Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson collaborated for the very first time when they wrote “Say Say Say” together in 1981. The song about winning a girl’s affection was the first single from McCartney’s 1983 fourth studio album Pipes Of Peace. Jackson wrote most of the lyrics and McCartney played guitar, bass, synthesizers and percussion. They scored a number one hit in several countries including the United States. “Say Say Say” was promoted heavy with a video co-starring both singers as con artists during the vaudeville era. McCartney’s wife Linda and Jackson’s sister LaToya had roles in the film that helped the song move from a number 10 to a number two position on the UK charts. Pipes Of Peace would not be the last time they did a duet because they got together again in 1982 to record “The Girl Is Mine” for Jackson’s Thriller album. In 2015, McCartney released a different version of “Say Say Say” which is three minutes longer than the first and has reversed vocal roles with Jackson singing the lead lines. This version appears on the re-issue of Pipes Of Peace and McCartney also filmed another video for the song inspired by Jackson’s dance moves. McCartney’s 18th solo album McCartney III was released in 2020. The former Beatle will headline the Glastonbury Festival in 2022 one week after his 80th birthday.
