Paul McCartney admits he despised being labeled "the cute one" during the Beatlesera.
"I hated that," McCartney told SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show, agreeing that the term distracted from his musicianship. "That's what happens —just, 'He's the cute one.' I'd go, 'No, I'm not! Don't call me that. I hate that! But once it's said, it kind of sticks."
Noting the various media nicknames bestowed upon the four Beatles, McCartney continued: "They had to just say, 'He's the cute one; he's the quiet one [George Harrison]; he's the witty one [John Lennon]; and he's the drummer [Ringo Starr]." The singer added playfully, "I just can't help being cute, Howard."
You can watch the clip below.
McCartney previously expressed his discomfort with the "cute" label in a 1989 New York Daily Newsinterview. "I've never really thought I was 'cute,' though I guess some people think so," McCartney said. "Maybe there were a few moments of cute, mostly in the early days. As you get older, the harder edges come out. I don't think 'Fool on the Hill' is a cute song. 'The Long and Winding Road' isn't cute. 'Yesterday' isn't cute.'I'm not half the man I used to be'— that's pretty strong, and remember, I wrote it when I was 24."
In the wide-ranging Stern interview, McCartney also named his all-time top three rock drummers – including Ringo Starr.
The former Beatles star released his new solo album McCartney III today. He self-produced and played every instrument on the record, which follows 2018'sEgypt Station.
McCartney alsorecently teasedan upcoming six-part documentary series with producerRick Rubin. A trailer shows the duo chatting about various Beatles and solo McCartney tracks, including "Paperback Writer," "Come Together" and "Live and Let Die."
Watch Paul McCartney's Interview With Howard Stern
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