James McCartney | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | James Louis McCartney |
Born | London, England | 12 September 1977
Genres | Rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, writer |
Instrument(s) | |
Years active | 1997–present |
James Louis McCartney (born 12 September 1977) is an English-American musician and songwriter. He is the son of singer, songwriter, and former Beatle, Paul McCartney. He has contributed to solo albums by his parents, including Flaming Pie (1997) and Driving Rain (2001) by Paul McCartney, and Wide Prairie (1998) by Linda McCartney. He has released two EPs and two albums. His most recent, The Blackberry Train, was released on 6 May 2016. [1]
James Louis McCartney was born at Avenue Clinic in St John's Wood, London on September 12, 1977. [2] He is the son of songwriter and former Beatle Paul McCartney and his first wife Linda McCartney. He was named after both his paternal grandfather Jim McCartney and his father, whose full name is James Paul McCartney, as well as Linda's late mother, Louise Sara (née Lindner) Eastman. His mother was Jewish, [3] and his father is the son of a Catholic mother of Irish descent.
He spent the first two and a half years of his life on the road while his parents toured with their band Wings. After the band broke up in 1980, the McCartneys settled in Rye, East Sussex. He attended the local state secondary school, the Thomas Peacocke Community College. [2] He has said his earliest inspiration to learn guitar was Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future . He began playing music when his father gave him a Fender Stratocaster at age nine. The guitar had previously been owned by Carl Perkins.
In 1989, McCartney and his sisters Mary McCartney and Stella McCartney again joined Paul and Linda on a world tour. He continued his education with a tutor while on the road. In 1993, at age 16, while surfing with friends, he was swept out to sea. The coast guard was called, his family rushed to the site, but he emerged safe on his own 40 minutes later. [2] In 1995, James introduced his sister Mary to television producer Alistair Donald, whom she later married.
On 17 April 1998, in Tucson, Arizona, James, along with his father and sisters, was at his mother's side when she died from breast cancer, which had been diagnosed in 1995. Later that year, he graduated from Bexhill College, near his home in East Sussex, where he pursued studies in A-level Art and Sculpture.
James has played guitar and drums on some of his father's solo albums, including Flaming Pie (1997) and Driving Rain (2001), as well as co-writing a few songs. [4] On Flaming Pie he has an electric guitar solo on the track "Heaven on a Sunday". [5] On Driving Rain, he co-wrote the songs "Spinning on an Axis" and "Back in the Sunshine Again" with his father, and played percussion on the former track and guitar on the latter.
He also plays lead guitar on his mother's posthumously released solo album, Wide Prairie (1998), which included tracks recorded privately over the previous twenty years. [6]
In 2004, he again left the McCartney family home and began living in a flat in Brighton, where he waited at tables while he attended college and worked on his music. [7] In 2005, he accompanied Paul during his 'US' Tour.
Around 2008, he began working with David Kahne, his father, and a number of other musicians on recording his own music. [8] He made his US performing debut with his own original solo material on 14 November 2009 at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, during the Fourth Annual David Lynch Weekend for World Peace and Meditation in Fairfield, Iowa. [8] He performed under the pseudonym Light. [9]
Available Light was McCartney's first official release as both a performer and songwriter. The EP included four original songs composed by James as well as a cover of Neil Young's classic "Old Man". In addition to composing the songs and singing, he plays electric and acoustic guitar, mandolin, piano and bass on the recordings. Produced by David Kahne and Paul McCartney, the EP was recorded between Sussex, London and New York over the previous year, [10] including Abbey Road Studios. [11]
He stated, "The music was inspired by The Beatles, Nirvana, The Cure, PJ Harvey, Radiohead—and all good music. It is basically rock n' roll, clean sounding and vocal. The words on the album refer to spirituality, love, family, trying to sort out one's life, and many other things". [9]
He previewed tracks from Available Light when he toured the UK for the first time in February and March 2010, [9] [12] though he at first performed under a pseudonym. [4] The album was released electronically September 2010 on Blake Morgan's Engine Company Records, [4] [13] (now ECR Music Group) [14] [15] to positive reviews. [11] Close at Hand , his second EP, was released in 2011. [16]
McCartney's The Complete EP Collection was released on 22 November 2011. The album combines the previous two EPs along with five new original tracks and two new covers. [17] It is his first physical release, the two individual EPs being digital only. [17] Like the EPs, it was produced by Paul McCartney and David Kahne, and is being released by Engine Company Records (now ECR Music Group). [14] [15] [16] Rolling Stone called the opening track, "Angel", a "light and cheerful pop track". [17] AntiMusic dubbed the release "whimsical and reflective, sharp-witted and affectionate. Full of smart, engaging pop songwriting". [18] In a Rolling Stone song exclusive about the track New York Times, James notes he composed the main riff on a family trip when his father "... was just inches away from me". [19]
In April 2012, McCartney told a BBC interviewer that he had mooted the idea "a little bit" of forming a "next generation" version of the Beatles with Sean Lennon, Zak Starkey, and Dhani Harrison. [20]
McCartney released his first album on 21 May 2013, titled Me . [21] The album was supported by a tour of the US, starting on 6 April 2013. [21]
McCartney played at San Francisco's Outside Lands Music Festival in August 2013. [22] He recorded The Beatles' "Hello, Goodbye" with The Cure for the album The Art of McCartney , a collection of The Beatles, Wings and Paul McCartney solo covers.
McCartney's newest studio album, The Blackberry Train, was released on 6 May 2016. [1]
In February 2024, McCartney released his first single, "Beautiful", after not releasing any music in nearly eight years. In April 2024, McCartney released the single "Primrose Hill". The song features a collaboration with Sean Lennon, son of John Lennon. [23] In May, McCartney released his third single, "Nothing". [24]
Like his elder half-sister Heather McCartney, James lived a relatively private life before going out on tour for his music. [2] His sisters Stella, a fashion designer, and Mary, a photographer, have higher public profiles. [9] He has a much younger half-sister, Beatrice Milly McCartney, born in 2003 to Paul and his second wife, Heather Mills.
He follows a vegetarian diet, leaning towards veganism, [25] and is an animal rights activist.[ citation needed ]
In November 2012, James performed at a London benefit for the David Lynch Foundation, which his father also supports. [26] [27]
McCartney practices Transcendental Meditation: "Transcendental Meditation plays a big role in my life as it has done for my father and the other Beatles. I meditate regularly—twice a day. ... I find that just 30 minutes of Transcendental Meditation refreshes me as if I had slept a few hours!" [25]
Magical Mystery Tour is a record by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double EP in the United Kingdom and an LP in the United States. It includes the soundtrack to the 1967 television film of the same name. The EP was issued in the UK on 8 December 1967 on the Parlophone label, while the Capitol Records LP release in the US and Canada occurred on 27 November and features an additional five songs that were originally released as singles that year. In 1976, Parlophone released the eleven-track LP in the UK.
Sean Taro Ono Lennon is a British-American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, The Claypool Lennon Delirium and his parents' group Plastic Ono Band. He has released two solo albums: Into the Sun (1998) and Friendly Fire (2006). He has produced numerous albums for various artists, including Black Lips and the Plastic Ono Band.
"Let It Be" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 6 March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney, and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single version of the song, produced by George Martin, features a softer guitar solo and the orchestral section mixed low, compared with the album version, produced by Phil Spector, featuring a more aggressive guitar solo and the orchestral sections mixed higher.
Driving Rain is the twelfth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 12 November 2001 as a double LP, a single cassette, and single CD.
Flaming Pie is the tenth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 5 May 1997 by Parlophone in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. His first studio album in over four years, it was mostly recorded after McCartney's involvement in the highly successful Beatles Anthology project. The album was recorded in several locations over two years, between 1995 and 1997, featuring two songs dating from 1992.
"Across the Universe" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the 1969 various artists' charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World and later, in a different form, on their 1970 album Let It Be, the group's final released studio album. The original version featured on two different albums both titled Rarities: a 1978 British release and a 1980 US release. It was also included on their 1988 album Past Masters, Volume Two. The song has been covered by many artists, including David Bowie on his 1975 album Young Americans, which featured contributions from Lennon.
"Carnival of Light" is an unreleased avant-garde recording by the English rock band the Beatles. It was commissioned for the Million Volt Light and Sound Rave, an event held at the Roundhouse in London on 28 January and 4 February 1967. Recorded during a session for the song "Penny Lane", "Carnival of Light" is nearly 14 minutes long and contains distorted, echo-laden sounds of percussion, keyboards, guitar and vocals. Its creation was initiated by Paul McCartney's interest in the London avant-garde scene and through his connection with the design firm Binder, Edwards & Vaughan.
Paul Is Live is a live album by Paul McCartney, released in 1993 during his New World Tour in support of his studio album Off the Ground, released that same year. Paul Is Live contains live recordings of McCartney and his touring band—which at the time included his then-wife Linda and guitarist Robbie McIntosh—performing songs by McCartney's former bands The Beatles and Wings, as well as songs from his solo career. The tracks included on the album were recorded at various concerts during his New World Tour, in several American cities and in Australia.
"Dear Prudence" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. The song was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Written in Rishikesh during the group's trip to India in early 1968, it was inspired by actress Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence Farrow, who became obsessive about meditating while practising with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Her designated partners on the meditation course, Lennon and George Harrison, attempted to coax Farrow out of her seclusion, which led to Lennon writing the song.
"Mother Nature's Son" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was inspired by a lecture given by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi while the Beatles were in India. The same lecture inspired Lennon's song "Child of Nature", the tune of which he later re-used for "Jealous Guy". Although credited to the group, the song was performed by McCartney alone, while the other Beatles were working on other "White Album" songs.
"Long, Long, Long" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles. It was written by George Harrison, the group's lead guitarist, while he and his bandmates were attending Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation course in Rishikesh, India, in early 1968. Although Harrison later stated that he was addressing God in the lyrics, it is the first of his compositions that invites interpretation as both a standard love song and a paean to his deity.
"The Inner Light" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by George Harrison. It was released on a non-album single in March 1968, as the B-side to "Lady Madonna". The song was the first Harrison composition to be issued on a Beatles single and reflects the band's embrace of Transcendental Meditation, which they were studying in India under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at the time of the single's release. After "Love You To" and "Within You Without You", it was the last of Harrison's three songs from the Beatles era that demonstrate an overt Indian classical influence and are styled as Indian pieces. The lyrics are a rendering of chapter 47 from the Taoist Tao Te Ching, which he set to music on the recommendation of Juan Mascaró, a Sanskrit scholar who had translated the passage in his 1958 book Lamps of Fire.
"Another Day" is a song by English rock musician Paul McCartney that was released as the A-side of a non-album single in February 1971. It was his debut single as a solo artist following the Beatles break-up in 1970. McCartney credited his wife Linda as a co-writer on the song, triggering legal action from ATV on behalf of the publishing companies Northern Songs and Maclen Music. The lyrics describe the daily routine of a lonely woman, using an observational style similar to McCartney's narrative in the 1966 ballad "Eleanor Rigby".
"Beautiful Night" is a song by Paul McCartney and is the 13th track on his 1997 album Flaming Pie. In December 1997, it was released as the third and final single from that album, peaking at number 25 in the UK Singles Chart. The single featured "Love Come Tumbling Down" and "Same Love" as b-sides both of which were previously unreleased tracks and were recorded in 1987 and 1988 respectively.
"The World Tonight" is a song by Paul McCartney and is the second track on his 1997 album Flaming Pie. This song and Young Boy were featured in the 1997 movie Fathers' Day.
"Junk" is a song written by English musician Paul McCartney and released on his debut studio album McCartney (1970). He wrote the song in 1968 with the Beatles while the group were studying Transcendental Meditation in India. After the band's return from India, he recorded the song as a demo at Kinfauns, George Harrison's home, before sessions for The Beatles took place. It was ultimately passed over for inclusion on The Beatles and Abbey Road in 1969. After the group's break-up, McCartney recorded the song for inclusion on McCartney. The lyrics describe various items in a junkyard. A slightly longer, instrumental version of the song, titled "Singalong Junk", also appears on the album.
Memory Almost Full is the fourteenth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney. It was released in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2007 and in the United States a day later. The album was the first release on Starbucks' Hear Music label. It was produced by David Kahne and recorded at Abbey Road Studios, Henson Recording Studios, AIR Studios, Hog Hill Mill Studios and RAK Studios between October 2003, and from 2006 to February 2007. In between the 2003 and 2006 sessions, McCartney was working on another studio album, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (2005), with producer Nigel Godrich.
Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre–rock and roll pop to classical, ballads, and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most successful in modern music history.
"From a Lover to a Friend" is a song by Paul McCartney, featured on his 2001 album Driving Rain. It was released as a single and spent two weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #45. It also reached #6 on the Canadian Singles Chart. In the U.S. it became the b-side to his single "Freedom" and peaked at #24 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
Me is the debut full-length studio album by James McCartney. The album was produced by David Kahne and released on 4 May 2013.