
1. From Macca to McLean
Sir Paul McCartney, Don McLean, Corrine Bailey Rae, Paul Weller and more share the secrets of songwriting with John Wilson.
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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Broadcasts
- Wed 1 Sep 2021 11:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra
- Wed 1 Sep 2021 21:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 15 Apr 2023 10:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 15 Apr 2023 15:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 15 Apr 2023 21:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra
- Sun 16 Apr 2023 05:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra
- Thu 20 Apr 2023 20:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 14 Jun 2025 10:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 14 Jun 2025 15:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 14 Jun 2025 21:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra
- Sun 15 Jun 2025 05:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 Extra