and I did all the vocals on that album. I’ m the only musician on the record and here it is my first album.
[ WM ] Yep. Now that’ s what, 53 years ago? We did a story on you when it hit 50.
[ Phil ] Yes, thank you, because it was January 73 that I recorded that, it is a precious album to me.
[ WM ] So we’ ve covered the Zion, the Les Paul, and the Alvarez. How about Jim Olson and how you met Jim? He is quite the esteemed acoustic guitar luthier.
[ Phil ] Well, I was playing a concert up in Minneapolis, St. Paul area in Minnesota back in‘ 82. And Jim came with a couple of guitar cases, and I think I was playing with Peter York, if I’ m not mistaken. And Jim came and asked if he could see me and he wanted to show me his guitars. He had two that he brought that night. And I was very impressed. Although I asked him, I said,“ Boy, I’ ve got this Mark Whitebook and I was wondering if you could ever make a cedar top.” He said,“ Whoa, I don’ t know. It’ s a very tender wood.” It is. But he did. And so the guitar that he made for me was his first cedar top. And of course it’ s been a great history for him as a luthier. James Taylor must have at least seven of his guitars. I think they’ re mostly cedar top and he’ s made guitars for a lot of people.
He gave me one to give to Paul McCartney, a beautiful cedar top. In September 1990, Bernadette and I traveled to Long Island for the wedding of Linda McCartney’ s sister Laura and
her fiance’ Donald, where I played at and Jim asked me if I could put that left-handed guitar in Paul’ s hands. I said,“ Well, I’ ll ask. I’ ll see if I can.” And he gave me permission and we met and we actually played for 20 minutes.
[ WM ] That is amazing, Phil. What a story. So, you started playing the Olson then?
[ Phil ] He let me take home the spruce top
Sir Paul McCartney with Philly
38 July 2026 Subscribe for Free...