Andrew Watt is certainly one of music’s premiere record producers and he has collaborated with a long list of stars. However, nothing prepared him for a collaboration with Paul McCartney.
Watt – whose impressive credits include work with Ozzy Osbourne and the Rolling Stones had initially planned to have McCartney over for a get-to-know-you cup of tea. Creating music together was not originally part of the plan.
“He’s very resourceful,” McCartney explained to the New York Times. “I said, ‘I’d like to show you something on guitar, but I haven’t got my guitar with me. And he said, ‘I’ve got a guitar.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but I’m left-handed.’ He said, ‘Well, I’ve got a left-handed guitar.’”
Watt had a premonition that something like this may happen. According to the Times, the night before the former Beatles’ visit, Watt “jolted awake in a cold sweat,” realizing that he didn’t own a left-handed guitar. The producer “began feverishly calling around until he found a friend to loan him a clutch of lefty Hohners, Martins and Rickenbackers, just in case a cup of tea led to something more.”
Sure enough, McCartney showed Watt his idea and the two began to jam. The next day, he returned with lyrics. “Suddenly, we had a song,” the Beatle recalled. “From a cup of tea to a song. Doesn’t it sound easy?”
