Nothing is too over-the-top for Stephen Colbert, who last night featured Paul McCartney on a special one-hour episode of The Colbert Report, which opened with a segment titled Stephen Colberts Tribute to Having Paul McCartney on His Show, Featuring Paul McCartney, With Special Guest Stephen Colbert.
And what a show it was. In addition to bits on the federal governments efforts to collect Americans phone and e-mail records and New York Citys inexplicably controversial bike-share initiative, Colbert featured an interview with McCartney, who also played six songs. Tonight I am sporting some serious Norwegian wood, Colbert said at the start.
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McCartney talked in the interview about starting over with Wings after the Beatles split in 1970, explained to Colbert why he recorded Band on the Run in Lagos, Nigeria (for the climate and the disease, the singer joked), the Beatles artistic evolution and instructed the host on the proper way to pronounce schedule.
Then he performed Ive Just Seen a Face, followed after a break by Hi, Hi, Hi and Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite. Later, he performed Listen to What the Man Said, then Lady Madonna. He stuck around to record a web exclusive performance of Birthday, which he dedicated to anyone who has a birthday during the entire year.