Credit: Raph PH

How Paul McCartney added “complete carnage” to new Rolling Stones album

Fri 20 October 2023 21:30, UK

In a new interview interview with Guitar Player, producer Andrew Watt shed some light on the contribution that Paul McCartney made to the upcoming Rolling Stones album Hackney Diamonds.

McCartney is credited with playing bass on the song ‘Bite My Head Off’. According to Watt, McCartney wound up going with his most iconic bass, a 1964 Höfner, but not the one that he has used continuously for 60 years. Instead, McCartney used a custom version of the instrument gifted to him by Watt just before the session.

“As Paul and I were becoming friends, I decided to get him a gift. I got him another lefty ’64 Höfner, similar to the one he played in The Beatles,” Watt revealed. “However, I added a twist. My guitar tech installed a Univox Super Fuzz circuit on the Höfner that could be activated with a switch.”

Watt explained that the day before he was set to join the sessions for ‘Bite My Head Off’, McCartney was gifted the new bass. Macca was flattered but didn’t exactly know why Watt was giving him a ’64 Höfner when McCartney was already loyal to his original. It was then that Watt showed McCartney the custom modification.

“Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he just started ripping on it,” Watt explained. “I told him to bring it to the recording session, and he couldn’t stop laughing. I shared the song with Paul the day before, and when we entered the studio with the band, he brought out the bass.”

“During the breakdown section of the song, he activated the Super Fuzz switch, and it was complete carnage! Everyone was like, ‘What the fuck was that?’ It was hilarious and so cool,” Watt claims. “I think we recorded just three takes of that song, but almost immediately, Keith and Ronnie were on their feet, and Mick dragged the mic into the middle of the room and the roof left the building.”

“I think Paul really enjoyed that he was just a guy in a band again with friends that he’s known for 60 years,” Watt concluded. “It had been a long time since he was with equals, just plugging in his bass and doing a session. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face for a very long time.”

Hackney Diamonds is set for an October 20th release.