ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

An all-star line-up present a masterclass in the art of songwriting:

* Sir Paul McCartney
* Emeli Sande
* Suzanne Veja
* Natalie Merchant
* Paul Weller
* Corrine Bailey Rae
* Richard Hawley
* Jimmy Webb
* Laura Marling
* Billy Bragg
* Ray Davies
* Don McLean

In the first of three programmes, John Wilson looks back over his conversations with 45 acclaimed songwriters for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4's series ‘Mastertapes’.

Recorded with an audience of fans at the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Maida Vale studios in London, each guest focusses on a key album from their career, describing in detail how dozens of much loved hit songs were written.

Now, the ‘Mastertapes’ guests are brought together to offer a unique how-to guide to writing the perfect song.

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY demonstrates the building blocks of songwriting, reveals how a chord ‘borrowed’ from a Picasso painting became the basis of a collaborative composition with Kanye West. McCartney also talks candidly about his songwriting partnership with John Lennon in The Beatles.

SUZANNE VEGA and EMELI SANDÉ remember - and try to play - the very first songs that they wrote as children.

RAY DAVIES reveals how the character studies he created for his songs with The Kinks - including ‘Dedicated Follower Of Fashion’ - were based on real people.

PAUL WELLER breaks down the words and chords to ‘A Town Called Malice’, and remembers how, as a younger songwriter, he would ritually destroy his lyric books after completing a new album.

And DON McLEAN is delightfully evasive about his greatest hit, ‘American Pie’

Presented and produced by John Wilson.

Made for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra - and first broadcast in May 2021.

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