The legendary multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Paul McCartney is one of the best-selling artists of all time, since he sold almost 50 million records on his solo career worldwide and The Beatles are the most successful bands in history. They have sold an estimated amount of more than 600 million records sold worldwide.
He can play almost every instrument, is one of the most influential songwriters that ever existed and can come up with incredible melodies that keep being heard throughout the decades. However, McCartney still gets impressed by other musicians and he even mentioned an American artist who in his opinion, is an amazing composer.
The musician that Paul McCartney said is an amazing composer
The Beatles were active only for 10 years and have released just 12 studio albums, but it was enough to cause a real musical and cultural revolution in the world with their sound and lyrics. The planet wouldn’t have been the same in the past six decades certainly if it wasn’t for the band formed in Liverpool. Rock and Roll certainly would be very different if John, Paul, George and Ringo weren’t musicians.
But obviously, the 60s were a very creative decade in art, but especially in music, so there were many other incredible bands fighting to be heard by millions of music lovers. If someone asks which are the best composers of all time, Paul and John would certainly be frequent answers. However, according to Paul McCartney, the legendary Beach Boys co-founder and mastermind Brian Wilson is an amazing composer that deserves to be more recognized.
In an interview with the Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage) in 2013, he praised Wilson and recalled how emotive he was when he had the chance to finally perform “God Only Knows” with the American musician.
“You know, Brian Wilson sort of proved himself to be like a really amazing composer. I was into chords, harmonies and stuff at that time. We ended up with this kind of rivalry. We put a song out, Brian would hear it and he’d do one.”
“Which is nice, like me and John, you know. We kind of try to top each other all the time. But he eventually came out with ‘God Only Knows’. That was a sound stomper on ‘Pet Sounds’. I just think it’s a great song. Melody, harmonies, words. It’s a great song, I love it. It’s my favorite Beach Boys song.
McCartney continued:
“I got to sing it with Brian once, when we did a benefit (show) together. I was okay at the actual performance, I held it together. But at the rehearsal, at the soundcheck I lost it, because it’s very emotional, this song, I find it. (I was thinking) ‘Oh my god, i’m singing with Brian’, just got me, I couldn’t. And all it is, it’s little vibrations reaching your music, it’s only little vibrations, little words and little things. There is this powerful effect, you know,” McCartney said.
McCartney inducted Brian Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Paul McCartney inducted Brian Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame back in 2000 and praised the musician once again in his speech. (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage) “In the 60s, particularly, he wrote some music that when I played it, it made me cry and I don’t quite know why.”
“Wasn’t necessarily the words of the music, it’s just something so deep in it. But there’s only certain pieces of music that can do this to me. Just reach it right down in me. I think it’s a sign of a great genius, to be able to do that with a bunch of words and a bunch of notes.”
He continued:
“This man, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, that’s for sure. So, thank you, sir, for everything you’ve done for me. For making me cry, for having that thing you can do with your music. You just put those notes, those harmonies together. Put a couple of words over the top of it and you’ve got me anyday,” Paul McCartney said.
The Beach Boys started one year after The Beatles, in 1961. They remained active ever since but Wilson wasn’t always part of the band due to his battle against schizoaffective disorder. They have sold and estimated amount of more than 100 million records worldwide.