The multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Paul McCartney helped to form the Beatles in 1960 and was an important part of the band’s musicianship, that made them the most successful group of all time, with an estimated amount of more than 600 million records sold worldwide.
Their records inspired countless bands over the decades and he had the opportunity to see many other legendary artists appear on the scene. McCartney gave his opinion on many of them, including the late singer and guitarist Prince.
What is Paul McCartney’s opinion on Prince
In an TV interview back in 1989 (Made available by C.L. Community – Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage), when Prince already had 11 studio albums released, Paul McCartney gave his opinion on him. “I like Prince, he is probably my favorite modern act. I went to see his concert at Wembley, it was good. (What I like) about Prince, he is an innovator and he doesn’t go the way that everyone goes.”
“He seems to stand out from the crowd, He looks good, he dances good, he sings great, plays great guitar and I like a lot of his songs. I like a lot of his albums, even the ones that kind of don’t do that well, you know,” Paul McCartney said.
Besides being a Prince fan, the Beatle was also influenced by the American artist, as he said on his Twitter back in 2018. He was asked during a Questions and Answers session about the artist being an inspiration for tracks like “Hunt You Down” from “Egypt Station” (2018) and “If You Wanna” from “Flaming Pie” (1997)
“I can’t think of other songs he has inspired. But those two definitely. I was always a big fan, I went to see him in concert a few times and wrote to him saying how much I enjoyed his guitar playing particularly. I met him a few times.”
“The last time was a couple of years ago, (on) New Year’s, when he played a New Year’s gig. I’ve always been a big fan,” Paul McCartney said.
Paul McCartney paid tribute to Prince live in concert when performing at Minneapolis, his hometown
Prince started his musicial career in 1975 and remained active until his death in 2016. He died back in April, 2016 at the age of 57 after an accidental overdose of fentanyl. One month after his passing, Paul McCartney performed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is Prince’s hometown. The Beatle played a snippet of the track “Let’s Go Crazy”, from Prince’s classic album “Purple Rain” (1984). “Prince, Minneapolis. It goes together. (This show is for) the late, great Prince,” Paul McCartney told the crowd that night.
One month before on his social networks, right after Prince’s death, he had already paid tribute to him, saying: “Saddened by Prince’s death. Proud to have seen in the New Year with him. He seemed fine and played brilliantly funky music. God bless this creative giant. Thanks Prince. Love X Paul”.
Prince is one of the best-selling artists of all time with an estimated amount of more than 100 million records sold worldwide.
Paul McCartney loved so much Prince’s sound that he once hired a musician that worked with the American artist
In his book “The Lyrics: 1956 to the present” released in 2021. McCartney said that when he was working on his eight solo album “Flowers In The Dirt” (1989), especially in the song “Distractions”, he felt like the track needed a “certain pizazz”.
“I’d written ‘Distractions’ on guitar and could see it needed an arrangement to really take off. I’d heard one of Prince’s arrangements on ‘Sign o’ the Times’, his album of 1987. (I) saw that the arranger was someone named Clare Fischer; that was the only name. I assumed it was a very talented woman who had worked such magic for Prince,” Paul McCartney said.
It turns out that Clare Fischer was actually a middle-aged man and McCartney got in contact with him. He ended up working with the Beatle in the track. Fischer continued to work for more than two decades with Prince.
Prince played on Geroge Harrisson’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction
Besides being a huge popstar, Prince was also known for being an incredible guitarist, being included many times on lists of the best of all time. He was able to perform a Beatles classic song live, but one written by Paul’s bandmate George Harrison.
He was invited to join artists like Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison (George’s son) and Steve Winwood on stage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2004 when George was posthumously inducted. That presentation became known as one of the greatest performances that happened at the Rock Hall. Prince was also inducted into in that same year.