Beatle Photo Blog

My mate Bob has compiled this ten year time line for Paul, i haven’t posted the full text of Bob’s mail but the main jist was to remind us fans just ‘what’ Paul has given us and that the last ten years may well be the most active and artistically successful ten year period of his career, hard to argue that point point when in an eighteen month period you get Chaos and creation and Memory almost full PLUS tour where he performed ‘Too many people’ when you look at the list Paul really has been a busy boy, even in his ‘off’ years.

1997 Flaming Pie- coming off the Beatle’s Anthology project, Paul delights his fan by a return of a very Beatle sounding album.

1997 Standing Stone- a classical work to show his more serious side

1998 The Fireman-Rushes…..a creative trip into ambient dance music (NB from Greg .. possibley one of Paul’s best albums ever)

1998 Web cast where Paul performs ambiant music live, one of the first cyber concerts.

1999 A Concert for Linda-Paul and star studded cast pay tribute to the ex-beatles late wife and delivers a sullen yet soulful performance

1999 Working Classical-some favorites with a classical twist

1999 Paul is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and despite still mourning his late wife, gets up during the rock roll jam and delivers a powerful performance

1999 Garland for Linda- classical ode to his late wife

1999 Run Devil Run- the perfect album to come off Linda’s passing. A return to songs from a happier childhood days. Paul & Band sounds like they’re having fun with a sprinkling of 3 new songs and a new
energy.

1999-Paul has a gallery showing in Seigen, Germany displaying his collection of paintings which is accompanied with a book

2000 Liverpool Sound Collage-Paul back to doing some sonic experimentation with those Super Furry Animals

2001-Blackbird Singing-Paul publishes his book of poetry and lyrics. Performs some of these on the Charlie Rose show

2001 Wingspan- a retrospective two disc look at the days of “Wings” as well as a DVD and a tv special

2001 Concert for New York-Paul gathers the biggest acts in the world to benefit the victims of 9-11-01. It is an emotional and healing event. I don’t think i’ve ever been at a concert packed with as much raw emotion and urgency. Despite critics, Paul does play new songs during his set.

2001 Driving Rain-first work with producer David Kahn and first set of original material since Linda’s death and start of relationship with Heather Mills. A very different McCartney album with darker lyrics and a very unfinished sound lacking the familiar harmonies.

2002-Back in the US & World- live sets to the world tour

2003- Touring the world

2004-Music & Animation Collection with Paul’s children animations…Rupert the Bear & Tropic Island Hum showing Paul’s love of cartoons and animation

2005 Twin Freaks-some experimental dance re mixes

2005 Chaos and Creation in the Backyard-Paul and producer (Nigel Godrich) combine on an ultra creative album with Paul playing all of the instruments. Result….a dark, moody, and sonically challenging album that fans learn to embrace

2005 Tour of America

2006-Ecce Cor Meum- Paul with yet another classical treat as he again shows a more serious side to his musical creativity

2007-Memory Almost Full- Paul returns with David Kahn for mirror side of Chaos. The songs and lyrics are light and fun and a return of the lush harmonies and fantastic instrumentation . Paul delivers again with a solid effort

2007 Multiple ‘small venue’ concert dates, fan friendly and free or low cost tickets, first in best dressed.

Here’s to another ten years of Macca music and fun.

Back in November of 1975 when Wings toured Australia they held a press confrence in Perth, at the time ‘Norman Gunston’ was huge in Australia with his own comedy show, Norman got into Pauls press confrence and totally took over, asking all manner of inappropriate questions which had Paul and Linda in stitches, this is an absolute classic Paul interview and i’ve never seen anything like it since, all Pauls other comedy appearences have been embarrasingly rehearsed like Saturday night live. If you’re wondering about the last photo where Linda is pulling her eyes, this was after Norman looked up at her and said ‘It’s funny you know, you dont look Japanese’

Just found this mega rare concert ticket from the Phillipines on ebay, me thinks this will go for a bomb.

This Threetles pic is from before they photoshopped all the wrinkles out for the publicity blitz of 1995.

I still get a flutter when i see Paul’s hair do the ‘whooshy thing’.

These are the last for now of my screen captures of John in 1980, i’m glad we’ve had the chance to see this footage .. especially in the Imagine 1988 movie that is now cleaned up on dvd, but it’s equally frustrating because i know there are hours and hours more of this footage laying in storage somewhere that we’ll never get the chance to see.

Jeff Fosket is Brian Wilson’s right hand man in the Brian Wilson band, a few years ago when some friends and i were hanging around listening to a soundcheck of one of Brian’s SMiLE concerts, Jeff spotted us straining to listen in from outside so he left the stage and came over to us and let us come inside so we could really listen in, he even took one of my mates up on stage and let him film the band rehearsing!, later he came and got us from outside and walked us backstage .. right into Brian Wilsons dressing room to meet the great man!!, Jeff totally understands what it’s like to be a fan and he really does go out of his way for Brian fans.

Never did John look cooler or more contemporary than in 1980, if John could walk in the room right now he would not look out of place, he looked cool and funky and timeless all through the last six months of 1980, this is one of my favorite photo’s from that time.

By all accounts Paul’s friendship with Nancy Shevell is getting a little serious, good on him .. whatever it takes for him to be happy.

George and Olivia in Queensland 1982.

Here is a nice photo taken in the last few weeks of Paul, James, Mary and Twiggy with Linda’s sister leaning over to Paul, i’m not sure which of Linda’s sisers this is Laura or Louise, but it’s obvious they are still close to Paul.

Oh to have been front row ..

I think this photo was taken during the recording of ‘She’s a woman’ photo’s from this day have always triggered a nice memory for me, i remember one of the first Beatle albums i had was the ‘Greatest hits’ and on the back were photo’s taken during this session, that was back in the days when my photo collecting consisted of tearing pics of the Beatles out of magazines while i was in the Dr’s waiting room and sticking them in scrap books.

I dont know a Beatle fan around who does not cry at the mere thought that this clip of the Fabs performing Paperback writer and Rain on Top of the pops was thrown out never to been seen again, i suppose we’re lucky that we at least have stills, and these are some of my favorite Beatle photo’s ever, they just look so cool, and on the cusp of huge changes.

Bring it on!.

Just found this recent photo of Paul in his Mill studio working on his guitar concerto, what i really loved was seeing Linda’s ‘Suzy and the red stripes’ drum head stuck up on the wall behind him, this and the still taken from the McCartney years EPK with a VERY prominant ‘LILY’ displayed behind him makes me think Paul is trying to tell us something.

There is a lot i could say, there is a lot i wont say.

Oh wow look, over on the right hand side of the page is my Amazon wish list .. gee, i wonder if they work? dare i be so brazen?

Some time in about 1966 Paul brought this vintage car, i know some reader of this blog will know all about it and i hope they’ll pass on the information to me, i’ve googled it but turned up nothing, all i know is that it looks pretty cool and has shown up over and over during the years at events Paul attends, a fan even manage to film it recently sitting in Pauls driveway at Peasmarsh. UPDATE .. Just as i suspected my Fab Macca pal in the states Sue has come up with the good’s on Paul’s jalopy, i hope you dont mind Sue, i’m reproducing the portion of the email you sent me in regards to Pauls car .. ‘You mean the big old 1920s cruiser he drove at Mary’s wedding? He’s had that car since the ’60s. It’s a 1928 Hispano Suiza limo (mistakenly labelled a Rolls Royce in the picture captions at Mary’s wedding). I think he called it “Rainbow” because of the multi-colored upholstery he had put in it during the 60s. He still drives it occasionally. Five years ago there was a story on a Rolls Royce collector’s forum about a car show in England where Paul rolled up to display his car and chat with the other car buffs. Just like a regular guy.
BTW, I see that Paul’s legendary green Aston Martin DB6 of his swingin’ 60s bachelor days has been purchased by Aston Martin for their collection and has been restored to like new condition. Even the in-dash record player works again. Must bring a tear to Paul’s eye…’ Thanks heaps for the info Sue.