How often do you get The Beatles, Queen, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Brian Wilson, Black Sabbath, and Joe Cocker on one stage? It was Paul McCartney’s big moment at the Royal Golden Jubilee, but he decided not to sing one of his own songs. He instead chose to share his late friend John Lennon’s Beatles classic “All You Need Is Love” with the packed Buckingham Palace Garden crowd. Every time Macca sings a Lennon song, it’s always an emotional one, and this touching tribute to his friend is no exception.
“All You Need Is Love” is such a perfect choice for the moment, and having so many stars coming together to share the message of the song really makes it hit home. The reaction from the crowd when the vocalists hit that iconic intro refrain says it all. The Music Man has to say it’s so sweet seeing McCartney, Stewart, Cocker, Wilson, Brian May, and Clapton all there right next to each other and singing/playing together. The little boyish grin from Paul on the right at 1:07 captures the vibe so perfectly.
Fan channel Queen Rock Band uploaded the June 4, 2002, performance to YouTube, where it hit 12.2 million views. Viewers added comments such as “It’s so classy when Paul honors John by singing one of John’s songs. This song is perfect for… everybody” and “Everyone: Avengers Endgame is the greatest crossover of all time! Beatles and Queen: hold our beers mate!” Viewers also said they missed seeing departed legends join their bandmates up there, such as Lennon, George Harrison, and Freddie Mercury.
McCartney has given a number of classic performances over the years celebrating his Beatles bandmates’ songs. Another great moment came when Macca performed the late George Harrison’s Beatles classic “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” at the Concert for George. This lineup featured Clapton, Beatles sticksman Ringo Starr, and Harrison’s son Dhani, who played acoustic guitar. Clapton’s inclusion was a big deal, as he was able to reprise his iconic guitar solo that featured on the original studio recording.
The Beatles issued “All You Need Is Love” as a non-album single on July 7, 1967. The song is credited to Lennon-McCartney, but it was written by Lennon. The song was Britain’s feature on Our World, which was the first live multinational multi-satellite TV production. The Our World organisers asked the Beatles to contribute a song with a message that could be easily understood by people around the world, and one that used “basic English”. Lennon later said that the simple lyrics of “All You Need Is Love” were inspired by catchy slogans and TV advertising. He compared it to a propaganda work, and said “I’m a revolutionary artist. My art is dedicated to change.”