MJ Kim/MPL Communications Ltd.Paul McCartney was in Los Angeles on Wednesday to attend Capitol Music Group’s fifth annual Capitol Congress at the Hollywood Arclight theater, Variety reports.
During the event, the former Beatles legend was presented with the Capitol Icon Award by the record label’s chairman and CEO, Steve Barnett.
The Capitol Congress is a daylong conference at which employees brings together employees and executives from Capitol and its parent company, Universal Music Group, as well as some of the label’s biggest artists. It features a variety of presentations, speeches, performances and interview sessions.
In addition to receiving the Icon award, McCartney was interviewed by comic Marc Maron for what will air as an upcoming installment of Maron’s WTF podcast. Among the topics Sir Paul discussed was his reaction to the Fab Four song “Helter Skelter,” which he wrote, supposedly being tied in with cult leader Charles Manson‘s attempts to incite his followers to commit murder.
According to Variety, McCartney said he remembered being “suddenly singled out for being the soundtrack to a murderer.” He then explained, “For years I wouldn’t do that song. I felt like if I did it, it would be a victory for [Manson]. Then I thought, ‘Wait a minute, I wrote it!'”
Paul also was asked about the supposed competition between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones during the early days of the bands.
“They’re great,” he said of The Stones. “We go back a long way and there was never really a rivalry.”
In other news, McCartney has announced three Japanese concerts as part of his Freshen Up tour. The shows are scheduled for October 31 and November 1 at the Tokyo Dome, and November 8 at the Nagoya Dome. Paul’s new studio album, Egypt Station, will be released September 7.
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