When Paul McCartney started penning songs somewhere in the Scouse suburbs as a teenager, he also unknowingly began forging a legacy for himself. Solo piano practice sessions turned into The Quarrymen rehearsals, which turned into The Beatles, who turned into the biggest band of all time. As the driving lyrical force behind the band, McCartney earned his place as one of the greatest songwriters in music history.
His talent for the medium has left musicians across genres and generations desperate for the chance to work with him, for the opportunity to sit in a studio with the legendary lyricist and watch him at work. McCartney has been more than willing to afford that opportunity to certain musicians, from a duet with George Michael to an unexpected collaboration with Kanye West and Rihanna.
But while most musicians pine for the chance to work with McCartney, the Beatle has his own dream collaborators. When Chris Evans asked him which band he’d like to be a part of, McCartney picked out the most iconic grunge band of all time, responding, “It would’ve been Nirvana but, no longer.”
Decades after The Beatles had secured their place in music history, pioneering recording techniques and experimenting with rock and roll, Nirvana reinvented it once more for a new audience. Kurt Cobain led the band in penning hits that were equal parts catchy and dingy, breathing life back into guitar music.
Nirvana earned their own place amongst the most revered bands of all time, and Cobain joined McCartney amongst the greats. It’s no surprise that the Beatle would pick Nirvana as the band he’d most like to have joined during that period – they shared a similar penchant for making hits while also fearlessly innovating and experimenting with music-making.
In the early 2010s, McCartney actually got to live out his dream of joining Nirvana, linking up with drummer Dave Grohl, bassist Krist Novoselic and guitarist Pat Smear for a benefit concert. McCartney played a set at the iconic Madison Square Garden, alongside the likes of the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen, to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
McCartney recalled jamming with the band, stating, “The penny finally dropped, I finally understood that I was in the middle of a Nirvana reunion,” before welcoming the former Nirvana members out on stage. Amidst a setlist full of Beatles and Wings classics, they teamed up to perform an entirely new track for the first time, titled ‘Cut Me Some Slack’.
McCartney took on the lead vocals on the track, grounding Grohl’s characteristically heavy drumming and the screeching riffs that surrounded them. It wasn’t quite McCartney joining Nirvana – without Cobain, it couldn’t be – but the performance was an enthralling clash of two of the biggest bands of all time.
Since then, McCartney has continued to hone a working relationship with Grohl in particular. The Beatle linked up with Grohl’s later project, Foo Fighters, in 2017, swapping instruments once more to sit behind the drumkit for a song called ‘Sunday Morning’. Since then, the pair even linked up during lockdown for a cover of ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’.
McCartney turned his love and admiration for Nirvana into a working collaboration, combining their talents for rock and roll fans of all ages to enjoy.
