FLASHBACK: About That Time Paul McCartney Showed Up At A Neil Young Concert

Paul McCartney and Neil Young encore for "A Day in the Life"
Hyde Park, London, UK - June 27, 2009

Everyone remembers that time Paul McCartney showed up at a Neil Young concert. Who can forget?

Paul McCartney and Neil Young encore for "A Day in the Life"
Hyde Park, London, UK - June 27, 2009  

Paul McCartney joined Neil Young for amazingly, unforgettable encore of "A Day in the Life" at the Hyde Park, London, UK concert in 2009.

On June 27, 2009, Neil Young performed the final show of a three year tour for the Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival.

During the last year of the tour, Young would conclude each concert with an absolutely over the top cover of the Beatles "A Day in the Life" which left his guitar in shreds in a wall of feedback at the song's conclusion.

About half way through "A Day in the Life", out walked Paul McCartney onstage to the astonishment of the 50,000 in the crowd. Those who attended, remarked that when McCartney's image first appeared on the giant video screens, a jolt of electricity went thru the crowd in anticipation of witnessing history.

From Uncut.co.uk | Uncut Editor's Diary - Post details: Neil Young – Hard Rock Calling, London Hyde Park, Saturday June 27, 2009 by Allan Jones:

"What follows is one of the best shows I’ve ever seen Neil Young play, a full-on sonic rupture, two hours of unforgiving and unforgettable guitar distortion, seismic upheaval, deafening detonations, feedback rapture, wave after wave after crashing wave of noise, uplifting and triumphant, the kind of thing that tears vents in the atmosphere, disarranging the senses, wholly transcendent, an often savage aural maelstrom out of which emerges finally a charred beauty, that old ragged glory that is oft-mentioned in talk of Neil, his music and the way he plays it."

Photos by crris b on Photobucket
Great photo gallery by crris b on Photobucket.
TWEETDATES:

Here's a Concert Review of the Moment from Hyde Park, London, England Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival: 6/27/06 by insidetherain:

I was there!! This was such an incredible night... Neil really enjoyed the crowd, the crowd adored him, singing along to clearly the most mainstream songs for this festival crowd but Neil knew it ("here's another one for ya" - he said before playing Old Man, after Heart of Gold). The crowd were all NY maniacs. From my POV, seeing this was so wonderful, as being a young NY fan I rarely bump into other young fans but there were a whole variety of people loving Neil tonight.

And the Paul McCartney guest spot... Neil did a phenomenal version of "Rockin' in the Free World" that carried on and on and made the crowd go absolutely insane, then closed the show. Then they all returned for the encore, but Neil walked off to the other side of the stage, hidden in the right hanger, but we could see he was talking to someone and I had the feeling it was Paul - looked like his head shape (strange wording there) and the way he was flailing his arms around. Then "A Day in the Life" began... and I think it was into the second verse, that Paul came on stage and I swear, this whole rush ran across the audience, and every second was golden! Neil and Paul were goofing around on stage too, Paul gave Neil a great hug, they baby-ed around on the xylophone, Neil thrashed on Old Black with some assistance from Paul... but Paul always pointing to Neil, to message somehow that "this is the legend, this is the true legend." Crazy, crazy moment. Never forget! I recorded the whole thing so hopefully will upload it soon!

More Neil Young Concert Reviews from Hyde Park, London, England Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival: 6/27/06.

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Paul McCartney and Neil Young
"Only Love Can Break Your Heart"
Bridge School Benefit Concert - October 23, 2004
Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA
Photo by Kim Komenich of San Francisco Chronicle
Paul McCartney and Neil Young have had quite a few interesting musical encounters over the years.

As with so many things, it's hard to say when and where Paul McCartney and Neil Young became acquainted and developed a musical friendship. It turns out that even many Beatles fans are often surprised by the depth and endurance of the relationship.

We consider Linda Eastman to be the key link between Paul McCartney and Neil Young.



Linda Eastman -- who went on to become Ms. Paul McCartney -- photographed Neil Young in 1967. A photo from the session was used for the cover of Young's Sugar Mountain, a live recording from the Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 9th & 10th November 1968.

While very little is known of the photo session in 1967, it was understood that Linda had a great appreciation for Young's music until her death in 1998.

Paul and Linda McCartney appear in Neil Young's concert film 'Year of the Horse' in some of the backstage footage.

Also, Neil Young spoke at Linda's funeral.


Paul McCartney & Neil Young at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
In March 1999, Neil Young inducted former Beatle Paul McCartney into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. During Neil's induction speech he said:

"The first song I learned to play was a Beatles song -- "Give Me Money, That's What I Want". Paul McCartney is one of the greatest songwriters ever. He'll be remembered hundreds of years from now."

After Neil handed Paul the Hall of Fame statue, Paul commented: "Thank you all. I love Neil!"

At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, Neil Young's display contains a telegram that he received from Paul and Linda McCartney in 1979. It read:

Neil,
Linda and I have been listening to Live Rust over and over, side four kicks ass.
Lotta Love,
Paul

(Thanks Larry B.!)


On October 16, 2004, Neil and Paul joined forces to benefit Adopt-A-Minefield which raises awareness of land mines. Held in Los Angeles at the Century Plaza Hotel, Neil Young played an acoustic set of "Pocahontas," "Harvest Moon," "Heart of Gold," "On The Way Home," "Human Highway," "Old King," and "Four Strong Winds". Pegi joined on vocals.

Later, Paul McCartney brought Neil onstage for "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and the show closing "Hey Jude."

McCartney said:

"We have a bit of fun but, as you can see, we do a lot of good along the way. That's one of the magic things ... When you've worked hard and you've had a lot of luck, you get to a position, where Neil and I are at, you can do a little bit more. It's a magic thing."

A week later, Paul returned the favor by performing at Neil's annual Bridge School Benefit Concert, which educates children with severe speech and physical impairments.

The 2 day benefit concerts in October 2004, with Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Neil Young and many other artists, was received enthusiastically by both fans and critics.

From Contra Costa Times review by Tony Hicks:

"Though his voice was a bit rusty, McCartney was his old self, throwing arms in the air after nearly every song and hamming it up whenever possible. He brought out Young for "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," which was a bit bumpy as McCartney tried keeping up with a tune with which he wasn't completely familiar. He went back to his strengths, through "Yesterday," "Get Back," "Let it Be," "Lady Madonna" and show-closer "Hey Jude."

Unlike recent years, nearly all the musicians hung around for the obligatory ending. You could see the excitement, even on the faces of veterans, in sharing the stage with McCartney, making it one of the rare all-star jams worth the wait."

"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" - Paul McCartney with Neil Young


Paul McCartney and Neil Young
Photo by Barry Brecheisen(More photos of Paul McCartney and Neil Young on Getty Images.)

Paul McCartney Honored at Musicares by Neil Young & Crazy Horse in 2012.


Crazy Horse and Neil Young
"I Saw Her Standing There"
Photo by McCARTNEY PHOTO BLOG
From Paul McCartney Honored as MusiCares Person of the Year - New York Times.com By JAMES MCKINLEY, JR.:

But the performance that brought the crowd to its feet and seemed to capture the rock and roll spirit of the early Beatles came from Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Mr. Young, his long grey hair spilling out from under his white hat, launched into “I Saw Her Standing There” in a loose, free style, letting the guitars ring as he sang the teenage anthem with a snarl and launched into a post-modern guitar solo in which the melody jumped, stuttered and seemed to cry out in pain. Simply put, the song rocked, sounding as if it could have been recorded yesterday.

“Paul!” Mr. Young said after he finished, raising his hand in a salute, while the crowd applauded wildly.

Crazy Horse and Neil Young
"I Saw Her Standing There"
Earlier in the week, Paul McCartney received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Neil Young made some comments at the event.

Paul McCartney and Neil Young
The Hollywood Walk Of Fame - Los Angeles, California - 09.02.12
Photo by ContactMusic.com
Paul McCartney on Hollywood Walk of Fame
(Neil Young on far left)


Paul McCartney and Neil Young
The Hollywood Walk Of Fame - Los Angeles, California - 09.02.12
Photo by ContactMusic.com



From Paul McCartney rocks out for his Hollywood star - Entertainment - NZ Herald News:

"Let me tell you a little bit about our friend Paul here just as a musician," said Young, wearing a black leather Buffalo Springfield tour jacket. "When I was in high school and the Beatles came out, I loved the Beatles and I tried to learn how to play like them, and no one could figure out what Paul was doing on the bass. Not only was he playing differently because he plays left-handed, he played notes that no one had put together before -- in a way that made us stand in awe of this great musician."

Young said McCartney, 69, was "at the top of his game, he said, adding: "Like Charlie Chaplin was a great actor, that's how I look at Paul.

"Yet even with all of that craft that he has and his ability to put melodies and chords and feelings together, it's the soul that comes out of his music that makes me feel so good and so happy to be here with him ... today," he said.

Also see more on Neil Young inspirations, influences and collaborations.

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