Paul McCartney said he began drinking heavily and almost quit music altogether after the Beatles broke up in April 1970, according to extracts of a BBC radio interview released Tuesday.

“I was breaking from my lifelong friends, not knowing whether I was going to continue in music,” McCartney said. “I took to the bevvies (drinks). I took to a wee dram. It was great at first, then suddenly I wasn't having a good time. It wasn't working. I wanted to get back to square one, so I ended up forming Wings.”

Wings, which included McCartney's wife Linda, formed in 1971 and began by playing small gigs to students. The band eventually enjoyed success, but McCartney acknowledged that some of the criticism leveled in the early years was valid.

“To be fair, we weren't that good. We were terrible. We knew Linda couldn't play, but she learned, and looking back on it, I'm really glad we did it,” he said.

McCartney said he was pleased he repaired his strained relationship with Beatles bandmate John Lennon before he was shot dead in 1980.

“I was really grateful that we got it back together before he died. Because it would have been very difficult to deal with if ... well, it was very difficult anyway,” he said.

The program airs Saturday.

— AFP