Hulu has just released the first trailer for McCartney 3,2,1, a six-part extended interview with musician Paul McCartney. The series chronicles McCartney's musical journey through his landmark recordings with The Beatles, Wings, and his solo career.
The interview is conducted by Grammy award-winning producer Rick Rubin, who digs into the tapes of the original recordings to reveal the stories behind the hits. That digging occasionally unearths some surprises, represented in the trailer by a particularly shocking back-up vocal from "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." "This is why we don't go into tapes," an embarrassed McCarney exclaims.
This kind of in-depth, recording-focused interview is familiar territory for Rubin, whose Broken Record podcast follows a similar format. The legendary Red Hot Chili Peppers and Beastie Boys producer has referred to the tapes with recording artists ranging from David Byrne and Bruce Springsteen to John Legend and Tyler, the Creator on the podcast, forming an easy, knowledgable rapport with his guests. That comfort comes across in the trailer, where Rubin and McCartney seem to be having a genuine blast listening back on and recounting the stories around the selected songs.
The series will debut amid renewed interest in The Beatles. Peter Jackson's Beatles documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, was expanded to become its own six-part series after the COVID pandemic preempted its theatrical release. That series is set to debut in November on Disney+, following the release of a companion book of the same title.
Rubin and McCartney executive produced the series, along with Scott Rodger, Peter Berg, Matthew Goldberg, Brandon Carroll, Jeff Pollack, Frank Marshall, and Ryan Suffern with Leila Mattimore serving as co-executive producer. The series is directed by Emmy award-winning documentarian, Zachary Heinzerling. No stranger to music, he previously directed Beyoncé's five-part web series, Self-Titled, in support of her 2013 self-titled release.
McCartney 3,2,1 arrives on Hulu on July 16. Check out the trailer below.
Here's the full synopsis for the series:
Paul McCartney sits down for a rare, in-depth, one on one with legendary producer Rick Rubin to discuss his groundbreaking work with The Beatles, the emblematic 70s arena rock of Wings and his 50 years and counting as a solo artist. In this six-episode series that explores music and creativity in a unique and revelatory manner, join Paul and Rick for an intimate conversation about the songwriting, influences, and personal relationships that informed the iconic songs that have served as the soundtracks of our lives.