We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Paul McCartney, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more facts about this legendary member of The Beatles below – you might be surprised by what you learn.
Number Eight: He Is an Excellent Drummer. Though it’s obvious that McCartney is a naturally gifted musician, it wasn’t discovered just how good of a drummer he is for quite some time. Paul can be heard on the drums in the songs “Back In The U.S.S.R.” and “Dear Prudence.”
Number Seven: He Is Partially Responsible for the Invention of the CT Scanner. Very, very partially. The record label that The Beatles belonged to was called EMI, and EMI also had a computer research facility. That facility was run by Godfrey Hounsfield, who, at the time, was very involved in the development of CT scanning. The money that The Beatles made for EMI eventually allowed EMI to invest in Hounsfield’s technology, which would result in the CT scanner.
Number Six: He Is Also Partially Responsible for Inventing Heavy Metal. “Helter Skelter” is widely considered to be one of the first, if not the first, heavy metal song. This is because of its drums, screaming vocals and intense bass line. The song has since been covered by Motley Crue, Caliban and Aerosmith.
Number Five: He Has a Great Trick Up His Sleeve. Though this is unofficial, McCartney may hold a record for being able to count backwards from 2,000 to 1 faster than any other person on the planet. He can count backwards this way much, much faster than he can count forward.
Number Four: He Almost Won an Academy Award for Something He Did in One Day. Paul and Linda McCartney wrote “Live and Let Die,” the theme song for the then-new James Bond film, in one afternoon. The song went on to be nominated for a Grammy in 1973.
Number Three: He Is an Excellent Painter. McCartney was encouraged to paint by his good artist friend Willem de Kooning. He apparently enjoyed painting because of the lack of rules and ability to express himself.
Number Two: He Did Something Only Kurt Cobain Had Done Before. In 2012, McCartney became only the second person ever to be the frontman of Nirvana. The other person to do this was, of course, Kurt Cobain.
Number One: One of His Songs Inspired John Lennon to Write Again. McCartney’s song for Wings, “Coming Up,” inspired John Lennon to begin writing music again. Lennon heard it on the radio, and it got stuck in his head. Lennon hadn’t written anything in five years at the time, but after hearing that, he began again.