Synopsis:
By a listener's suggestion, we spend this episode delving into the rich history of Paul McCartney's use of pseudonyms. We explore the reasons why he used a pseudonym for each individual situation, and we discuss how the pseudonym was reflected in the music he created under that particular name.
Sources:
The Beatles. Anthology. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2000.
The Beatles. The Beatles: The Complete Scores. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 1993.
Doyle, Tom. Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s. New York: Ballantine Books, 2013.
Du Noyer, Paul. Conversations with McCartney. New York: Overlook Press, 2015.
Harry, Bill. The Paul McCartney Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books, 2002.
Lewisohn, Mark. The Beatles All These Years, Volume One: Tune In, Extended Special Edition. London: Little, Brown, 2013.
McCartney, Paul. Wingspan: Paul McCartney's Band on the Run. New York: Bulfinch Press, 2002.
McGee, Garry. Band on the Run: a History of Paul McCartney and Wings. New York: Taylor Trade, 2003.
Miles, Barry. Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997.
Sounes, Howard. Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney. Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2010.
"Sing the Changes" by Paul McCartney's pseudonym, The Fireman, has been a staple of his live performances for several years:
"Apollo C. Vermouth" (AKA Paul McCartney) produced the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band's "I'm the Urban Spaceman" (1968):
The songwriter of "Woman" by Peter & Gordon was attributed to "Bernard Webb":
"My Dark Hour" by The Steve Miller Band features drums and backing vocals by "Paul Ramon":
After the release of the Fireman's second album, Rushes, in 1998, it became public knowledge that "The Fireman" was a Paul McCartney pseudonym. In this interview, McCartney discusses The Fireman project and why he loves to use pseudonyms:
Paul McCartney's pseudonym "Paul Ramon" was the inspiration behind the band, the Ramones. Each individual band member gave themselves the pseudonym "Ramone" and collectively referred to themselves as "The Ramones":