Dave Grohl’s unlikely collaboration with Paul McCartney on the Grammy-winning “Cut Me Some Slack” emerged from a throwback moment.
They just plugged in and jammed, like musicians used to do before labels brought in multiple songwriters and producers to finish tracks, before singers went on TV to try to make it big.
The song was written and recorded, alongside former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and touring guitarist Pat Smear, in just three hours, Grohl told KROQ. The jam was then included as part of 2013’s Sound City film, and on its Real to Reel soundtrack.
“The McCartney song was the biggest secret,” Grohl told Billboard. “A few things leaked out, but the McCartney thing — we couldn’t give [that information] away because this is — spoiler alert — the moment.”
Sound City also included a new song with Skipknot’s Corey Taylor, called “From Can to Can’t.” Grohl then assembled a touring band that included Stevie Nicks, John Fogerty and Rick Nielsen, among others.
Still, most of the attention remained on his one-off studio effort with Sir Paul, which the group later performed during a pre-Christmas episode of Saturday Night Live. McCartney, Grohl and Co. – later dubbed “Sirvana” – also performed the song during the 12-12-12 Sandy relief concert.
Back in the studio, “we walked in; we jammed the song. It just came out of nowhere. The best songs happen that way,” Grohl told KROQ. “We recorded it live and put a vocal over it and that was it. It was three hours and it was perfect.”
For Dave Grohl, whose film focused on a former commercial recording space that once produced signature rock albums like Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, After the Gold Rush by Neil Young and Nevermind by Grohl’s old band Nirvana, it’s another example of how the old ways might still be the best ways.
“You have to understand, one of the great things about playing with Paul McCartney or playing with Neil Young is that that generation of musicians, they cherish and respect and value the practice of just going into a room and coming up with something and jamming and making it a song,” Grohl told KROQ. “There’s not like seven songwriters and seven producers and digital technology or whatever. It’s like people getting in a room.”
Moviegoers immediately understood how important this scene was. “At the first few test screenings we did, the moment where Paul appears there were audible gasps in the room,” Grohl told Billboard. “When we were editing that segment, I said, ‘I don’t want a holy shit moment, I want a holy fuck moment.'”
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