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| McCartney and The Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli, 1975 |
After Marshall Sehorn threw a Mardi Gras party for the visiting McCartneys, who had recorded Venus and Mars at the New Orleans studio he owned with Allen Toussaint, Paul McCartney returned the favor the following month in Long Beach aboard the Queen Mary.
The guest list was spectacular : George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Marvin Gaye, The Faces, Phil Everly, The Jackson Five, Dean Martin, Tony Curtis, Cher, Derek Taylor and Mal Evans.
The event was the first time Paul McCartney and Harrison had been seen in public since The Beatles' break-up.
The party saw musical performances from Lee Dorsey, Ernie K-Doe, Professor Longhair, The Meters and Chocolate Milk. Professor Longhair's set was later released as the album Live On The Queen Mary, which was co-produced by McCartney and released on his MPL label. The Meters show was released by Rhino. Unfortunately, the label decided to fade out some of the extended jamming to squeeze everything on one CD.
I was on the Queen Mary that same night in 1975, and have in my keepsakes a Paul and Linda McCartney party invitation, a Party parking pass and a letter from Peter Brown (on Beverly Hills Hotel Stationary) to Paul congratulating him on Venus and Mars.
ReplyDeleteTo substantiate, a little known fact, the Hudson Brothers were one of the party's performers, along with the Jackson Five.