Interview for Scene And Heard

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The following is a summary of this BBC Radio 1 interview published in New Musical Express, January 29, 1972.

Paul: I want to get back on the road

TALKING to Johnny Moran On Radio 1’s “Scene And Heard” on Saturday, Paul McCartney said that he missed “just playing to people and wanted to get back on the road.” This is a summary of their interview…

“We’re just trying things in Wings at the moment. But there’s nothing too set with Henry McCullough… he might come in. All we really want is to get a good band to go round play with. I don’t care if we’re three, or five. So Iong as it sounds like a good band.

“What we’re doing is working up to going out. Musically, well, I like all sorts. I like modern music, and I like old-fashioned music. I like all the different kinds of sounds I’ve heard since I was a kid, from ‘Blue Moon Of Kentucky’ to anything else.

“It’s been a long time since I played live. That’s why I want to get back. I’ve really decided I miss just playing to people.

“As far as performances go, though, better than just playing in these great big seaters is to just turn up in a caravan and maybe open the back doors and just play to the people around.

“That way, we’ll be getting to the people, the people in that area – not those standing there with notebooks, waiting to judge you.

“When the Beatles were feeling they wanted to split, I thought I’d get a little back-up band like Johnny Cash. I thought: ‘Just let’s a have-a-sing-type band.’ Now, of course, that idea has developed. Because we’re more into music.

“As far as the last album was concerned, we’re happy with the way everyone played it, and the atmosphere we got. It’s been like starting again.

“The album was of course all the stuff we did last. We’re changing all the time.

“Mumbo – the album – off is just the raw truth. It was one take, and everyone just had to dive in. Nobody had heard it, before we did it. You’ll hear me say at the beginning: ‘Take it, Tony.’

“Why didn’t we issue a single from the LP? Because I didn’t feel it was right.

“When will we appear live? Sometime this year. I don’t know where, or when. We’re working up to it. Recording is less important.

“The fun for us is in just playing.”

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