Conan Visits Sir Paul McCartney In London - "Late Night With Conan O'Brien"

We are all back. (crowd cheering) Now, ladies and gentlemen, Paul McCartney has a new CD, it's called "Flaming Pie." It's a great CD, it has some amazing songs. And last week I had the rare opportunity to go to London and talk to the man in person. And he said we could talk about the CD and anything else that came up. Ladies and gentlemen, here's my little chat with Paul McCartney. ♪ I'm the man with the flaming cake ♪ ♪ I stick my tongue out and lick my nose ♪ Only on this album, I mean you're famous for it, but you're playing the base, you're playing the guitar, When you play the drums, you play the harmonium .

Is there an instrument you've tried that you just couldn't tackle? Uh yeah, there are a lot of them, yeah. Seriously, it's like blowing instruments that I'm not good with. You can't blow like that... The things that blow? That's the technical term for them. That is what they are technically known as in the orchestral world, in the symphonic world, which I am entering. I actually started on trumpet. My dad gave me a trumpet when he was 14 and I eventually traded it in for a guitar. Asking him first, saying "do you mind?" And he said, "I don't care." No, I couldn't sing with it in my mouth.

I heard your yes, your "Let it be" on tuba, but it never sold that well. He just wasn't a great seller. I noticed you wrote a lot of these songs while on vacation. When you go on vacation you write songs. Does your family ever get angry? Did they say "Dad, let's go water skiing"? And you think "Water skiing, water skiing, that rhymes with"... Water skiing, water skiing. (laughs) And you start writing a song about water skiing, which closes the album and, by the way, it's very good. My children support me a lot, you know? They know that ever since they were little, there was a boy in the corner of a room doing "water skiing, water skiing." And now they are used to me.

So they don't care. You know they usually don't care. And your son? Sometimes they want to watch something on television and at that moment they tell me to stop. That's a bit strange, you're Paul McCartney and he sits down... It's my TV! and he's writing a song, it's your television. I'm paying for this by writing songs, it doesn't cut ice or water, or whatever you call it. They don't care, they say "Paul McCartney", stop playing the guitar, we're trying to look... No, they say "Dad, stop it." You should have them call you by your full name.

I've said, "Look, I'm Sir Paul McCartney," on your knees, say, "I'm begging you," in the name of the real lord, this television could be." They don't accept it. You could be writing a great song right now except if. .. I am. Oh, I am right now. Does it involve me in any way? No, just a second... (Conan laughing) Well, there it is, actually. Yes? Can I get half the credit because I was here? No no. (laughs) You didn't even know I was writing it. So I think I should get some credit. %. (Paul humming a song) ♪ Conan, Conan ♪ It's all there.

I can't reveal it yet. (Conan laughing) But give me two more minutes and it'll be over. My people are going to sue you. you know, ♪ Michelle, from belle ♪ I used to um... You don't have to do that with people, “Do you know that song? Have you ever heard of it?" There are a lot of young people today who haven't heard of it. Yes? But actually, you've had people you're saying to, "It's called 'Let It Be.'" Sorry, no." "No, it goes like this:" "You're wasting your time, please move on." (laughs) I always do it anyway, you know. (Paul mumbles) But "Michelle", I used to sit in the parties, enigmatically, in some kind of black turtleneck, (singing in French) and hoping that they would think I was French and want me to go to bed with them.

Oh, did it work with women? No. ( Conan starts laughing) It never worked, that was the problem. "It's a smelly Frenchman who doesn't..." "I don't like the song either." But many, many years

late

r, and this is the real part, John said, "Do you remember that smelly French song that you used to make, to pretend that you?" He said, "That wasn't bad." He said, "You should write some "good words for that." So I did it. You seem like a good guy. It sounds like you know you're a responsible guy. Were you ever, as a rock star, tempted to do that?

Destroy a hotel room? I did it once, throw some scrambled eggs off a p

late

. "I'm already fed up with this hotel." I saw, these different pictures of Buddy Holly and everything. And of course, you're a big fan. I'm a big Buddy Holly fan, and that's what, when I first played the rudimentary guitar, it was only three chords. It was one of the best things about playing... You can play "Peggy Sue" in an hour. Put them all, most of them. "Maybe I'm amazed," not "Maybe I'm amazed." . No, you just admitted it, Buddy wrote it and you took it, guys.

Baby! (Conan laughs) Hey, it was just one time! Hollywood. And the problem with the anthology was that we all had different memories of it. Because it was so long ago. And you know that time does things to those old memories. Then Ringo remembered him without having been on his feet all

night

. That was Ringo's key memory. Mine was of him meeting us at the door. Then there was the anthology... George said you were at an amusement park. You were all on a merry-go-round. You can't get a clear story here. It was a bit like that, yes.

But it was wonderful to meet him, because he was a hero to us, I mean, meeting him, I mean, I see people do it with me, or I would do it with the Beatles, and say, "wow, you know I grew up." up to date with your music." But we grew up with Elvis' music, so he was great. And I think he was also in a great place in his life. He was still there. The drug doctor from Las Vegas hadn't come to see it. Although you already know that, supposedly, of course. I don't know that this happened.

I understand that there is an accusation that this type of thing happened later in Elvis's life. I'm not stipulating, this is not... No. No, Elvis was never involved with drugs. Probably not. That whole rumor that he was once overweight is disturbing to me. That probably wasn't a rumor. I just need a little advice, I don't know if you know. because you mainly live here in England. My show is tremendously popular in the United States. One of the most popular shows in the history of television. And I'm experiencing something right now that is a "Conan-mania" for lack of a better term.

Every now and then, when I leave a hotel room or when I leave my apartment in the morning, someone might recognize... No, nothing, am I boring you? Sorry, no, sorry, no, no. Not really? Sorry no. Okay, it looks like you're about to fall asleep. I know, for a second I thought I was yawning. On occasion I have been recognized on the street. One or two people have recognized me. And from time to time people have even come up to me and said, "Hey, your show isn't that bad." So I know what you went through. You know what I'm saying?

Yes. Is it going to calm down at some point? I guess that's my question. I'm not sure, Conan, it might be. And if so, don't be disappointed. However, it may be under construction... Do you think? Well, if this song works, I'm working on it as we speak... The Conan song. There could be something to this. This could increase your fan level to five or six. Could I have one of these before I leave? You have all these Platinum and Gold albums and I thought, 'If I could walk away with one,' it would be proof that I was here." Yeah, okay, you know the alarm bells are going to go off when you walk out the door.

It's like the gap here , you come out with something and an alarm goes off. That's exactly like the gap. That's where I got them (laughs). Do you have these in the gap? (laughs) Uh, I think that's it. (audience roars) I think that's it, love. They kind of throw me out on the street. Okay, huh... So, yeah... I guess I'll never see you again, then, maybe. that no one will see you again. The end of your series and your career. Really? Yes. But I have written a song, ♪ Conan was in London ♪ ♪ He's a great guy ♪ ♪ He's an excellent person ♪ ♪ But he'll never come back. ♪ I like that song.

It's not bad. I don't like the ending where they kill me. (Audience laughs) Thank you very much for spending some time with us. your program. Thanks, it's good to see you. Well. It's really him and it's really me. Which is good to say. Sewers, come get it! (audience applauding) Run down, the album is "Flaming Pie." You should check this. And we also want to thank Sir Paul McCartney for meeting us. Something I obviously didn't have to do. And as you saw there, he was an incredibly nice guy and extremely funny. And it was a real pleasure to talk to him.

Paul McCartney, the album is called "Flaming Pie." We're back with Martin Short. See you in a second.