Mark Ronson Shares Paul McCartney's Explicit Reaction to Learning Foreigner Isn't in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The record producer has launched a campaign to get the '70s rock group — featuring his stepfather Mick Jones — inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Mark Ronson has been leading a campaign to get Foreigner inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — and he couldn’t be more surprised by the response he’s gotten.
Since the rock band made this year's list of artists eligible and nominated to be inducted into the Rock Hall in early February, the producer/songwriter, 48, has been advocating for the band — which features his stepfather Mick Jones on guitar — to make the cut.
On Monday’s episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Ronson opened up about the effort and revealed why Paul McCartney’s response to it was quite shocking.
The Grammy winner explained on the late night show that the cause is important to him, largely because of how much he loves his stepfather, 79. “My stepdad, who I’ve lived with since I was six years old and love very much — he’s the best — he’s in the rock band Foreigner, and he’s been a huge influence on me,” he shared, before noting how Jones wrote the band’s hit “I Want to Know What Love Is” for his mom.
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Mick Jones and Mark Ronson"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a really big deal for rock ‘n’ roll musicians and certainly for him, and they’ve never been considered for it," Ronson continued. "And the past few years, he’s had some tough health challenges and whatever and, you know, we just decided to go all out this year and get Foreigner on the ballot for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."
The recording artist’s enthusiasm led him to creating a video about why the ‘70s legends deserve an induction, which he posted to Instagram and sent around to other musicians. On The Tonight Show, he said that McCartney, 81, was among the people he sent it to — and was properly surprised by his response.
Ronson revealed that The Beatles member sent back a video of “endorsement of Foreigner,” which he went on to play for Fallon, 49, and the audience.
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Mark Ronson and Paul McCartney“Foreigner not in the Hall of Fame? What the f---?” McCartney exclaims in the brief clip, which he filmed of himself sitting in his car.
“I’ve never seen Paul McCartney curse!” Ronson told the talk show host of his shock. “I mean he’s a knight — he’s Sir Paul McCartney!”
The musician added that he was even hesitant to post the clip. “I mean, listen, my mother is from Liverpool, I have a lot of family and friends, like, Liverpudlians can get colorful with their language and stuff, but I don’t want to be the first person to ever post a video of Paul McCartney dropping an F-bomb!”
Ronson ultimately decided that he’d eventually post the clip, meaning the Fab Four vocalist/bassist joins Dave Grohl, Slash and others in the hitmaker’s campaign.
The Foo Fighters frontman, 55, and the Guns N’ Roses guitarist, 58, along with Jack Black, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, all appeared in a video helmed by Ronson that advocates for Foreigner’s induction, which he shared online.
The thoughtful clip sees the rock stars talking about their love for the “Feels Like the First Time” group and highlighting several of their accomplishments, like how they’re the most-played band on rock radio.
Ronson opened up about how much Foreigner means to him personally in the caption of the Instagram post. “Everything that made me want to be a record producer came from being in the studio watching Foreigner make records,” the Golden Globe winner wrote. “I’m still completely in awe of the sound of those first five albums. Guitars with swagger and bite. Heavy drums that groove like a mutha with the bass. Wide layers of synths. And then there’s that voice. And those songs. It’s really crazy.”
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“It’s also kind of crazy that this is the first time they’ve ever been on the ballot for the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame - after 20 years of eligibility,” Ronson continued, going on to mention their many accolades and resonance in pop culture.
Foreigner are on this year’s Rock Hall induction ballot along with Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Eric B. & Rakim, Jane’s Addiction, Kool & the Gang, Lenny Kravitz, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Oasis, Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Frampton, Sade, Sinead O’Connor and A Tribe Called Quest.
The inductees will be selected by an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists and officially announced in April.
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