Interview for Record Mirror • Saturday, July 29, 1972

Interview

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Q: Are you afraid of the press in your country which has criticized you a lot recently?

Paul: No, I’m not afraid of the British press, I like the British press. They’re darlings.

Q: Do you think one of the ways you could end the Beatle hangover would be to make
yourself more accessible for interviews?

Paul: Maybe. I mean, I don’t know about the press. I mean, what we’re doing is, we’re just
going to play as a band. That’s really what we’re interested in. I think as we play as a band the Beatle thing will disappear anyway. I mean people will either like us or they won’t like us. That’s how it is with all bands, and that’s how we’re going to take it. That’s fair enough for me. If they don’t like us, that’s too bad. It is beginning to come together – if you’ll pardon the expression.

Q: Why did you decide to start your tour in France?

Paul: Because I thought that the French would be nicer to me than the English or the Americans.

Q: What is your impression of the Olympia. A few years have passed since your last
visit to this room…

Paul: It’s the best place I’ve played with Wings until now. The acoustics, the lights, the audience: everything seemed fine to me. However, I had been told: ‘Watch out for Paris, the audience will be tough’, but it was great… It was much harder the last time I played here with the Beatles.

Q: You seemed to be very comfortable on stage today.

Paul: Yes, although a little tired.

Q: Can you tell us about My Love?

Paul: I wrote this new song a few months ago. My Love will be on our next album… By the way, I would like you to chat with the other members of Wings. They are all there: Denny, Henry, Denny and Yoko!!! (laughs)

Q: Does your marriage cause you problems?

Paul: No I’m very happy…

Q: Do you think Give Ireland Back To The Irish achieves anything?

Paul: Yes I think it will change things a little. It won’t change much — nothing ever does. But it will change. It really applies to everything — like Give Rhodesia back to the Africans. I mean, everything that’s been pinched in the past. Like, give it back. I mean, we should be cool. No one is going to give it back, but I’ll keep singing. I mean, I’m a person as well as an entertainer.

Q: But has pop music really changed anything?

Paul: Yes, I think it has. I think the fact that someone like McGovern has entered the arena is a change. I mean, he must know there is an audience for him.

Q: Would you sing for an English politician?

Paul: There is currently no one in England for whom I would sing.

Q: Many people criticize the presence of Linda on stage.

Paul: Most of the critics say that she is the least good musician of the group. It is a fact. But if people don’t like it, they don’t have to come see us. Does not matter to me. In the group we love her very much. She influences us enormously. Obviously, it’s not Billy Preston! But anyway I would not like to have a great pianist-organist in the group.

Q: Linda, and your children, are they following you on tour?

Paul: Yes, every time. There are many children in our troop, as well as the women of Denny, Henry… For all these children, it is a good education.

Q: How many are you?

Paul: It’s hard to say.

Linda: The group, two women, four children ..

Q: Tell us about the Beatles?

Paul: Every time I do an interview, I hear about it, and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I prefer to talk about Wings. I am part of a new group. If people don’t like it, too bad.

Q: Are you satisfied with this group today?

Paul: Yes, we are improving every day. After our first gig — and it wasn’t that great the first one – one of the lads remarked that we were only two weeks and two days old in terms of playing publicly. Now we’re actually three weeks old and I think we’re actually bloody good for three weeks old, We rock man!

Q: Are you satisfied with your visit to the Olympia?

Paul: It was good.

Q: When will you be playing shows in England and America?

Paul: Very soon. After this tour; but nothing definitive yet.

Q: Does your past harm you vis-à-vis the critics?

Paul: Yes. It is for sure that it is more difficult. Critics always make comparisons to The Beatles. In some time, they will probably forget this chapter.

Q: Hi, Hi, Hi,, will it be your next single?

Paul: Perhaps. If the recording is valid… My Love will undoubtedly be on the next album that we haven’t finished yet.

Q: For how long do you plan to give concerts?

Paul: As long as I live.

Linda: Like Maurice Chevalier..

Paul: Till I’m a hundred. I mean, it’s my job.

Q: Why didn’t you call back?

Paul: Because we don’t feel very well these days. The French cuisine doesn’t really work well for us

Q: What do you think of the T. Rex phenomenon?

Paul: It’s very good; but I never saw the band on stage. I love his records.

Q: And Gilbert O’Sullivan? He says his songs are somewhat inspired by yours.

Paul: Yeah, I like him. I liked “We Will”. He gets there. He really gets at you with his lyrics.

Q: Do you find it easy to compose now – as easy as before?

Paul: Yeah, sometimes, Not always.

Q: Do you always work with Linda, Was My love a joint effort?

Paul: No, My Love is mine. But songs come in all sorts of ways, Sometimes she bungs bits in. I’m composing all the time. I compose on guitar, on the piano, in my bathtub. It is variable.

Q: One could predict that you would end your show with some rock classics.

Paul: Yes, but today we didn’t feel like it!

Last updated on July 30, 2022