The legendary Paul McCartney and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti forged a bond in the early 1970s that was cemented over shared cannabis, but their relationship initially began with a sharp cultural friction. The tension arose when McCartney’s band, Wings, traveled to Nigeria to record what would become their seminal album, Band on the Run.
In a newly released preview from Audible’s Words + Music series titled “Man on the Run,” McCartney reflects on how he smoothed over a potentially explosive misunderstanding with the Nigerian icon. At the time, Kuti had publically voiced concerns that the former Beatle was in Lagos to exploit and plagiarize African musical structures for his own commercial gain.
“The first thing that caught my eye was a headline: ‘Fela Kuti accuses Paul McCartney of stealing Black man’s music,’” McCartney told filmmaker Morgan Neville during the interview. “I thought, ‘Oh no.’ I tracked down his number, called him up, and told him flat out that wasn’t the case. I invited him to the studio to see for himself.”
McCartney describes the scene when Kuti—who passed away in 1997—arrived at the recording session accompanied by a substantial retinue and his many wives. To de-escalate the situation, McCartney played back the tracks Wings had been developing.
“I showed him the material we were working on, which bore no resemblance to his signature sound,” McCartney explained. “Once I convinced him of our intentions, we became fast friends.”
That reconciliation paved the way for a legendary encounter. During the trip, Kuti offered marijuana to Ginger Baker, the drummer for Cream and Blind Faith. McCartney recalled Kuti’s playful jab: “He said, ‘Ginger Baker: The only man I know who never refuses to smoke.’ I didn’t want to be the one guy sitting there saying no, so I joined in.”
The potency of the substance caught the British rocker off guard. “I was absolutely blasted—completely out of it. I started feeling quite anxious and paranoid,” McCartney admitted. However, the paranoia eventually gave way to a profound emotional experience as Kuti’s music washed over him, moving him to tears of appreciation later that evening.
The three-hour Audible exclusive features McCartney diving deep into his post-Beatles career, interspersed with unique musical performances. The audio installment serves as a companion piece to the Man on the Run documentary that debuted on Prime Video earlier this year.
“I don’t typically spend much time dwelling on the past, but I was intrigued by Morgan’s interest in this specific era,” McCartney stated, referring to the grueling but ultimately triumphant period when Wings finally found their footing with chart-topping hits. “Morgan asked the right questions, and I found myself happily transported back to those moments.”
McCartney joins an elite roster of artists who have contributed to the Words + Music library, including Patti Smith, Snoop Dogg, Alanis Morissette, Sting, and Mariah Carey.
