James McCartney: I was in the womb when dad sang Mull of Kintyre.. now I want musical career of my own

JAMES MCCARTNEY is looking forward to getting back to where he once belonged as he heads to Scotland as part of a UK tour.

The 32-year-old son of Paul McCartney spent a chunk of his childhood on the Mull Of Kintyre, where his parents recorded many of their hit songs with the group Wings, including the 1977 mega-hit Mull Of Kintyre.

James, who bears a striking resemblance to his old man, has finally committed to follow in his footsteps and those of his late mother Linda by pursuing a career in music.

And he will play two low-key Scottish dates next week. He admits the trip to Scotland with his band will be an emotional one for him. He said: "I'm really looking forward to spending some time in Scotland on this tour.

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Rock icon Paul McCartney came out to support his son Monday night when James McCartney performed for a crowd of approximately 60 at the Audio Bar in Brighton, England. According to the Sun, Macca danced in the corner and sang along as his 32-year-old son played his set.

Sir Paul, who got his start in a similar fashion when the Beatles first played basement shows in clubs in Hamburg, Germany and at Liverpool's Cavern Club, showed up at the gig with his girlfriend, Nancy Shevell. McCartney reportedly shot parts of his son's show with a video camera, and proudly sang along to the words of 'Glisten,' an original tune penned by James.

The legendary Beatle's presence couldn't help but have some onlookers stunned, especially as James dedicated two tunes, including the self-explanatory 'I Love You Dad' to his famous father.

"I love you Dad, more than you can know," James sang in the song's final lines. Paul happily returned the sentiment. "I love you too," he yelled to his son.

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This Golden Globe nominated track is taken from the Miramax film 'Everybody's Fine' starring Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore and Kate Beckinsale.  Paul specially wrote and recorded the track after being asked to by director Kirk Jones and seeing an early screening.

Talking about the writing process Paul explained, "When I saw the film originally, I was just watching and enjoying it, when at the end I found that the director had, unbeknown to me, put in the place where he wanted the new song another song of mine: 'Let It Be' sung by Aretha Franklin.  I kind of left the theatre thinking well, I can't write another 'Le It Be' and I can't sing like Aretha much as I want to, so I might have to pass.  But that evening, I came back from dinner and started doodling with some chords and I had an idea and it all grew from there."

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Paul McCartney and his daughter British fashion desiigner Stella McCartney - Photo AP

Sir Paul McCartney, the proud father, with his girlfriend, Nancy Shevell, by his side, beamed, as his daughter’s collection came down the catwalk.

On his other side sat, Maria Shriver, the First Lady of California, and the wife of the Governor of California, the actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a surprise front-row guest, with her daughter, Christina - both attending their first Paris show.

Alongside them was Twiggy, with husband Leigh Lawson, smiling, too, in the knowledge her daughter, Carly, was backstage, a key member of Stella’s design team.

Ms McCartney dedicated this collection to her husband, children, family, team and friends, adding, in a tribute to the late British designer, Alexander McQueen, “This one is also for Lee- you’re missed!”

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Here's an opportunity to hear a firsthand account of what life was like for Paul McCartney and the rest of the Fab Four.

Barry Miles, a close friend of the 68-year-old Beatle, will discuss the Swinging London scene of the 1960s and its cultural impact at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11, at Harper College in Palatine.

Miles penned McCartney's authorized biography "Many Years from Now" based on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews over five years. He's also written books about Allen Ginsburg, William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac.

Miles will also discuss Indica, the counterculture art gallery and bookstore he owned with Peter Asher, the brother of McCartney's former girlfriend, Jane Asher.

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Sir Paul McCartney is to play his first ever British stadium tour.

The Beatles legend will play concerts at stadiums across the nation during the jaunt this summer

The concerts will include dates at the 70,000 capacity Millennium Stadium in Cardiff; Hampden Park in Glasgow – which can hold up to 90,000 people - and the RDS Staduum in Dublin, which can hold 35,000.

The singer – who will celebrate his 68th birthday in the middle of the jaunt on June 18 -  will also play at the Isle Of Wight festival and at Hyde Park.

There is also speculation he will announce a further date at Wembley Stadium in the coming weeks.  

If he does, it will be McCartney’s first solo concert at the legendary North London venue.  He has previously only played there as part of multi-artist concerts, including Live Aid in 1985.

Despite the advancing years, he will play for almost three hours at each concert.

Sir Paul’s tour will also include a headline slot at the Isle Of Wight festival on the final night of the three-day event on June 13.

He will play Dublin on June 12; Hampden Park on June 20; Cardiff on June 26 and Hyde Park on June 27.

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Macc to the future ... great career beckons

AS his first headline tour winds across the UK, JAMES McCARTNEY has a big decision to make - a stack of offers from all the major labels.

The rocker has just completed work on his as-yet-untitled debut album, produced by his dad SIR PAUL's right-hand man DAVID KAHN.

James is in a luxurious position as Universal, EMI, Warner and Sony, plus a host of indies, want the strummer on their books.

I'm told: "James is really happy with the album and is enjoying playing live. All he's got to worry about is who he's going to sign with.

He fuses influences such as NIRVANA and FLEETWOOD MAC into a new sound.

I saw him at two secret gigs last year and was impressed.

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FORMER Beatle Sir Paul McCartney's son started his first UK tour in the birthplace of The Beatles last night.

Looking like a younger, blonder version of his old man with a blue guitar slung around his neck, James McCartney performed for the small but eager crowd.

McCartney opened by dedicating his first song, New York City, to his Liverpool family and, although his dad wasn’t back stage supporting him, his well-known rock photographer Uncle Mike was.

The 32-year-old also dedicated a song, called My Friend, to George Harrison, whose birthday it would have been yesterday, and paid homage to Sir Paul with his performance of I Love You, Dad.

The 14-strong playlist mingled angry, powerful rock numbers with soft, peaceful ballads.

Simple lyrics and memorable melodies meant fragments of previously unheard songs stuck in the mind after just one play.

McCartney ploughed through his set quickly, introducing songs before singing them and moving onto the next. It wasn’t until a 50-something rocker yelled: “Go on Jim lad” that McCartney cracked a smile and seemed suddenly more confident and at ease.

He may have musical talent like the generation before him, but at times he seemed uncomfortable and lacked the showmanship and appeal of his doe-eyed dad. Despite this, the audience warmed to him and roared their applause as McCartney closed the concert with the words: “You are a heavenly audience. You’ve been the best audience in the whole wide world.”

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AP – People walk on the zebra crossing made famous from the album cover of The Beatles' 'Abbey Road' in …

LONDON – The Beatles' Abbey Road Studios were officially declared a historic building Tuesday, a move that will help preserve the cultural landmark that is a magnet for fans worldwide.

The crosswalk outside the iconic north London studios draws tourists with cameras daily, and the facilities have also hosted Pink Floyd, Jeff Beck and Radiohead and are still popular with orchestras.

But their cash-strapped owner EMI Group Ltd. says the studios have been losing money for years and has only recently shelved plans to sell them. While EMI now says it's looking for money to help revitalize the studios, news that it was seeking to offload Abbey Road sparked dismay among music fans.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney said he hoped it could be preserved, while English Heritage — the body that oversees buildings of historic interest — appealed to the government to name it a historic building.

English Heritage spokeswoman Helen Bowman said government's move "has probably been sped up" by recent speculation over the studios' future.

In a statement, English Heritage Chief Executive Simon Thurley said the Georgian building housing the studios "acts as a modern day monument to the history of recorded sound and music."

"Some of the most defining sounds of the 20th century were created within the walls of the Abbey Road Studios," he said. "It contains, quite simply, the most famous recording studios in the world."

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