Paul McCartney releasing an album of standards

[December 20, 2011]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Paul McCartney is releasing an album of standards -- plus two new songs of his own.

The former Beatle announced Monday that his new disc will be out on Feb. 7. It doesn't have a title yet. He's already streaming one song, "My Valentine," on his website.

McCartney says he and John Lennon were inspired in their own writing by some of the standards. Some of them he first heard when his father performed them at home on the piano.

Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder make appearances on the disc, which was recorded with Diana Krall and her band.

McCartney says he's been thinking about the project for 20 years and, at age 69, figured "if I don't do it now, I'll never do it."

[Associated Press]

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