PAUL RELEASES THE FIRST SINGLE: "NEW" FROM HIS FORTHCOMING ALBUM

Paul, releases the first single, New, from his forthcoming album of the same name, and hints at UK tour dates.

Paul will release a new album, called New, in October 2013 Photo: Mary McCartney

Paul has released a new single, called New, ahead of the release of his first album of completely new solo material in six years.

The 71-year-old's latest track is produced by British DJ Mark Ronson, who has previously collaborated with Amy Winehouse and Duran Duran.

New is a jaunty, Beatles-esque stomp topped with undulating Beach Boys harmonising and Sir Paul's familiar, if now slightly croaky, voice.

The song's lyrics appear to pay tribute to Paul's wife, Nancy Shevell: "All my life I never knew what I could be / what I could do / till we were new," the former Beatle sings.

The song is taken from Paul's forthcoming album, also called New, which will be released on October 14. The record, which will include 12 songs, will be the singer-songwriter's first album of new material since 2007's Memory Almost Full, which reached number five in the British charts. Sir Paul's last album, 2012's Kisses on the Bottom, featured covers of jazz and pop standards.

The New album features several different producers, including Ronson, Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon, Laura Marling) and Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence and the Machine). Talking about making the album on BBC Radio 2 this morning, Sir Paul said:

"The songs are quite varied. I was going to do one song with each producer and see who I got on with best but I got on with all of them.

"Paul Epworth is more, 'let's make it up', Ethan is more acoustically inclined."

"Before we went on the road I had a bit of time, so I started writing it then. I would drop my youngest daughter off at school then I would have a few hours, so that became a bit of a routine," he added.

Sir Paul also admitted that he would like to perform live dates in the UK to promote the album.

"We've only got planned out the Japanese dates at the moment and we haven't got anything planned after that... but I always like to finish the year in the UK. This is a new show so I'd love to show people – I like to show off." 

That Hippie Penny Lane