Paul McCartney 'Kisses On the Bottom' album preview

As has been widely reported, Paul McCartney has recorded an album of mostly standard pop songs that he remembers from his childhood and which influenced him musically. Kisses on the Bottom will be out February 7 in the U.S. (February 6 in the rest of the world) through Hear Music in both a standard and deluxe edition.

The album was produced by Tommy LiPuma and Diana Krall and includes Krall's band along with guest appearances form Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder.

McCartney said of the song selection,"When I kind of got into songwriting, I realized how well structured these songs were and I think I took a lot of my lessons from them. I always thought artists like Fred Astaire were very cool. Writers like Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, all of those guys - I just thought the songs were magical. And then, as I got to be a songwriter I thought it's beautiful, the way they made those songs."

The recording process for the album also reminded McCartney of his days with the Beatles. "It was very spontaneous, kind of organic, which then reminded me of the way we'd work with The Beatles. We'd bring a song in, kick it around, when we found a way to do it we'd say 'Okay, let's do a take now' and by the time everyone kind of had an idea of what they were doing, we'd learnt the song. So that's what we did, we did the take live in the studio."

...and as for that title, it's actually a line from the opening song, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter.

Track List:

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (Fred Ahlert & Joe Young)
Home (When Shadows Fall) (Jeff Clarkson, Peter van Steeden, Harry Clarkson)
It's Only A Paper Moon (Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg, Billy Rose)
More I Cannot Wish You (Frank Loesser)
The Glory Of Love (Billy Hill)
We Three (My Echo, My Shadow And Me) (Sammy Mysels, Dick Robertson, Nelson Cogane)
Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)
My Valentine (Paul McCartney)
Always (Irving Berlin)
My Very Good Friend The Milkman (Harold Spina, Johnny Burke)
Bye Bye Blackbird (Ray Henderson, Mort Dixon)
Get Yourself Another Fool (Haywood Henry, Tucker)
The Inch Worm (Frank Loesser)
Only Our Hearts (Paul McCartney)

The Deluxe Edition of the album adds the following two songs:

Baby's Request (Paul McCartney)
My One And Only Love (Guy Wood, Robert Mellin)


Artist: Paul McCartney
Title: Kisses on the Bottom
Release Date: February 7, 2011
Label: Hear Music
Format(s): CD, DD (Standard & Deluxe Editions)