Paul McCartney says he hadn’t planned to release an album in 2020, which marks 50 years since his first solo album dropped.
Written content by Gary Dinges via USA TODAY
But the coronavirus pandemic changed that. While in lockdown in the UK, he was able to polish unfinished songs and piece together a few new ones. The result is an all-new album, “McCartney III,” which hits stores Dec. 11.
The self-produced “McCartney III” follows in the footsteps of 1970’s “McCartney” and 1980’s “McCartney II.” It’s “mostly built from live takes of Paul on vocals and guitar or piano, overdubbing his bass playing, drumming, etc. atop that foundation,” according to a press release.
“I was living lockdown life on my farm with my family and I would go to my studio every day,” McCartney says in the release. “I had to do a little bit of work on some film music and that turned into the opening track and then when it was done I thought what will I do next?
“I had some stuff I’d worked on over the years but sometimes time would run out and it would be left half-finished so I started thinking about what I had. Each day I’d start recording with the instrument I wrote the song on and then gradually layer it all up, it was a lot of fun. It was about making music for yourself rather than making music that has to do a job. So, I just did stuff I fancied doing. I had no idea this would end up as an album.”
Tracks include “When Winter Comes,” a song co-produced by George Martin that had been left unfinished since the 1990s. It’s described as the album’s “grand finale.”
Photos accompanying the album were taken by daughter Mary McCartney and nephew Sonny McCartney. There are even a few McCartney took himself on his phone. This follows in the tradition of using photos from his wife Linda with “McCartney” and “McCartney II.” Linda died of breast cancer in 1998. She was 56. Learn more from USA TODAY.
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