Sir Paul McCartney is to release a brand new album next year, his label has announced.Although it does not yet have a name, the album will go on sale on February 7th and details about what fans can expect have also been revealed.
Many of the tracks are those in which the Beatle heard as a child and have inspired his music making ever since. It will also feature new original compositions ‘in the spirit’ of the covers.
The musician, who has released 21 studio albums as a solo artist or with Wings, as well as other live albums and compilations, claimed that he has been thinking about making this particular album for more than 20 years.
“When I kind of got into song writing, I realised how well structured these songs were and I think I took a lot of my lessons from them,” he said.
“I always thought artists like Fred Astaire were very cool. Writers like Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, all of those guys – I just thought the songs were magical. And then, as I got to be a songwriter I thought it’s beautiful, the way they made those songs.”
However, rather than just covering American classics, Sir Paul has added his own twist, with the help of producer Tommy LiPuma and Diana Krall.
It will also see Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder make guest appearances.
The artist explained that recording the album was “very spontaneous” and “organic”, just like how the Beatles used to record music.
“We’d bring a song in, kick it around, when we found a way to do it we’d say ‘Okay, let’s do a take now’ and by the time everyone kind of had an idea of what they were doing, we’d learnt the song,” he recalled.
Indeed, this is the first solo recording in which Sir Paul is not playing an instrument.