Can Paul McCartney now please F*** off

[Spider]

This thread is ridiculous and underpins something fundementally wrong in the british psyche. We moan that we dont have any success but refuse to celebrate the things that we can be proud of as a nation.

Last night reinforced the 'great' in 'great britain'. There cant be many countries that can claim to have had as much influence on popular culture....great muscicians, writers, inventors etc yet some people cant resist the opportunity to have a pop at someone.

Paul McCartney is 70 years old for F**ks sake, its hardly surprising that his voise is a bit wobbly but he deserves some respect for being part of the greatest band of all time and writing some of the most recognisable and influential songs of the past 50 years.

He has sales of 100 million albums, 100 million singles, and a writer's credit on forty-three songs that have sold over one million copies each. 91 reached the Top 10 and 33 made it to number 1. As a result he has been described by Guinness World Records as "the Most Successful Composer and Recording Artist of All Time".

Some of you might not like his music but his success and influence should be celebrated rather than ridiculed.

I appreciate your argument, and of course musicians like McCartney deserve respect, but there's a difference between respecting someone for what they have achieved in their life and what we do, which is assuming respect means dragging McCartney out to sing Hey Jude every 5 minutes because The Beatles were so important 50 years ago.

The fact McCartney is 70 obviously makes his voice wobbly, but that's the time to call it a day, not to simply rely on everyone to excuse the fact.

And your first sentence is simply wrong. We know how to celebrate true success in this country as well as any other (even if we are very cynical of supposed success), but the Beatles have been well celebrated, and certainly based on last night's performance McCartney is nothing to be proud of nowadays. Rather than you, I'm glad that as a nation we are discerning enough to criticise stuff like this.

 

[Icy Gull]

Surely Ray Davies singing Waterloo Sunset(a song better suited to London and sung by a Londoner) would have been a far superior choice for end song.

I like the idea but unfortunately his voice is shot too

 

[ees complicated no?]

I enjoyed last night much more than I had expected, then he sung and it just ruined the night for me, why use a old has been who cant sing no more to end the show?

 

[JetsetJimbo]

When my daughter was about 15 she was in an art gallery in London with some friends on a school trip. Paul McCartney was there with Heather, on being asked for an autograph he told my daughters 15 year old friend to *f*** off and leave him alone*.

Wow, that's completely the opposite of my experience- he was utterly charming with my family. Maybe the person he was married to at the time was a factor, he was with Linda rather than that bonkers harridan at the time.

 

[Half Time Pies]

I appreciate your argument, and of course musicians like McCartney deserve respect, but there's a difference between respecting someone for what they have achieved in their life and what we do, which is assuming respect means dragging McCartney out to sing Hey Jude every 5 minutes because The Beatles were so important 50 years ago.

The fact McCartney is 70 obviously makes his voice wobbly, but that's the time to call it a day, not to simply rely on everyone to excuse the fact.

And your first sentence is simply wrong. We know how to celebrate true success in this country as well as any other (even if we are very cynical of supposed success), but the Beatles have been well celebrated, and certainly based on last night's performance McCartney is nothing to be proud of nowadays. Rather than you, I'm glad that as a nation we are discerning enough to criticise stuff like this.

This thread was stared with the statement 'Can Paul McCartney now please F*** off, The Beatles have died in the wrong order'. I dont see anything discerning or considered about that.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

couldn't he have just sat between the Queen and prince Philip

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Worst performance of the night. Arctic Monkeys were great!

They were almost as vocally poor as Macca when they did Come Together. At least he's got the excuse that he's a pensioner and his voice has gone.

 

[Biscuit]

He's an absolute legend. Any country would be proud to say he represents their music industry. He was fantastic last night!

 

[terryberry1]

Totally wrong he is the greatest living musical artist that in British by a country mile

This.

 

[Doc Lynam]

Will always be eternally proud that the Beatles were English. The white album is still one of my favourite albums ever, live and let die one of the best songs ever even though have heard it a serious amount of times. I could sit and watch him forever.
He's also a Sussex resident isn't he?

That whole post is just plain odd. Ok im no massive Beatles fan but Live and let die!!!!!!!!!!!!
Except for White album.

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

Seeing as the whole opening ceremony was based on the creation of Great Britain from before the industrial revoloution, till modern day, it was really obvious that the greatest British pop group, that created popular music over the last 50 years would be included.
The Beatles were the most popular pop group in the whole world, who else would you rather have Cliff Richard, Take That, Will-i-f***ing-am.
Macartney had to be there cos Ringo cant sing,and John and George are dead, unfortunately Macca's voice struggles to reach the notes now, not surprising at his age, and last nights rendition was a poor, not helped by the pre-recorded version starting out of time, so it was stopped and he had to perform it live, un backed.
As for the song, it is the best Beatles anthem for the crowd to sing and take part in, which is supposed to be what the Olympics is all about, I would imagine, in the stadium it sounded awesome when they all joined in with the chorus, as it does at The Amex when we all sing it.

 

[Mellotron]

The mess up at the start was NOT Macca's fault. There is a 4 second broadcast delay - anyone who's worked in live TV will know what I'm on about. And someone had bypassed the broadcast audio at first/forgotten to switch to the live stage audio.

 

[southstandandy]

What has happened to his voice ? It sounded like he had smoked 20 Rothmans before ?

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

Well I actually thought he sounded brilliant...

...for a bloke that's been DEAD FOR 46 YEARS!

All the 'facts' are here.

Enjoy.

 

[Questions]

I was hoping James Bond was going to come on at the end and terminate him.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

There are some real self righteous miserable bastards on this forum.

 

[pork pie]

Totally wrong he is the greatest living musical artist that in British by a country mile

This. The OP is totally out of order.

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

The only low point for me.

Many more iconic british musicians they could have used.


Elton John,rolling stones,coldplay,the who,pink floyd etc

Paul McCartney seems to have the monopoly on headlining major events

providing any of the above want to embarrass themselves enough !!

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

Seeing as the whole opening ceremony was based on the creation of Great Britain from before the industrial revoloution, till modern day, it was really obvious that the greatest British pop group, that created popular music over the last 50 years would be included.
The Beatles were the most popular pop group in the whole world, who else would you rather have Cliff Richard, Take That, Will-i-f***ing-am.
Macartney had to be there cos Ringo cant sing,and John and George are dead, unfortunately Macca's voice struggles to reach the notes now, not surprising at his age, and last nights rendition was a poor, not helped by the pre-recorded version starting out of time, so it was stopped and he had to perform it live, un backed.
As for the song, it is the best Beatles anthem for the crowd to sing and take part in, which is supposed to be what the Olympics is all about, I would imagine, in the stadium it sounded awesome when they all joined in with the chorus, as it does at The Amex when we all sing it.

all well and good, you're entitled to your opinion, but thought his appearance (not performance) sat poorly after the young athletes had lit the furnace.......should have left it there, with perhaps a rousing orchestral finale.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

There are some real self righteous miserable bastards on this forum.

you being one of them