Millions of people around the world, of all ages, have seen the photos of the hormone-induced mania that followed The Beatles wherever they went in the 1960s and ‘70s. But there are only four people who ever knew what that fandom looked and felt like from the inside: John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney. And now McCartney, a.k.a. The Cute Beatle, is talking in McCartney 3,2,1.
The trailer for McCartney 3,2,1 has just dropped, and it seems like just the kind of intimate experience Beatles fans have long craved. In the six-part Hulu docuseries, McCartney sits down with legendary music producer Rick Rubin for what appears to be one of his most personal interviews ever. As the two listen to old Beatles tunes, McCartney recalls how certain aspects of the band, its members, and their songs came together (pun most definitely not intended).
The decades seem to have given McCartney the time needed to reflect on the enormity of the band he was a part of, and how they helped to redefine the music industry as we know it—turning everyday musicians into global icons. “At the time, I was just working with this bloke John,” McCartney explains of the band’s early days. “Now I look back and I was working with John Lennon.”
McCartney offers some gem quotes throughout—“We were writing songs that were memorable because we had to remember them!”—and shares both stories and music that have never been heard before. From the trailer alone, it’s clear that McCartney is having a good time, and gives a clear accounting of just how collaborative the band was in creating its distinctive sound. Some of what’s brought out in the docuseries is even surprising to McCartney; when Rubin reads a quote from Lennon about how “Paul is one of the most innovative bass players that ever played bass and the stuff that’s going on now is ripped from his Beatle period,” it’s the first time McCartney has ever heard the words—and he’s clearly moved.
McCartney 3,2,1 will premiere on Hulu on Friday, July 16th. You can watch the full trailer above.
