Something NEW

Chapter 16: The Tonight Show

Now it was Monday, the day of Paul's interview with Jimmy Fallon in regards to his new album. As Paul walked through the studio he had Beatrice who was sitting on his shoulders as they were singing the song "Let Em In" by Paul McCartney and Wings together which caught the attention of Barbara Walters who was waving at them from down the hallway. "Sir Paul and little Beatrice, how are you two doing?" Barbara asked as she walked closer to them, and Paul smiled at her as Beatrice began to hum the tune "Mary Had A Little Lamb" in the style of Wings.

"We're hanging in there....it's been crazy, but it's been great to have a couple days to leave the United Kingdom and come here to discuss my new music for a change." Paul answered as Barbara nodded, as she smiled at Beatrice. "You have new music, how wonderful? That's what you're going to talk to Fallon about?" Barbara asked as Paul nodded. "Yeah, it's been a few years, remember our conversation about Chaos and Creation?" Paul retorted as Barbara laughed. "Why yes, I do! Beatrice, you were just a little toddler, and you were accompanied by...." Barbara alluded to the obvious answer as Paul rolled his eyes, and rubbed his eyes with his middle finger.

"Anyways, that's the past....and besides there's someone who you just have to meet dear..." Barbara quickly changed the topic as Paul shook his head. "Barbara....I really don't think that I should be meeting anyone, I mean I'm still a married man..." Paul hesitated as he adjusted Beatrice. "Nonsense Paul, that's just a technicality, you're going through a divorce for gosh sake, you need to have some fun, I'll have a nanny team handle Beatrice, and you can come with me after the interview, and meet my friend...I anticipate that you will surely be thrilled with her..." Barbara begged as Paul looked up at Beatrice who was now singing Yellow Submarine by The Beatles.

"I don't know if meeting people, new women especially, is the best thing for me right now...." Paul continued with anxiety as Barbara took Beatrice off his shoulders. As Paul watched her grab his daughter he bit his lip, and felt a tap on his shoulder which swiftly made him turn around. "2 minutes to show Mr. McCartney...." A stage manager said as Paul nodded. "I'll order some margarita mix, some champagne, it'll be great...think about it during the interview." Barbara said as she put Beatrice onto her hip, and Paul sighed. "I'll think about it....." he whispered with uncertainty as Beatrice looked at him. "Go on....do your interview, and you little Beatrice how's about we go meet the Yo Gabba Gabba characters!" Barbara encouraged as she walked the opposite direction from Paul, who began to walk to the stage with uncertainty as he watched Beatrice and Barbara walk away from him..

As he walked to the stage, he passed a VIP room door, where a woman who was wearing a fancy navy blue business dress and matching blazer stood drinking wine. She had shoulder length brunette hair, and an innocent smile that seemingly was shy and bashful, that was painted with light pink lipstick. "Good luck on stage Sir Paul McCartney." She said as Paul stopped and smiled at her. "Oh thank you ma'am....do you have an interview this evening too?" He asked as she shook her head and laughed. "No, my cousin is an employee at the studio....sometimes I just tag along, and enjoy the VIP experience and service." She answered as Paul chuckled. "Haha....yeah, yeah true nothing wrong with complimentary alcohol and food." He teased as she snickered. "For sure...." She said as he waved at her, and continued to the stage.
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Paul eventually made his way to the stage where colorful lights were beaming across the room, and the talk show host Jimmy Fallon sat behind his wooden desk that was sat beside maroon velvet chairs. With humbleness, enthusiasm, and a slight sense of swagger Paul waved at the crowd who roared from their seats as he approached the chairs next to Fallon's desk. "Great to have you here Sir Paul McCartney!" Jimmy said as he clapped alongside the audience cheering. "Great to be here, Jimmy!" Paul answered with pride as he sat down in the chair closest to the desk, and the crowd began to shout louder.

The audience adorned Paul as he smiled at the camera  that hung over from the ceiling, and then his gaze turned to the crowd, which reflected his excitement back to him like a sparkling firework. Joyful, enthusiastic, and loving energy is what Paul yearned for after all the stress he had endured during the last few weeks, and his eyes filled with grateful tears as the crowd finally became silent. "Wow...I must say you've got quite the crowd here Jim!" Paul said as Fallon laughed "No, no, I must say you've got quite the fanbase here Paul!" Jimmy said back as Paul nodded. "You'd think after about 50 years they'd get tired of a silly little Liverpudlian lad like me..." Paul joked as Jimmy slapped his hand on the desk and the crowd laughed. "Come on now, never....ever....you're just too memorable!" Jimmy said as Paul shrugged and nodded.

"See Jim.... I don't see myself as this big named celebrity, I see myself still as that small English village boy...I try to be humble and not get too far away from my roots, Paul McCartney who's name is displayed on skyscraper lights is someone else, almost....like, y'know...an....um...what do you call those?" Paul tried to explain himself, but asked as he could not finish his sentence. "Call what?" Jim asked as Paul chewed on his thumb. "Y'know....a split personality?" Paul answered with uncertainty. "Ohhh so....Paul you're an alter ego? Right now?" Jim asked as he was beginning to grasp Paul's concept. "Yeah....that...haha! You got it mate!" Paul cheered with a clap as Jim nodded. "I see, yeah that's a good way to look at fame." Jim answered as Paul shrugged again. "Well, that's the thing, I don't think my music, or The Beatles music was THAT spectacular, but everyone else thinks that we were...." Paul began as Jim nodded.

"Well they were great, I mean, how can you ignore Get Back? Hey Jude? A Day In The Life? I Want To Hold Your Hand? Help?" Jimmy asked as Paul nodded slowly in agreement. "Now now, I don't think we were bad, but we were just kids, and kids aren't prepared for insane amounts of money, stress, and admiration for what we did...it was like overdosing on ecstasy....I mean I enjoyed it, but it still drives me crazy thinking that I did that, me.....that poor kid from Walton estate homes of Liverpool?" Paul said as Jimmy nodded with understanding. "I gotcha...I think you've gotten used to it, because you're back with another album!" Jimmy said as he placed a vinyl copy of Memory Almost Full onto the desk for the audience to see.

"Yeah! I am....Memory Almost Full.... I began writing it, eh, um....roughly early last year, and just finished writing the last song last week, when I was at my Scottish farm with my youngest daughter." Paul explained as Jim nodded. "Oh wow, is your daughter interested in your music?" Jim asked as Paul chuckled. "Hahaha....well she's just turned 4 years old, um about 2 weeks ago, she likes the kiddish Beatles songs, y'know....Yellow Submarine, y'know their kin." Paul answered as Jim nodded. "But she also likes typical preschooler stuff, and it's really fun seeing what she likes, then comparing it to my elder children....who grew up in the 70s and 80s....y'know." Paul answered proudly. "So where did the title of the album come from?" Jim asked as Paul giggled again. "Things have been really crazy for me as of late, I wouldn't say bad, but it's just been crazy, and my mind has been scattered about, and for instance, well my daughter Stella is expecting her third child....coming in January, and I completely forgot about that...." Paul said as the crowd awed at him.

"My goodness....you forgot you have a grandchild coming?" Jimmy asked as Paul laughed out loud. "Exactly.....man, my memory must be ALMOST full......" Paul answered as the crowd and Jimmy laughed. "I'm 65 years old mate, I hope I'm not going completely senile yet...." Paul joked as Jimmy laughed again. "Well, I mean things have been pretty volatile lately for you, and so it's understandable you're forgetting some things...." Jimmy soon acknowledged as he and Paul collected themselves. "Yeah....and this album dips into that, not just the drama with the misses, but I still grieve Linda, I still grieve John, I still grieve George, and I even still grieve my mother....and my mother died way back in 1956, I was a teenager.......y'know....it still affects me still....and I use to think that, um....that no, no..... I'm over it, and that I've moved on, but subconsciously that's not true."

"But honestly, having my youngest daughter gives me so much joy...she helps me move on from the stressful times, and things life gives, that's one thing that I can't thank Heather enough for...it's been great to be a late father, there's something magical about it.... I really want to keep Beatrice private however, so I only speak about her in basic terms, but I will say she inspired the song "Dance Tonight." Paul answered as Jimmy nodded. "The album should be out roughly about christmas time, and what you've got there is a prototype, I photographed the album art in London with the help of my daughter Mary, who is a stellar photographer, like her mother....I took them in November/December of 2006...I began to mix and produce this album in March or so of 2006....." Paul explained as he pointed at the vinyl copy Jimmy had in his hands.