The two musicians Paul McCartney wouldn’t direct in the studio: “I wouldn’t dare to”
Paul McCartney has lived a thousand lives. Not only was he an integral part of the biggest British band in the world, but he went on to achieve significant success as a soloist, collaborating with many esteemed musicians and proving that his artistry far superseded his work within the Liverpudlian foursome. While his bandmates may have all provided something unique, in the studio, McCartney reigned supreme with technique and flair that few have ever possessed. But two musicians didn’t need his help.
One fact that might frustrate a lot of aspiring or established musicians is that McCartney can come up with an impactful and endearing melody, hook, or chord progression without many resources or a whole lot of time. While some take hours to put together and pull apart compositions, McCartney has the unique ability to work quickly, often putting together whole songs in just a matter of hours.
Not only is this the case, but McCartney has proven multiple times that he also possesses the rare ability to craft music on the spot. Perhaps it’s the fact that he can relinquish pressure that makes him thrive as he notes down anything that may inspire or evoke certain reactions in him.
Or, sometimes, it could be how fun it is to view it all as a game. As he once explained: “John and I used to play this game and I don’t think it ever took us more than three or so hours to write a song.”
In reality, however, it’s likely more connected to the singer’s natural embodiment of musical creativity. “Songs can come from anywhere,” he stated. “Sometimes, I would drive Linda to one of her cookery assignments, and on one particular day, I had driven her to a photo session at a farmhouse in Kent. I kept out of the way, went upstairs, and made up a little fantasy for myself to write a song.”
While many would say, efficiency isn’t always a sign of great musicianship, McCartney’s ability to trust his instincts and move quickly is less about his intentional desire to activate maximum productivity and more about the straightforward and spirited capability he always holds within. McCartney can create high-quality music in short spaces of time because he can tap into his internal drive at any moment, not because he’s trying to compete with anybody else.
One example of this is when he composed ‘Angry’ with Pete Townsend and Phil Collins. Recalling the moment they jammed together, McCartney explained the importance of intuition and how that connects to the endearing quality of more funk-leaning arrangements: “I just sort of said, ‘just inflate it, [make it an] up-tempo rock and roll thing’. I think we did it in two takes. It was very straightforward.”
Describing the song’s simple yet energetic feel, he continued: “It’s all on E until it changes to A, then it’s all back to E. You don’t take long to work that one out. It’s stops here and it stops there. That’s it. It’s mainly the spirit we had to get behind that one.” He also commended Townsend and Collins’ artistic abilities, adding: “If you’re working with [them], you don’t need to tell them anything. I wouldn’t dare to, they’re good musicians.” Considering the musicians McCartney has directed around the studio, there are few higher compliments.
Working together in tandem, ‘Angry’ incorporated “a good little rhythm section” that pulled on each of their respective talents. According to McCartney, the only point in enlisting artists like Townsend and Collins is that “they’ll give you their thing”. As a result, ‘Angry’ yielded musical-first instincts, with each relying on nothing more than gut feeling.
