Paul McCartney biography
In 2006 the Trademarks Registry reported that MPL had started a process to secure the protections associated with registering the name "Paul McCartney" as a trademark. The 2005 films, Brokeback Mountain and Good Night, and Good Luck, feature MPL copyrights. In April 2009 it was revealed that McCartney, in common with other wealthy musicians, had seen a significant decline in his net worth over the preceding year. It was estimated that his fortune had fallen by some £60m, from £238m to £175m. The losses were attributed to the ongoing global recession, and the resultant decline in value of property and stock market holdings.
Northern Songs
Northern Songs was established in 1963, by Dick James, to publish the songs of Lennon-McCartney. The Beatles' partnership was replaced in 1968 by a jointly held company, Apple Corps, which continues to control Apple's commercial interests. Northern Songs was purchased by Associated Television (ATV) in 1969, and was sold in 1985 to Michael Jackson. For many years McCartney was unhappy about Jackson's purchase and handling of Northern Songs.
Despite the lack of publishing rights to most of his Beatles' songs, he continues to receive his respective share of the writers' royalties, which together are 33â…“% of total commercial proceeds in the US and which vary elsewhere around the world between 50 and 55%. Two of the Beatles' earliest songs-"Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You"-were published by an EMI subsidiary, Ardmore & Beechwood, before signing with James. McCartney acquired their publishing rights from Ardmore in the mid 1980s, and they are the only two Beatles songs owned by his company MPL Communications.
As a musician, he was largely self-taught, musicologist Ian MacDonald describes McCartney's approach as, "by nature drawn to music's formal aspects yet wholly untutoured ... He produced technically 'finished' work almost entirely by instinct, his harmonic judgement based mainly on perfect pitch and an acute pair of ears."
Bass guitar
His has been acknowledged by a diverse group of bass players including, Sting, long-time Dr. Dre bassist Mike Elizondo, and Colin Moulding of XTC. McCartney is known to play using a plectrum, or pick almost exclusively, but he occasionally plays fingerstyle as well. During his early years with the Beatles he primarily played a Höfner 500/1 bass live and when recording, though in 1965 he began using a Rickenbacker 4001s for recording, while consistantly using Vox amplifiers throughout his career.
Beatles biographer Chris Ingham singles out Rubber Soul (1965) as the time when his bass playing, "began to come into its own", particularly on "The Word". Authors Tony Bacon and Gareth Morgan agree, calling his "groove" on the track, "a high point in pop bass playing" and "the first proof on a recording of his serious technical ability on the instrument." MacDonald infers the influence of James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", and Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour", American soul tracks from which McCartney absorbed elements and drew inspiration as he "delivers his most spontaneous bass-part to date". McCartney confirms the influence of Motown on his playing, in particular that of James Jamerson, whom he described as a "hero", and included with Brian Wilson as his "two biggest influences".
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