Paul McCartney- We Can Work It Out
17 Apr 2009, Indio, California, USA — Paul McCartney performs as part of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Fields. — Image by © Tim Mosenfelder/Corbis
It was a memorable televised event in rock history when Paul McCartney and band, fresh off their 1989-90 comeback stadium tour, stunned everybody by agreeing to perform acoustically on the relatively new MTV “Unplugged” series in January 1991. It cemented Sir Paul’s stature as an unparalleled entertainer, then into his fourth decade, when the audio version was released thirty-five years ago.
Very few things other than the news are actually shown “live” on television. Even the late-night shows which appear to be live have been pre-recorded earlier in the day to allow mistakes & lapses in continuity to be edited out, which is precisely why I have always been fascinated by Paul McCartney’s decision, when performing on the taped MTV series Unplugged , to leave in this aborted first attempt at The Beatles chestnut which he wrote,”We Can Work It Out”, when he had admittedly clearly forgotten the words. Trust me, this happens to actors, singers, newscasters, & deejays all the time, but with opportunity available to edit it out. I can’t recall anyone with enough of McCartney’s poise, confidence, & the knowledge that the studio audience is totally with him, to leave it in.
Rock and roll’s combination Dorian Grey and the Energizer Bunny, Paul McCartney is a force of nature. – Redbeard 
