Paul McCartney made one of the rarest Beatles recordings when he decided to make his bandmates a Christmas mixtape in 1965. The “Yesterday” singer later confirmed the almost mythical record’s existence.
Paul McCartney recorded a Christmas mixtape for his bandmates
In 1965, Paul recorded a Christmas mixtape for his bandmates, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
According to Far Out Magazine, Paul only pressed three discs. In The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film, Richie Unterberger wrote, “Unforgettable. For years, it had been reported that Paul McCartney recorded an album at home around Christmas 1965 specifically for the other Beatles. Supposedly, it included singing, acting, and sketches, and only three copies were pressed, one each for John, George, and Ringo.”
Unterberger claimed if any of the three copies turned up, they’d be extremely rare and one of the earliest examples of The Beatles’ experimentation. “If it ever turns up, it might be the earliest evidence of the Beatles using home recording equipment for specifically experimental/avant-garde purposes—something that John and Paul did in the last half of the 1960s, though John’s ventures in this field are more widely known than Paul’s.”
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Paul confirmed the existence of his Christmas mixtape in 1995
In 1995, Paul confirmed the existence of his Christmas mixtape to Mark Lewisohn. He also confirmed that he used it as a way of experimenting.
“Yes, it’s true. I had two Brenell tape recorders set up at home, on which I made experimental recordings and tape loops, like the ones in ‘Tomorrow Never Knows,’” Paul said. “And once I put together something crazy, something left-field, just for the other Beatles, a fun thing which they could play late in the evening. It was just something for the mates, basically.
“It was called Unforgettable and it started with Nat ‘King’ Cole singing ‘Unforgettable,’ then I came in over the top as the announcer. ‘Yes, unforgettable, that’s what you are! And today in Unforgettable…’ It was like a magazine program: full of weird interviews, experimental music, tape loops, some tracks I knew the others hadn’t heard, it was just a compilation of odd things.
“I took the tape to Dick James’s studio and they cut me three acetate discs. Unfortunately, the quality of these discs was such that they wore out as you played them for a couple of weeks, but then they must have worn out. There’s probably a tape somewhere, though.”
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The former Beatle also made a Christmas mixtape for his family
Paul seems to like making secret Christmas mixtapes for his loved ones. He also made one for his family, but hearing it will prove even more futile than The Beatles’ Christmas mixtape. Only his family can listen to it.
In 2019, People reported that Paul recorded a whole Christmas album full of original songs, but only for his family’s ears. Paul recorded the album because he wanted new Christmas songs to listen to; he was sick of the Christmas songs on the radio.
As one of the best songwriters in the world, it wasn’t hard for Paul to whip up an entire album of festive holiday songs. He wrote “Wonderful Christmastime” in 10 minutes, after all.
“It just gets brought out each year,” Paul told BBC Radio 4’s World at One. “Years ago, I thought, there’s not very good Christmas records. There’s a Phil Spector record I like. But I thought I’d quite like to do something traditional and simple and easy with all the ‘Good King Wenceslas’ and all of that. So, I actually went into my studio over a couple of years and I made one. But it’s just for the family.”
Paul’s secret Christmas album doesn’t contain any previously released songs. “It’s just for the family,” Paul said. “It just gets brought out each year. I just have a little demo of it but you know the kids like it. Now, it’s kind of traditional. It’s something they’ve heard through the years, you know. Now it’s the grandkids getting indoctrinated with my carols record. It’s fun. We have a few little things like that. Then there’s the booze — and it’s all very jolly.”
It’s a wonder if we’ll ever get to hear any of Paul’s Christmas mixtapes during a wonderful Christmastime.
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