Paul and Heather Mills news

McCARTNEY BEGS PETA TO KEEP FIGHTING

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY has urged animal rights campaigners never to give up fighting, insisting they can change the world and the underdog can win.

The former BEATLE and staunch vegetarian has worked tirelessly for years to try and coax people away from meat and is a fierce proponent of People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals' campaigns against fur and the mistreatment of animals.

In an interview to celebrate the charity's 25th anniversary, McCartney encourages campaigners to keep fighting and beat the odds.

He says, "Remember all the things in the past that seemed insurmountable. Remember (MOHANDAS) GANDHI in India. It seemed like he could never do it - one man in a loin cloth taking on the might of the British Empire-impossible. But he did it. He won.

"The abolition of slavery, that looked like it would never happen. Civil rights looked like it would never arrive, but it did. South Africa's apartheid looked like it would never end. (NELSON) MANDELA being head of a nation like South Africa, which was so white and prejudiced-it would have been unbelievable when I went to school.

"All of us get a little worn down by it, but the truth is, we are winning. We will win in the same way that people now do have civil rights. We are learning to understand these issues."

9/8/2005

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/mccartney%20begs%20peta%20to%20...

August 11, 2005 -- The Mirror

Heather Sighting

Heather Mills McCartney was spotted buying clothes for Paul's forthcoming world tour at trendy Brighton tailor Gresham Blake.

August 12, 2005 -- Contact Music

McCARTNEY CAN'T GET OVER LOST BEATLES

Sir Paul McCartney is still grieving for the loss of fellow Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison, as he sees imagery of the Fab Four wherever he goes.

The British rocker's bereavement will always be close to the surface, as he will never be allowed to forget the untimely deaths of his songwriting partner Lennon, who was shot in 1980, and Harrison, who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2001.

He says, "We can't last forever and one of us has got to go first, and another one's got to go second. Now it's very sad, just me and Ringo left.

"It particularly hits me when I'm asked to sign a picture, and it's always the four of us.

"Suddenly there's a little jolt, 'cos I just see two of the guys there: John and George. Oh. F**k. It's just sad. Like any bereavement."

NEWSPAPER APOLOGISES FOR 'MISCARRIAGE' STORY

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY has received an apology from a British newspaper which falsely claimed his wife had suffered a miscarriage.

The former BEATLE and HEATHER MILLS-McCARTNEY were described as grief-stricken and struggling to cope with the loss of an unborn baby in an article published in The People on 26 June (05).

The publication has agreed to donate a substantial amount of money to a charity of the McCartneys' choice and to pay their legal costs.

14/08/2005

Bassist turned comic mocks the stars he backed

EDINBURGH - Bass guitarist Guy Pratt has backed some of the world's biggest rock acts, and his comedy routine at the Edinburgh Fringe presents a cast of famous characters whose behavior borders on the bizarre.

"Pink Floyd had an ambience coordinator who had two jobs; to obtain narcotics and look after your parents when they came on tour," Pratt said at the world's largest arts festival where acts include The Lady Boys of Bangkok and Puppetry of the Penis.

The bassist for hire with a sardonic take on the rock scene said of Madonna:

"She was incredibly musical and could talk to musicians in terms they could understand as opposed to Tina Turner, who would say things like 'Could you make it more purple?"'

Pratt, who worked with Madonna on her "Like a Prayer" album, portrays her almost as a cartoon character with a real scream of a speaking voice.

"She does have one of those voices at New York waitress frequency 'You want coffee with that?' It is the sort of thing that goes right through," he told Reuters.

Michael Jackson is not given a good press in the show by Pratt, who played on his hit single "Earth Song" but never got to meet him in the studio as, for some bizarre reason, the reclusive star hid behind the mixing desk to issue instructions.

"I must admit, he doesn't come out too well but who cares. Earth Song was his biggest hit in Europe and I never got paid for doing it."

Pratt, who flew into Edinburgh after touring with Bryan Ferry, is not surprised that rock stars take themselves so seriously.

"You have a one-man conversation with the world for so long. You never hear anything you don't want to hear. You can start believing any old nonsense and it is going to get to anyone after a while.

"Bono's words of advice to the Stereophonics when they were starting out are a classic. He told them 'Next time you go out for dinner, have a look around the table and if everyone is on your payroll, the chances are you have become a pr**k."

Pratt wanted to be a bass player since he was 12 years old practicing in front of the mirror.

And he refused to be discouraged by the world's most famous exponent of the art.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney once said, and Pratt plays the tape in his show: "None of us wanted to be the bass player. In our minds he was the fat guy who always played at the back."

At 43, Pratt keeps his feet firmly on the ground and could never be accused of delusions of grandeur amid all the rock bombast and hype.

"It is essentially a very childish profession," he admitted.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=13302

August 15, 2005 -- Sunday Express

Paul McCartney returns to the "Mull of Kintrye"

Neighbors of Paul's farm are bemused that he has decided on this time of year to spend a while in Scotland given his strong feelings about the areas other inhabitants - midges!

Paul has not been to his High Park Farm for two years and last time he stayed he complained that the pesky creatures drove him mad.

He said then " Everything's great at the farm except the midges. You must go indoors around five o'clock or they bite you to death."

Says one local " I hope he's covered himself and his family with insect repellent. The place is alive with midges at the moment."

Fiddler virtuoso Clements dead at 77
Tuesday, August 16, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- Vassar Clements, a fiddle virtuoso and A-list studio musician who played with Paul McCartney and an array of others, died at his home Tuesday after a battle with lung cancer, his daughter said.

Clements, 77, was hospitalized for 18 days earlier this year, receiving chemotherapy and other treatment.

"He had no quality of life since he'd been diagnosed," said daughter Midge Cranor, who added that the cancer had spread to his liver and brain.

Clements' last performance was February 4 in Jamestown, New York, Cranor said.

His work bridged a variety of styles, including country, jazz, bluegrass, rock 'n' roll and classical.

"When the rhythm is good, I can play it," he told The Associated Press in a 1988 interview .

During his career, he recorded on more than 2,000 albums, joining artists as varied as McCartney, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, the Grateful Dead, Bruce Hornsby, Hank Williams Jr., the Byrds, Woody Herman and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Clements, a Kinard, South Carolina, native who grew up in Kissimmee, Florida, also recorded more than two dozen albums of his own.

The 2005 Grammy for best country instrumental performance went to "Earl's Breakdown," by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Clements, Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs and Jerry Douglas.

He even once recorded with the Monkees -- by happenstance. He was working on a recording session when someone asked him if he wanted to stay and play on another one.

"I didn't know until later it was the Monkees," he said.

Clements, who appeared in Robert Altman's 1975 film "Nashville," taught himself to play at age 7 and had no formal training. The first song he learned was "There's an Old Spinning Wheel in the Parlor."

"It was God's gift, something born in me," he said about his talent. "I was too dumb to learn it any other way. I listened to the (Grand Ole) Opry some. I'd pick it up one note at a time. I was young, with plenty of time and I didn't give up. You'd come home from school, do your lessons and that's it. No other distractions.

"I don't read music. I play what I hear."

He was employed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a year in the mid-1960s, working on plumbing. At various times, he also worked in a Georgia paper mill, was a switchman for Atlantic Coast Railroad, sold insurance and had a potato chip franchise.

But music was always part of his life.

"I'd always play. Square dances, anything," he said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/16/obit.clements.ap/index.html

August 22, 2005

Fae gets a kiss from McCartney

Fae Currie was congratulated by two legends of the pop world when she graduated from a theatrical school.

The 19-year-old, from Nailsea, was presented with her diploma by former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, who also planted a kiss on her cheek.And also at the ceremony to offer his best wishes was Robin Gibb, who formed The Bee Gees with his brothers Maurice and Barry.

Fae, who is making a name for herself as a singer and dancer, graduated from the Liverpool Institute Of Performing Arts. The institute was Sir Paul's old school, which he saved from being demolished by ploughing large sums of money into a regeneration program.

Fae said: "Sir Paul kissed me on the cheek after handing over the diploma certificate and they both wished me all the best for the future.

"I intend to keep working hard because I would love to appear in a famous musical in London's West End."

Fae began her dancing and singing career at the age of three with Bristol School Of Dancing's Nailsea and Backwell branch. She will start a three-year dance and drama course at Liverpool Theatre School later this year.

August 22, 2005 -- NY Post

Meet the baby Beatle

Paul McCartney gabs on his cellphone while biking with 22-month old Beatrice in tow in East Hampton. Sir Paul also took his little cutie to play at a local jungle jim. His 20th album since splitting from the Beatles - "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" is out September 13.

Gawker Stalker: Paul McCartney Drags Baby From Bike

I saw Paul McCartney and the fam biking down Main St. in Amagansett on Sunday. The baby was with him in one of those attached seats and wifey was trailing behind. Anyway, Paul looked like, well, Paul. His hair didn’t have that shoepolish-color look, so that’s an improvement.

http://www.gawker.com/news/stalker/gawker-stalker-paul-mccartney-drags-baby-from-bike-1...

Paul tot's revolutions

Day tripper ... Macca takes baby Beatrice for a ride
Picture: SPLASH

SIR Paul McCartney hits a long and winding road — with his baby daughter in tow.

Macca, 63, even found time to take a call on his mobile as he pedalled along with little Beatrice Milly snug behind him in a trailer.

The ex-Beatle and wife Heather, 37, relaxed with the tot at a play park in the Hamptons, New York.

And 22-month-old Beatrice lapped up the attention like a real baby madonna.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005390864,00.html

August 28, 2005 -- Billboard(Reuters)

Q&A: Paul McCartney

Doing the garden? Digging the weeds? Who could ask for more? But don't expect Paul McCartney to slow down like that when he's 64. Just one year shy of the milestone he once immortalized in song, McCartney is gearing up for the release of his 20th album of his post-Beatles career and a major U.S. tour. The album, "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," arrives Sept. 13 from Capitol Records in the United States and from EMI worldwide. McCartney's US Tour, as he calls it, opens Sept. 16 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. But this Liverpudlian knight of the realm does not confine himself to the typical album-tour-album-tour cycle. Last summer, McCartney took the stage at Britain's renowned Glastonbury Festival and played a set in tribute to his deceased former bandmates, John Lennon and George Harrison.

In February, he played the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Fla. And when called to join the global consciousness-raising of Live 8 in July, McCartney was there front and center. In another creative sphere, on Oct. 4 McCartney will publish "High in the Clouds," his collaboration with author Philip Ardagh and animator Geoff Dunbar for Penguin Young Readers Group. But for McCartney's longtime fans, the focus first is always on his music.

On "Chaos," the artist resumed the role of multi-instrumentalist that distinguished "McCartney," his first post-Beatles project -- released precisely 35 years ago -- and the "McCartney II" set exactly a decade later. Adding zest to McCartney's challenge, this is his first studio set in four years, after the 2001 release of "Driving Rain," which was a modest performer in the marketplace by McCartney's exacting standards. In conversation with Billboard on the eve of the release of "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," McCartney emphasizes that the only challenges he now needs are the ones he sets himself. Prior to this interview, Billboard heard an advance copy of the new album that was credited with a pseudonym for security.

Q: I sense that people are surprised that this is your 20th solo album.

PAUL: I'm kind of surprised, because I don't count how many I've done; I just do the next one, and love it. There're always people who say, "Did you know it's 40 years since the Beatles?," and I go, "Get away." Or "You've done 3,000 gigs." I say, "Never." Of course the more we go on, the more it mounts up. But it really doesn't matter to me whether it's the 30th or the 3,000th. But at the same time it's kind of impressive.

Q: How did your initial meeting with producer Nigel Godrich go?

PAUL: Our ideas were surprisingly similar. I said, "I'm going to make a great record." I thought instead of saying, "I would like to make a good record," I'm going to put some pressure on myself and motivate myself. And he said, "If I do it with you, it's got to be you." I suggested a couple of possible things I was listening to that we might draw off. And he said, "No, we've got enough to draw off. That's what people want: an album that sounds like you." So we decided to do two weeks at Rak Studios to see if we could work together or if we hated each other. Sure enough, we got on very well. First week, I came in with my live band, thinking that might be the way we'd go. But he started to intimate toward the end of the week that he wanted, as he put it, to take me out of my safety zone, to do something different.

Q: In what way?

PAUL: He said, "I like the way you play drums." I said, "I've got one of the world's greatest drummers in Abe (Laboriel)." He said, "Yeah, but it might be a bit safe. You know these guys, they know you. I'd like to try something out." I love playing drums. I love knocking about on a lot of instruments. I may not be the world's greatest drummer, but I've got a feel that he liked. I remember Elvis Costello talking to me about the feel I had on drums. So that turned out to be the feel, and I had to say to the guys in the band, "Look, we'll be playing this live, but I hope you understand." They were really cool about it, and we set off on the road.

Q: You mention Costello, who you collaborated with on (the 1989 album) "Flowers in the Dirt," and this feels like it could be your best record since that one. Is there a link, in terms of bringing somebody new in who was prepared to tell you good things and bad things?

PAUL: I think that's probably true, yeah. Someone you respect who has their own respect in the community and who is forthright enough to say, "No, we can do better than that." The funny thing is, I always like that, but what happens is when you reach a certain position, people will naturally, in a way, assume that whatever you say goes. But in a lot of the areas I work, like tours and in the office, if you were able to look in on a meeting of mine, it'd be, "OK, who's got a good idea? What do we do now?" I really like teamwork.

Q: When you meet new people, not just in work but socially, you must have to take the lead. You must be aware that an awful lot of people are completely daunted by meeting you at all.

PAUL: It's true, yeah. It'd be like when I met Phil Everly. He was such a figure from my youth that I went all daft and said, "Err, I used to be you ... John was Don ...," and all the most stupid things, and he got thoroughly embarrassed. But I am very aware of that, even to people at the newspaper shop. I do a sort of Liverpool thing, which is (jokingly), "Look here, I don't want any trouble off you," or whatever. I'll be in their face, and they'll go, "Oh, he's just ordinary," and we soon get at ease. It comes in handy in situations like that. People always expect you to be riding around in stretch limousines all the time, but I will sometimes take public transport if it's convenient, and it does surprise people, you see the heads turn. I was in New York and I needed to get uptown, so I took one of the uptown buses. A few people noticed, and this black lady said, "Hey, you Paul McCartney?," and started getting quite loud. I said, "Yeah, but I don't want any trouble off you, babe," and she laughed. I said, "If you're going to talk to me, come over here, sit by me." So she did, and I heard her entire history, how she was going to visit her sister and all this stuff.

Q: Another tour coming up in the States suggests that you're having a good time now.

PAUL: The end of my last American tour, promoters were saying, "We could still take more, do longer." Because I don't really go out for much longer than three months, I find I get bored and it really becomes a slog. Three months at the rate we tour, which is pretty much one gig, then a day off, is pretty leisurely compared to how we used to work.

Q: Are you planning on any more "new old" songs onstage?

PAUL: Yeah, I found a few, I must say, which will be surprises. That's one of the great pleasures now, because I used to resist Beatles songs. It was as if I was just trading on the past. But I realized audiences loved them. They didn't mind you doing that -- in fact just the opposite. But I found that on the last American tour, things like "Hello Goodbye," that I'd never sung live before, was very entertaining for me and the audience. So that became a big plus. I've got a few songs I did in Europe that I've never done on American soil, and I'm thinking of a couple of others I've not done before, so it means they're very fresh.

McCARTNEY + MORISSETTE USE ALIASES TO FOOL PIRATES + THIEVES

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY, FAITH HILL, ALANIS MORISSETTE and DEPECHE MODE are among the huge acts using aliases in a bid to make sure their new albums get to critics at newspapers and magazines.

Music industry bigwigs fear the bigger stars' preview albums are being swiped by interns and pirated weeks before their release dates.

So, McCartney's upcoming album has been credited to PETE MITCHELL, while Hill, Morissette and Depeche Mode are sending out their albums as FERN HOLLOWAY, ARTHUR MOORE and BLACK SWARM respectively, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Publicist MITCH SCHNEIDER, who represents both Morissette and Depeche Mode, says, "It is really a practical thing for protection when there are people walking by desks wanting to take things."

But the publicists admit their alias plan is far from flawless - some critics, who are inundated with albums to review, give unknown artists' albums away or discard them.

Geffen Records publicist JIM MERLIS explains, "You can actually out-clever yourself in these situations."

29/08/2005

http://contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/mccartney%20+%20morissette%20use%20...

McCartney's publishing catalog is a pop treasury

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Paul McCartney founded MPL Communications, one of the world's biggest privately owned music publishing companies, as the home to his solo compositions following the 1970 breakup of the Beatles.

And while MPL -- the acronym stands for "McCartney Productions Ltd." -- has certainly focused on McCartney's work, it has grown to represent almost a century of copyrights from the likes of Buddy Holly, Jerry Herman, Frank Loesser, Meredith Willson and Harold Arlen.

MPL's catalog holdings include Nor-Va-Jak (which contains many of Holly's songs), Desilu Music (Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball's company), Edwin H. Morris & Co. (a major standards catalog), Meredith Willson Music and Frank Music (which includes songs by Loesser).

"We've been predominantly a catalog company, and catalog is still the cornerstone of the company and will still be in the future since there's no substitute for incredible standards and classic songs that are timeless," says Bill Porricelli, senior VP of promotion and new product development.

"But we felt we needed a new dimension in the last few years, so we signed a couple of staff writers, Russ DeSalvo and Martin Briley, and they've had some good success with us in film projects and various artist covers -- and have added a new dimension to the company."

Porricelli notes that MPL has been "very successful and consistent" in working with movie studios, TV producers, ad agencies and sheet music companies in exploiting its copyrights. Recent noteworthy catalog placements in films have included MPL songs "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Route 66" in "Ray"; "After You've Gone," "Bugle Call Rag" and "Milenburg Joys" in "The Aviator"; "Sitting on Top of the World" in "Cold Mountain"; "Grazing in the Grass" in "Anchorman"; "Unchained Melody" in "Alfie"; and "The Christmas Song" in "Christmas With the Kranks."

Upcoming film placements include "It's So Easy" in "Brokeback Mountain" and "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" in "The Matador."

But MPL is seeking newer means of exposing its catalog besides traditional methods.

"Like every publisher, we're taking a more proactive approach to the new media," Porricelli says, "which is very critical. We're in the process of redoing our Web site to make it more user friendly for industry people and fans alike in acquiring information. And you can license MPL material on the Internet. There will be links to our sheet music partners like Hal Leonard, and if you want to buy Paul McCartney CDs, you can do that through the Web site as well."

Porricelli also cites increased licensing of MPL copyrights to ringtone companies.

"Every publisher has to look at alternate means of revenue, and with new media it seems another market is opening up every few months -- and we want to be part of it," he says.

But he adds that the company is still geared toward more traditional means of promotion.

"It's very important to put out promotional samplers of both our new and existing and recognizable songs," he says. "We've received so much good response in the past (with samplers) and continue to do them on a regular basis to keep our songs in people's consciousness and introduce new material to the industry."

Porricelli notes that there's "only a couple handfuls of really exceptional projects every year" in film and TV production, "and every publisher desperately wants to be part of them. We rely on our relationships, but we also need to stay ahead of the curve and know about things right from the outset since competition is so stiff on these special licensing opportunities."

Nowhere is this more important at MPL than with its founder's catalog. MPL for the first time just placed a McCartney song in a TV commercial. "Fine Line" -- the first single from McCartney's album "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," which bows September 13 via Capitol Records -- is part of a national Lexus campaign that began in late August.

"Having a national spot with Lexus gives us enormous exposure and gets more people aware of the album and tour, which MTV and VH1 simply can't do at this point due to the nature of their programing," says Porricelli, who notes that Lexus is sponsoring McCartney's ensuing U.S. tour."

But MPL also wants to maintain its successful record of placing McCartney catalog copyrights in major films like "Jerry Maguire" ("Junk"), "50 First Dates" ("Another Day") and "The In-Laws" ("Live and Let Die," "I'm Carrying" and "A Love for You").

The company recently produced "Listen to What the Man Said," a 20-song McCartney sampler spanning the writer's entire post-Beatles career up to his last album, 2001's "Driving Rain."

Porricelli says McCartney's catalog has potential beyond placement in film and TV. He points to Jenn Cuneta's dance hit "Come Rain Come Shine," which employed a rare McCartney-authorized usage of "Silly Love Songs" -- with producers Andy & the Lamboy sharing co-writing credit with Paul and Linda McCartney.

"They did a completely new lyric and turned ("Silly Love Songs") into a dance track," Porricelli says. "Paul liked it a lot and gave them authorization to release it. But it's basically 'Silly Love Songs' with a new lyric, so we experiment with new things now and we're much more open to licensing opportunities that make sense."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050829/music_nm/mccartney_publishing_dc;_ylt=AtyPPRaMGZig....

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Paul McCartney donates item for Sayre Theatre fundraiser
08/29/2005

"Paul McCartney does not give his signature away easily. We are very lucky," reported Deborah Bonn-Brown of the Ribbons of Hope Foundation. She was reporting to the committee that is organizing the "Gala of the Stars Day" at the Sayre Theatre.

Not only did Paul McCartney respond to the Ribbons of Hope Foundation request, but Barbara Streisand, Tiger Woods and John Glenn sent signed Beanie Babies for the Celebrity Auction part of the Gala. It is anticipated that by Sept. 24, there will be almost 150 celebrity items for sale. Letters of authenticity will be provided for each item.
The Saturday, Sept. 24, "Gala of the Stars Day," an all-day event, will offer food, entertainment, authors signing books and numerous opportunities to purchase items contributed by national celebrities. Starting at 10 a.m., the outdoor event will end at 4 p.m. With Elmer Avenue closed, people will wander between entertainment and an auction in Guthrie Square and authors, sports figures and attractions under a tent in the lot next to the Sayre Theatre. Food will be provided by numerous restaurants and caterers from the Valley area.
The highlight of the "Gala of the Stars Day" will be an evening event starting at 6:30 p.m. Items donated to support the Sayre Theatre will be auctioned between presentations by well-known celebrities and regional entertainers. The nationally known group Mynx, local fiddler Laura Orshaw and others are donating their time to benefit the theater.
To attend the evening event, supporters will purchase Gold, Silver and Red tickets by making donations of $100, $50 and $25 respectively. The more expensive the ticket the closer to the front. In addition, the Gold Ticket purchasers will be invited to participate in the "Golden Hour" between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. During this time, the Gold Ticket holders will be able to meet the celebrities while enjoying food and drink. Only 65 Gold tickets are available for sale at the Sayre Theatre or by calling the Bradford County Regional Arts Council at (570) 268-2787.
Recently the committee was thrilled to hear that James Earl Jones will be attending the gala courtesy of Verizon. Not only a famous actor and the voice of Darth Vader, Jones will read, sign books and speak at the indoor event, starting at 6:30 p.m. Sayre Theatre Manager Margie Ross commented, "It seems like every week we hear of new excitement or response from celebrities. Last week, James Earl Jones agreeing to attend, this week a signed beanie baby from Paul McCartney!"

http://www.thedailyreview.com/site/news.cfm...114090&BRD=2276&PAG=461&dept_id=465049&rfi=6