Paul McCartney is giving Grammy viewers a valentine — and taking them on a trip back to Abbey Road.
The ex-Beatle wowed a crowd of onlookers at L.A.'s Staples Centre on Saturday morning, rehearsing two numbers — something old and something new — with a little help from friends like Joe Walsh, Diana Krall and Dave Grohl.
First up, the 69-year-old pop icon performed his new single My Valentine, a romantic ballad written for his new wife Nancy Shevell. Seated on a stool and accompanied by a string section, he ran through the number three times as Krall tickled the ivories and Walsh (clad in a Ramones T-shirt) gently plucked a solo on a nylon-string acoustic guitar.
“It's really beautiful," the Eagles guitarist said of the song, which he also performed when McCartney was honoured as MusiCares person of the year on Friday. "He asked if I would help him out with it, and I said, ‘Well ... yeah!’ ”
McCartney's mood seemed similarly light during the proceedings — after playing with some of My Valentine's lyrics during one runthrough, he cracked himself up and muffed a line in the process.
But after a short break to reset the stage, he got down to the business of rock, leading his band (and those string players) through a magnificent performance of Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight and The End, the closing trilogy from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. Walsh and Foo Fighter Grohl joined the band for The End, trading solos and turning the number into a blistering rock jam before McCartney brought it to a close with the immortal line: "And in the end, the love the take is equal to the love you make."
Fittingly, the event earned a standing ovation from the lucky attendees. And that was just a rehearsal. Tune in on Sunday night to see the real deal. (The title of that last song might give you a hint when it comes in the show. Or not.)
It's been a good week to be Sir Paul. On Thursday, he was given a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. On Friday, he was guest of honour at the star-studded MusiCares tribute, which featured Neil Young and Crazy Horse (I Saw Her Standing There), Foo Fighters (Jet), Duane Eddy (And I Love Her), Katy Perry (Hey Jude), Coldplay (We Can Work it Out) and others. On Sunday, he's nominated for a Grammy for a deluxe reissue of Band on the Run. If he wins, it will be his 15th trophy. And if not ... well, he'll still be Paul McCartney.
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