It’s difficult to find someone with more praise for vocal prowess than Sir Paul McCartney. McCartney undoubtedly had the most range and best dynamics in The Beatles, a band that featured three excellent singers (plus one very fine singer, justice for Ringo). While Macca was the singer, as demonstrated by his ability to pull off high harmonies that few others could match on songs like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “The End,” John Lennon had raw power and George Harrison had earnest charm.
So which band, at the request of a session musician, did McCartney give his highest praise to? Perhaps a group like Fleetwood Mac or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, who are well-known for their harmonies? Maybe a band like Electric Light Orchestra that recreated The Beatles’ iconic sound? Or perhaps just a band like Boston or The Police, with a really good high tenor singer like him?
As it happened, none of the above was the correct response. In an oddly bizarre turn of events, Paul McCartney is said to have declared that Canadian jokers Barenaked Ladies were his favourite vocal group of the modern era. Journalist Ian Halperin quoted McCartney as saying, “A lot of the bands today are much more technical than we were.” But my favourite has to be the Barenaked Ladies. They have impeccable harmonies. They might surpass us on any given day of the week. John and I don’t believe we ever had the same range as them.
In passing, I’d like to know which Barenaked Ladies song is Paul McCartney’s all-time favourite. Would he lean towards their shared admiration of “Brian Wilson” or perhaps take pleasure in “Be My Yoko Ono’s” allusions to his old band? Perhaps he enjoys the erratic quasi-rap of “One Week.” Alternatively, perhaps he enjoys deep cuts like “Straw Hat and Old Dirty Hank” and isn’t into hits. It’s a bit of a mystery right now, but maybe we will learn one day.
It is important to remember that this might all just be speculation. Halperin bases his assertion on a 2008 piece he published on his website. However, the article doesn’t provide any references or even identify which session musician McCartney was talking to. Nevertheless, the assertion is still present on BnL’s Wikipedia page, so it must have passed some sort of scrutiny, don’t you think? Yes? We’re looking into the claim right now, and we should have confirmation for you soon.
Meanwhile, even though this rumour hasn’t been confirmed, McCartney seems perfectly suited to sing a campfire song like “If I Had $100,000,” even if he doesn’t think he could match the song’s harmonies or lighthearted banter. Giving in to the possibility that he does adore the Canadian group, this revelation highlights the Beatles icon’s peculiar normalcy even more.
He recently mentioned how much he enjoys watching everyday comedy panel shows like Would I Lie to You. How much he reads Marcel Proust each day. A practice that is indicative of a normal, sane mind. And how much of his free time he just spends riding his favourite horse, Moonstar. All that said, you can see how his frankly shockingly ordinary lifestyle might be influenced by a little bit of sarcasm from Barenaked Ladies. He’s the people’s musician, as always. Yes, a working-class hero.
