Ex Beatle and Rolling Stone both embrace the Cajun sound - Paul McCartney and Bill Wyman recordings feature Chris Hall

 

Whilst Chris Hall was busy enough in 1999 with his own projects... recording new albums with R. Cajun, Zydecomotion, Interphase and doing gigs with all these plus The Bearcats and his duo with Alan Woolley he was also involved in a new project with ex Beatle Paul McCartney.

 

In March of 99 McCartney was recording his new album "Run Devil Run" at Abbey Road with Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Mick Green (The Pirates) and Pete Wingfield (Van Morrison, The Everley Brothers)... he asked Chris to come down to play Cajun accordion on a track which was later released as the single and subsequently he appeared playing with the band on just about every TV music show going including Jools Holland, The Tube and Top of The Pops. The crowning glory was being asked to play in Liverpool at The Cavern at the end of 1999 in front of a capacity crowd of only 300 people (plus 3 million internet audience and a predicted 600 million worldwide viewers!).

 

The gig prominently featured Chris Hall on the Cajun Rock 'n' Roll track "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" and, the next day, was hailed on the front page of every national newspaper as a triumph.

 

End of story?? Not quite. At the launch party for the McCartney album, ex Rolling Stone Bill Wyman got chatting to Chris about Cajun music. A few months later Bill called and asked if Chris would put some accordion on his new album with his band The Rhythm Kings. The track - 'Mood Swings' appears on his latest CD "Groovin' " which features such musical legends as Gary Brooker, Georgie Fame and Albert Lee.

 

To quote Chris Hall

"If anyone had predicted, at the start of 1999, that the Beatles ex bass player would call me into the studio I would never have thought it possible. If they'd also added that the Rolling Stones ex bass player would do the same, I'd have said they were totally insane. I guess Cajun music can be a powerful force!"

 

Meanwhile in the year 2006 he continues to spread the word about Cajun and Zydeco music through all his projects! He has recently recorded with Kate Bush on her long awaited album and has recorded two albums with Louisiana legends Mitchell Reed and Randy Vidrine