Overview
- McCartney told NME that he and John Lennon reconciled around the mid-1970s, a rapprochement he says was important and was sparked in part by parenting after the birth of Sean Ono Lennon.
- He said Lennon’s public criticisms during the split felt deeply painful at the time, using the phrase that they were like “little daggers,” but that perspective and long friendship later softened the sting.
- McCartney reiterated that the band’s late-1960s business fight — his backing of Lee Eastman versus the others’ support for Allen Klein — was a core cause of their breakup and of his estrangement from Lennon.
- He said he does not feel a special duty to present Lennon in a particular light and described Lennon simply as “a mate,” while stressing he aims to be responsible in how he speaks about him.
- The interview doubles as promotion for McCartney’s new album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, which was released May 29, and for a live ‘In Conversation’ event at Camden’s Roundhouse on June 10 where he will discuss the record and these stories.