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Paul McCartney previews new album at Abbey Road listening event
Paul McCartney previewed The Boys Of Dungeon Lane for about 50 fans at Abbey Road Studios on May 5. He played the album in Studio Two, shared song stories including a hitchhiking tale with George Harrison, and confirmed the record is produced by Andrew Watt and due May 29.
Paul McCartney led a group of roughly 50 fans through his new album, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, at Abbey Road Studios on Tuesday, May 5. He played the record in Studio Two and spoke about the songs for about 90 minutes.
Attendees handed over their phones before being guided into the studio. McCartney entered from the control room. He sat in a living-room set with records, framed photos and a street sign bearing the album title.
“Hello, welcome to Abbey Road,” McCartney said. “I’m going to play the new album for you and try and think of stuff to say about it.”
He described the record as containing “quite a few” songs that “go back in time.” He expanded on why he writes about the past: “It occurred to me that that’s where your big bank of information is,” he said, citing the way other writers mine childhood and family experience.
The listening included specific song stories. “Down South” is built around acoustic guitar and includes an anecdote about hitchhiking with George Harrison. McCartney recalled a milk-float ride where Harrison sat on the battery and got a burn from his jeans zip. “Memories are a weird thing,” he said, noting Olivia Harrison had confirmed the story to him.
The album’s first single, “Days We Left Behind,” includes a reference to John Lennon. McCartney said Lennon still makes him “emotional” to discuss. “Home To Us” looks back on growing up in Liverpool. Ringo Starr plays drums and swaps vocal lines with McCartney on that track.
McCartney detailed the session logistics for “Home To Us.” He said Starr recorded a drum part in producer Andrew Watt’s Los Angeles studio and initially thought it had not been used. Watt played the part back and McCartney described it as “very Ringo.” He finished the track, sent it back to Starr and asked him to add vocals. Starr first returned chorus vocals only. After further discussion they completed what McCartney called the first “Paul-Ringo duet.”
Other songs include “Salesman Saint,” McCartney’s first song about his parents; “Mountaintop,” inspired by a Glastonbury “hippy mood”; and “Ripples In A Pond,” written for his wife, Nancy.
During the playback McCartney mouthed along, mimed guitar and drums, and picked up an acoustic to demonstrate parts. While playing a sequence from “Life Can Be Hard” he hit a mistake and said, “I haven’t been practising. You’d think if you knew you were doing this, then you’d have practised.” He added, “But I don’t care!”
The Boys Of Dungeon Lane was produced by Andrew Watt between Los Angeles and East Sussex. It is scheduled for release on May 29.
Hours after the Abbey Road event, McCartney was announced as a guest on The Rolling Stones’ upcoming album, Foreign Tongues. He previously appeared on the Stones’ 2023 record, Hackney Diamonds.
