Random New Things About Paul McCartney, Beatles, And Wings From His 2018 Interviews (16 items)

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  (#6) The Beatles Would Coordinate Releases With The Rolling Stones

  McCartney told Maron about how during the early days of the Beatles and The Rolling Stones, there wasn't a rivalry as many people believed at the time. In fact, the bands were friends and would often arrange their release schedules around each other.

  "When you were all in London together, there was a lot of open communication between the Beatles and the Stones in terms of who's going to drop what [and] when," Maron said.

  In response, McCartney elaborated: 

  Exactly. The legend grew that there was rivalry, but it was about the opposite. If we had a record coming out on August [28], we'd ring them and say, "Have you got anything coming out?" 

  And they'd say, "Yeah, we've got something coming out August [17]."

  So we'd put ours back a bit. It was a really very friendly scene.
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  (#13) Ringo Delivered A Letter To McCartney Telling Him Not To Release His Solo Album

  In his Stern interview, McCartney confirmed Ringo hand-delivered a letter forbidding him from releasing his solo album at the same time as a planned Beatles release.

  "It was bad enough that we were splitting up, and it was bad enough that all that money we'd earned was going down the pan," McCartney explained. "There was this guy that was going to take it all. It was that close. I was having to fight."

  McCartney said he had a confirmed release date at that point, and he kicked Ringo out of his house when the drummer told him he couldn't release the album in competition with the Beatles. 

  "The business is so ugly," Stern said. "All of that beautiful music and the business just gets so ugly."
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  (#8) He Got Really High With Fela Kuti

  When McCartney went to record Band on the Run in Lagos, Nigeria, he encountered the legendary musician Fela Kuti. 

  "When I arrived, the first thing I see in the newspaper is, 'Paul McCartney Comes To Steal Black Man's Music,'" he told Maron.

  Shocked, McCartney got Kuti's information and called him to ask why he would accuse him of stealing his music. McCartney invited the legendary performer to the studio to listen to his project at the time. 

  "He came over with, like, 30 wives, and a studio full of ganja. He was one wild cat," he recalled. 

  McCartney also claimed the cannabis he smoked with Kuti was the strongest he'd ever had.

  "Man. I tripped out. It was so strong. It was stronger than anything I've ever had - I don't know if there was something in it," McCartney told Maron.
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  (#4) His Father Tried To Get Him To Change 'She Loves You'

  After his mother's death when he was 14, McCartney said his dad raised him and would often give advice that he would take with a grain of salt. The elder McCartney - a musician as well - advised his son to stay away from John Lennon, and had a bit of advice about a classic Beatles song. Stern said:

  [In regard to] "She Loves You" - your dad said, "Forget 'yeah, yeah, yeah.' Do 'yes, yes, yes.'" 

  McCartney said he all but ignored his father's advice, and the lyric remained. The legend explained that while his father did have musical ability, he didn't have "hip ability."
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  (#9) He Got Offers To Act In Italian Movies After 'Help!'

  After the release of the movie Help!, the Beatles achieved another level of fame, launching them from pop stars to superstars. During his interview with McCartney, Stern asked the musician if he got inundated with offers to star in Hollywood movies after appearing in the film. 

  "I would think you would've been approached to be a movie star," Stern said.

  "Hollywood didn't [approach me]," McCartney responded. "But Italy did. This was Romeo and Juliet, which was quite a big movie." An Italian filmmaker approached him to play the part of Romeo, but he turned it down.

  "I'm not an actor, I can't do that," he said. "It's Shakespeare, man. I can't do that."
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  (#5) John Lennon Liked 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da' And Wrote The Piano Part

  During his interview with Stern, McCartney dismissed the longstanding rumor about John Lennon disliking the classic Beatles tune "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." He explained: 

  John did like that song! Me, George, and Ringo were slaving over this [song,] and John wasn't there. We weren't getting anywhere with it. John comes into the studio and says, "What are you doing? What are we working on?" 

  I said, "Ob-La-Di."

  He goes, "Oh, that one! What key?"

  Lennon proceeded to go over to a piano and plunk out the song's famous intro.

  "That's what it needed," McCartney admitted. 

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