Paul McCartney has revealed that the Beatles “loved the idea” of Russians secretly listening to their banned music.
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In the McCartney: A Life In Lyrics podcast, the 81-year-old spoke about the time when the band’s music and Western music in general were not allowed to be imported or distributed in Russia, which was the case between 1960 and 1980.
“Everyone in Russia who thinks back to the Beatles era remembers the record smuggling. They were simply small rooms where we could play music without being noticed,” he explained, referring to the group’s hit “Back in the USSR.”
“You didn’t want the authorities to know that you were listening to this banned band, and we really liked that idea because they were smuggled in just like Levi’s jeans,” he continued. “It was like a real cultural invasion.”
When podcast host Paul Muldoon suggested that art was “dangerous”, Paul McCartney replied: “For some people.” We always thought that we were on the good side, that if we were dangerous, we would also be dangerous to the Russian authorities , and for us that meant they weren’t that good.”
The 12-part podcast series “A Life In Lyrics” is based on the singer’s best-selling book and is hosted by poet Paul Muldoon. Season 1 is currently streaming on iHeartRadio. Season 2 is scheduled to appear in February 2024.