 Geoff, then, with more than a little help from his friend and fellow free-lancer, Berni Kilmartin, spends a frantic afternoon overseeing a mini-media circus (believe me, touchy, tempera-mental and time-consuming TV crews can take a lot of looking after). The 47-year-old father-of-four fetches, carries, smokes some fags, runs along corridors, hands out press packs, smokes some more fags, sits in on the interviews - and finds precious minutes here and there to answer my questions and be photographed by the ECHO's Frank Loughlin. When we arrive, he is on his knees before The Beatles, applying gaffer tape to giant posters - and praising the new (old) album to the heavens: "This is a great day for Liverpool, Paddy. And the audacity of the whole thing - remixing an album made 33 years ago! That's not a scam, it's Scouse front!" His rough and ready appearance - a mop of unruly black/grey hair, casual blue sweater and jeans - seems to match the organised chaos of his high-energy, action-packed day. Dorset-born Geoff, who lives in Wilt-shire with his second wife, certainly couldn't be described as a pompous man, and he says: "I like the fact that Paul isn't pompous. When he was knighted he accepted the honour on behalf of the people of Liverpool. He didn't need to do that; he wasn't going to sell any more albums by doing that." Being Paul McCartney - and being Paul McCartney's press officer - means questions, questions and more questions. And Geoff says: "The most ridiculous thing I see in this job is when interviewers say to Paul 'Now, I'm going to ask you a question you've never been asked before.' "Because he's ALWAYS been asked it before!" As yet another TV crew set up in the control room of Abbey Road's studio two (where Sgt Pepper was recorded), Geoff explains his working non-routine: "It all depends on the project. If Paul's on the road, I'll be working with him every day. But at other times, I can go for weeks without talking to him." It may only be rock 'n' roll, but Geoff Baker likes it. In fact, he loves it. After rewarding the French TV crew with an interview - they'd come a long way - he rounds things off by telling me his favourite Beatles' song. "Birthday from The White Album, because it was playing when I had sex for the first time - when I was 14-years-old." Very rock 'n' roll, Geoff. And I bet you lit up a fag immediately afterwards ...
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