News Of James

From The Daily Record

James McCartney: I was in the womb when dad sang Mull of Kintyre.. now I want musical career of my own


Mar 11 2010 Exclusive by John Dingwall


JAMES MCCARTNEY is looking forward to getting back to where he once belonged as he heads to Scotland as part of a UK tour.

The 32-year-old son of Paul McCartney spent a chunk of his childhood on the Mull Of Kintyre, where his parents recorded many of their hit songs with the group Wings, including the 1977 mega-hit Mull Of Kintyre.

James, who bears a striking resemblance to his old man, has finally committed to follow in his footsteps and those of his late mother Linda by pursuing a career in music.
And he will play two low-key Scottish dates next week.
He admits the trip to Scotland with his band will be an emotional one for him.
He said: "I'm really looking forward to spending some time in Scotland on this tour.

"I went to Scotland a lot on holiday each summer with my family and I was in the womb when my mum and dad did Mull of Kintyre, so it means a lot to me - great memories of my mum and my family."

Like his older half-sister Heather, James has spent most of his life out of the public eye.
He strives to keep his life private, unlike their fashion designer sister, Stella and photographer sister, Mary.

And, though James knows he can never hope to emulate his father's success, his hope is that by going on his first tour, he'll land a record deal of his own on the back of the live dates.
Born James Louis McCartney, he was named after his paternal grandfather Jim McCartney and maternal grandmother Louise Linder Eastman.

The youngest child of Paul and Linda, he spent his first two-and-a-half years of life on the road with the family and the band Wings until they broke up in 1980.

Then he co-wrote a few songs on some of his dad's solo albums, including 1997's Flaming Pie and 2001's Driving Rain.

On Flaming Pie, he can be heard playing electric guitar solo on the track Heaven On A Sunday.

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.
In October last year, he played a handful of UK shows, appearing anonymously under the name Light.

Now Scots will get the chance to judge for themselves whether his dad's musical DNA runs though his veins when he plays Edinburgh's Cabaret Voltaire on Sunday, followed by Glasgow's King Tut's next Wednesday.

The venues have a capacity of about 300 - but James is happy to pay his dues with gigs similar in size to those the Beatles cut their teeth on in Hamburg prior to finding fame.

Asked who or what inspired him to go out and play live, James admitted: "Obviously, first, The Beatles, my dad, John Lennon. But I'd say Nirvana have had a big in uence on my music and live performance.

"I love the music. I love the art. It's intense.

"I just want people to become more aware of my music and enjoy it and maybe get some crowds totally rocking.

"I've got a great bunch of musicians together and am looking forward to these dates - just getting out there onstage, feeling good and getting more experience playing my album live.

"I guess just enjoying myself and honing the live performance. Hopefully, seeing people enjoy the music and having a positive effect on them."

His solo album has been recorded with his dad's help and is expected to be released later this year.
James said: "The music is inspired by The Beatles, Nirvana, The Cure, PJ Harvey, Radiohead - all good music.

"It is basically rock n' roll, clean sounding, heartfelt and vocal. The words on the album refer to spirituality, love, family, and many other things.

"I have written the songs over a 10-year period and am just making the final touches. We are mixing the record in Sussex and New York and it's exciting to see it coming together."

More than 40 years after the Fab Four stopped recording their final album Let It Be, the musical legacy continues for many of the children of the Beatles.

Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey is a top-tier session drummer, notably backing The Who and Oasis.
Sean Lennon has settled into a comfortable cult status, having worked with the Beastie Boys, Marianne Faithfull and Mark Ronson.

George Harrison's son Dhani has tried to make it as a guitarist.
Of his own son, Paul once revealed: "He liked guitar ever since he saw Back To The Future. We played Johnny B. Goode together."
In fact, when James asked his dad how he thought the album sounded, the former Beatle responded with a clear thumbs-up, announcing: "It's sensational."