Ronson on producing for McCartney: 'It's insane'

[March 23, 2013]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Mark Ronson went from being the DJ at Paul McCartney's wedding to producing for the icon in the studio.

Ronson said in an interview Thursday that he worked on three songs with the former Beatles singer. He called the process "insane."

"It's really good. He writes really good songs," Ronson said.

The British act has written and produced for a number of top musicians, including Amy Winehouse, Adele, Bruno Mars, Lily Allen and Christina Aguilera. He's won three Grammy Awards, including non-classical producer of the year in 2008 for his work on Winehouse's breakthrough album, "Back to Black."

But the 37-year-old said working with McCartney was intimidation "on another level."

"He understands that you're so nervous to be working with Paul McCartney 'cause everyone is," he said. "He gives you a lot of leeway, but then at the end of the day you need to deliver the goods."

McCartney married Nancy Shevell in 2011 at a London ceremony. He announced on his website this week that he's planning to release a new album and that that he'll launch his "Out There!" world tour June 22 in Warsaw, Poland.

"He's done every kind of music. He invented the rule book in several different ways," Ronson said of McCartney's extensive and diverse catalogue. "I don't know if (our stuff) is revolutionary, but they're brilliant songs. I just tried to give him a sound he was looking for."

Ronson said he learned so much from collaborating with McCartney.

"You take a master class in production, like harmonies and layering sounds and arrangement. His ideas are just incredible."

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Online:

http://www.paulmccartney.com/

http://www.markronson.co.uk/us/frontpage

[Associated Press; By MESFIN FEKADU]

Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MusicMesfin.

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