Paul McCartney joins Andrew Watt and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith to perform Beatles and Neil Young classics at tiny show

Andrew Watt has built a stellar roster of collaborators, with British legend Paul McCartney firmly on that list. On August 20, the Beatles bassist joined Watt and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith on stage at the 250-capacity Stephen Talkhouse in the Hamptons, for a raucous rendition of The Beatles’ I Saw Her Standing There and Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World.

McCartney joined the show mid-set, to the audience's surprise and delight. He immediately commanded the stage and led the band, which, in addition to Watt on guitar and Smith on drums, also included Saturday Night Live band member and seasoned session guitarist G.E. Smith, along with a horn section. Watt's girlfriend, singer-songwriter and model Charlotte Lawrence, also joined McCartney on vocals during Rockin' in the Free World.

Chad Smith, Paul McCartney, Andrew Watt - I Saw Her Standing There / Hey Joe (August, 2024) - YouTube

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Prior to this impromptu performance, McCartney had guested on the Watt-produced Rolling Stones album Hackney Diamonds, playing bass on the track Bite My Head Off.

In a New York Times profile, the producer also revealed that he had written an as-yet-unreleased song with McCartney, which came about over a cup of tea.

“He’s very resourceful,” McCartney said. “I said, ‘I’d like to show you something on guitar, but I haven’t got my guitar with me. And he said, ‘I’ve got a guitar.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but I’m left-handed.’ He said, ‘Well, I’ve got a left-handed guitar.’”

After a jamming session, McCartney returned to the studio with lyrics and a vocal line. “Suddenly, we had a song. From a cup of tea to a song. Doesn’t it sound easy?”

Paul McCartney, Chad Smith & Andrew Watt Live At The Stephen Talkhouse - 20 August 2024 (Multicam) - YouTube

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Watt recently worked on Iggy Pop's 19th studio album, Every Loser, Pearl Jam's Dark Matter, Lana Del Rey and Quavo’s Tough, Quavo and Lenny Kravitz’s Fly, Post Malone’s latest album AUSTIN, The Kid LAROI’s single Forever and Again, and BTS' Jungkook’s Seven.

This past week, he was revealed as the producer behind the fast-rising, country-tinged Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars duet, Die with a Smile.