Paul McCartney Has Beef with Michael Bublé

"I was taking liberties, and he didn't like that"

BY Megan LaPierrePublished Apr 4, 2022

Spring is finally on the verge of being sprung, so our nation's very own Father Christmas is probably the furthest thing from your mind — but Michael Bublé is actually out of hibernation already and recently released a new, non-festive album, which caused him to butt heads with Paul McCartney.

In a new interview with The Telegraph, the Canadian crooner discussed the process of making his new album Higher (yes, sadly not Not Christmas), including collaborating with none other than Sir Paul. Because why not?

Released March 25, the collection includes a mix of original songs and covers of songs that Bublé considers classics, one of which being McCartney's jazz-pop ballad "My Valentine" from 2012's Kisses on the Bottom. (He simply loves holidays!)

Either a big fan of "Santa Buddy" or looking to get a sparkling water hook-up, the cover was apparently the brainchild of the Beatle, who also agreed to produce the recording session.

"This is one of the greatest musicians in history, man — I mean, we're talking Mozart," Bublé recounted with awe to interviewer Neil McCormick. "And he was beautiful; he has the ability to walk into a room and lift everyone up."

"It was a long day, we were playing live," the vocalist said of the studio session, recorded with a live orchestra and McCartney behind the boards, "and he was really calm and patient with me."

"He helped me to make sure that I told the story the right way," the vocalist continued, adding: "Less was more for him. I'm dramatic, so I have the urge to go over the top."

Bublé admitted that he had gone out of his way to put his own mark on the song, and McCartney didn't necessarily agree with the artistic choices he was making.

"I was taking liberties, and he didn't like that. He had to make a long walk from the control room to come down and put me right a few times," said the singer — one such instance being Bublé's delivery of the line, "I'm waiting on a sign."

"Can you explain to me what you're waiting on?" McCartney had asked, to which an enthusiastic Bublé replied, effervescent as a Bubly, "Yes. I'm waiting on a sign."

"So are you actually on the sign, waiting?" asked the Beatles legend, evoking the image of a tiny blue-suited Bublé sitting atop a stop sign, "or are you waiting for a sign?"

"I'm waiting for a sign, Sir Paul," Bublé recalls saying, admitting defeat with a laugh.

Something about this whole exchange calls to mind being trapped inside one of those chair-desk hybrids in a high school English class, but we're oddly satisfied by this latest odd-couple musical pairing.

Listen to Bublé's lavish, contemplative take on "My Valentine" below.


McCartney recently paid tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and teamed up with Third Man Records to release a mini-documentary detailing the process of creating 333, an extra-limited edition of 2020's III. Meanwhile, Bublé burst our bubble by admitting that even he gets sick of Christmas music by Boxing Day.

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