As part of the End the Silence charity campaign, Paul reveals that Gene Vincent‘s “Be-Bop-A-Lula” had a huge impact on him as a youth.

“‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ was the very first record I bought,” says the Beatles legend in a video interview. “I saved up all my pocket money and I went down to the city center in Liverpool, there was a little shop called Currys and it was really an electrical goods store but in the back, there was a little record booth and I knew I could get the record there.”

The Gene Vincent song came out in spring of 1956, which would have put McCartney at about 14 at the time. McCartney would start jamming with fellow teenager John Lennon just a year later in 1957.

Macca goes on to discuss how important music was to his childhood, stating, “I can’t imagine growing up without listening to music, I just can’t. Because I was so lucky, y’know, there was a lotta music around, my uncles and aunties enjoyed music, you’d go to a party, all the aunties would be singing so there was a lotta music so to imagine not having music is terrifying. I don’t know what I would’ve done. I certainly wouldn’t be who I am today.”

As mentioned, the video interview is part of the End the Silence campaign, a UK-based initiative that is seeking to raise money and awareness for children in orphanages around the world. For more information, visit EndTheSilence.com.