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Sir Paul McCartney, Emeli Sande, Suzanne Vega, Natalie Merchant, Paul Weller, Corrine Bailey Rae, Richard Hawley, Jimmy Webb, Laura Marling, Billy Bragg, Ray Davies and Don McLean give a masterclass in the art of songwriting.

In the first of three programmes, John Wilson looks back over his conversations with 45 acclaimed songwriters for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4's series ‘Mastertapes’.

Recorded with an audience of fans at the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Maida Vale studios in London, each guest focuses on a key album from their career, describing in detail how dozens of much loved hit songs were written.

Now, the ‘Mastertapes’ guests are brought together to offer a unique how-to guide to writing the perfect song.

Sir Paul McCartney demonstrates the building blocks of songwriting, reveals how a chord ‘borrowed’ from a Picasso painting became the basis of a collaborative composition with Kanye West. McCartney also talks candidly about his songwriting partnership with John Lennon in The Beatles. Suzanne Vega and Emeli Sandé remember - and try to play - the very first songs that they wrote as children.

Ray Davies reveals how the character studies he created for his songs with The Kinks - including ‘Dedicated Follower Of Fashion’ - were based on real people. Paul Weller breaks down the words and chords to ‘A Town Called Malice’, and remembers how, as a younger songwriter, he would ritually destroy his lyric books after completing a new album. And Don McLean is delightfully evasive about his greatest hit, ‘American Pie’.

Presented and produced by John Wilson.

Made for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4 Extra - and first broadcast in May 2021.