Paul McCartney says it was ‘very emotional’ to harmonize with John Lennon | Music | Entertainment

Beatles fans experienced something they thought would never happen again: Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon harmonizing on stage. Sir Paul has openly said that performing the Beatles’ current track ‘Now And Then’ on his current tour evokes deep emotions, describing it as ‘very emotional’ because it is a ‘John song’ and it feels extraordinary , to sing in harmony with him.

The nostalgic “Now and Then”, which was released at the end of 2023, comes from a John Lennon demo from the late 70s. The recording journey ended in 2022 when Ringo Starr and Sir Paul finalized the tune in the studio.

Its release, touted as the ultimate Beatles song, sparked awe among fans around the world and has now secured two Grammy nominations.

Sir Paul McCartney faithfully incorporated “Now and Then” into every set of his “Got Back” world tour. Commenting publicly on the experience for the first time, he revealed: “It’s really great. When you introduce a new song, even if it’s an old song like ‘Now and Then,’ the first reaction is that people aren’t quite sure what it is or what you do.

“But as the concerts go on, the idea comes to them. The news is spreading on the Internet, you know. Now the reaction is really strong and for us it’s great to play it because it’s a beautiful song to play, for.” For me it’s particularly great because it’s a John song. I love it and the audience seems to love it too.

Currently back in the UK, Sir Paul is reflecting on the tour after captivating audiences across South America and Europe since it began in October.

The legendary musician and his talented band, who have been together for 22 years, will round off the year with a bang, performing four momentous performances, starting this weekend in Manchester before heading to sold-out events in London. Aside from his monumental headlining performance at Glastonbury in 2022 and an intimate pre-show in nearby Frome, these are the legendary Beatles’ first UK appearances since 2018.

Reflecting on returning to familiar places, Paul said: “Manchester is, you know, close to my old hometown. It’s a great city and we really love it. So it will be nice to be there. And then London, we’re looking forward to London and then this tour will be over and we’ll all be very happy to have a nice Christmas break.

Looking back on his year, he remembers certain shows in October that he particularly enjoyed. Sources close to him point to his unmistakable passion for live performances, where he treats his fans to nearly three-hour sets every night with a repertoire of over 35 tracks.

“The audience in South America is incredibly great,” he enthused about the 15 shows there, which attracted more than half a million viewers. “And they are so enthusiastic and crazy that we throw a party every time we play in front of them. So it was great.”

The acclaimed artist most recently wowed audiences in Paris and Madrid, where fans enjoyed rarer opportunities to see the 82-year-old music icon in action.

Sir Paul McCartney has revealed the secret to curating his setlists amid an illustrious career that includes 12 Beatles studio albums, 26 solo albums and 22 UK number one albums. In the tour program he writes: “When I see a movie and then hear one of my songs in it, I think, ‘Oh, I should do that.’ Sometimes it gives me the push to actually look at that song and think about doing it. It might even be that someone says to me, “Oh, I love your song,” and you say, “Oh…” They love it so much that I’m like, “Yeah, I should do that, just for.” you.” There are songs where some people say, “Oh, I love that,” and that’s always happened. On one of my own Wings albums, I’m like, ‘Well, that didn’t work out that well,’ so maybe it wasn’t that good,’ and then you realize a couple of kids are raising hell and saying, ‘ This is a great album,’ so it brings me back to it.”

He shared, “I just hear it somewhere, like you say, on the radio, at a party, and decide to record it. That’s always a good feeling, it’s like a little aha moment: “ding, eurika” We should definitely try that. That’s often the way I do things or what I do. You work on the setlist over time, and you eventually feel like you’re getting to the point where it works well. We all feel like we’re on tour now – and it looks like the crowd agrees! As with all music performances these days, thousands of cell phones are out and about recording the songs, perhaps even more when a Beatle is on stage.

But Sir Paul, who will be supported by friends and family at the UK gigs including his wife Nancy McCartney, is doing his best to create an element of surprise so that fans attending the shows in the coming days not knowing exactly what else to expect from some big hits to sing along to. He adds: “The first night we can throw some surprises, but the minute it goes viral on social media… It’s like the old comedians who complained about their jokes being told, and the next People who saw them knew it. “Jokes.”

“I approach each show and each audience a little differently depending on where the show is taking place. I guess that’s my way of changing it up a bit.”

In an interview about trying to keep concertgoers on their toes, Sir Paul McCartney explained: “You’ll see your setlist come out and we’ll say, ‘Well, we’ll change it!’ We’re continuing to try to stay ahead of the game.” I would like the guy giving away the game a lot better if people had no idea what they wanted to see, but the only answer to that would be that we would make changes occasionally this song, we go, “Let’s start with another song,” just to prove them wrong.”

Recent performances have opened shows with tunes such as “Can’t Buy Me Love” in Madrid and “Hard Days Night” in Paris. As anticipation builds for McCartney’s upcoming Manchester dates, it’s certain that Beatles enthusiasts are in for a thrill – unpredictability is key!

*Sir Paul McCartney’s Got Back tour ends with two nights at Manchester Co-Op Live in the UK before heading to London’s O2 Arena next week. In the meantime, fans can indulge in Beatlemania with the new documentary “Beatles 64,” recently released on Disney+.