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PAUL MCCARTNEY
Biography  Composition History  Listening Guide
Childhood
James Paul McCartney was born June 18, 1942 in Liverpool.
His biggest musical influences were Elvis Presley, Little
Richard and his father.
His father was a pianist, trumpet player and lead the of Jim
Mac’s Jazz Band in Liverpool.
Paul McCartney learned music by ear since he dropped his
music classes.
He lost his mother when he was 14 years old which inspired
him to write.
Beatles
On July 6, 1957,Paul
McCartney met John
Lennon at Woolton
Village Fete and form
the Beatles.
McCartney and Lennon
became the songwriters
of the group.
Google.com
The Beatles were writing
almost all their own
music.
Beatles
In 1962 they signed with EMI-Parlophone.
They became the biggest musical sensation in rock and roll
history.
McCartney became a vocalist, songwriter, composer,
multiple instruments player, poet, and painter.
McCartney contributed with songs such as “Back in the
USSR,” “Lady Madonna,” and “Helter Skelter”, “Hey Jude”
and more.
In 1966 The Beatles stop playing live concerts and in 1970
they split up.
After the Beatles
McCartney went through a phase of anger and isolation.
He wrote autobiographical songs such as "Maybe I'm
Amazed," "Dear Friend," and "Too Many People”.
Among all the Beatles, Paul McCartney has the most
successful solo career.
He recorded two solo albums, McCartney in 1970; followed
by Ram in 1971.
He created the number 1 hit "Uncle Albert/Admiral Hasley"
Wings
In 1969 McCartney
Married Linda Eastman
who was an American
musician and
photographer.
They formed the band
Wings
By the mid-'70s they were
touring and offering the
kind of brilliant rock
performances
Tvrage.com
Wings
They became the best-selling pop group of the 1970s
They had 27 U.S. Top 40 hits and five consecutive
number one albums.
Some of their famous songs are “Band on the Run” in
1973 and “Wings at the Speed of Sound” in 1976,
“Standing Stone” in 1997, “Working Classical” in
1999, and “Ecce Cor Meum” in 2006
In 1980, after a drug related issue in Japan The Wings
split up.
Solo Career
After the split McCartney created the self-recorded
piece “McCartney II” which contained the famous
singles “Coming Up”, “Standing Stone” in 1997,
“Working Classical” in 1999, and “Ecce Cor Meum” in
2006.
He also created “Run Devil Run” as a tribute to
American Rock.
He Released the “Beatles Anthology” and “Wingspan”.
Paul McCartney received an Oscar nomination for his
contribution to the song for the movie Vanilla Sky.
Career
McCartney’s
prolific career
includes 60
gold records.
Sold more than
100 million
singles.
Paul McCartney
is one of the
most
commercially
successful
composers and
performers of
our times.
Askmen.com
Paul McCartney’s Best Songs
The Long and Winding Road
Eleanor Rigby
Let it Be
I saw Her Standing There
Lovely Rita
The Fool in the Hill
Things We Say Today
Hey Jude
I’m looking Through You
Composition History
Nytimes.com
Blackbird
It is part of The White Album and was recorded on
June 11, 1968.
Accredited to Lennon/McCartney
Performed by The Beatles
It was influenced by J.S. Bach’s Bourree in E minor.
It is a lute piece.
Paul McCartney did the vocal, acoustic guitar and foot
taps.
Maybe I’m Amazed
Written in 1969, just before the Beatle’s break up.
Dedicated to his son and his wife Linda .
McCartney played all the instruments; piano, guitars
and drums.
Performed by Paul McCartney and Wigs
From the album Wings Over America.
Golden Slumber
Based on the poem written by Thomas Dekker’s called
“Cradle Song”.
The recording session was on July 1969.
Song accredited to Lennon/McCartney.
From the Abbey Road Album.
Paul McCartney on vocals and piano, George Harrison
with bass guitar and Ringo Star with drums.
Hey Jude
Created for Julian, John Lennon’s son.
Accredited to Lennon/McCartney and performed by
the Beatles.
Apple Records released it on august 1968 with the
1967/1970 album.
Considered the longest single with 7:11 minutes, in the
top of British Charts.
Eight million copies were sold.
Listening Guide
Google.com
Blackbird
Listen to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5CUHHGlQg0
0:00 Introduction: Common meter, quadruple meter/ simple division
0:03 Verse 1:
G major, Acoustic guitar strumming and foot
tapping as motif, 4 very singable lines, conjunct
melody
0:29 Verse 2:
Changes on the second line
0:47 Chorus 1:
Double vocals, melodic contour is conjunct.
0:59 Fill:
Guitar strumming solo
1:16 Chorus:
Same dynamics, tempo and text as the first one
1:46 Verse 3:
Coda is introduced in an unanticipated way
2:03 Coda:
Fourth line is repeated two more times
2:18 End
Maybe I’m Amazed
Listen to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWrGSa-Asdk
0:00 Introduction: Begins with a short piano solo, in slow
tempo. Duple meter with simple division.
0:15 Verse 1:
A laud vocal accompanied by the piano,
smooth melody.
0:43 Chorus :
More energetic beat accompanied by the
drum
1:10 Bridge:
No words but contains an instrumental lead
solo guitar
1:38 Chorus:
Same dynamics and tempo as the first one.
2:05 Verse 2:
3rd and 4th lines are different from the first one.
3:51 End
Golden Slumber
Listen to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e_j66mgTDE
0:00 Introduction: Piano solo, 8 beat introduction with a
medium tempo, 4/4 meter, quadruple
meter/ simple division and common time.
0:08 Verse 1:
Conjunct melody, small melodic intervals,
the cellos, violas and violins, along with the
piano and the voice create an homophonic
texture.
0:39 Chorus:
No fill between this chorus and the second verse
1:07 Verse:
Lauder strings , words “lullaby” fading away
1:40 End
Hey Jude
Listen to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDdI7GhZSQA
0:00 Verse 1:
The meter is 4/4, quadruple meter, simple division
0:26 Verse 2:
Conjunct melody, tambourine is introduced to the vocals and
piano’s harmony
0:50 Bridge 1: Same tempo but harmony and lyrics are different from the
verses
1:33 Verse 3:
Contrast and variety on the vocals
2:33 Verse 4: . Volume gradually raises in the word “better” that ends on a
collective scream form the band members
3:10 Coda:
No beat interval, of “na na na… Hey Jude” along with all the
instruments, repeated several times.
6:45:
Song fades away
7:02 End
Citation
Miles, B. (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company
Deacon, M. (2010, June 18). Paul McCartney Best Songs. The telegraph. Retrieved June 2, 2011,from
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/michaeldeacon/100043963.
Ndedina. (2010). Paul McCartney Website, Rhapsody music. Retrieved June 2, 2011, from
http://www.rhapsody.com/Paul-McCartney
Miles, B. (2011). Sir Paul McCartney. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved June 2, 2011, from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/353926/Sir-Paul-McCartney
Shelokhonov, S. (2011). Biography for Paul McCartney. IMDB. Retrieved June 8, 2011,from
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005200/bio