Interview for Light And Local

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On May 15, 1969, Paul McCartney was interviewed for BBC Radio Merseyside’s “Light And Local” programme at his father’s house, Rembrandt, in Heswall, Cheshire.

We’ve got nothing on for the next month and we’ve had a lot on for the past couple of months, as you might have heard from a couple of newspapers, it’s been high finance. But it seems to be going OK now, so I’m just taking a break to get away from it all.

Paul McCartney

From beatlesbible.com:

A day before he and Linda flew to Corfu for a holiday, Paul McCartney gave an interview to the BBC Radio Merseyside programme Light And Local.

The interview took place at Rembrandt, the house McCartney had bought for his father Jim in 1964. The detached house, on Baskervyle Road, Heswall, Cheshire, had cost £8,750.

McCartney was interviewed by Roy Corlett, who had been a fellow pupil at the Liverpool Institute when McCartney was there. The recording was broadcast on the following day’s edition of Light And Local from 12.31-1pm.

The Beatles’ recent recording activities were discussed, with McCartney saying that, although they had been out of the public eye, they were busy in the studio. He also said business issues were occupying much of their time, and said he was glad of a break, saying he “still can’t stand business”.

Talk turned to Beatlemania, and The Beatles’ 1964 homecoming to Liverpool. McCartney compared it to scenes in Adelaide a month previously and their record-breaking first concert at Shea Stadium in 1965.

Magical Mystery Tour was mentioned, with McCartney offering a lengthy defence of the TV film and saying that in 10 years’ time it would be better understood.

Corlett asked about public and press criticism of The Beatles’ private lives, which McCartney correctly inferred as meaning John Lennon’s relationship with Yoko Ono. He discussed how he felt torn between loyalty to Cynthia Lennon and the realisation that John and Yoko were in love.

Drugs, songwriting methods and family life were also discussed towards the end of the interview. McCartney ended by looking into the future, saying he didn’t want to be playing rock ‘n’ roll at “sixty with grey hair,” but that he’d continue singing and making music until his last days.

One thing in the business is that you get agents and things and sometimes you can get a bit carved up. We’ve been involved in a lot of contracts . . . that we’ve had to straighten out. We’ve become more business-minded but I still can’t stand business. The four of us are really just a rock band. But when we sign a contract now we have to ask what does it mean?

Paul McCartney

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