Songs that have been too long in the setlist

[mhnso]

Hi Paul
My name is Magnus(Call myself mhnso on Macca-central in case you take a look at that site sometimes). I have been an admirer of your work for a very long time. Also attended some of your concerts. How great these shows are I must confess something to you - I find them just a little bit boring. Whatever happended to the risktaker who always wanted to be one step ahead. Of course it makes people feel warm inside remembering the Beatles and all but....why don t you sometimes get your thumb out of your a-s and play some of your great solowingsstuff that otherwise might be forgotten. Songs like wanderlust, tug of war,HiHi Hi, waterfalls,run devil run, to much rain, mr Bellamey, souvernir, Little willow, Every night - or why not Monkberry moon delight, bakseat of my car or a truckload of other great songs that deserves a better faith than to be rembered only by nerdy people like me.
I understand your point of delivering all these Beatles classics sounding almost the same they did when they were recorded. Because that is what most people pay to hear. But play some smaller venues, you can afford that and deliver something for your hardcore fans. Peole like me who have all kinds of obsessions with your music. The best thing would be if you came home to me and gave a concert in my livingroom. I can understand that could be a bit inconinient but it would be great fun
Thank you for your patience and time
Hope to see you soon

[Mike]

Hello Magnus, now that's a fine Irish name. I do frequent that website you mentioned, in fact my team has been trying to track down the person who runs that site. Haven't decided to have the site closed down or write him a very large cheque. Any suggestions? As per my songs well that's always a difficult one now isn't it. Basically songs are chosen based on what me and the band are comfortable doing. Beatle fans come to our concerts expecting to hear certain songs and so do Wings fans and it's just impossible to try to please everyone. No matter what songs are played, there is someone who wants something different. A few news songs have been added to list recently. For example, Come and Get It. Fans have been urging me to do this one for such a long time and frankly, I got tired of Rusty asking me so, it's in. Never mind that it has never been played live before, I never even recorded it proper either. One day I arrived at the studio on time as usual but me mates, you know, John, George and Ringo were late as usual so I rung up John and he said they'd be a while, so I had this idea for a song and couldn't wait. So I laid down some basic track, the drums, bass, piano and vocals as a demo you know. The other guys still haven't arrived at the studio so I stumbled into Badfinger who just happened to be there and I played the demo to them. Don't know why, but I did offered the song to them and told them do it this way and you'll have a hit. So as the story goes, I produced it for them and yes, it was a hit. During the time of The Beatles Anthology we came across this demo and it was included in the Anthology series. So Rusty and Brian kinda demanded this one be added and we are having fun playing it now. After all what's the point, it has to be fun right. Let me know when you coming to my next gig and I'll say a hello to you.


Please note, the above letter was not written by Paul McCartney and in no manner should be construed as a letter authored by Mr. McCartney. Anything mentioned may not and should be not considered as fact and if it resembles fact, it is by pure co-incidence. This is referring of course to the very large cheque, six figures would be a nice gesture.

[mhnso]

Hello .......
Thank you for your kind answer to my request. Yes I noticed that Come and get if found it s way into the setlist. That was a fine choice of song. Didn t mean any offense calling your show boring -the times I have attended them I have been far from bored. Can also understand the reason behind including all that Beatles material. But it would still be great to hear som of your nexer stuff and the occasinaly rare song. I particulary would enjoy hearing Wanderlust or Waterfalls live. Mainly because they are great songs that deserves a greater audience. Two of us from the Let it be album would be swell to if you must include more Beatles songs
By the way - didn t know Magnus was an irish name. Actually it origins from latin Magnus which means the great which of course have nothing to do with me
Thank s s again

[Girl4Beats]

Mike and Magnus,

I think you guys have gone a little overboard here.

Dear Paul,

Being a die hard McCartney Fan, and all the ones on the Macca Central Forum too, we have a request. We feel it would be in the best interest of us and possibly you, if you would include songs in your concerts that have never been performed live on stage. Oh say, Monkberry Moon Delight, Waterfalls, Wanderlust, songs from the Russian Album, songs from Run Devil Run, Used to Be Bad, Young Boy, Heaven on a Sunday, you know things like that.

I realize the songs from The Beatles are a huge hit with the fans but I consider most of them to be casual fans and not the die hard ones like me and the gang at Macca Central. Don't get the wrong idea, we all love those songs but it does tend to get old real quick especially when sung at all the concerts. Lovely Rita would be a good song. I, myself, would love to hear P.S. I Love You and I do, by the way. Old Siam, I've Had Enough, and Rocky Raccoon. I would love to hear
Please Mr. Postman although that is not a Beatles song nor a song written you but a good song nonetheless.

We are not saying the songs you sing in concert are not good, they are, but Paul you need to "spice" up the line up once in a while and throw in the mix something no one is expecting to hear.

I have been a die hard fan since 1964. and I am sure most of the fans on Macca Central have been also or if not, a long time and we just feel mixing it up a bit more would add more life and variety to the line up. What do you say? Good Idea?

Miki and the Gang from Macca Central

How's that?

[mr h atom]

dear (not)paul, bollucks !
i know you've been spewing that froth so often you can recite it by heart...but the fact is, you are shirking your responsibilites to your own art by pandering to the most average common denominator. don't give me that trollop about 'blahblah-fans want this, blahblah-fans expect that'...fans expect that you will take the on a, to quote larry mullen jr, if i may, a musical journey...and they will go where you take then !

if that lame excuse you like use were true...why ever bother to record new music..? or, why put it out there for 'fans' to buy...? why even bother to add some songs to your list...you've been using that line about the other band memebers for quite sometime: why not wake up out of your self-indused fog and listen..peter buck thinks 'ram' is a great album...why not challenge your audience to find that out for themselves...because they might boo if they don't get 'hey jude' ?

quite with the excuses: this is what the real deal is, paul...you are frightened...frightened that they won't love you...frightened that they will all go on a bathroom break and not come back...so you prostitute your artistc soul to keep 'em in their seats !

does springsteen do this...no...does dave matthews do this...no...does neil young do this...no

sure, they all utilize thier hits, but they don't carry half or more thier show as a solid stack of musical logjam, just lying there, waiting to be overcome...

your buddy robert smith just sold out concert after concert, albeit in smaller venues, but sold out all tickets in minutes...and all they played were their first three albums...albums 25-30 years old...what you are saying, then, with this paltry excuse is that you cannot, as a solo artist, achieve anything even remotely like that..that your fans will not come if you do not suck their teat...and just what does that say about your artistic integrity as a solo artist ?

you think the real beatle fan will be pissed off if all he or she gets is rocky racoon, oh, darlin' or maxwells silver hammer ??

they'd love it, mate !

get over your ego, get with the real world, listen to your mates, change the frikkin' set list...FOR REAL... and rock out, dude !!

oh...and for what it's worth...give that chap mikey a cheque...he does more for your artistic soul and real fan base than all the blokes sittin' on thier arse over there at the ...ahem...real site

your ol' bloke...percy thrillington

[Girl4Beats]

Atom,

Now would you really send something like that to Paul? And it's bullocks not bullucks or however you spelled it. That's the secretary coming out in me.

I liked it but I think you "tarted" it up too much. I think you have to bring it down a few decibles.

We will keep trying.

[chris]

allow me to give it a try...

paul, i'm a big fan. and i am part of a group of big fans. we love your music. and we love to see you live in concert when given the opportunity. we are truly blessed to have seen such amazing gems, written by you, in concert. you have so many great, great songs. it must be incredibly difficult to choose a set list chosen from your huge cache of historically great songs.

i wonder, tho, have you ever considered doing a setlist comprised only of songs you have never done in concert before? the look on the life-long die hard fans faces would be unpeakably incredible to have witnessed such an event. you and your music have made history. you, paul, are history. your music is engrained deep in our soul. and your studio disks continue to push the envelope. but don't stop there, paul. continue to surprise us. continue to do what no one expects you to do. give us a set that will probably be comprised of songs that each and every one of us knows like the back of our own hand. but give us a set of songs you rarely, or never play. that will be your greatest gift to us. your music. every new song we get to hear from you is a blessing. this wonderful holiday season. paul...keep giving. please consider this request that will make all of our lives better. and we will be there for you, paul. we will be cheering you on. we are so grateful to have you. i hope you know and believe that if you did something so groundbreaking, that you will have us as well.

[mr h atom]

what makes you so sure that was me ??

maybe percy is spending a week or two out here in oz, and asked to use my computer...did that ever occur to you ?

but...NNNOOOOO !!!



okay...o.k UNCLE !!

chris' letter is more...appropriate...diplomatic, even...

kinda kissazzy, too, but succinct...

[chris]

hey brother h, sometimes a little bit of schmoozing goes a long way.

i've learned that, in business anyway, you're a lot more likely to get what you want with kindness than pissedoffedness.

but there are times when attitude does work. i wonder if i can get in touch with that percy fellow. he seems to have his sh!t together.

[mr h atom]

let me tell you...the guy eats nothing but those stinky little sardines and vegemite sandwiches...he def-in-ately got some sh!t together !!

i'm guessin' that whole meat eating thing is why he and paul don't see eye to eye, though...never thought of that..!!

lying wanker !

btw , he says that 'band on the run' has been in the setlist too long and that he should replace it with 'bogey music'

who am i to argue