Sir Ringo continued: “This is Phase Three for him, or Series Three, and it only took him 50 years. I got up with him at Dodger Stadium here.

“We’re good pals. If he’s in town, he comes, and if I’m making a record, I usually keep a track for him.”

The 80-year-old went on to praise Sir Paul’s bass playing, saying: “He’s still the most brilliant bass player in my life.

“There’s a lot of really good players out there, but I don’t know any that are as melodic as him, and he understands it right away.”