Day 7 with Paul – Signs of Obsession Part 1

The Lovely Linda

Paul and Linda at home, London, 1969

My freshman year of high school I took Spanish I.  My spanish teacher, Señorita Miller, required us each to pick a spanish name we would be called by during her class.  I chose Karina because it was the closest Spanish name to my actual name.  My sophomore year I took Spanish II with the same teacher and she gave us the option to keep the same name we’d used the year before or to pick a new spanish name.  I quickly changed my spanish name to Linda.  In Spanish it is pronounced “Lean-da” and means “beautiful, pretty or cute”.  Perhaps my teacher thought I was overly self-confident or vain but I was secretly wishing I was Paul’s lovely Linda.

Paul and Linda, Scotland, 1971

Fan Fiction

My Beatles Fan Fiction

The term “fan fiction” is used to describe stories about characters/settings written by fans of the original work, such as television shows, movies, and books. The term has been around since the late 60s but it wasn’t until people started posting fan fiction on the world wide web that I connected that term with the writing I’d done back in high school. Computers were around back in the late 80s and I’d even used one or two at school but it would be at least another 5-10 years before PCs became a common household item. So I wrote my fan fiction by hand on notebook paper. Over the course of 4 years I wrote 34 Beatles related stories. Some were only a few pages long, an idea that fizzled out quickly, while others destroyed at least one or two trees, the longest one clocking in at 140 pages. Only 3 or 4 of the 34 stories are complete. It was always easier to come up with new ideas than it was to stick with one until the end. I still struggle with the same problem today with my writing. I haven’t written any Beatles fan fiction since high school. My senior year I began writing MacGyver fan fiction. In college I left fan fiction behind as I began to create my own stories. Although, I will admit, lately I’ve been mulling over the possibility of writing some Benedict Cumberbatch fan fiction.

Typewriter Love

When I started college in the Fall of 1991 my Dad bought me an electric typewriter.  I was so excited!  I felt like a real writer as I pounded away on those keys, typing up English, History, and Psychology papers.  I burned through quite a few typewriter ribbons and even more rolls of corrector tape, as I listened to the comforting hum of the typewriter motor.  Even with the typewriter, I continued to write new stories by hand.  I made too many typing errors and made too many changes when writing to feel productive writing them on the typewriter.  I did begin typing up copies of the stories I had already written as a way to practice my typing.  I also apparently used the typewriter to daydream about Paul.

Paul loves Kathryne loves Paul

In 1993 my Dad bought our first family computer and gradually the typewriter began to collect dust. I haven’t hand-written a story since 2000.

PS – Happy Birthday to John Lennon

Day 6 with Paul – Hope for the Future

Destiny video game

Destiny, a new video game from the makers of Halo, was released early last month. The soundtrack for this video game was also released last month, consisting mostly of instrumental pieces. The score was a collaboration between Sir Paul McCartney and three American composers known for their work in video game sound and music. Paul wrote the game’s ending song Hope for the Future. The song definitely captures the sci-fi feel intended by the imagined world of this video game. The more I listen to it the more I like it. You can listen to it here:

I love that, at age 72, Paul continues to make new music and seek out new challenges.  This is a man who has achieved phenomenal success in his career.  He could easily retire, live the easy life, sit back and still make millions off of his residuals; but, instead he continues to pursue his passion.  He has also faced LOTS of criticism for trying new things and sometimes not living up to the world’s expectation of a former Beatle.  I admire that he never lets that criticism stop him, that he appreciates the journey of his life, both the ups and downs, and continues to be positive, to love people, and to try and make the world better in some way through his charities.  He gives me encouragement and hope to continue seeking after my own passions, to always be striving to improve myself, to not give up when I fail, and to love and lift up those around me.

Update

My original idea of writing daily entries has proven to be beyond the limitations of my time. So my new plan is to still write 30 entries/30 days with Paul but they will not be consecutive days.  Lesson learned.

Day 5 with Paul – McCartney II

Paul McCartney 1980 – Photo by David Harris – Hulton Archive/Getty Images

McCartney II was released May 26, 1980, ten years after McCartney.  It was Paul’s first solo album since forming the group Wings in 1971.  Wings would eventually disband a year later in April 1981.  Once again Paul wrote all the music, played all the instruments, and sang all of the vocals.  This album was an exploration of his creativity as he experimented with synthesizers and avant-garde techniques.  The album received mixed reviews from music critics but is considered a favorite of McCartney fans.  The album reached no. 1 on the UK charts and No. 3 in the US and went on to be certified Gold.

McCartney II

McCartney II album cover and song list

Waterfalls
The most melodic song on the album, Waterfalls was released as a single July 22, 1980 and reached #9 on the UK charts but only reached #83 on the US charts.  At the time of it’s release Paul described the message of the song as “basically saying don’t go doing a load of dangerous stuff, cos I need you.  And that’s a kind of mature thought for me than I would have been able to have done 20 years ago, so I just didn’t realise that it’s not all gonna be here forever.  That’s the kind of thing you realise when you pass 30.”  In an interview for Rolling Stone Magazine in 2013, Paul was asked if there were any of his previous singles that he wished had done better and he mentioned this song.

The video for this song is another one I remember watching on VH1.  I love Paul’s dorky sweater and plaid shirt combo.

 

Temporary Secretary
This single was released on September 15, 1980 in the UK only but it failed to chart.  Even though the song never received much commercial success, it is considered a “cult favorite” of many die hard McCartney fans.  I am one of those fans as this song is my favorite of the synthesizer heavy songs that are prevalent on this album.

Fun fact:  the Mr. Marks referred to in the lyrics is a nod to the Alfred Marks Recruitment Agency, a British temp agency that started in 1919 and continues today.

There isn’t an official video for this song but a fan has put this video together with photos of Paul, a screenshot of the original single cover, and the lyrics.  Enjoy!

A third runner up for one of my favorites is Bogey Music.  What are your favorite songs  from the McCartney II album?  Please share in the comments below.

Day 4 with Paul – McCartney

Paul with his daughter Mary on their farm in Scotland in 1970.  This was the original McCartney album cover – Photo by Linda

This is one of my all-time favorite photos of Paul McCartney.  I just think it is such a sweet picture of a father with his daughter.  This photo depicts a new phase in Paul’s life as he transitioned away from the Beatles and focused on his new life as a husband and father.  Of course it was a difficult transition as he struggled with depression over the loss of the only job he’d ever known and damaged relationships with former close friends.  Through his music and the support of his wife Linda, Paul was able to overcome this low point in his career and went on to create another successful band Wings and also achieved, and continues to achieve, much success with his solo career.

McCartney

McCartney album cover and song list

McCartney, Paul’s first solo album, was released in the US on April 20, 1970. This was just 10 days after he publicly announced the end of The Beatles and just two weeks before the release of the final Beatles album Let It Be. This album was truly a solo work, as Paul wrote all of the songs and played all of the instruments. Linda McCartney provided back-up vocals on a few of the songs. The album is a mix of instrumental music, songs that had been rejected for previous Beatles’ albums, and love songs for his wife Linda. Even though the album received a mostly negative response from music critics, it reached #1 on the Billboard charts and was certified 2x platinum (2 million copies sold). None of the songs from this album were released as singles. Paul said the theme of the album was “Home Family Love” and I’ve always felt it was basically a love letter to Linda.

Maybe I’m Amazed
This is probably the most well known song on the album.  It is a beautiful love song Paul wrote for Linda.  In 1977 Paul eventually released a live version of this song as a single and it rose to #10 on the Billboard charts.  I love the vulnerability Paul expresses in the lyrics.

Baby, I’m amazed at the way you love me all the time,
And maybe I’m afraid of the way I love you.

Maybe I’m amazed at the way you pulled me out of time,
You hung me on the line.
Maybe I’m amazed at the way I really need you.

Many female Paul McCartney fans disliked Linda out of jealousy but I never felt that way about her.  Even though I was crushing hard on Paul and fantasized about being his girlfriend (obviously he was never married in my fantasies), I always admired and respected the love he and Linda shared.  When she passed away several years ago I felt heartbroken for Paul.

This is the video I remember watching dozens of times on VH1 back in the late 80s.  It is a simple video with a series of photos of Paul, Linda, and their daughters Heather and Mary on their farm in Scotland.

Teddy Boy
This is one of the more obscure songs on the album but I loved it when I first heard it.  A teddy boy is a british term for a hooligan or a punk.  Teddy boys were young men in the 1950s who listened to Rock & Roll music and dressed in the Edwardian style.  John Lennon  and Paul were considered teddy boys in their younger days.  It is somewhat similar to 1950s greasers in the US.  This song was originally considered for the Beatles Let It Be album and it can be heard/seen in the Let It Be studio recordings film footage.  The song was ultimately passed over for the album, supposedly because John Lennon disliked the song.  I like the harmonies in the chorus and I also think I liked it because, at the time I first heard it, I had a brief crush on a boy named Teddy.

There is no official video for this song but you can listen to it here and see some photos of Paul put together by a fan.

Day 3 with Paul – all the best!

In high school I attended early morning Seminary, a LDS scripture study class that met before school. In 9th grade my Seminary teacher was Sis. Holcomb and she was a Beatles fan. She had several of their albums recorded on reel to reel tapes. She soon learned about my new obsession with the Beatles (I think everyone I knew was aware of my obsession) and was kind enough to record the Beatles music on cassette tapes for me (and I still have those cassette tapes even though they have since been replaced with CDs). I soon had 5 cassettes full of Beatles music, 5 hours worth of aural delight, which only left me wanting more. Paul McCartney’s all the best! album was the first cassette of his solo work that I purchased. I didn’t eat school lunch for almost two weeks (I do not recommend this behavior but desperate times called for desperate measures) to save up the $8.88 plus tax it would cost to purchase the tape at Rose’s department store. I remember how excited I was as I left the store with my small plastic bag. I couldn’t wait to get home to my stereo and headphones and dream that Paul was singing only to me.

all the best!

all the best! album cover and song list

all the best! was released in the US in December 1987.  The title of the album came from a line that Paul often wrote when signing autographs, hence the handwritten title on the cover.  This album contains seventeen of Paul’s top ten hits from the 70s & 80s, nine of which reached #1 on the US charts.  This greatest hits album only reached #62  on the US charts but it eventually went double platinum, which means 2 million copies were sold.  Needless to say, there isn’t a bad song on the album, so picking a favorite is difficult but here goes:

Coming Up
This song was originally released on the McCartney II album (1980).  The single was released on April 14, 1980 and reached #1 on the US charts and was certified Gold (sold 1 million copies).  I mostly love this song because of the video.  In the video, Paul McCartney plays all of the instruments, as he did when it was recorded, as ten different entertaining characters.  I love that he can make fun of himself (check out his impersonation of his Beatles self).

Some interesting facts:

• the video premiered on Saturday Night Live May 17, 1980
• notice the name of the band in the video – The Plastic Macs – a nod to The Plastic Ono Band
• supposedly John Lennon liked the song

This video isn’t the best quality but it was the best one I could find that I could embed.  There is a slightly better version available on YouTube.

Silly Love Songs
This song was originally released on the Wings at the Speed of Sound album (1976).  The single was released on April 1, 1976, spent five weeks at #1 on the US charts, was certified Gold, and was the #1 song of the year on the Billboard pop charts.  I picked this song as a favorite because it is actually my Mom’s favorite Paul McCartney song.  She’s all about that bass!  Of course my Mom knew who the Beatles were, had seen them on the Ed Sullivan Show, and had heard their music on the radio long before I came along but she was already an adult when the Beatles arrived in the US and so she missed the teenage Beatlemania craze.  Even so, she became a fan after hearing me playing all of their songs in her basement all throughout high school.  I also love this video, which has a mix of Wings concert footage and behind the scenes outtakes, and shows Paul being his cute, silly self.

Some interesting facts:

• Paul wrote this song in response to his critics (John Lennon included) who said he wrote too many soppy, sentimental love songs
• In 2001, part of this song was included in The Elephant Love Medley in the musical Moulin Rouge
• In 2011, a cover of this song was performed by the acappella group The Warblers on an episode of Glee
• In 2013, according to Billboard Magazine, this song was identified as the biggest US hit of Paul’s post-Beatles career

What was the first Paul McCartney or Beatles album you ever purchased?

Day 2 with Paul – How I Met Paul

Journal entry from 03-06-1988

Sharon and I became friends in 5th grade. We bonded over a love of books, writing stories, and not quite fitting in with the other girls our age. Sharon always had some latest obsession (Star Trek, Star Wars/Han Solo, Indiana Jones, etc…) and I somehow avoided getting sucked in to any of them until 9th grade, when, during a weekend sleepover at her house, we watched A Hard Day’s Night and Help! While I enjoyed the comedic movies and the excellent music, it wasn’t until I read Sharon’s first story about the Beatles that I became truly hooked. Sharon had already picked Ringo as her favorite and decided Paul should be mine. In Sharon’s story we were Kat and Stacie Garnet, members of a rock band called Rhythm, playing keyboards and drums respectively. While on vacation our characters find the cursed ring that was left in the sand at the end of Help!, we later meet The Beatles of course, and soon enough we are all being chased down by a crazy cult. Mostly what I remember from the story is a scene where we are about to ski down the Alps and the line that made me fall in love with Paul McCartney. At some point back in high school, Sharon gave me all of her stories and of course I still have them (I may have a slight hoarding problem 🙂 )

line from Sharon’s first Beatles story

With that line, Paul McCartney stole my 14 year old heart ❤

How did you first learn about/hear the music of the Beatles and/or Paul McCartney?

Day 1 with Paul – Introduction

In 28 days I will be attending the Paul McCartney concert in Louisville, KY.  The first (and only) time I saw Paul in concert was 24 years ago in Lexington, KY when I was just 16 years old.  I wanted to do something to celebrate this momentous occasion of seeing him in concert again all these years later.  So I decided to create this blog as a way to honor the joy this man and his music has brought to my life.  I plan to share some of my favorite songs from each of his albums, both the popular and the obscure, as well as some of my own personal memories and feelings surrounding Paul McCartney and his music.  If you are a fellow Paul McCartney fan or are at least a fan of some of his songs, I hope you’ll share your stories with me as well.