The Beatles’ four biopics have been announced, and a first look preview incorporating AI is out.
Producer and rock musician Andrew Watt recently shared his experience of meeting Paul McCartney and learning an interesting detail about The Beatles’ classic Blackbird.
Despite being relatively young, Watt has already worked with some of rock music’s biggest legends. He produced Ozzy Osbourne’s last two albums, Ordinary Man and Patient Number 9, collaborating with numerous rock icons. He also produced Hackney Diamonds for The Rolling Stones.
One of his biggest dreams was to meet Paul McCartney, which finally happened through Paul’s manager, Scott Rodger. Speaking to Howard Stern, Watt recalled how they arranged for McCartney to visit his home for tea. However, the night before, Watt realized he had a major problem—he had no left-handed guitars.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Watt said, explaining that he suddenly sat up in bed, panicking. “Paul McCartney is coming over, and I have only right-handed guitars. I’m a lefty, but I play right. What if he wants to play a chord or show me something?”
To solve the issue, Watt and his team found a company that rented left-handed guitars and had them delivered in time for McCartney’s visit.
During their conversation, McCartney revealed a surprising detail about Blackbird. Watt, who considers the song one of his favorites, asked McCartney if he was playing it correctly. That’s when McCartney shared something unexpected.
“He said, ‘You know, the most important part of that song is that you tap your foot while you play it,’” Watt recalled. “I told him, ‘I thought that was a metronome.’ And Paul said, ‘We didn’t have metronomes. That’s my foot tapping.’”
Watt was amazed to learn that McCartney’s foot was actually mic’d in the studio, adding to the song’s signature rhythm.
“Getting those little bits of information from the source—that’s the reason why I exist. It gives me life,” Watt said.
