by John Lennon and Linda Eastman:
Or hanging out with George Martin:
But you know, I never (well, rarely) find him more attractive than when he's with his children (or adopted sort of nephew). To give credit where do, a lot of these photos were originally posted by the greatnicole_21290, who must be the biggest McCartney photo archivist on the net:
Paul and Julian Lennon:
Paul and Linda's daughter Heather, whom he adopted; the last photo, which shows adult Heather, is a rare one from last month, because she's the shyest of the McCartney offspring and as opposed to her sisters not in the public eye:
Paul and his daughter Mary, who became a photographer like her mother:
Paul and his daughter Stella, the fashion designer:
Explanation before the next two: when Paul got inducted into the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame, Stella ware a t-shirt saying "About fucking time". Guess what her father did some years later when Stella got a fashion award?
Paul and son James, who is a musician:
and here are Paul, Linda and James with Johnny Cash, June Carter and two band members:
Paul and the youngest McCartney offspring, Beatrice:
Lastly, a group pic. It's Paul holding Beatrice and being photographed by brother Mike in 2008 at Stella's fashion show in Liverpool. Spot James, Olivia Harrison, Yoko and assorted extended Beatle family members. There's a sweet description going with this:
“Paul could be seen with Beatrice on his lap. He was very attentive to her even though she was originally several rows behind him with it looked like Mary and her kids. But during the dance crew routine, Beatrice ran to the front row to give dad a hug and kiss and then sat on his lap. You could see Paul introducing her to Yoko Ono who was next to Paul and quite chatty all afternoon with him.
She then ran back to Mary for a bit and when the balloons came down, she picked up a heart and gave it to Paul. Paul placed the balloon on his chest by his heart and then Bea grabbed one for herself and sat on dad’s lap again.”
ETA for überawesome artwork which I found here.
First of all, there's the music. Just one bit of illustration of Paul McCartney's versatility. The estimable Allan Pollack, in his Notes on I'M DOWN (one of the Beatles' screamer songs they used to conclude concerts with in the 1965 tours:
As Lewisohn points out (and well he should), "I'm Down" was recorded on June 14, 1965 at the same session as "I've Just Seen A Face" and "Yesterday". Whether by coincidence or by design, it was indeed a day on which Paul's prowess in the versatility department was fated to be displayed with astonishing prowess. Given that our current subject was second in the batting order that day, maybe I'm still amazed that, with only a 90 minute break for dinner and a smoke, he was ready after all that earlier shouting to come back in to tackle Ol' "Scrambled Eggs". But that's Our Kid for you.
Well, quite. The songs in question, in the order in which Paul recorded them that day:
I've just seen a face:
I'm Down, from the Shea Stadium concert:
This performance of Yesterday was the first live performance of that song, and it hadn't been played on the radio before, either. You can tell Paul is a bit nervous; also, George's introduction is parodying the then equivalent of American Idol. Note John's joke at the end.
And that was all pre-Rubber Soul/Revolver, which was when everyone, but especially Paul and John, went to another level as composers and singers. And after that look at the early days, a look at current day Paul, decades later, as vocalist and singer, showcasing both the balladeer and the rock side.
Calico Skies, one of his songs from the 90s, sung during a concert in Madrid 2004:
And That Was Me, a song from 2007, performed in Paris a year later:
And since the above rock song had an autobiographical content, here one more look at ye olde days. The Beatles at the 1964 NME concert. Paul sings Long Tall Sally and Can't buy me love:
Now, on to the more pictorial content of this post. Reading biographies you get the impression he had/has a love/hate relationship to being called "the cute one". But, well, he is. Whether being knocked on the head by John Lennon and Linda Eastman:
Or hanging out with George Martin:
But you know, I never (well, rarely) find him more attractive than when he's with his children (or adopted sort of nephew). To give credit where do, a lot of these photos were originally posted by the great
nicole_21290, who must be the biggest McCartney photo archivist on the net: Paul and Julian Lennon:
Paul and Linda's daughter Heather, whom he adopted; the last photo, which shows adult Heather, is a rare one from last month, because she's the shyest of the McCartney offspring and as opposed to her sisters not in the public eye:
Paul and his daughter Mary, who became a photographer like her mother:
Paul and his daughter Stella, the fashion designer:
Explanation before the next two: when Paul got inducted into the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame, Stella ware a t-shirt saying "About fucking time". Guess what her father did some years later when Stella got a fashion award?
Paul and son James, who is a musician:
and here are Paul, Linda and James with Johnny Cash, June Carter and two band members:
Paul and the youngest McCartney offspring, Beatrice:
Lastly, a group pic. It's Paul holding Beatrice and being photographed by brother Mike in 2008 at Stella's fashion show in Liverpool. Spot James, Olivia Harrison, Yoko and assorted extended Beatle family members. There's a sweet description going with this:
“Paul could be seen with Beatrice on his lap. He was very attentive to her even though she was originally several rows behind him with it looked like Mary and her kids. But during the dance crew routine, Beatrice ran to the front row to give dad a hug and kiss and then sat on his lap. You could see Paul introducing her to Yoko Ono who was next to Paul and quite chatty all afternoon with him.
She then ran back to Mary for a bit and when the balloons came down, she picked up a heart and gave it to Paul. Paul placed the balloon on his chest by his heart and then Bea grabbed one for herself and sat on dad’s lap again.”
ETA for überawesome artwork which I found here.
