Paul McCartney Reveals He Recorded a Secret Christmas Album for His Family

Paul McCartney has put together the ultimate Christmas playlist: his own. The former Beatle — who’s “Wonderful Christmas Time” is currently #29 on Billboard’s Holiday Airplay Charts — has recorded a home-studio album of traditional Christmas carols. Yet there’s just one problem: it’s for family listening only — and McCartney has no plans to let the rest of the world hear it. “It just gets brought out each year,” the “Yesterday” songwriter told BBC Radio 4’s World at One on Thursday.

“Years ago, I thought, there’s not very good Christmas records,” he added. “There’s a Phil Spector record I like. But I thought I’d quite like to do something traditional and simple and easy with all the ‘Good King Wenceslas’ and all of that. So, I actually went into my studio over a couple of years and I made one.

” “But,” he insists, “it’s just for the family. ” McCartney’s secret holiday album doesn’t contain any previously released songs, McCartney told BBC host Sarah Montague, but he did hum the opening bars to “Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night” — suggesting they’re a distinct possibility. The album is also just one part of McCartney’s holiday celebrations, which includes a vegetarian roast made from mushroom duxelles straight out of the best-selling recipe book of his late wife Linda McCartney. On Christmas Day, the legendary songwriter will be joined by daughters Stella, Mary and Heather, son James, plus his eight grandchildren and wife Nancy Shevell, 60 — who all get to share his very unique musical gift.

“It’s just for the family,” McCartney added to the BBC. “It just gets brought out each year. I just have a little demo of it but you know the kids like it. Now, it’s kind of traditional.

It’s something they’ve heard through the years, you know. Now it’s the grandkids getting indoctrinated with my carols record. ” He continues, “It’s fun. We have a few little things like that.

Then there’s the booze — and it’s all very jolly.