Kevin Armstrong, a producer and guitarist, recently discussed Paul McCartney’s termination of him. The guitarist came on Classic Album Review to promote the release of his new book, ‘Absolute Beginner,’ where he discussed a variety of topics, including the time McCartney fired him. The key cause, according to Armstrong, was a movie he discussed while working with McCartney, which eventually led to the rocker firing him. The musician gave his insights and revealed the plot of the film: “I’m not past Paul McCartney’s mind, but I think we didn’t really click somehow, and Elvis Costello told me that I mentioned ‘The Rutles,’ and The Rutles is the affectionate Pastiche, sort of spoof film about The Beatles, it’s like a spoof of the Beatles, and it was sort of partly funded by George Harrison’s handmade films, I think.” And it was orchestrated by Neil [Innes] of the [Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band] or whatever.” After discussing the film, he went on to explain what happened: “Apparently, I mentioned that he’d been on TV or something, and Elvis said that was enough to push him over the edge.” When questioned if McCartney saw the film as “an affectionate pasty” or a “piss take,” Armstrong replied: “Clearly, he perceived it as a jab and didn’t like the fact that I enjoyed it or addressed it.
That’s the only conclusion I can draw from it. It was obviously offensive to him in some way.” Armstrong appears to be a great fan of McCartney. The guitarist voiced his appreciation for the Beatles as well as his disappointment at not being able to collaborate with them: “So, I apologize because I’m a huge fan of McCartney, and it’s a shame I messed that up because it would have been fantastic.” It would have been a fantastic thing for me to do.” Armstrong’s book is slated to be released on October 17, and it discusses what it took the guitarist to survive in the music world as a self-taught musician, as well as providing a view behind the scenes of the artists he has worked with, including McCartney. See the most recent interview below.
