Interview for Calico Skies Radio

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This interview was conducted by Julio Eduardo Martínez, host of the Calico Skies Radio Puro McCartney podcast. Originally published in his 2021 book “McCartney – Surviving the Perfect Song“, it is reproduced below with his courtesy.

When was your first contact with Paul McCartney?

In the late ’60s, I was a jazz guitarist playing in the clubs in London. One of the trios I worked with was made up of a couple of young guys – Nigel Anthony (now a well-known actor) and Peter Asher, who was working for Apple, the Beatles Office. His sister Jane was Paul McCartney’s girlfriend at the time, hence the first contact.

Is it true that Paul distanced himself from you because he found out about the arrangements on The Long And Winding Road with Phil Spector?

Yes, he was very angry because John Lennon had called Alan Klein to manage things and AK hired Phil “wall of sound” Spector to re-produce the Let it Be album. Phil then called me to organize and manage a large orchestra to add to the “Long and Winding Road” that Paul had recorded with just a piano, bass and drums without his knowledge or approval, he went nuts!

What was your opinion of Ram when you heard it?

I really liked it and Paul asked me to do an instrumental version of the record which was a big challenge for me to be able to faithfully reproduce his voice with musical instruments.

Did you have something in mind to arrange Thrillington? Was it difficult to do it in a few days?

I was a Jazzhead, not a pop musician, so I wanted to give it a Jazz big band sound using all my jazz musician friends.

Did the band know it was a Paul McCartney project or was it all a secret?

The best session musicians are in such demand working with so many world famous artists all the time and I don’t think they are “baffled” by what the project is or who is involved, they just want to do the best job they can independently!

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