I’m out to Mac it on my own
SINGER Paul McGee is the voice behind one of the world’s biggest brands – but he grew up in the shadow of his two older brothers’ musical fame.
His brother, Owen Paul, had a top 3 hit in 1986 with My Favourite Waste of Time.
And his other brother Brian was the original drummer and a founder member of Simple Minds.
Now 30 years after his two siblings enjoyed such success, Paul – who was commissioned by McDonald’s to record their world famous jingle – has launched his own bid for fame.
He will release his first EP later this month and has staged his first-ever Glasgow headline gig.
Paul, 39, said: “For the last 20 years I’ve had a good career working in the industry, either as a singer or behind the scenes as part of the crew.
“I’ve followed the jobs – working for other people – but now the time is right for me to do my own thing.”
Paul, who is known to friends as McGoo and performs under the name McGoozer, said he remembers being surrounded by talented singers and musicians as he was growing up.
He said: “My whole family is very musical, not just Brian and Owen. I was very young when Simple Minds were taking off.
“We lived in Pollokshields in Glasgow at the time and our house had a cellar underneath it, which was all kitted out with Brian’s gear, amps and things, so the band used to be round at ours all the time.
“I remember going into the city centre with Owen – I must have been about nine – and before we knew it, we were getting chased down the street by a bunch of teeny boppers.”
Paul admits his brother’s choice of stage name often caused confusion for those around him.
He said: “Older kids at school and other people used to say to me, ‘Are you Owen Paul’s brother? What’s your name?’
“When I told them I was called Paul, they used to ask, ‘Paul Paul?’ and I’d always have to explain that Owen’s real last name was McGee. He had picked Paul as his stage name as a wee nod to me.”
Paul was 18 when he moved to London in the hope of starting his own career in the music business.
He auditioned for a role with The Official Tribute to the Blues Brothers, and was offered a part on their six-month European tour.
He said: “From there I got a job on the Mike & The Mechanics tour and I was travelling the world.” Paul also toured with Phil Collins, George Michael and The Flying Pickets and his soulful voice got him gigs everywhere from the Maldives to Dubai.
It also saw him being snapped up by fast-food chain McDonald’s to follow in Justin Timberlake’s footsteps and be the singer of the jingle in their TV and radio ads.
Paul said: “I got a call from this butch American guy asking me to sing, ‘Ba, da, ba, ba, bah – I’m Lovin’ It’ down the phone - and at first I thought it was a joke.
“Everything happened so quickly, and before I knew it my voice was out there, being played all over the planet.”
While Paul’s voice has been heard across the globe, he has a face few people recognise.
But he hopes that might change with his EP, Falling Out of Love, which is released on June 23.
He added: “Last month was the first time I’ve performed in Glasgow in front of so many faces I know – and it was amazing, one of my all-time favourite gigs.
“It’s an exciting time and I’m looking forward to whatever happens next.”