Paul McCartney

Source: Speak Up

Standard: British accent

Language level: Basic

Paul McCartney

In recent years Sir Paul has been in the news on account of his traumatic relationship with Heather Mills. Now he’s back in the news, but for a better reason: he has released a new album, Memory Almost Full. It’s intended as a tribute to his first wife, Linda, who died of cancer in 1998. McCartney says she was the one true love of his life.

STARBUCKS!

Memory Almost Full is released through a new record label, Starbuck Hear Music, and is on sale worldwide through their coffee shops. Starbucks already sells compilations CDs through their shops, but McCartney is the first artist to sign to their record label. The title of his new album is an anagram of “For my soul mate LLM” (Linda Louise McCartney); the album also includes songs inspired by his recent painful divorce from Healther Mills.

Some youngsters have never heard of the Beatles, but back in the 1960s, these four lads from Liverpool – John, Paul, George, and Ringo – formed world’s most famous pop group: the Beatles. They had 20 US hits singles: their concerts were occasions of mass hysteria as their fans screamed so loud no one could hear the band. The Beatles gave their last live concert in 1966. The band split up in 1970. John Lennon, the most outspoken member of The Beatles, caused a scandal when he suggested the Beatles were more famous than Jesus, watch one of their early films, A Hard Day’s Night of Help! To get an idea of this crazy time.

YESTERDAY…

According to the Guiness Book of Records, McCartney is the most successful musician ever: more than 2.000 singers have recorded his song “Yesterday.” McCartney seems to have endless energy: in recent years he has released modern classical pieces (such as last year’s “Behold My Heart”): he’s organised art exhibitions of his paintings; and he’s published his poetry. He certainly isn’t stopping now: McCartney toured with his band to promote his new album, and appeared at Al Gore’s Live Earth concert in July.

Going Solo

McCartney formed the group wings after the break-up of the Beatles in 1970. As a solo artist, his career has been incredibly successful. He sang hit duets with Stevie Wonder (“Ebony and Ivory”) and Michael Jackson (“The Girl is Mine”),and starred at Live 8 with U2 – they performed the song “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” which became the latest hit single of all time: released just 45 minutes after their performance, it was an immediate hit around the world.