Paul McCartney Says New Album Features First-Ever Vocal Duet With Ringo Starr
More than six decades after Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr first began playing together in The Beatles, the two musicians have finally recorded their first true vocal duet.
McCartney revealed the collaboration while previewing tracks from his upcoming album The Boys of Dungeon Lane during a press event held at Abbey Road Studios on May 5. The project, produced by acclaimed producer Andrew Watt, leans heavily into themes of memory, childhood, and Liverpool nostalgia, with one of its emotional centerpieces arriving in the form of a new song titled “Home To Us.”
According to McCartney, the track became the perfect opportunity to share lead vocals with Starr for the first time in their careers.
The song reflects on the pair’s working-class upbringing in Liverpool and the neighborhoods that shaped them long before Beatlemania transformed their lives. McCartney explained that the lyrics were inspired by conversations about Starr’s childhood in the Dingle area of Liverpool, which Starr had once described as rough and unforgiving.
McCartney initially sent the song to Starr expecting him to contribute a few lines. But after hearing Starr’s response vocals, he decided the song would work best as a shared performance between the two surviving Beatles.
The finished version reportedly alternates between McCartney and Starr throughout the verses before bringing their voices together in harmony. The track also includes backing vocals from Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and Sharleen Spiteri from Texas.
Several tracks reportedly explore memories from his youth, including “Days We Left Behind,” which references an area near the River Mersey where McCartney spent time as a child. The song also nods to his friendship with late Beatles bandmate John Lennon, including what McCartney referred to as a “secret code” the two shared growing up.
When pressed for details about the phrase, McCartney laughed off the question and declined to explain further, joking that songwriters often invent details while writing.
Still, Lennon’s presence reportedly looms throughout much of the record. McCartney described the material as reflective rather than mournful, focused more on preserving memories than revisiting old grief.
Another song on the album, “Salesman Saint,” turns its attention toward McCartney’s parents and the realities of growing up during World War II. McCartney reflected on his father’s work as a firefighter during the bombing campaigns and his mother’s career as a nurse and midwife.
“I was born in 1942, in the war,” he said. “My parents carried on because they had to.”
The album also includes “Down South,” which reportedly revisits the Beatles’ earliest touring years, and “As You Lie There,” a song inspired by a childhood crush on a girl named Jasmine. McCartney admitted he never worked up the courage to speak to her at the time, later missing an unexpected visit from her because he happened to be in the bathroom when she knocked on the door.
The preview event coincidentally took place on the same day The Rolling Stones were unveiling details about their own upcoming album, Foreign Tongues, in New York City. Like McCartney’s project, the Stones record was also produced by Andrew Watt and reportedly includes a guest appearance from McCartney himself. That collaboration stems from sessions connected to the band’s 2023 album Hackney Diamonds.
Despite the parallel album rollouts, neither McCartney nor the Stones currently have confirmed tour plans attached to their new releases.
Starr remains active on the road. The drummer is preparing to launch another run of dates with his Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band later this month. He also recently collaborated with producer T Bone Burnett on a new solo album titled Long Long Road.
