Hi Luca, you have been a well-known figure in the Paul McCartney community for some years now, having published various books, translated Paul McCartney’s “The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present” into Italian in 2022, and collaborated with MPL on the label copy for The 7″ Singles Box. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and how your passion for Paul McCartney began? It’s a wonderful obsession that we both share!
Hi Nicolas, it’s a long story! I was born in 1969 in Milan, Italy. I have a degree in Liberal Arts with a specialisation in History. I have had many work experiences as a manager in various companies in different sectors, such as media and TV, electronic devices, wine e-commerce and of course publishing and books. My passion for Paul McCartney is an incredible story. It all happened by chance. I discovered the Beatles through my parents, in the summer of 1982, with the Red & Blue compilation. I liked the music, but I didn’t want to admit it… because when you’re a kid it’s not fashionable to like your parents’ music! That same year, “Ebony and Ivory” was a big hit in Italy, and I found myself liking the song and the image of Paul McCartney. He seems to be such an elegant, classy man, like my father. I also became a fan of Michael Jackson, and when “Say Say Say” was everywhere, I asked my mother to buy me a copy, expecting a full Michael album. She came home with Paul McCartney’s Pipes of Peace. I didn’t dare tell her it wasn’t what I expected. So, I put it on the turntable, and it was a revelation. The melodies struck a chord in me. From that moment on I wanted to discover Paul’s career in detail. By the summer of 1985 I was able to get my hands on all his records and those of The Beatles. I immediately understood that this was something for life. Over the decades I tried to organise all the information I had and writing about his music came naturally.
As a fan, I find that certain eras of Paul’s music resonate deeply with me. Do you have a favourite period or album in his career that you feel particularly connected to?
As I am the same age as Paul’s solo career, there are eras that resonate with me because of their musical quality or because some records resonate with me, and others because they remind me of certain periods of my life. I would say the 1970-73 period in terms of quality (with RAM being Paul’s best album in my opinion), Pipes of Peace because of the aforementioned episode, London Town because of its atmosphere, the Flowers in the Dirt / World Tour 1989-90 because I saw Paul live for the first time and it was one of the best years of my life personally. More recently, McCartney III: it came out at the end of the year of Covid, and it was a ray of light. I had an advance copy from Universal and I was able to enjoy the album long before it was released, to immerse myself in it without being conditioned by reviews.
This year, you’ve published four McCartney-related books: “Band on the Run: The Story of a Classic Album,” “The Beatles After The Beatles: The Solo Careers of John, Paul, George, and Ringo (1967–1980)” Parts 1 and 2, and now “Paul McCartney—Music Is Ideas: The Stories Behind the Songs” Volume 2. Publishing four new books in one year is quite an impressive achievement! I imagine this is the culmination of many years of research and writing. Could you share how long you’ve been gathering materials and researching, and tell us about your approach to working on these projects?
It’s hard to say, because I don’t start a project after I’ve finished another. It would be impossible to work on one book at a time. They overlap. They might stop for a while. They get reorganised or redone… the last two years have been largely devoted to this Vol. 2, but there were many months of research before and after the publication of “Recording Sessions”. “The Beatles after The Beatles” book was first put together in Italian (2016) and then worked on in 2017. Then things stopped due to other commitments I had. But it was 70% finished. This year I thought it was time. But it took another six months of hard work to update and expand the information. The concept of a book like “Band on the Run: The Story of a Classic Album” is that McCartney’s music can be seen and analysed in such depth… every album is worth exploring.
I think that this flurry of activity is also due to two factors. Two years ago, in the space of a few days, I fell seriously ill and risked my life, and then I had to deal with the death of my father. These two things came together and hit me hard. The grief of missing my father has given me even more strength, even though it seems a contradiction in terms. You’ll notice that each book is dedicated to his memory. He worked in the printing industry for most of his life, so for me these works are not only a contribution to Paul McCartney’s genius and to music history in general, but also a tribute to my father.
One of the great joys of reading your books is discovering the exclusive interviews with musicians, engineers, and producers who have worked with Paul McCartney. Were there any interviews that particularly stood out to you — either because you met remarkable individuals or gained unique insights?
I must say that every interview I have done has been a pleasure. I’ve done more than 100 over the years. I treated each one as a human connection rather than a source of information. I have my favourites though… The late Tony Clark became such a friend in my life, a dear person I miss so much. I’m still in touch with engineer Alan O’Duffy, who also attended a presentation I gave in London in 2013. I had a great connection with Maestro Carl Davis. I also have fond memories of the interviews I did with Venezuelan duduk player Pedro Eustache, Jerry Marotta, Carlos Bonell, Hamish Stuart. Their enthusiasm for participating in the interviews was infectious.
How has the reception of your books been among fans and critics? Has any feedback particularly resonated with you?
Firstly, during the (almost) two years that separate this Volume 2 from Volume 1, I have received many emails from people who liked the first book and asked me when the sequel would be published. It’s a great sign that people appreciate your work. One comment I’m particularly proud of is from Paul du Noyer, who emailed me to say, “It’s an impressive achievement.”
Your new book, “Music Is Ideas Volume 2,” covers Paul McCartney’s recordings from 1990 to 2012—a period that hasn’t been extensively explored by many authors. In 2013, you published “Paul McCartney—Recording Sessions (1969–2013),” which already included this period. How much new insight and detail have you uncovered since then?
They are two completely different things. Here we have a large format book, 422 pages, which contains about 120 more songs than “Recording Sessions”. The information on the songs already released is much more complete. Apart from a few interviews that have been retained, the rest has been reorganised, rewritten, expanded and given more detail, with additional information, a deeper description of the harmony of the songs and more context about the albums to which they belong. I was also able to discover some little melodic debts that Paul owes to… himself! “Music Is Ideas Vol. 2” presents everything Paul did during the period in question, including classical music, the Fireman, covers… as well as some unreleased tracks. An in the meantime, I have had access to new information, we had The Lyrics book, we had Flaming Pie Deluxe Edition… Everything is explored much more in depth.
Among the 250 songs featured in “Music Is Ideas Volume 2,” are there any that particularly stand out to you due to their unique stories, new insights, or surprising discoveries you made during your research?
More than specific songs, I would say there are albums that are explored in depth, such as Off the Ground, the Liverpool Oratorio, the Chaos and Creation / Memory Almost Full era, Kisses on the Bottom. In some cases we can discover new facts, have a better understanding of the circumstances of their creation, go deeper into their making or even have a complete timeline of their recording sessions. “Debunking myths” seems to be a rather misused phrase these days, but I think it could apply to some of the research here. Is it true that Off the Ground was conceived from the outset as a “live in the studio” album? What ideas from Paul’s classical experience were used on the same album? Were Chaos… and Memory Almost Full really such separate projects in terms of recording times? Didn’t Paul really touch any instruments during the Kisses on the Bottom sessions? There’s a lot to discover about McCartney’s way of working during these 23 years, which are very different from the first period covered in Vol. 1. Paul McCartney has become even more of a juggler, as he has branched out into other areas in addition to pop music: classical music, avant-garde, mashups. You name it. It’s there.
What motivates you to keep exploring and writing about Paul McCartney’s music, and what do you hope readers take away from your books?
As I said at the beginning of our interview, Paul McCartney is a necessity for me. I can’t see a day when I’ll stop researching, discovering and writing. I think through my books people can understand more about the way Paul is inspired, the way he organises his songs. Paul McCartney has elevated songs and pop music to an art form. In the books you can really see the importance of being creative in life. Then there are facts. Facts are very important. Paul’s music is an important part of history. It’s crucial to know what happened.
How do you see the role of fan communities and online resources like The Paul McCartney Project in preserving and promoting his musical legacy?
It’s an incredible contribution. To be able to read about Paul’s career or to have access to sources to find out what he has done – in music and in other areas – is very important. And a website like yours is a great means of communication. It’s a way of connecting these worlds writers, books, websites, communities – and working together, it’s fantastic, so that people can know how things really went, relying on credible sources. It’s no coincidence that this volume includes contributions from your website and some of the YouTube channels that have been very active in recent years, focusing on Paul’s solo career. For many years in the past, I was disappointed to think that I was the only one interested in such a thing!
Aside from Paul McCartney, you also published a book about Peter Gabriel earlier this year. Are there other artists or projects you’re passionate about and might explore in the future?
Definitely. I’ve got lots of other artists I’d like to write about. Elton John and Sting will be the subjects of two books in the near future. I don’t do everything by myself. The L.I.L.Y. Publishing project is expanding with other authors and books dedicated to other musicians and bands.
“Music Is Ideas Volume 1” covers 19 years, and Volume 2 spans 23 years. Can we anticipate a Volume 3 in the future? What can we expect from you in 2025, and is there anything you can share with us about your upcoming projects?
Yes, there will be a Vol. 3. In the next few years, we should finally have Paul’s new album, and most likely in 2026 we will have High in the Clouds and A Wonderful Life, the musical. Who knows about the guitar concerto he did with Carlos Bonell… The last three projects are quite different from the “pop” McCartney, and probably they will not feature Paul as the main performer (with a few exceptions, we won’t hear him singing or playing much), but they are definitely part of his canon, and they will be on Vol. 3. The series will also include a Vol. 4 about the collaborations, and… a Vol. 0, but I can’t tell you more about that at the moment!
There are other projects in the pipeline for 2025 related to Paul and the Beatles. One of them is a nice surprise, completely unexpected… even for me! Some of them are revealed in the first pages of this Music Is Ideas Vol. 2, so run and get your copy and find out what I’m talking about.
Thank you for sharing your insights with us, Luca. We wish you great success with “Music Is Ideas Volume 2” and look forward to your upcoming projects.
Thank to you for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts, feelings and to talk about the new book. Music is ideas.
