WW L L INTERVIEW
AN INTERVIEW WITH MIKE McCARTNEY
Wirral’ s Mike McCartney known professionally as Mike McGear is a performing artist, writer and photographer who was a member of the satirical humour trio Scaffold and is the younger brother of Paul McCartney. Here he talks to Wirral Life in an exclusive and revealing interview.
Born on 7th January 1944 at the end of World War 2 and brought up in Liverpool, Mike McCartney was educated at the Liverpool Institute High School for boys. He tried to get into next doors art college but lack of GCE’ s meant that he ended up a lady’ s hairdresser. From here he entered‘ show biz’ in the Liverpool One Fat Lady None Electric Show, which eventually became Scaffold. Because of the sheer enormity of Beatle mania, Mike, not wanting to appear to be cashing in, changed his name to McGear. He was an integral part of the 60’ s Merseybeat era but Scaffold were mainly a theatre, university, satirical comedy act. In 1967, Mike got them into the pop world by writing their first top five single‘ Thank U Very Much’ incidentally it became the Queen Mother’ s and Prime Minister Harold Wilson’ s favourite record. In 1968, their huge hit Lily the Pink reached the top of the charts( here and abroad) and stayed number one for four weeks.
You are a notable Musician, Photographer and Author. But what did you want to be as a kid? A big kid.
Is it quite surreal that your original 2 up- 2 down family home has been bought by the National Trust? It is surreal. We had lived in the property from when I was 11 years old and I have some great memories from there. The new owner Mrs Jones had shown the National Trust around the property but they weren’ t remotely interested because it was now a modern two up two down. It was only when they looked at my photographs they said if we can have the photographs we’ ll buy it... and they did.
Did you really whistle the theme tune to the Liver Birds TV Show?( Mike answers by whistling the theme tune) Yes I did for 20 years. It brightened up the life of the wonderful actor Alan Cumming no end, in fact he had to shake my hand. We were at Panoramic, Liverpool doing an interview for Sky TV’ s Urban Secrets. I whistled for him and he shook my hand and said“ I can now tell my Mum in Scotland that I’ ve shaken the hand of the man who whistled the Liver Bird theme tune.” So yes, that was me.
Didn’ t the legendary Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, Graeme Nash and Sir Tim Rice play as session musicians for your first album? Unbelievably, yes. Jimi was a charming gentleman. He came to the studio and played guitar on my McGough McGear album, I was expecting an enormous entourage with all his press people, photographer, groupies, drug administrators etc., but when he arrived at De Lane Lea Studios London he was just on his tod with a guitar. I said that we were actually working on a track with our kid( Paul) who was the producer of the album. Paul was working on another track in the studio so I offered Jimi a drink. He said“ No that’ s cool, I’ ll just go into the studio and rehearse stuff”. Paul and I came to the track called‘ So Much In Love’ so we sent it to him in the studio where he sat on the floor and started playing. Paul and I were listening and there was a bit in it were Jimi was to come in for the solo. And so it goes‘ So Much In Love … do be do be’ etc... then suddenly Jimi rips into a totally mind blowing solo which was amazing! Our kid who had just finished Pepper, turned to me smiling and said“ So what do you think?” When I looked concerned Paul said“ that was extraordinary … what’ s wrong?” I said“ well he didn’ t come in at the right place!” Paul said“ So do you want to tell him?” I didn’ t mind so went into the studio and said“ Jimi, that was brilliant but the thing is you didn’ t know when to come in did you?” He said“ No sorry, I just went for it, can you tell me when to come in?” So Jimi and I sat on the floor waiting with me till I tapped his knee …“ NOW Jimi!” We did a couple of takes till it was‘ perfect’. I then played the tape back with Paul and he said“ Now do you understand what you’ ve done? Do you remember the first one when it was wild and electric, well this one is now modified, cooled down, perfect but no balls in it.” I agreed that he was absolutely right. So Paul said to the tape operator“ sorry can we have the first take?” The tape operator said“ what do you mean the first take, there’ s no room left on the tape. We’ ve been wiping everything as we go”!! So that’ s lesson number one in recording.
Elton John was our backing singer for Scaffold. I was at the in the bathroom at the Wings launch in London and this young lad came in. He said“ They were great days weren’ t they Mike”, I said“ Hello Reg( that was his name at the time). He said“ Oh no I’ m not Reg anymore, I changed my name to Elton … Elton John”. I said“ That’ s nice but what do you mean, they were great days?” He explained“ We used to come to Abbey Road to do backing vocals for your Scaffold, they were the best gigs we ever did, laughed all day and still got paid”. Scaffold couldn’ t sing so were needed someone to do harmonies. In fact, if you listen to the old Scaffold songs, you can clearly hear Elton’ s voice on them.
Graham Nash was in the Hollies, whenever you hear Lily the Pink, our number one record listen to the Jennifer Eccles verse. The Hollies had a big hit called Jennifer Eccles, so I rang Graham and said“ Look, we’ re doing this daft song called Lily the Pink and there’ s a verse in there about Jennifer Eccles do you want to come to Abbey Road and sing it?” and he did, so if you ever hear the song on the radio it is not Roger McGough singing that verse … it is so obviously Graham Nash. By the way Tim Rice was our coffee boy on Lily the Pink and I’ ll be working with him next year on something special. wirrallife. com 21