“It’s alright, I’ve got another one”: Wings engineer remembers Paul McCartney’s relaxed reaction when he told him his Höfner Violin Bass had been stolen
Ian Horne, a former sound engineer for Wings, has recalled how remarkably relaxed Paul McCartney was when he broke the news to him that his 1961 Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass had been stolen.
The incident occurred in October 1972, when McCartney’s post-Beatles band Wings were in the recording studio. Horne had parked a truck full of their gear on a West London street, which was broken into. The stolen bass has become the focus of a BBC Two documentary film, McCartney: The Hunt For The Lost Bass, which airs on Saturday 11 April.
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The documentary film ends with the rediscovery of the bass, which was found in an attic, following several investigations and an online campaign. McCartney shared his gratitude and confirmed on his website in 2024 that it had been returned and authenticated by Höfner.
Speaking to the Radio Times, Horne recalls, “I walked up to the truck, saw the padlock on the ground, and my heart sank. It was a three-ton truck with a roller shutter at the back. When I pushed the shutter up, I saw straight away that it was gone. The bass wasn’t there.”
Horne remembers that while there were “lots of nice people in the hippy culture” at the time, “there were some dodgy people about as well”. He adds, “We visited two or three houses in a sort of threatening manner – you know, not very polite. But we didn’t find it. I rang the police and went to the station to make a statement, but they were no help. There was nothing more to be done. I realised I had to go and tell Paul in person.”
As you can imagine, Horne was filled with dread when he approached McCartney’s house near Abbey Road to break the news. But Macca was rather chilled about the ordeal…
“All these things go through your head. I must have looked like a beaten man when I knocked on the door. I just came out with it: ‘I’ve got some bad news, Paul. Our truck was broken into and the bass was stolen.’ I expected him to go ballistic, but Paul was lovely about it. He said, ‘It’s all right, I’ve got another one,’” shares Horne.
McCartney: The Hunt For The Lost Bass airs on BBC Two this Saturday at 8:45pm (BST).
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
