IAN BROWN - BROWN WANTS TO TEAM WITH MCCARTNEY

British rocker IAN BROWN has asked SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY to play bass guitar on his new album. The former STONE ROSES frontman promises his new solo effort will be "something really beautiful, with violins, dead sharp beats, socially conscious lyrics" - and he wants the former BEATLE to help him top the charts. Brown says, "I'm trying to get Paul MCCartney. I spoke to his assistant. I was like, 'Me name's Ian Brown and I'm a singer,' and she was like, 'Yeah, I've heard of you.' "I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I don't mind waiting for him. I'd put it back for him. I just think in the last 40 years, no-one's touched MCCartney on the bass. It's a bit of a pipe dream, but if you don't ask, you don't get, so I'm going for it."