Interview for The Guardian • Wednesday, December 18, 1974

Interview

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Paul and Linda McCartney were standing in the wings at the Top of the Pops rehearsal and singing along with the music. They had just finished their own number, Junior’s Farm, and were now cuddled close together watching their friend David Essex belting out the number one sound of the week.

Lights flashed as the three television cameras swirled around the floor, angling for good shots. Gonna Make You a Star poured out of the sound machine; and a few onlookers began to dance in the corner. Paul kept time absentmindedly on Linda’s hip. When Essex got to the line “more than a pretty face” the McCartneys joined in loudly and then broke up with laughter. Their own private joke.

After five and a half years of marriage, Linda won’t allow herself to be just the pretty face that caught Paul’s eye in a London club. She may let her bottom be patted in public, but she makes it clear she’s not the usual wife who tags along behind a famous husband: Linda is one of those strong-willed American ladies who scare most British men. She’s full of self-confidence, not afraid to say what’s on her mind, and doesn’t give a damn what other people think.

Paul encourages her. She seems to be the perfect balance for him, which explains why they get on so well. “He’s the type who loves people,” explains Linda. “He really believes in peace and kindness. So he needs that strength… Even when you’re that talented and that kind and everything, you doubt yourself. I know that Paul’s great. We’re best friends.”

Linda was there to pick up the pieces when the Beatles began to disintegrate. Paul credits her with getting him back together again. Early on, they disappeared for long periods to their Scottish farm – prompting the “Paul is dead” rumour – but Paul was simply immersing himself in his family and preparing to face an audience again. Where the other Beatles had been his friends and musical partners, now there was only Linda. She listened to his songs, learned to play a few chords, and soon began to sing along. Paul gradually came to depend on her musical skills as well as her support. So when Wings was formed, Linda was naturally part of it.

But she doesn’t just sing and play the keyboard to keep Paul company, as some reviewers have suggested. She has bigger things in mind: “I definitely have a career in music because I like it. Not a career like Maria Callas, nothing like that. But just with me and my kind of thing. I love rhythm, music that makes me feel good when I listen to it. Nothing serious. I can feel when it feels good and when it doesn’t.”

“I like music like I did photography. I just started taking pictures. I was never taught anything. The same with music. I’m just picking it up. God, I’ve got a long way to go. I pick a lot and play a little bit. But I know more than I knew before I married Paul. I’m like a beginner still, but I feel now I can really develop myself. Dancing even. I never ever danced but now I really love it. Marriage to Paul is just bringing things out in me I didn’t know were there.”

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