Paul’s Television Performances - Info

1.  Heart of the Country Promo Video - 1971

Two 16mm promotional films for the Ram album songs - Heart of the Country and 3 Legs - were made in support of Ram. They were produced by McCartney and edited by Ray Benson, who had previously worked on The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour film.

Both clips contained mute footage in which audio was added later, and shot on the McCartney’s High Park Farm in Kintyre, Scotland, and on a beach just a few days before the promos were screened on the BBC's Top of the Pops, on 24 June 1971.

2.  Up Close - 1992

On December 10, 1992 Paul returned to the scene of The Beatles’ historic live American TV debut on February 9, 1964:  the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. Paul says during the beginning of the show, “I got the strangest feeling of déjà vu. I feel like I’ve been here, I don’t know what it was, some previous life, probably!”

The purpose was to present both his new album (Off the Ground) and to promote a new tour. The occasion was a new show of MTV, following the hugely successful Unplugged series: Up Close.

Two consecutive days Paul and his band (Linda, Hamish, Blair, Robbie and Wix); play the same show for the 750 attendants. There are two electric sets, with an acoustic set in the middle. For the final four songs Paul takes place at his Yamaha piano. Apart from nine new songs from Off The Ground, there are three Beatles songs that had never played live before: ‘Fixing a Hole,’ ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘Michelle’. Also noteworthy are the new arrangements of two more Beatles songs: ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ is presented in a Country style, while the Bo Diddley beat of ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ is accentuated.

3.  Back to the Egg TV Special - 1979

The Back to the Egg TV Special was a program containing music videos to promote the band Wings' 1979 album Back to the Egg. The program was first broadcast on US television stations in November 1979, but its UK airing, on BBC1, was delayed until June 1981, two months after the band disbanded. The locations used for filming include Lympne Castle and Camber Sands, both on the south-east coast of England.

The videos for "Goodnight Tonight" – a song that had been a non-album single shortly before the release of Back to the Egg – and "Baby's Request" were issued on The McCartney Years DVD box set in 2007.

4.  Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road - 2005

McCartney returns to his 'creative backyard,' Abbey Road, with Paul McCartney: Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road, an intimate, concert exclusive. The one-hour special finds the legendary singer-songwriter back at Abbey Road's Studio 2, the cavernous room where Chaos and many of the Beatles' most famous records were made. Performing solo before a small group of fans and friends, McCartney offers songs and reminiscences about the Beatles' years, selections from his recent Grammy-nominated Album of the Year, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, and a fascinating look at how various musical effects were achieved in both the early Beatles albums and on Chaos.

Viewers are treated to a virtual one-man McCartney band, as he plays right and left-handed guitars, drums, harmonium, bass, Mellotron, and even wine goblets. Fans will particularly enjoy the stories and the performances, which include McCartney's rendition of one of the first song's ever recorded by the Beatles, 'In Spite of All the Danger,' as well as Beatles classics 'Blackbird' 'Lady Madonna,' and 'I've Got a Feeling,' Wings' 'Band on the Run' and new songs from Chaos And Creation In The Backyard, 'Jenny Wren,' 'English Tea,' 'How Kind Of You,' and 'Friends to Go.' Other selections include Eddie Cochran's 'Twenty Flight Rock,' McCartney's audition piece that 'apparently got me in the Beatles,' 'Heartbreak Hotel,' featuring Paul on bass and a special Jamming Track Finale, that somehow morphs from 'That's All for Now,' a song made up on the spot, into 'Blue Suede Shoes.' A Maguffin Production, Paul McCartney: Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road is directed by Simon Hilton and produced by James Chadd. It was recorded live at Abbey Road Studios, London, in 2005.