For his 1973 album Band on the Run, former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney chose to record in Lagos after his EMI label suggested the city. When McCartney arrived in Nigeria, he discovered newspaper headlines about Fela Kuti, accusing him of “coming to steal a black man’s music.”
To remedy the situation, McCartney invites Fela to his studio so that the Afrobeat pioneer can hear his songs.
McCartney shared this in a candid interview with Marc Maron for the WTF podcast, where he also discussed other memories from his time with The Beatles and his solo career.
The British icon was among international stars – including James Brown, Gilberto Gil and Hugh Masekela – who visited the Afrika Sanctuary, where Fela and his band delighted music lovers. McCartney remembers that when he invited Fela to his studio, “he came with his 30 women and a studio full of ganja.” There was this wildcat, he had a bottle of whiskey in which he marinated a pound of weed… in whiskey. It turned out we were really good friends, he understood, he said, “No, you’re not doing that” [stealing African music].
“Ginger Baker was there; he was a great friend of hers. Fela invites us to his club near Lagos in the Afrika Sanctuary. There were a few of us, white kids, me and a few friends. So, we go there, and I say, “Don’t grow weeds.” Because it’s really crazy, we’re in the jungle and it’s dark.
“So, Fela and I are sitting there [at the shrine] and one of Fela’s boys comes over, squats down and is holding a pack of Rothmans cigarettes. These are all joints. He said, “Do you want one?” “I say, ‘No thanks,’ so he behaves and gets to Ginger Baker, who says, ‘Yeah, man! Light!’
“Then Fela screams: ‘Ginger Baker!’ The only man I know who never says no to a cigarette. So, I say, “Aha!” Okay, I’ll take one. Man. Are made. It was so powerful. It was stronger than anything I had ever experienced. I don’t know if there was any truth to that. But in the end, it was a wonderful evening…
