Sir Paul McCartney's Beatle paranoia

Apr 6, 2006, 13:34 GMT

Sir Paul McCartney is paranoid people will forget he was a Beatle.

The legendary musician says he worries new fans will only remember him for his later work - and not what he brought to the Fab Four.

He confessed to US publication Association of Retired Persons Magazine: 'They say John was the Mozart, Paul was the Saileri.

'Like John was the real genius, and I was just the guy who sang 'Yesterday'.'

'People say, 'Paul, people know'. But what about in the future? If this revisionism gets around, a lot of kids will say, 'Did he have a group before Wings?''

Meanwhile, Sir Paul believes John Lennon haunted the recording of the 1995 Beatles single 'Free As A Bird' - in the form of a white peacock.

The legend, Ringo Starr and George Harrison posed for a photograph outside the studio where the track was recorded - when the bird wandered in shot at the last minute.

He said: 'It was like John was hanging around. Spooky, eh? We felt that all through the recording'

McCartney also believes Lennon made his presence felt on the single's B-side.

He revealed: 'We put one of those spoof backwards recordings on the end for a laugh.

'Then we were listening it in the studio and it goes, 'zzzwrk nggggwaaahhh jooohn lennnnnon qwwwrk' I swear to God.'

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