Andy Welch talks to Sir Paul McCartney after what was for him a great 08 - apart from that nasty divorce business

IT HAS been a busy old year for Sir Paul McCartney, all things considered. There were the concerts, including the celebratory homecoming show at Anfield – undoubtedly one of the highlights of Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year – and another, more controversial one, in Tel Aviv.

There was the premiere of his choral work, Ecce Cor Meum (Behold My Heart) at Liverpool Cathedral, dedicated to his wife, Linda, not to mention him receiving his Ultimate Legend award from Bono at the MTV Awards in his home city.

Then there was his celebrated appearance with Peter Kay in the Bolton funnyman’s X Factor pastiche, which confirmed his sense of humour.

All that contributed to what was a great 08 for the former Beatle. But, of course, there was also that nasty divorce business that made it a bad year as well as a fab year. But the less said about that the better.

And then, last month, 66-year-old Sir Paul and long-time collaborator Youth – or Martin Glover, to give him his less enigmatic name – released the album Electric Arguments, under their Fireman moniker.

It’s no wonder Sir Paul is now looking forward to some time off.

"I get to a certain point, round about when the kids break up from school, and I think I should break up too.

"I don’t like the idea of keeping going while they’ve all stopped," he jokes. "We should all stop and have a break." Electric Arguments is the third album released by Sir Paul and Youth, although it’s the first to feature vocals from the former Beatle and Wings man.

Their previous two offerings, Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest and Rushes, were albums full of ambient instrumental music, with Sir Paul’s involvement only confirmed by then-label EMI after some time had passed.