EVER dreamt of sitting in the same room as Paul McCartney, having a quiet chat with the most famous face in rock? For icLiverpool's PETER GRANT, it has happened more than once - and in this, the first of three parts of his most recent interview with Sir Paul, Peter asks the ex-Beatle about Wings, Linda, his new love and the future
MEETING Paul McCartney once is lucky, twice proves that dreams do come true and, as for meeting him three times . . well, who needs the lottery?
I was a Beatle fan from my schooldays and then a member of the Wings Fun Club. But now this was business - granted with pleasure.
Seeing him in his London office, he shakes my hand and, in that famous Liverpool accent, says: 'Ere, you've got a good grip on yer."
Paul McCartney, one of the nation's richest men, has earned his fame, but he has an uncanny knack of making you feel special - that he's interested in YOU.
His office is adorned with gold discs and he knows there are plenty more to come. Paul is half way through a new album in LA and says he has the taste for touring again.
The Beatles Number One album, which dominated the charts around the world, features 27 number ones and was a hit all over the world 30 years after the band split.
Says Sir Paul: "I played the album the other day in the car and I thought to myself 'How did we do that?'
"I was surprised but chuffed with the success of Number One. I saw George, Ringo and Yoko and I know they were, too."
The Beatles Anthology book, videos and album collection certainly put the record straight about The Beatles.
"We called The Anthology the 'Beatle bible'. There were people who have written books about us who had never met us. The Anthology is The Beatles by The Beatles.
"It's a good job we didn't do it five years from now - after all, we're no spring chickens. I remember piecing together stuff like the night we met Elvis. I recalled Elvis coming to the door to meet us. Ringo said that we all went into this room."
In the forthcoming film and album soundtrack Wingspan - which is why we're meeting up - Paul reveals how, as Wings Commander, he piloted his new band through mega success from very humble beginnings gong out in a van playing in universities and charging 50p entrance fee.
