Paul McCartney once picked the songs that he considered to be part of his essential soundtrack, and placed a John Lennon deep cut on the top spot.
In conversation with Roy Plomley for BBC Radio 4’s long-running programme Desert Island Discs – which has been on air since 1942 -, the legendary Beatles star opened up about what he would take with him if he was stranded on a desert island: books, music, luxury items, and more.
But what melted fans’ hearts at the time, in 1982, was that McCartney mentioned a personal John Lennon track – just two years after his passing.
Here are the songs Paul McCartney could not live without:
‘Heartbreak Hotel’ by Elvis Presley
Released in 1956, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ can be considered one of the most inspiring songs to the generation of artists that came after it – and is frequently included in lists of other iconic musicians’ favourite tracks.
About it, McCartney said: “To me, that sort of takes me back to when I was first buying records. Up until that point, it had been sort of Billy Cotton and swing and bebop and stuff, but suddenly rock and roll kind of burst on the scene. And Elvis was one of the first people that kind of really made me take an interest. I remember being at school when this record came out”.
‘Sweet Little Sixteen’ by Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry was a pivotal figure known for blending rock and roll and R&B in the 50s, and the hit ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’ represents his legacy for Paul McCartney.
“On most of the records I’m picking today, I could have chosen other records from these people’s repertoires. […] So with Chuck Berry, I’ve just chosen ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’ because it sort of sums him up for me”, he said.
‘Gloriana: Courtly Dances: La Volta’ by Benjamin Britten and Julian Bream
Steering away from his usual rock and roll choices, Paul chose a classical music piece as one of his favourites. First released in 1953, ‘Gloriana’ depicts a ball scene in the Great Room of Whitehall Palace. It features a series of dances, including a “La Volta, ” a vigorous dance where ladies are lifted by their partners.
McCartney said: “My preference would always be for rock’n’roll, but I do like a lot of classical music. I don’t know much about it, but I like the great tunes in classical music. So to sum it all up, there’s just something special about it. I’ve loved it for years”.
‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ by Gene Vincent
A pioneer of the style of “rockabilly”, Gene Vincent revolutionalised music with quintessential anthem ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ – known for its sharp guitar breaks, snare drums and breathless vocals – in 1956.
McCartney said this was “the first record I ever bought”, and added: “So it’s a sort of special record for me. He sang it in a film called The Girl Can’t Help It, and it was always a big favourite of mine. We got to meet Gene later when we were in Hamburg. But as I say, the first record I ever bought, big impression”.
‘Searchin’’ by The Coasters
‘Searchin’ by The Coasters is a song about a man determined to find his love, even resorting to detective work, as evidenced by the lyrics – “Well, I’m searching, Yeah I’m gonna find her” – referencing popular law enforcement figures.
“Now, this is one we used to do at the Cavern with the Beatles. We used to have little groups of fans there. And there were two girls called Chris and Val, and they used to say, ‘Sing Searchin’, Paul! Sing Searchin!’ So we always used to do this one, it was a big favourite with the group”, explained Paul.
‘Tutti Frutti’ by Little Richard
A 1955 rock and roll anthem by the “architect of rock and roll”, ‘Tutti Frutti’ is known for its energetic performance and is considered a defining moment in the development of the genre as a whole.
“And, again, I’ve chosen just one to sum him up. But there are millions of his stuff. I like a lot of stuff that he does. He’s a friend of mine from the Hamburg days, Little Richard”, McCartney said.
‘Walking in the Park with Eloise’ by Wings
A more personal choice, ‘Walking in the Park with Eloise’ is a jazz instrumental written by Paul McCartney’s own father James “Jim” McCartney. Paul’s band Wings recorded and released it in 1974.
McCartney recalled a conversation he had with his father after recording it: “Well, this one is a song that was written by my dad. He only ever wrote one song, to my knowledge. And I once said to him: ‘Dad, you know that song you wrote?’ He said ‘I didn’t write a song, son’. I said ‘but you did. Remember walking in the park with Eloise?’ He said ‘no, I didn’t write it. I made it up’. I said, ‘well, these days, writing it, that’s what they say. If you made it up, it means you write it. You don’t have to actually physically write it. Well, I’ve recorded it with some friends of mine in Nashville’. We got together, and we made a little recording of this, especially to play my dad. He really used to love this one”.
‘Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)’ by John Lennon
Finally, on the top spot, is ‘Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)’ by John Lennon – a tender lullaby dedicated to his son Sean, expressing love, encouragement, and a gentle perspective on life, including the famous quote “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”.
Paul expressed his love for the track: “I haven’t chosen any Beatle records, and I haven’t chosen any of my records. So to sort of sum up the whole thing, I’ve chosen one song off John Lennon’s record Double Fantasy, which I think is a beautiful song. It’s very moving to me. Anyway, I’d just like to sum the whole thing up by playing a song called ‘Beautiful Boy’.”
When asked to pick only one out of the eight songs he listed, the Beatle said it “probably would be ‘Beautiful Boy’. But it’d be a very hard choice. I probably would take that record by John”.