February 1, 2012 – Each song from Paul McCartney’s new album, Kisses on the Bottom, is now available on “First Listen” through NPR and the Guardian UK. You can listen to the songs in full without charge this week, prior to release. For traditional Beatles fans, this would be a great way to decide if you can appreciate this cup of tea. For fans of the older music, here’s Paul being everything but a Beatle, speaking to a whole different genre of music. Does he pass the older generation's audition?
We think so. McCartney is breaking new ground with his latest album,to be released February 6/7. Covering songs from a bygone era, he delivers authenticity with a slightly modern edge that only McCartney could do, giving these tunes a new life. Also on the album are two new original compositions.
These jazzy tunes from the “Big Band” era were popular during the Depression up through World War II. Many were in Broadway musicals; some were popular tunes played in smoky speakeasies of the Prohibition era. Imagine drummer Gene Kroupa with his brushes, a sax player, and a guy with a mustache at the piano as the singer grips his big microphone while singing a sultry love song in a deep voice. They have become part of the “Great American Songbook,” and comprised of tunes now considered “standards” mainly from the 30s and 40s. Almost all have been covered by the greats including Sinatra, Ella and more. Now McCartney will be added to that illustrious group.
McCartney says in his new 4-minute video (see video at left) that his musical career was inspired by this music, the songs he grew up with. His dad, Jim McCartney, played trumpet in “Jim Mac’s Jazz Band” during the Big Band era of the 20s. Paul has fond memories of his dad playing piano during family get-togethers while everyone sang along.
This upbringing gave Paul a great appreciation for these old tunes, that he says “had such great song structure” and gave him the musical background needed for his legendary career. He says he always wanted to do this album but was nervous about it being disregarded as a copy-cat effort. Other contemporary artists like Rod Stewart have done albums covering the standards. In the end, he said, “If I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it.” He has added a few new songs to “make it different, make it something else.”
Paul was inherently destined to do such an album because the music meant so much to him. While John Lennon only ever wanted to be “bigger than Elvis”, Paul had dreams of being the next “Rogers and Hammerstein.” And while Lennon thought musicals were for “grannies”, and loathed the idea of performing such songs, Paul relished the idea of doing the old greats. The furthest back that John Lennon ever dared go was to cover the early pre-Beatles rock-n-roll hits of the 50s by his heroes Buddy Holly for example, and Chuck Berry (Rock-n-Roll album, 1975.) But Paul has never shied away from other genres of music, including The Liverpool Oratorio and other classical pieces such as Standing Stone.
Kisses on the Bottom, (racy title aside, which doesn’t mean what you think it does--or does it?) would no doubt make “Jim Mac” proud. Paul’s aging voice is at times a tiny bit unsteady even at lower registers, but his incredible knowledge of the era and spot-on talent for delivering exactly what he's trying to do, adds a distinguished, seasoned air to these old melodies. A younger artist would not pull this off.
The old-fashioned "loungey" instrumentation—jazzy brushes on the drums, strings, and piano---are acoustic accompaniments leaving Paul’s voice out front and naked. He had to hit every note perfectly, and in the old style. He is as smooth as possible, careful, perhaps sometimes a bit too cautious. But he succeeds in bringing these old greats to a new generation who just might listen—after all, it’s Macca after all. And yet---hearing the American standards sung with a British accent is---well, you know what I mean. You can’t forget it’s a Beatle.
Comparing Paul’s new versions to the original recordings of these songs is fascinating as the similarities and contrasts are clear. For example, the difference between The Inkspots doing We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, and Me) in the 50s, and Paul’s version reveals a fundamental difference between the old “jazzy” style, and Paul’s slower, more rhythmic approach.
While most of the songs are from the 30s, some were popular later on in the late 40s and early 50s---More I Cannot Wish You, Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive, Get Yourself Another Fool, and Inchworm. Inchworm brought back personal memories for me as I recalled my own mother helping me learn this little children’s song on the piano when I was little.
ORIGINAL SONGS A NICE ADDITION
McCartney’s two original compositions are My Valentine and Only Our Hearts. My Valentine, written for his new bride Nancy Shevell, is beautiful and deeply intimate, reminiscent of Vanilla Sky, or Yesterday, and features Eric Clapton on guitar. Could become a classic on its own.
Only Our Hearts features Stevie Wonder on harmonica. Both songs are melodically compatible to the rest of the album, so they do not stick out as “different” from the rest of the songs.
Background on each song from Kisses on the Bottom:
Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter---1935, made popular by Fats Waller; The inspiration behind the title. Begins like an old fashioned commercial; covered by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Dean Martin.
Home (When Shadows Fall) –1931, performed by Sam Cooke
It’s Only a Paper Moon –1933, written for a Broadway play called “The Great Magoo”. Made popular by the Nat King Cole Trio and Ella Fitzgerald in the 40s. The most familiar line of the song is “But it wouldn’t be make believe, if you believed in me…”
More I Cannot Wish You –Broadway production of “Guys and Dolls” in the 50s.
Glory of Love – 1936, written for Benny Goodman; “that’s the story of, that’s the glory of love…”; also covered by Peggy Lee, Dean Martin, and Otis Redding. A popular standard for the ages, it was also sung by Bette Midler in Beaches.
We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, and Me) – recorded by Bill Kenny of the Inkspots in 1955
Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive–1944, sermony style anthem recorded by many famous artists such as Bing Crosby, the Andrew Sisters, and Ella Fitzgerald.
Always – 1925, written by Irving Berlin for his wife and recorded by many artists including Frank Sinatra and Patsy Kline, the Inkspots,
My Very Good Friend the Milkman– Written for Fats Waller in 1932
Bye Bye Blackbird–1926, recorded by many artists, featured in several movie soundtracks including Sleepless in Seattle.
Get Yourself Another Fool– first audio recording1949; also covered by Elvis Costello
Inch Worm– lullaby written for movie “Hans Christian Anderson” in 1952.
DELUXE VERSIONof the album includes two additional tracks, a download code for access to an exclusive live show available from Paul McCartney's website a week after the album's release, and longer liner notes and expanded album packaging, including three postcards.
Paul McCartney has come full-circle with this album, and fulfilled a long-time dream of performing the songs he loved as a child. This is a great tip of the hat to Jim Mac and an era nearly forgotten, as he educates this generation about the roots of popular music and the songs our parents loved.
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