New to DVD “Live Kisses” captures Paul McCartney performing the songs from his acclaimed “Kisses On The Bottom” album live from the legendary Capitol Studios in Hollywood. Paul is joined by a virtuoso group of musicians led by Diana Krall on the piano in these sparkling renditions of classic songs from the American songbook and the wonderful new song “My Valentine”. In between the songs there are interview clips with Paul, Diana Krall and many of those involved in the recording of the “Kisses On The Bottom” album. This is an intimate and charming performance which adds yet another facet to Paul McCartney’s already broad canvas of talents. Here Paul talks about recording the album. 

Paul McCartney knows his way around a pop song. Now, for something completely different, he’s gone back to the tunes he first heard as a child in Liverpool to record an album of jazz standards. The catch is that the tunes aren’t the obvious tracks from the Great American Songbook that widely et done to death. With Dianna Krall in tow, McCartney dug deeper and found a song or too from the period not so widely know. He also managed to sneak on board a couple of his own. The album is called Kisses On The Bottom. It’s nothing saucy, just a nod to Fats Waller.

“Tradition in Liverpool family was the singsongs,” explains McCartney of his inspiration. “I always loved these songs. Dad was a piano player. I wanted to do them, but I never got around to it. We [The Beatles] were writing Sgt. Pepper, The White Album and new stuff… every time I came to this album someone else would do it. I kept saying, “well I can’t do it now, it’ll look like I’m jumping on the bandwagon.” But then I realized, I’d just do it and not worry about the market.”

Alongside Bye Bye Blackbird and It’s Only A Paper Moon, McCartney has covered the likes of I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter and The Glory Of Love.

“The direction of the album is not a direction anyone else would take,” he coninues. “The songs are not as well known as others. I didn’t even know some of them before this album, but that’s what happened in the end.”

A big influence on the album, at least in terms of the vocals, was all round song and dance man, Fred Astaire. 

“Yeah, I think Fred Astaire was just this fantastic character from that era,” confirms McCartney. “I remember in the ‘60s when we were making Sgt. Pepper, I used to ask if they could make my jackets like Fred Astaire, he had very slick sleeves, and I wanted one. Musically, his vocal style is very interesting. Everybody thought he was lazy except the songwriters. He had this voice I wanted to try to get near. It’s like a little voice. I tried that. That became a big part of the signature of this album. Some of the stylistic things came from the people of that era. Have you seen the new film The Artist? That’s the era I love. An era for style.”

When it came to record the album, much of the work was done in LA at the famed Capitol Building. 

“When I came in, I didn’t know how to do it,” says the singer. “We’re in Capitol Studios, iconic to Nat King Cole and Sinatra… all these guys recorded here. I found it a little bit intimidating. We chose a song, very organically. Didn’t make it too stiff. I was using a big voice, “Heaven, I’m in heaven” (he starts singing very loudly), it made me feel very uncomfortable.”

The key to getting the album right was channeling his old hero, Fred.

“If you listen careful, you’ll hear Fred Astaire. I decided to use this littler voice. I’m not very good about it. That’s what we wanted to do, get in the room. We’d say, what song do you want to do? We’d pull up chords and lyrics. Tommy Li Puma (his producer) sat in the room, usually they’re not in the actual room, but he was. It became more intimate. We’d figure it out, kick it around and then record it. Then what you get is something really fresh. I think that’s why I had so much fun doing it. It was just made up on the spot. No preconceived ideas. I think we all felt we contributed.

Asked to choose a favourite tune on the album, McCartney plugs for his own ‘My Valentine’. On first listen the song already sounds like a ‘standard’.

“Because it’s kind of the newest for me,” he says of his fondness for the song. “I really had a lot of fun with Eric (Clapton) doing the solo on it. Again, he just came up with the solo… (whistles tune) I like that. Of the old songs I also love “Bye Bye Blackbird” because normally you get (begins singing) but Tommy’s idea was to slow it right down, which I was a bit dubious about at first, but I think it works. It was very similar to how The Beatles worked. Bring it in, kick it around, and record it. The fact I was working with great jazz musicians, it’s really cool to just say to the guys, ‘let’s just go from the bass,” and the guy’s an unbelievable player, so he knows exactly what to play, which really worked.

Another high profile guest on the album is Stevie Wonder, who appears on the album’s other McCartney original.

“We had this song, “Only Our Hearts” which is very ‘30s-’40s genre, that I’d written on purpose to be in that style. The producer said, “What about Stevie” and I was like “Wow.” It was a bit in left field. He agreed to come along, I met him after recording all those years ago, I’ve seen him off and on, but to record with him, we hadn’t done it in a while. But he’s such a genius. That’s one of the great things about this album. Everyone is such a great musician.”

The album Kisses On The Bottom is out now through Universal, the concert film Live Kisses is out now through Shock. 

ENDS