Paul McCartney Releasing Christmas Classic

Paul McCartney's new version of Mel Torme and Bob Wells' 1946 yuletide standard, "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)," will be featured on the upcoming Holidays Rule compilation being released by the former Beatle's label, Hear Music on October 30th. Beatlefan reported that the track, which sounds like an outtake from his recent standards collection, Kisses On The Bottom, is co-billed to his main collaborator on the album, jazz pianist -- and Elvis Costello's wife -- Diana Krall.

Other artists include the Shins -- who cover McCartney's 1979 holiday classic, "Wonderful Christmastime," Rufus Wainwright featuring Sharon Van Etten, Fruit Bats, and Punch Brothers, among others.

McCartney says that he's always had a soft spot for the quality of songs written in the '30s and '40s: "I like that kind of thing, As you say, it was part of my songwriting thing -- it always has been -- because of my love for the songs and the structure of them. They're very well crafted."