ASIDE FROM MCCARTNEY’S CLASSIC DUETS THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER FLIRTATIONS WORTHY OF MENTION, NOT LEAST HIS WORK WITH NITIN SAWHNEY – AND, ODDLY, A CELERY HABIT…

RIK FLYNN

Paul with the remaining members of Nirvana in 2012 for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden

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Other than those eternally playlisted musical communions undertaken by Sir Paul that reached the upper echelons of the various global hit parades, there’s plenty else in his catalogue of duets that provokes interest. A few of these lesservisited partnerships throw up some real surprises, too, whether it’s something unexpectedly engaging, entirely throwaway, or just plain box-of-frogs bonkers.

One of Macca’s earliest collaborations of note was with a childhood hero, “King Of Rockabilly” Carl Perkins. The first of their musical sessions came about shortly after the tragic loss of John Lennon. McCartney shared the story with Guitar Player magazine: “We were recording at Montserrat, and a musician friend invited us to his boat. There was this British naval crew piping us aboard this spotless yacht… [Carl] came over to me and said, “Paul, where I come from they call this shittin’ in high cotton.” It’s one of my favourite expressions. After that, we recorded Get It. At the end of the song, you can hear both of us laughing at that joke.”