Paul McCartney has once again collaborated with filmmaker Jack McCoy, spreading awareness of the importance of protecting our coastlines by dedicating his new “Slidin’ (EOB Remix)” video to ocean charity Surfrider Foundation Australia.
Paul McCartney and Jack McCoy have collaborated a number of times over the past decade, and whenever they do their mutual love of the ocean is always the focus.
In December 2020, McCartney released his GRAMMY-nominated McCartney III album, featuring “Slidin’”—a track he felt would be perfectly accompanied by some surfing and ocean footage and turned to McCoy to see if he could lend a hand.
“As soon as I heard the song I said to myself ‘Craig Anderson’,” McCoy said. “I called on some of Craig’s friends to provide me with some amazing footage and made what became the official video for the track.
“With Paul’s blessing, Craig and I chose to dedicate the video to Surfrider Foundation to help beat the drum with their ongoing fight for our coastline, in particular the current fight to STOP PEP11, a proposal to drill for oil and gas off the NSW coastline.”
A few months later McCoy got wind that McCartney was about to release McCartney III Imagined, a full album reinterpretation of McCartney III curated by Paul himself and featuring a diverse selection of friends, fans and brand new acquantaintances — including Anderson .Paak, Beck, Dominick Fike, Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent and of course EOB a/k/a Ed O’Brien of Radiohead.
“Ed O’Brien from Radiohead produced a pumped-up version of ‘Slidin’’ which I thought would be perfect to make another surfing video as sort of a bookend to the first,” says McCoy.
“Doing this remix for Paul was a lot of fun,” O’Brien said. “The winter was dark and a second lockdown was imminent, but working on this track with Paul Epworth was a moment of light. So good to get those stems and hear those vocals… great drums too… all instruments played by Paul! We took inspiration from an earlier song of his—basically we were trying to ‘Helter Skelter’-it up! Great video and collaboration with the Surfrider Foundation…”
At his recent Surf Talk and Jam Tour, McCoy was introduced to film maker Tyge Landa and began collaborating on McCoy’s latest opportunity with McCartney, which features 9 of the world’s best free surfers also in support of Surfrider Foundation Australia.
“Surfrider Foundation is humbled to collaborate on this project with music, film and surfing royalty. ’Slidin” captures the surfing spirit beautifully, and the clip has been a huge help in spreading Surfrider Foundation’s message that we must all help protect our oceans and coastlines,” says Damien Cole, Surfrider Foundation National Campaign Director.
The official “Slidin’ (EOB Remix)” video launch is accompanied by a series of “making of” videos featuring McCoy and Landa, as well as some of the surfers—all of which can be seen at surfrider.org.au. Be sure to sign the petition for Surfrider’s Stop PEP 11 campaign while you are there.
ABOUT SURFRIDER FOUNDATION
Surfrider Foundation Australia is a not-for-profit sea-roots organisation dedicated to the protection of Australia’s waves and beaches through conservation, activism, research and education. Their mission is to inspire and engage surfing coastal communities to protect our waves and beaches.
PEP11 (Petroleum Exploration Permit 11) is a 4576 sq km area off the coast between Sydney and Newcastle that is under threat from being developed as an offshore oil and gas field. There is currently no oil and gas in production off the Australian east coast, and the development of PEP11 would risk one of the most beautiful marine environments in the world.
