Live and Let Shill

Hey, Paul McCartney! You're worth a bazillion dollars and the world is celebrating the 40th anniversary of your old band's Sgt. Pepper's masterwork; what are you going to do now? "I'm going on Home Shopping Network!" appears to be McCartney's ecstatic answer.

The announcement that McCartney’s latest album was coming out on Starbucks' new record label was shocking enough, though, on the bright side, we now know why we have to pay $5 for a cup of coffee there (Paul couldn’t have been cheap to sign; maybe he gets a nickel for every latte sold?). But eyebrows were raised when Macca's new album was the source of an infomercial on the Home Shopping Network May 30 to promote his new CD, Memory Almost Full (due in old-fashioned stores and online — it's Mac's first music available on iTunes — Tuesday). Yes, Paul’s new album is now on the level of Suzanne Somers’ ThighMasters and whatever crap Elizabeth Taylor is shilling this week, not to mention blouses, throw pillows, stereo equipment and other junk you could just go buy at a store. (Thanks to reader and HSN watcher "Brad" for pointing out that Paul indeed did not actually appear on HSN. Apologies to Paul for underestimating his promotion tact. He doesn't know what's going on with the shilling of his CD — he just works there!)

We're sorry we missed it; we really wanted to call in but just to ask if there were any more of those Wolfgang Puck Bistro 2-in-1 Toaster Oven and Broilers left. Perhaps HSN viewers are indeed the 64 year old’s target demographic these days, though we’re not sure why he went through the trouble of working with modern visionaries like Michel Gondry and Nigel Godrich if that’s the case. Guess he's covering all his bases. After seeing his old music ruined by American Idol and Cirque du Soleil, you’d think the good Knight might be a little extra aware of preserving his legacy and image instead of letting his new label promote by any means necessary.

Up next in Paul’s promotional regimen: Mass e-mail spam blasts!

(photo of Paul telling us how many copies of his new album each of us should buy: Getty)

To be fair, Paul seems especially proud of this release and is doing even more press and promotion than usual so as many people as possible can hear it (it's not like he needs the cash, so driving sales up can't be the only thing making him shill so hard). This Gondry-produced video co-starring hilarious Brit actor Mackenzie Crook (the equivalent of the "Dwight Schrute" character, from the original U.K. version of The Office) and Natalie Portman for Memory's first single, "Dance Tonight," is pretty entertaining and, as always with Gondry, visually dazzling. And the song's not half bad either. Hmm, what's that HSN phone number again?

— Mike Breen

Comments

[Action News]

Geez, the guy was doing ads for Fidelity Investments a couple of years ago.

Any way, I don't know if he's ever stood for anything other than vegetarianism. Now if it had been John on HSN ....

[Brad]

Paul did not go on HSN. He had absolutely nothing to do with Hear Music's push of his CD on HSN. They showed his latest video and his electronic press kit and thats it! Next time you write an article, do some research. I expect a correction and apology.

[Breen]

Thanks Brad. Fixed and apologized. I have to start watching more HSN!

[Marilyn]

Maybe Sir Paul is trying to gather some quick $$. After all, he does have a divorce pending.

(It's easy for me to be hard on Paul, I never really loved the guy. Lennon, oh Yes! Not Paul.)

[FOXYROXY]

ugh. this is the tackiest of the tacky. i thought the starbucks thing was bad enough. talk about selling out. i thought only ringo was capable of doing crap like this.

[Larry Gross]

John was always my favorite of the Fab Four, then George, then Paul - then Ringo.

Paul is how recording for STARBUCKS?

....make that then Ringo - then Paul.

[anon]

Thanks a latte, McCartney. Our memory's almost full of you.