Sunday, March 10, 2013

A Beatle Spreads His Wings for Art


This is the first I have ever heard of this.  Does anyone have any more information?   And isn't it odd that the newspaper article used the words "Wings" in talking about Paul McCartney?   

A Beatle Spreads his Wings -- for Art

A Beatle in his time plays many parts:  pop star, song writer, boutiquier, mystic and now just to add an even more bizarre touch to the dramatic personae, public relations man. 

That was the role of Paul McCartney, making meaningless small talk with the best of them at a Kensington reception yesterday.

In mitigation, it should be pointed out that he was doing it not for money, but for art's sake.

In fact, his appearance was a gimmick to raise money for an arts festival organized by Leicester University students.

Mr. McCartney cleverly parodied the engaging inanity of full-time PR men.  He said, "I don't know anything about the festival in detail, and really this is a complete publicity gimmick.  But it is rather a nice gimmick, don't you think?"

The gimmick of button-holing a Beatle was thought up by 20 year old John Eades, of the university, who deluged Mr. McCartney with telegrams and camped outside his home in a bid to caputre the Beatle where rich, pop-conscious advertising firms had failed.

The festival will show opera, modern dance, films, two Shaw plays, Dylan Thomas' 'Under Milk Wood', an oboe recital by Leon Goossens, poetry reading, an organ recital, and pop music.

As Mr. McCartney, full of Eastern idealism, pointed out, "I'd rather help this than somebody's soap."

2 comments:

  1. Happy anniversary! I sent you an email.

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  2. Yes, I heard of that before but never seen a photo of Paul at that event - this is from Bill Harry`s McCartney Enceclopedia:
    "5 February 1968: Paul appears at a press conference at the Royal Garden Hotel, London to publicise the Leicester Arts Festival. This was as a result of a student, John Eades, who talked his way into Paul's Cavendish Avenue house claiming to be a friend. Paul commented, 'I don't know anything about the festival in detail, and this really is a complete publicity gimmick. But it's rather a nice gimmick, don't you think?' "

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