It’s something he and John Lennon had discussed, but according to Paul McCartney, “I never got round to it because we were writing Sgt. Pepper or The White Album.” It’s an idea he never relinquished.
After bonding with John over 1930s pop songs, Paul said he dreamed of putting together a collection of their old favorites.
That dream is now a reality with his new album, the one he says is the album he always wanted to make with The Beatles. “Kisses On The Bottom” will be released on February 6 and features 12 covers plus two original songs.
During a press conference last Thursday, Paul talked about the album that was inspired by the soundtrack of his and John’s childhood.
“I wanted to do music like this in The Beatles, but every time I came to this album someone else would do it.” Ringo Starr did it in 1970 with his “Sentimental Journey” record. “I kept saying, ‘Well I can’t do it now, it’ll look like I’m jumping on the bandwagon.’ But then I decided I’d just do it and not worry about the market.”
According to Paul, the key to the record was “channelling Fred Astaire. We’d (Paul and producer Tommy LiPuma) pull up chords and lyrics…kick it around and record it. I think that’s why I had so much fun doing it. It was just made up on the spot. No preconceived ideas.”
Think it’s far fetched John Lennon would sign on to such a project? Consider the fact that John Lennon‘s first commercially recorded vocal with The Beatles was the song “Ain’t She Sweet,” written in 1927!
by Wallace McTavish