Paul McCartney readies for 'London'

Newly single Sean Penn remaining spirited

By LIZ SMITH

McCartney

Penn

LATER THIS year, we'll get Paul McCartney singing a track on Nitin Sawhey's "London Undersound" album. Paul, who co-wrote the song with Sawhey, sings about how he feels regarding his estranged wife Heather Mills. ... Paul promised to produce a couple of cuts for Lulu on her coming album. He came through, and how! Now I hear the couple are dating exclusively, the words "head over heels" have been used, and Paul has made the unprecedented move to include Lulu in his next tour. If Lulu sings onstage with Paul, it will be the first time such a pairing has occurred since he performed with his late wife, Linda McCartney. These two famous Brits have kept their love under the radar, but that can't last too long. A source close to Lulu says there's been "a lot of staying over at Paul's place." He wants to keep it quiet until his divorce from Heather Mills is finalized. ... She is being managed by Elton John's company, 21st Floor Management, and is expected to tour a bit in the U.S. this summer. She is also scheduled to sing at the Hollywood Bowl tribute to the Beatles later in the year.

THE CANCELLATION of the Golden Globes did not knock the world off its axis. We found out who the winners were and went our merry ways. The sentiment seems to be -- "We did without one big awards show; we can do without another." Maybe Americans are more concerned about who becomes president of the United States than about who is borrowing what jewelry from Harry Winston. Maybe the country is at last into celebrity overload.

HAS HIS separation from Robin Wright loosened up the frequently tense-in-public Sean Penn? At the Palm Springs Film Festival, Penn consented to an interview with "Entertainment Tonight's" Mary Hart. And he even allowed a personal question. The big reveal? He's taken up skydiving as a hobby. At the after-fete at the Parker Palm Springs Hotel, Sean partied like the single man he soon will be. Some say he never really behaved like a married man anyway. Sean cracked jokes, smiled a lot, yukked it up with director Gus Van Sant. Penn stayed till the party ended. He remained spirited.