Interview for WTF with Marc Maron

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Read interview on WTF with Marc Maron

From Episode 948 – Sir Paul McCartney — WTF with Marc Maron Podcast (wtfpod.com):

Marc talks with Paul McCartney about, well, a lot: The Beatles and Stones rivalry that wasn’t, his current relationship with Ringo, the influence of Little Richard, The Who, The Beach Boys, how he needs to have an out-of-body experience to really examine the Beatles legacy, the reception of his solo work after the Beatles, recording Band on the Run in Nigeria, what messages are in his songs, which songs still make him emotional when he performs them, and what he brought to the table for his latest album, Egypt Station.

“[Fela] came over with his 30 wives and a studio full of ganja. He was one wild cat, he used to have a bottle of whiskey in which was marinating a pound of pot… in the whiskey. We turned out to be real good friends, he got it, he said ‘no you’re not doing that’ [stealing African music].

Ginger Baker was there, he was his big friend. So, Fela invites us to his club which was outside Lagos, the Afrika Shrine. This was a few of us, little white people, me and a couple of friends. So we go out there and I say, ‘”let’s not smoke any pot.” Cause it’s pretty crazy, we’re out in the jungle and it’s pitch black.

So we’re sitting there with Fela [at The Shrine] and one of Fela’s guys comes up, he’s crouching and he’s got a packet of Rothmans cigarettes. They’re all joints. He goes, ‘”You want one of these?” I say, “no thanks,” so he carries around and gets to Ginger Baker who says “Yeah man! Sure!'”

Then Fela shouts, “Ginger Baker! The only man I know never refuse a smoke!”

So I go, “A-ha! Ok, I’ll have one of those.”

Man. I tripped out. It was so strong. It was stronger than anything I’ve ever had, I don’t know if there was something in it.

But in the end it was a good night.