Paul McCartney has never written a formal autobiography.
Instead, he’s released parts of his life and memories in documentaries and in an unauthorized book — to which he contributed — his late friend, Barry. There was also a big double volume called “The Lyrics” which offered glimpses into the songs, etc.
On Tuesday, McCartney is releasing his own book called “Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run.” McCartney tells the story of what happened to him after the Beatles broke up. In the process, he can’t help refer to other events, and the book is fascinating.
There’s an embargo on reviews until Tuesday, when we will explore some of those stories. But in the meantime, New York magazine bought an excerpt — the foreword — that has lots of little gems.
I was surprised that Paul takes responsibility for getting John and Yoko back together after their 18 month separation. John was with May Pang, and they a real, deep relationship. As the story goes, Yoko showed up at the 1974 Thanksgiving show at Madison Square Garden where John was playing with Elton John. He simply went home with her, breaking May’s heart.
McCartney writes:
“I can think of one case when Yoko asked me and Linda to rescue John after they had separated and he had gone to the West Coast. I was happy to do that, to bring him back to his true love. It was an emotional duty, that’s how I felt, that I could sit him down and say, “Yoko says she’ll take you back if you go back,” and I’m very proud that it happened that way.”
McCartney also addresses the famous rumor of his death instigated by the “Abbey Road” cover and people playing “Sgt. Pepper” backwards, looking for hidden messages.
The strangest rumor started floating around just as the Beatles were breaking up — that I was dead.
“We had heard the rumor long before, but suddenly, in that autumn of 1969, stirred up by a DJ in America, it took on a force all its own, so that millions of fans around the world believed I was actually gone. At one point, I turned to my new wife and asked, “Linda, how can I possibly be dead?”
He continues: “But now that over a half-century has passed since those truly crazy times, I’m beginning to think that the rumors were more accurate than one might have thought at the time. In so many ways, I was dead … a 27-year-old about-to-become-ex-Beatle, drowning in a sea of legal and personal rows that were sapping my energy, in need of a complete life makeover. Would I ever be able to move on from what had been an amazing decade? I thought. Would I be able to surmount the crises that seemed to be exploding daily?”
So wait til Tuesday when we get the whole story. “Wings” is bigger than we thought. Maybe I’m amazed because Paul, who I’ve interviewed in the past, is not usually so introspective.
