Paul McCartney didn’t collaborate that often… unless you consider his work with The Beatles and Wings to be more or less collaborations. He has been more than capable of producing some of the 20th century’s greatest tunes all on his own. That being said, the few collaborations he has taken on have been… interesting, to say the least. Let’s take a look at just a few of Paul McCartney’s most unexpected collaborations!
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1. Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy is best known for his comedic and acting chops, but he’s also an accomplished singer. For his third album, Love’s Alright from 1993, Murphy decided to pile on the collaborations with a ton of contributing guests. There are a few big names on that record, from Michael Jackson to Stevie Wonder to none other than Paul McCartney for the song “Yeah”.
2. Allen Ginsberg
Paul McCartney collaborations go beyond just musicians. Famous beat poet Allen Ginsberg once worked with the former Beatle for a Royal Albert Hall performance of “Ballad Of The Skeletons”. This beautiful piece of music was a collaborative effort between himself, McCartney, Lenny Kaye, and Philip Glass. After the collab was over, a beaming Ginsberg said the song was “the closest [he’s] ever going to come to being in The Beatles.”
3. Kanye West
This one is extremely interesting, considering how vastly different Kanye West and Paul McCartney are as people and musicians. Back in 2014, the two collaborated on a ballad called “Only One” that is clearly inspired by “Let It Be”.
4. Linkin Park and Jay Z
The Paul McCartney collaborations on this list have been wild so far, but this genre-bending collaboration is on another level of strange. At the 2006 Grammy Awards, McCartney, Linkin Park, and Jay Z took to the stage for a medley of songs. Specifically, the musicians performed a reimagining of “Yesterday”, complete with metal and rap elements.
5. Matt Berry
Matt Berry is best known for his velvety voice and comedic characters on shows like The It Crowd and What We Do In The Shadows. He’s also an excellent musician worth commending, and he even worked with the likes of Paul McCartney. Back in 2009, the two collaborated on the song “The Rain Came Down” from Berry’s album Witchazel. It’s a very psychedelic little piece of work, and McCartney’s backing vocals are stunning.
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