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Peter Michael McCartney (born 7 January 1944), also known professionally as Mike McGear, is an English musician and photographer who was a member of the groups the Scaffold and Grimms. He is the younger brother of former Beatle Paul McCartney.

Early years

thumb|Walton Hospital, Paul and Mike's birthplace.

Michael and his brother Paul were both born in the Walton Hospital in Walton, Liverpool, England, where their mother, Mary McCartney, had previously worked as a nursing sister in charge of the maternity ward. Michael was not enrolled in a Catholic school because his father, Jim McCartney, believed that they leaned too much towards religion instead of education.

Musical career

At the time the Beatles became successful, Mike McCartney was working as an apprentice at a ladies’ hairdresser, where the staff included future actor Lewis Collins and budding comedian Jimmy Tarbuck. Simultaneously, he was a member of the Liverpool comedy-poetry-music group The Scaffold (along with Roger McGough and John Gorman). The group formed in 1962 (the year of the Beatles' first hit). Mike decided to use a stage name, so as not to appear to be riding his brother's coattails. After first dubbing himself "Mike Blank", he settled on "Mike McGear", "gear" being the Liverpudlian equivalent of "fab". He has published books of pictures that he took of the Beatles backstage and on tour and, in 2008, brought out a limited edition book of photos that he had taken spontaneously backstage at Live8. In addition, an exhibition book of the collection was published. He also took the cover photograph for Paul McCartney's 2005 solo album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.

Personal life

The McCartney brothers also have a sister named Ruth whom their father Jim adopted in 1964 when he married her mother, Angela Williams. Mike McCartney married Angela Fishwick on 7 June 1968 and they had three daughters: Benna, Theran, and Abigail Faith; they later divorced. He married Rowena Horne on 29 May 1982 and they have three sons: Joshua, Max, and Sonny.

In 2019, McCartney was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours for "services to the community in Merseyside".

Solo discography

Albums

UK releases

  • McGough and McGear (Parlophone PMC<!-- not a PMCID--> 7047 [mono], PCS 7047 [stereo]) [LP] May 1968
  • Woman (Island ILPS 9191) [LP] April 1972
  • McGear (Warner Bros. Records K 56051) [LP] September 1974
  • McGough and McGear (Parlophone PCS 7332) [LP] April 1989 [Reissue of the 1968 album]
  • McGough and McGear (EMI CDP 7 91877 2) [CD] April 1989 [Reissue of the 1968 album]
  • McGear (See For Miles SEECD 339) [CD] April 1992 [reissue of the 1974 album, with two additional tracks]
  • Woman (Edsel EDCD 507) [CD] February 1997 [reissue of the 1972 album, with four short tracks omitted]
  • A Collection of Songs for the Young Homeless of Merseyside (Merseyside Accommodation Project), [CD] December 1996 [Multi-artist commemorative release, including one newly recorded track by McGear]

US releases

  • McGear (Warner Bros. BS 2825) [LP] October 1974
  • McGear (Rykodisc RCD 10192) [CD] September 1990 [Reissue of the 1974 album, with one additional track]
  • McGough and McGear (Real Gone Music RGM-0025) [CD] Feb. 2012 [Reissue of the 1968 album]

Singles

UK releases

  • "Woman" / "Kill" (Island WIP 6131) April 1972
  • "Leave It" / "Sweet Baby" (Warner Bros. K 16446) September 1974 – UK #36
  • "Sea Breezes" / "Giving Grease a Ride" (Warner Bros. K 16520) February 1975
  • "Dance the Do" / "Norton" (Warner Bros. K16573) July 1975
  • "Simply Love You" / "What Do We Really Know" (Warner Bros. K 16658) November 1975
  • "Do Nothing All Day" / "A to Z" (EMI 2485) June 1976
  • "All the Whales in the Ocean" / "I Juz Want What You Got – Money!" (Carrere CAR 144) May 1980
  • "No Lar Di Dar (Is Lady Di)" / "God Bless Our Gracious Queen" (Conn CONN 29781) July 1981

US release

  • "Leave It" / "Sweet Baby" (Warner Bros. WBS 8037) October 1974

Discography notes

  • The album McGough and McGear was by Roger McGough and Mike McGear. Guest musicians, uncredited on the original pressing, include: Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell, Zoot Money, Paul Samwell-Smith, Gary Leeds and Paul McCartney. Paul's then-girlfriend, Jane Asher, also uncredited, contributed backing vocals on the song "Living Room."
  • The single "No Lar Di Dar (Is Lady Di)" is by Mike McGear (McCartney) and The Monarchists.
  • The track "Take It into Your Hearts," on the Merseyside Accommodation Project release, is billed as by Mike McCartney.
  • All other releases billed as by Mike McGear.
  • See also The Scaffold Discography.
  • See also Grimms Discography.

Notes

References

  • Archived Mike McCartney website
  • Michael's solo albums
  • Michael McCartney's 'beatleireland' biog
  • Honorary Fellowships awarded 2005
  • McCartney's Live 8 book
  • Scaffold and the Grimms history

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