en en en en en en id en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en cs en en cs en en cs en en cs en en en en en en en es en en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en en
To mark the 40th anniversary of Paul McCartney and Wings’ Mull of Kintyre becoming an epically big Christmas number one, we hear from the Beatle himself
Four decades since Paul McCartney and Wings’ Mull of Kintyre became the biggest Christmas number one of all time, The Big Issue has travelled the long and winding road in search of the humble and heartwarming true story behind the song – and received a special message from the Beatle himself along the way.
We also reunited some of the members of the Campbeltown Pipe Band on Kintyre’s Saddell Bay Beach for the first time in 40 years to play their pipes again on the same sands where the iconic Mull of Kintyre video was made, as well as chatting to the song’s co-author Denny Laine.
You can read about it all in the special bumper Christmas edition of The Big Issue, on the streets from Monday, December 18.
It was a great experience recording it with the local pipe band… I still love it and it’s a very special song for me
“I wrote the song when I realised there were no new Scottish songs being written,” says McCartney. “It was a great experience recording it with the local pipe band and really exciting to see the amazing success it had in the charts at the time, so those memories mean I still love it and it’s a very special song for me.”
Mull of Kintyre was written and recorded on Macca’s High Park Farm in the hills above Campbeltown in the summer of 1977. It storied his love of the area where he had spent many happy times with his wife Linda and family since the break-up of The Beatles, and it would in many ways help put Kintyre on the map.
Embellished by the stirring sound of the Campbeltown Pipe Band, Mull of Kintyre went on to spend nine weeks atop the singles chart in the UK, and shift an estimated 9 million copies worldwide, making it not just the biggest-selling non-charity Christmas number one of all time, but one of the biggest-selling singles in music history.
Campbeltown Pipe Band members Ian McKerral, Tommy Blue and John Brown were all either just 16 or 17 years old when they played on the song and starred in the video, and have many happy memories of working with McCartney and co on his farm, and later travelling down to London for TV appearances on Top of the Pops and the Mike Yarwood Christmas Show.
“At the time we didnae really realise how big it was gonnae be, I don’t think anybody did,” remembers McKerral.
“It felt as if the whole town was at number one,” recalls Brown.
The Big Issue Christmas special is on sale from Monday, December 18. Don’t have a vendor nearby? Then buy your copy of our award-winning magazine at The Big Issue Shop.
Bigger Issues need bigger solutions
Big Issue Group is creating new solutions through enterprise to unlock opportunities for the 14.5 million people living in poverty to earn, learn and thrive. Big Issue Group brings together our media and investment initiatives as well as a diverse and pioneering range of new solutions, all of which aim to dismantle poverty by creating opportunity. Learn how you can change lives today.
Blue Note Re:imagined II goes back in time to forge future paths
Blue Note Re:imagined II goes back in time to forge future paths
Stone Club: The most literal rock tour you'll ever see
Stone Club: The most literal rock tour you'll ever see
How opera is giving a powerful voice to migrants
How opera is giving a powerful voice to migrants
Arcade Fire tour: ‘Just some humans doing our best'
Arcade Fire tour: ‘Just some humans doing our best'
How much will the Queen's funeral cost?
How much will the Queen's funeral cost?
The internet's best reactions as Kwasi Kwarteng cuts taxes and lifts the cap on bankers' bonuses
The internet's best reactions as Kwasi Kwarteng cuts taxes and lifts the cap on bankers' bonuses
From benefit claimants to bankers: Here’s what the mini-budget means for your pay packet
From benefit claimants to bankers: Here’s what the mini-budget means for your pay packet
5 ways anti-homeless architecture is used to exclude people from public spaces
5 ways anti-homeless architecture is used to exclude people from public spaces
Skip to headerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
Get The Big Issue in your inbox today
Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from The Big Issue and our partners.
Copyright © The Big Issue Limited 2021. All rights reserved.
To mark our new Arctic Monkeys exclusive interview, we’ve picked out some of our best band and musician interviews from the past, featuring Arctic Monkeys (2018), When Jarvis met Bowie, The Specials, Debbie Harry and more. Sign up to our mailing list to receive your free digital copy.