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nevereverywhere · 6 months

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The »The End« guitar solos or "how to subtly show your love by playing guitar together, when talking about problems is apparently not a possibility" Quotes by Geoff Emerick, sound engineer and record producer: 'I know!' he (John) said mischievously, unwilling to let it go. 'Why don't we all play the solo? We can take turns and trade licks.' Long guitar solos with dueling lead guitarists were becoming the vogue at the time, so it was a suggestion that clearly had merit. George (Martin) looked dubious, but Paul not only embraced the idea but upped the ante further still: 'Better yet,' he said, 'why don't all three of us play it live?' Lennon loved the idea – for the first time in weeks I saw a real gleam in his eye. It didn't take long for John's enthusiasm to rub off on George Harrison, who finally got into the spirit of things. John, Paul and George looked like they had gone back in time, like they were kids again, playing together for the sheer enjoyment of it. More than anything, they reminded me of gunslingers, with their guitars strapped on, looks of steely-eyed resolve, determined to outdo one another. Yet there was no animosity, no tension at all – you could tell they were simply having fun. The order was Paul first, then George, then John, and they went back and forth. They ran down their ideas a few times and before you knew it, they were ready to go. Their amps were lined up together and we recorded their parts on one track. You could really see the joy in their faces as they played; it was like they were teenagers again. One take was all we needed. The musical telepathy between them was mind-boggling. Incredibly, after just a brief period of rehearsal, they nailed it in a single take. When it was over, there was no backslapping or hugging – The Beatles rarely expressed themselves physically like that – but there were lots of broad grins. I guess there's also the possibility that, as they were performing the solo, they realized they might never get to play together again; perhaps they were viewing that moment as a poignant farewell. It was the first time in a long time that the three of them were actually playing together in the studio.

#sorry ringo #your drum solo is also perfect #but the guitar solo part of the end will always get to me #and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make #the beatles #paul mccartney #john lennon #george harrison #ringo starr #beatles #abbey road #the end #1969 #guitar solo

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glowing-gold · 5 months

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It’s tough for me to have a casual conversation with someone about The Beatles. You see, a lot of people know me as “the girl who loves The Beatles”, so at parties people come up to me, they make the innocent mistake of approaching me while I’m 3-4 drinks in, and they ask me, “so you really like The Beatles huh?” a harmless, get to know you kind of question, an ice breaker if you will. And at first, I have to pretend to be cool about it. I’m like “yeah, that’s me! Big Beatles Fan over here!” And they’ll be lulled into a false sense of security and start asking me questions they think are fun party questions to ask someone. So they ask me, they say “What’s your favorite song?” And I tell them, I can’t possibly choose. There are so many to choose from, it depends on my mood, the time of day, what color I’m wearing, the weather outside. Are we talking early Beatles, middle-era or late stage Beatles? Is it a ballad or a rocker? What album is it on? Is it a John song, Paul song or a George song? Who produced the song? Etc etc

and I can see their eyeballs start to bulge as they realize, perhaps this was not the casual conversation they were hoping to have at their friends birthday party. So I grin and shake my head and backpedal and let them know if I had to choose, with a gun to my head, I’d probably say the Abbey Road Medley. this puts them back at ease, i can see them silently thank god, because they know what I’m talking about, they’ve heard that one and they probably like it too! We discuss which parts are best (Bathroom Window) and which parts aren’t as strong (Mr. Mustard). But then I’ll forget to be cool and start telling them about how the guitar solos on The End are actually Paul George and John taking turns, and how it’s probably the last time any of them played together in the studio and how devastating that is when you take into account the title of the song and the fact that they knew it was all coming to a close…. But only if you consider Abbey Road to be the last Beatles album, which is a hot button topic considering Let It Be came out in ‘70…

So they look at me and nod, looking Nervous again. Then, thinking they’re saving themselves by changing the subject, they ask me another fun, easy to answer, non-loaded party question: “so why DID they break up???!!”

See, that’s when I have to make a decision. Do I give this person the PhD defense they never asked for? Do I shut down the conversation right there and then? Do I TRY to give them the short answer they’re looking for (keeping in mind, I’m a little tipsy)?

I usually try to make the answer short but every time it ends up into a dissertation. And god, help me. I can SEE them lose interest with every passing second. Their eyes glaze over, they’re on their fourth or fifth “damn, that’s crazy”. But I’m grabbing their arm, white knuckled and crazed, frantically pleading with them: “there’s a lick in Beef Jerky that sounds IDENTICAL to the lick in Let Me Roll It, which goes to show these two men couldn’t stop writing together even when they were separated for years, and they continue to write together 40+ after John’s DEATH and isn’t their story the most TRAGIC AND HEARTBREAKING LOVE STORY OF OUR TIME????!!!!!

anyway, this meme:

#the beatles #paul mccartney #john lennon #george harrison #ringo starr #mclennon #beatles #now and then #special interest

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m1ssunderstanding · 2 months

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Understanding Lennon McCartney Rewatch Part 3.3

John having to get high out of his mind because he knows he's invited Paul to come play with him is so so sad. These are the same guys who used to sit facing each other on a bed playing guitars for hours, and now this is them?

Is John calling Paul “Jack Lemon” a reference to “some like it hot”? Because if so, I have questions. Anyway, when your estranged best friend shows up to hang out with you and a bunch of people, talking about being in love again and getting jizzed on is extremely normal and acceptable behavior.

This jam session is so fucking painful though. Paul's doing his best to just push through and get them to actually play something and John's just too far gone.

My theory: there's two reasons he did this. 1. He's avoidant and the last thing he's going to do is let on how bad he needs John in his life and how scared he is that if John gets back with Yoko that that'll be difficult. And 2. He couldn't live with himself if he didn't. If he'd kept it from John that Yoko wanted him back and later John cried to him about how much he missed Yoko or something? Paul can't have that.

John singing a snatch of Yesterday before a take of “Whatever gets you through the Night”??? Did either of them ever write a song where they weren't thinking about the other? Did they ever have a minute of peace without the other rattling the bars of the cage in his brain?

“Hold me Darling, come on, listen to me. I won't do you no harm.” Duh it's about Paul. Oh my gosh.

And with Bless You I'm always so torn. There are so many obvious references to Paul which the doc points out beautifully, but situationally it could also be about Yoko. Maybe it's about both of them in the same way that don't let me down is about both of them.

Anyway the cosmic visuals are gorgeous.

Why'd you have to phrase it like that though? Twice?

Hall of Fame moment. It's a high point for him career-wise and he chose to pull Paul into his spotlight. Not only to sing Paul's song, not only to name-drop him, but to publicly call him an official romantic title. Not “boyfriend” or “ex-wife” which both could've been much more mocking if that's what he was trying to do. But “fiance”. It's official and respected, but it's still got the lustful, unsettled, connotation that something like “husband” lacks.

Johann Weener, everyone. What a loser.

Everyone who still refers to Lennon Remembers like it's the fucking Bible listen to this. It doesn't go on for the next five years, let alone fifty.

John refusing to walk to blocks to sign the papers when George and Paul flew over the ocean. And only on the basis of astrology. He really didn't want the divorce. My heart aches for him. But he made his bed as they say.

I'm putting on my tinfoil hat again here, but I do just have to point out that one of John's first songs, “Hello, Little Girl,” has a line that goes, “you never seem to see me standing there”. And the earliest draft of WISHST, which was started soon after, answers that line. “I saw you standing there.” (Yes, it said you originally, not her). So maybe. Just maybe. That song wasn't just a Paul song, but a song that John knew Paul had put a message in for him. Okay, I apologize for the insanity. On another note, I do wonder if he ever found out what Paul thought of that.

Interviewer: ≈ at this point, do you like writing by yourself, or do you want to write with Paul again?≈ John: ≈well it's a bit of both. It's the same for Paul. We were talking about it a week ago. Okay, cool. So they definitely talked openly and honestly about potentially writing together again.

John, about their partnership, “There was always the feeling that someone was there if you needed it.” Paired with the gayest picture ever taken and then Paul singing “if I can do anything at all, let me help.” Thanks. I hate it.

John was so excited for New Orleans! What happened? I mean I have my theory based on May's book and the sudden shift in behavior. But it's pretty dark.

You know how crazy Paul is about John in interviews now? How he can't seem to keep John's name out of his mouth? John was worse in the seventies. He's promoting his Rock’n’Roll album, talking unprompted and romantically about how he met Paul, when the interviewer reminds him what relationship he's supposed to be romanticizing right now. So John remembers too and dedicates the album to Yoko who he's just got back together with.

Biconic quote.

Interviewer asks, after John's brought him up, if John's pleased with how well Paul's doing. John expresses his relief that Ringo has "found himself a niche" and then

I really do think that last bit sums up a big chunk of how John feels about Paul, and why he feels alright playing dirty against Paul or slagging Paul off. Why it would have been the furthest thing from his mind that Paul actually struggled or was insecure. Why Paul had to remind him, “I'm only a person like you, love.”

What an insane thing to think, let alone say. What if Julian had heard that? I'm pretty sure Julian and Paul weren't in contact, really at all, until the eighties, right? So John's doing better than he is at this point (I mean he's his dad, he should be). John is insecure about every possible thing and compares himself to Paul in every possible way.

Baby. He needed some serious help. The thing that sucks about being ahead of your time is that you also have to live in a world that's behind your needs.

And then. “There's always a friendly tv channel to turn to that's going to make you feel less alone.” I wonder if Paul “Call Me Back Again, John I know you're not that tired from the baby just let me in the fucking door” McCartney heard this? It's possible with how obsessive they were, but it's also impossible with how busy he kept himself.

Okay, here's the first story we've been missing about Paul experiencing negative emotions. And, of course, as always in this doc, it's paired perfectly with “Don't Let it Bring you Down” which is the musical mission statement of Paul's clenched-jawed smile philosophy.

"I tend to get a bit absolute in my statements." Yes, John. Yes you do. Another quote that Big Lennon fans should keep in mind.

John on the three weeks he took to decide if he wanted to continue the band after the first Hamburg trip: The others were mad because we could've been making money. Yeah, John, Paul suddenly had to work in a factory after he'd thrown away an educated, white-collar career (the first in his family) to be in your band. I'd be pissed too if you just didn't even bother to call. Anyway I just hate how casual John is about it. Someone who never had to worry about money is just never going to get that.

John doesn't even remember a ballpark number of how much they were making. Paul remembers exactly bragging to his professors that he was making fifteen a week in Hamburg. Sorry to go on and on about this right before Paris, but to me it's an important difference between them.

Anyway, the fact that Paris was more than just a vacation for them. The fact that – according to Stuart and John at least – they might not have come back. It's dizzying. They really thought about just running off together. I wonder what made them decide to come back and continue the band.

No offense if you do, but I don't personally believe in this stuff. What would the motivation have been for the tarot reader to tell him that? Either way, fuck him.

Gosh the live version of “Call Me Back Again”. You feel it, physically, how bad he wants this phonecall. And the desperation from such a successful man is fantastic. Literally, John, how did it feel to be the only man in the world that could get Paul McCartney to beg? “Pretty baby” “what can I do?” “Boohoohoo babe.” “I tried the operator, but I just can't get through.”

Reporter at the Wings over America tour: No John Lennon, no George Harrison, and no Ringo Starr, just Paul McCartney. And for everyone here tonight, that seemed to be plenty! Obviously he's loving this praise after all the negative press. Anyone would, and Paul needs it more than most people actually. But I bet part of him is like “stop. Don't say it like that, they already hate me enough as it is.”

How many times has John admitted that he finds Paul attractive? “It was no surprise, you know, when the kids – girls saw him, they go ‘ooh! Ooh!’ right away, you know?”

“I know it's true. It's all because of you.” Playing over this? Are you kidding me? Anyway I've never seen the picture version of this, so I thought I'd screenshot it.

But actually, in a way, the original written lyrics to Now and Then are less depressing than what he sang on the demo. “I know it's true, I'm still in love with you, and if I make it through, it's all because of you,” is obviously sad because they're both married to other people. But at least in that version, John's saying his own personal resilience to life's struggles comes from his relationship with Paul, which is nice. Whereas when John, who is sliding into a self-hating deep depression I'm comparing himself to Paul's phenomenal success, sings “it's all because of you” in a general sense, it almost feels like a callback to the ‘I'm shit and I couldn't do anything but be a Beatle (and ride Paul's boat)’ quote. Which is heartbreaking. I wish he could've recognized his own genius.

But yeah either way it's enough to make your heart heavy. If anyone needs a good cry, just go to the last five minutes of this. That should've been the now and then music video, but Paul's too scared of feelings. Which. You know. Considering how much it affects me, I can't even imagine how much it affects him. So he gets a pass.

“Why must we be alone? It's real love. It's real.”

#mclennon #paul mccartney #john lennon #the beatles #ringo starr #george harrison #understanding lennon mccartney #ulm

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billboard-hotties-tourney · 22 days

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Clarence Clemons (1942-2011) The E Street Band - saxophone Songs: "Jungleland," "Badlands" Defeated Opponents: Keith Richards, Bob Marley, Cab Calloway, Russell Mael Propaganda: see visual

George Harrison (1943-2001) The Beatles - lead guitar and vocals; solo Songs: "Here Comes the Sun," "My Sweet Lord" Defeated Opponents: Lou Reed, Charles Brown, Buddy Holly, John Paul Jones Propaganda: "he's The Quiet Beatle, but when he does say something it's either gonna be hilarious or profound. maybe both. he's the youngest Beatle (he joined the band at 14!!!), and he's just Like That. he loves his biscuits, and things will happen if you try to take food from him. he's all profound and chill and playing riffs slide-style while holding a cigarette in his mouth. effortlessly cool with a fashion sense to match"

Visual Propaganda for Clarence Clemons:

Visual Propaganda for George Harrison:

#clarence clemons #george harrison #billboard hotties tourney #round five

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japage3moondog · 8 months

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Headcanons for the Beatles with a reader who's super sleepy all the time?

as someone who's staying up irresponsibly late and knows they will eat shit for it in the morning, this is very fitting. oh my gosh can you tell how much i love paul.

john lennon

john is the most likely to pour water on you if you look too tired. he will be a dick about it. there are some sweet moments though, like he really enjoys when you rest your head on his shoulder and fall asleep. he likes knowing that you trust him or at least that his shoulders are comfortable.

his solution is to bring you a cup of coffee in the mornings to level the playing field a little. sometimes he will use salt instead of sugar just to keep you on your toes, though a lot of the time you're too tired to notice until you hear him giggling.

paul macca

if you even look a little bit out of it paul will check if you're okay. when he finds out your just tired, he'll let you rest you head on his shoulder or lie in his lap for a quick power nap. he will make fun of you a little bit but nothing more than the playful tease.

as it happens more often, he gets really really worried. he asks you about it but he's very concious of bombarding you with questions so he mostly keeps quiet. when you tell him that it's just how you are, he's so relieved.

george harrison

george 100% indulges your sleepiness. he's a very chill dude and he doesn't mind matching your low energy. he will play you gentle lullabies on the guitar or run his fingers through your hair and just let you rest. he keeps his lullabies for you in the back of his song book and he gets super excited when he's sees you about to nod off and he has a new one. he will sprint to you to be able to play it to you before you get deliriously tired.

ringo starr

ringo is a bit of a loud guy, especially since he's super comfortable around you so it's a bit hard to be sleepy around him when he's yelling and mucking about. when you truly are too exhausted to keep up with him he doesn't really know what to do. he'll try to amp you up but you will definitely end up asleep on the floor. don't worry because he'll carry you to the couch so you can take a nap.

eventually he does start to adjust once he gets a better grasp of your limits and he likes you best when you're well rested, or as well rested as your capable of.

#john lennon x reader #paul mccartney x reader #george harrison x reader #ringo starr x reader #the beatles x reader

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reflectismo · 1 year

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RINGO & PAUL: A MINI COMPILATION

McCartney offers a further, more emotional reminiscence: "I probably bore him by telling him the moment when the three of us realised he was The Guy. In my recollection it’s at the Cavern and there's me, John and George — which, right there, is pretty cool — standing at the front doing our thing, facing out on the mics. And then behind us there's this new guy depping, who we knew we liked — we'd seen him in another band. But now he was playing with us. And it just felt so different. It felt so amazing, and it just locked in with what we were all about. And I have this very vivid recollection of kind of looking at John and him looking at me and looking at George and him looking at me, and the three of us are going, 'What the fuck, this is fucking amazing!" As McCartney describes this, he wipes his eye. "And as you can see, it gets emotional. There was a moment."

Keith Smith, Assistant Engineer: All I can say about Ringo is that you just have to listen and watch him playing drums with Paul on bass, it's pure synergy. I can't think of any other way to describe it. He is a completely unique drummer and when they play together it's as near to perfect and natural as I have ever witnessed. It is something that still to this day hasn't changed.

McCartney digresses for a moment to describe the most recent example of getting-together-with-Ringo, nine days before this conversation, at the end of his show at Dodger Stadium: "Just the other night we finished our tour in Los Angeles and Ringo got up and we were doing 'Helter Skelter' together, and when I wasn’t on the mic, in the solo breaks and stuff, I really made a point of turning round and watching this guy drum. And thinking, 'My God, you know, the memories across this ten-yard gap here,' with him on the drums and me on the bass. The lifetime that’s going on here, and here he is! And I was just listening to him during that song. I was doing my performance but basically [he sings] When I get to the bottom I go back to the top — as I’m doing that bit, there’s normally just the guitars sort of playing, but Ringo did what’s on the record" — McCartney sings the drum part to demonstrate — "building. So I’m going, 'Oh yeah, great.' So you know it’s a sort of magic."

"It’s always a special experience to play with Paul," says Ringo now. "I love Paul and I love his playing and, you know, we spent a lot of time together in the sixties."

#Ringo Starr #Paul McCartney #The Beatles #(Me coming back just to post a Ringo & Paul photo/quote compilation?)#(You know it)#(MY RHYTHM SECTION)#Flaming Pie

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pauls1967moustache · 9 days

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do you have any recent beatles fic faves? :) open to any ship I’m in a fic drought (loved your latest btw!)

Oh thank you! I’ve been so bad about reading fic lately, I’ve had a bunch of tabs open for ages. But here’s what’s in my recent bookmarks:

I’ve loved @planetaire two most recent ones monkey’s paw which has SUCH a good john, and also covers the Japan leg of the ‘66 tour which you don’t see often. Also don’t talk, take my hand about jpy 1968 yellow submarine chaos, a favourite topic of mine, as I’m sure dedicated readers well know.

your lucky break by @o-boogies - I feel like everyone’s read this, and of course why wouldn’t you!! Not only does it pay off on the inherent sex appeal of a jp may/december thing, but also has sublime world-building. What a delightful universe. Captures the mclennon mutual insanity perfectly!

Like I Please You by @eveepe - sexy with just the right brand of insane mclennon sexual escalation. Yeah just put his dick in your mouth paul, it’s nothing!

1969-headache by phyllistine - lovely little character piece about get back! Nails all the dynamics, the undercurrent of love as well as all the overwhelming normal current of tension and awkwardness.

Play me one of yours (been thinking about the scene where Paul’s aunt tries to take his guitar for several weeks now…) and the more recent Hurricaneville (dreamy and lovely and so richly textured) both by the always wonderful @crepesuzette2023

And The Story Continues @javelinbk ‘s hot follow up to beloved Our Version of Events. It’s got glorious smut! It’s got delicious angst! Can’t go wrong :)

Also, not a recent one but one I recently revisited while looking for a quote and realised I didn’t bookmark so quickly rectified that because it’s great - ageless children, animal sweat by @eyeball2eyeball

#I’ve been reading a lot of ww2 pilot rpf lately so I’ve been slacking on the ol’ bug rpf #soz #fic rec

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thecoleopterawithana · 6 months

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Lennon may not be at his most dynamic in Get Back but he’s still compelling, partly because he’s not the character we expected to meet. At least, he’s not who I expected. Having ingested many books about the Beatles I thought he was going to be fiery, caustic, domineering, and - in this period - bitterly scornful of McCartney. Yet the Lennon we see here is for the most part a rather gentle presence who acts as a calming mediator between Paul and George. He grins at Paul, laughs heartily at his jokes, listens patiently to him. There is something quite childlike about John, particularly when his face opens up into a smile as the band hits a groove, or when he’s sitting patiently on the floor with a guitar and Yoko, waiting for another take. When Ringo starts playing Octopus’s Garden with George, John says “What am I doing, Ritchie?” and gets on the drums. There is bravado, of course - as when, following George’s departure, he immediately suggests they get Clapton in and split George’s guitars. But there is tenderness, too: after George leaves, it is John who brings the three remaining Beatles together into a hug.

We are used to thinking of Lennon as the visionary and Paul as the pragmatist. Yet here it’s Paul who throws up wildly impractical ideas - a news show that ends in an announcement of The Beatles’ split, a TV spectacular, an album full of songs they haven’t written yet, by next week - and John who suggests, mildly and sympathetically, that they consider what’s actually possible.

— Ian Leslie, "The Banality of Genius: Notes on Peter Jackson's Get Back" (January 26, 2022).

[I was curious to read more of Ian Leslie's approach to the Beatles in general and Lennon-McCartney in particular, since he's currently writing a book about John and Paul's relationship: “John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs". He's also the author of that New York Times opinion piece that came out today.]

#The Beatles #John Lennon #He could be a real soft sweetie #Paul McCartney #George Harrison #Ringo Starr #the person i actually picked as my partner #Get Back sessions #That Paul and John business

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idontwanttospoiltheparty · 24 days

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An (incredibly long) "I want"-style song dedicated to the most unruly of trios: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison.

The setting is the late 50's – it's deliberately a bit of a mish-mash :-)

Lyrics below the cut!

John: Green Paul: Blue George: Purple P&G: Pink J&P: Red JP&G: Neutral Liverpool gave up on me the first day of preschool Teachers called me unruly cause I don't suffer fools And my aunt who says she can't believe I’d throw it all away Quarrybank, that school for cranks suspended me the other day

All those lads who quit this band to learn a proper trade Think that I don't understand the facts of getting paid But you both see, It's them not me, it's us and this here prophecy

Do you see us five years on – well Maybe three, that's sort of long As they're writhing for our songs And “Your group's on now, John "

Earning some preposterous wage Free of this less-town-more-cage As we enter center-stage In our gold disk age

And the birds will have to queue For a single peck at you Then, emboldened by the view Watch them molt on cue

And all we need is not to quit, They'll call us Great Britain's Newest stars, brand new guitars, guaranteed not to split

Picture us: the favourite band With a record deal in hand Going deaf from screaming fans As per my new masterplan

Where we going, fellas? Where we going? Where we going, fellas? Where we going? (To the topper-most of popper-most of popper, to the topper) To the toppermost of the poppermost!

I hear music in my head Wherever I go It's like it's bursting out my soul It's something I cannot control

Every night When I get home I watch dad roll his eyes "Heard of this thing called a comb? " I sigh as he implies That mum would be So unhappy and so disappointed in me

Meanwhile I can't drop this tune However inopportune There's a decade dawning soon Shooting for the moon

And John may seem unreasonable But his dream is feasible Sometimes yes, guess he's a gull I'll appease him though

And then I see how for we're come Joined, we're greater than our sum See, the rhythm's in the strum Of the guitars and then some

Playing my part in your vision, I'll Grab a pen, so much to discover Let's produce another Lennon-McCartney original

For the day he and John met And Yes George, I didn't forget! We become a matching set Writing tete-a-tete

Where we going, Johnny? Where we going? Where we going, Johnny? Where we going? (To the topper-most of popper-most of popper, to the toppermost) And where do I fit in? And when do I come in? Is there a spot for me at the To the toppermost of the poppermost!

I'm the youngest, there's no day when they let me forget But the part Paul will not say: I'm their safest bet See the fact is they don’t practice systematically like me I know my chord charts, strings, fretboard, parts of my soul, sorted by key.

Still the world is their playground And I am watching from the fence I can't yet jump with confidence But mum taught me about patience

I still feel Julia's arms around me every time I play What would my mum say? (She tells me) Anything I set my mind to (She taught me everything) The heights I'll climb to (She wanted everything) My time soon Anything to prove I'm worth it (Wouldn’t approve) Move the earth, they'll learn…

I had to learn to be the only one believing in me And ever since she's gone, I can hardly stand it (Mum says I can stand it) No one understanding (Don’t quite understand it) The thing she saw in me

And dad, he just wants me to be practical She’d call me her rebel without applause and tell me Just keep making noise, always play in your own key I will wait patiently He may believe in me but not my choice They will have no choice but to love me

Where we going fellas? Where we going? To the toppermost of the poppermost!

Liverpool has no idea what’s coming Liverpool will never be the same They’ll put up posters of us Like on this truck John, that’s a bus! Put your glasses on, Jesus! And dad will be non-plussed when Walking down the street he’ll see John (John), Paul, George (George) of the… Johnny and the Moondogs… What! Definitely not. The Shoes! The Quarrymen… Nononononono, JaPaGe3!

Insert band name here.

Liverpool has no idea what’s coming Liverpool will never be the same When they all see us one as three the blasphemous song trinity.

Everybody’s bitching Where’s that old ambition That got you essay prizes and into the institute? I’m not a delinquent I’ve just been rethinking No one realizes I’m still just as resolute Just keep making noise Always play in your own key They will have no choice But to love me

Anything I set my mind to The heights I’ll climb to My time soon Anything to prove I’m worth it Move the earth They’ll learn from me.

Where we going, fellas? Where we going? Where we going, Johnny? Where we going, fellas? Where we going? (To the topper-most of popper-most of popper, to the topper) And where do I fit in and when do I come in? Toppermost of the poppermost.

#the beatles #beatles #you would not believe how much time went into this lmao #or maybe you would #GOOODNESSS #main-tagging this. I've Earned It!#also sry if the colours are fucked up it's tumblr's fault not mine I corrected this twice already #my voice #fiona.docx #fic #friends.jpg

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mythserene · 6 months

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I'll Follow the Sun's 15 words in Tune In

Following along with AKOM I was struck by this page as I was passing it, so just out of curiosity I googled to see what I could find out about "I'll Follow the Sun" that would have been available before Lewisohn wrote Tune In, and what could Lewisohn have done with his prose for this song?

From Beatles Music History website:

"I wrote that in my front parlour in Forthlin Road. I was about 16," McCartney stated in an interview. This would date the song as being written as far back as 1958. He continues, "So, 'I'll Follow The Sun' was one of those very early ones. I seem to remember writing it just after I'd had the flu...I remember standing in the parlour looking out through lace curtains of the window and writing that one."

There is a recording in existence (available on bootlegs) of the early Beatles, known then as The Quarrymen, performing the song. The electric guitar arrangement features Paul, John and George on guitar with Stuart Sutcliffe on bass and presumably Tommy Moore on drums. According to McCartney, who purchased the tape from Peter Hodgson in 1995, the recording dates back to April of 1960 and was made in the bathroom of his home at 20 Forthlin Road during a school holiday. McCartney's recollection of the "middle eight" being re-written before they recorded it professionally is confirmed by this early rough recording, because the lyrics of this middle section appears to say "Well, don't leave me alone, I need you/ Now hurry and follow me, my dear."

Tune In:

“I’ll Follow the Sun.” Paul came up with this rhythmic ballad alone, words and music, on his Zenith guitar.

There's a very good story and all we get is "rhythmic ballad on his Zenith guitar"? But all that about a John song that doesn't even really seem like a John song?

It does get a bit more ink in Chapter 15 when Lewisohn talks about the bootleg, but I can't see anyone who loves writing about where songs come from as much as Lewisohn does passing up all the history of one of their most beloved songs that a bootleg even exists for. A bootleg with different lyrics, that he never mentions! There's just a lot on this song that he could've done so much with, and although I wrote before that I don't think Lewisohn is actually trying to settle scores, I am now genuinely starting to wonder.

Lewisohn on "I'll Follow the Sun" in the bootleg:

There’s also the earliest-available recordings of “One After 909,” “I’ll Follow the Sun” and “Hello Little Girl.” “One After 909” is clearly a diamond in the rough, polished by John and Paul’s attractive harmonizing. “I’ll Follow the Sun” is Paul alone, guitar and voice, save for someone (probably John) slapping a guitar case.

I'll say this, once you start noticing the attention to detail and real estate, you really start noticing. I had focused on the jealousy footnotes early on in my reading because it stood out to me so much, and once I realized how few were supported I was awestruck and started digging more, but I hadn't given thought or attention to the broader comparisons.

Absolutely blown away, tbh. I am less enamored of the space comparisons in general because they're more subjective than just the, "What, he's saying Paul was jealous because he wanted to be out front and he hated Stu from a quote saying 'I was playing the drums with a broomstick between my legs and it wasn't easy"??" But although they're harder to point out, they are most certainly there, and there to a truly unpardonable extent. This one blew my ass away.

Honestly, WTF?

Since I referenced it, the "Paul's jealousy was stoked because he was unhappy because he liked exhibiting versitility and nobody looked at the drummer and did I mention he was jealous?" pages below.

#the beatles #lewisohn #akom #historiography #fine tuning #paul mccartney #john lennon #beatles #tune in #i'll follow the sun #the quarrymen

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evermqres · 4 months

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hi, i'm lea ! ✧˖* she/her ; europe ; avid lover of queen ; classic rock enthusiast ; obsessed with playing the guitar ; mystery books enjoyer

✦ tracking: #tsuserlea ↳ feel free to tag me in anything you'd like! i love seeing all of your insanely beautiful creations! <3

— my tagging system

✦ music queen | freddie mercury | brian may | roger taylor | john deacon

the beatles | john lennon | paul mccartney | george harrison | ringo starr

gracie abrams | depeche mode | david bowie

✦ shows supernatural | daisy jones & the six | the queen's gambit | shadow and bone

✦ films the hunger games | star wars | marvel

✦ books books | the inheritance games

#navigation #pinned #woah look who finally made a pinned that's so productive of me

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ourshadowstallerthanoursoul · 3 months

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An audience with... John Paul Jones

(from Uncut, April 2010 - link)

You’re stuck on a deserted island, you have one instrument you can bring. It is: a) piano, b) bass or c) mandolin? (Gary Attersley, Ontario, Canada)

Oh… that’s horrible! I’ll probably get Hugh Manson – the guy who builds all my bass guitars – to build me some monstrous instrument that encapsulated all three! Hugh and his brother Andy Manson once actually designed me a triple-necked guitar with 12-string guitar, six-string guitar and mandolin on it! Andy also designed a triple-necked mandolin. But I guess if it really came down to it on a desert island, it would have to be the piano, because you can do so much on it. You’re a whole band. The bass is not much fun on your own.

John, it’s so good to see you so engaged with today. Any advice for old farts who can’t move on? (Andrew Loog Oldham)

Who are you calling an old fart? I dunno, Andy, you tell me! Ha ha. He’s done a good job of staying up to date. Andrew, of course, gave me the name John Paul Jones. I was John Baldwin, until Andrew saw a poster for the French film version of John Paul Jones. I thought it ’d look great in CinemaScope, as I wanted to do music for films. I imagined it saying “Music By John Paul Jones”, over the whole screen. I never realised then that he was the Horatio Nelson of America!

I know that you’ve been getting heavily into bluegrass lately – who are some of your favourite bluegrass artists of all time? (Ryan Godek, Wilmington, Delaware)

Apart from Bill Monroe, you mean? Oh, there’s loads. I’m friends with the Del McCoury band, I love that style of classic bluegrass. I love Sam Bush’s Newgrass stuff. And of course there’s Nickel Creek, Chris Feely, Mike Marshall. I love it all, really. One thing I like about bluegrass is that you don’t require amplifiers, drums and trucks. You can pull an instrument out of a box and get on with some instant music making. I carry a mandolin around wherever I go. I also like the fact bluegrass musicians play more than one instrument. There’s a tradition of them swapping instruments. In bluegrass bands I swap between double bass, fiddle and banjo.

One Butthole Surfers anecdote, please? (Dave Grohl)

Ha! I was brought in to produce the Butthole Surfers’ 1993 album, Independent Worm Saloon. I guess it was to give it a heavy rock vibe, but it didn’t work like that. They were actually incredibly hard-working in the studio, but I do recall running up a phenomenal bar-bill at the San Rafael studio. And then there was Gibby [Haynes, Butthole Surfers’ frontman] and his… eccentric studio behaviour. Gibby did one vocal take shouting into his guitar. He held it out in front of his face and screamed at it. Ha! He was trying to find out if it picked up through the pick-ups, which it kind of did. And that was pretty good.

How’s the violin coming along? (Sean, Berkshire)

I started about three years ago. With the guitar, or the piano, you can sound OK quite quickly. With the violin, it takes much longer. Once you get past the first six months of scraping, of muttering to yourself, “What is this fucking horrible noise on my shoulder?” you get the odd musical bit, and you think, ‘Oh, this is starting to get good.’ And you continue with it for a while. I’m getting into country fiddle playing, Celtic folk songs, a bit of swing. Basic stuff, but very satisfying.

Why not record a second ‘Automatic For The People’ with REM? (Franz Greul, Austria)

They haven’t asked me! But doing the string arrangements for that album was a great experience, actually. They sent me the demos of their songs, and we went into a studio in Atlanta, with members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They were great songs, something you can really get your teeth into as an arranger. And I’ve been good friends with them ever since.

How did you first meet Josh Homme? And is he still a notorious party monster? (Rob Hirst, Kippax, Leeds)

Well, I think we’ve all calmed down rather a lot. Dave introduced me to Josh at his 40th birthday party. It was a ridiculous themed place where they have jousting with knights. As Dave said, it was like somewhere you’d have your 14th birthday party. Or maybe even your 4th. Anyway, Dave sat Josh and I together for a blind date. Which was reasonably embarrassing for both of us, surrounded by people going “prithee this” and challenging each other to duels. But we survived the trauma and went into the studio the next day, and just started jamming. And I knew immediately it was going to be something special.

If Them Crooked Vultures had Spice Girls-like nicknames what would they be? (Paul Jones, Liverpool)

Dave would be Smiley Vulture. He can’t stop grinning. Josh would be Slinky Vulture. He’s a slinky kinda guy. And I’d be Speedy, I guess. Or Jumpy. So there you go. Smiley, Slinky and Speedy. Or does that sound more like the dwarfs?

I remember you being a pretty funky bass genius back in the day! What memories do you have of those sessions? (Donovan)

The sessions with Don and Mickie Most were great, because we were given a free hand. I usually got leeway, because I was the sort of Motown/Stax specialist, so producers in the mid ’60s would get me in for cover versions of American records, and none of them could write bass parts convincingly enough, so I was London’s answer to James Jamerson, I guess! And I was certainly encouraged to get kinda… funky when I worked with Donovan.

How did it feel to see Jimmy Page and Robert Plant venture off in their own project in the ‘90s without mentioning a word of it to you? (Danny Luscombe, Hull)

Oh yeah, I was pissed off about it. The surprise was in not being told. It’s ancient history now, but it was a bit annoying to find out about it while reading the papers. It came just after Robert and I had been discussing the idea of doing an Unplugged project. Then I’m on tour in Germany with Diamanda Galás, I turn on the TV and see Robert and Jimmy doing it, with someone else playing all my parts! I was pissed off at the time. You would be, woudn’t you? But… it’s all in the past, isn’t it?

Did you listen to much work by Josh Homme or Dave Grohl before you were contacted in relation to joining Them Crooked Vultures, and if so, how did you honestly rate it? (Ralph Ryan, Lisronagh, County Tipperary)

I did like the Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age, before I’d met either of them. There’s a tendency for people – especially musicians from my generation – to say that there has been this terrible decline in musicianship, that today’s bands haven’t got the chops, blah blah blah. But that’s not true at all. There’s always some people for whom technique on an instrument isn’t necessary. They can get their ideas across without being able to have the chops. But Josh really does have the chops, he just doesn’t feel the need to flash them about all the time. In fact, there were a few riffs he gave me that I had to simplify, because they were bloody difficult to play. I really had to work at it, where he could just flick it off. He is an astonishing musician.

Were you serious when you told Peter Grant that you wanted to jack it in to become choirmaster at Winchester Cathedral? (Brian Fisher, Manchester)

Ha! That was a tongue-in-cheek joke, although I was serious about leaving Led Zeppelin in 1973 unless things changed. But Peter did sort things out pretty quickly. What kind of choirmaster would I have made? A bloody good one! Listen, any way that they’ll pay you for making music is just the best situation in the world. I’d do it for nothing. I don’t care what music it is. I just love it all. The rubbing of notes together. I love it all. I would be very passionate about whatever I decided to do.

What was the worst session you ever did as a jobbing session player? (Adam Burns, Castleford, West Yorkshire)

I generally have fun memories of that time. I’d criss-cross London playing two or three sessions a day, going between Trident and Olympic and Abbey Road and Philips in Marble Arch, you know. You’d be backing Shirley Bassey, Cat Stevens, Lulu, whoever was paying you. The worst experience was a Muzak session. With Muzak sessions, the music was deliberately boring. I distinctly remember one session where I embellished the bass part a little bit, just so that it wasn’t so boring for me to play. They said, “No, you can’t do that. Any interest in the music will distract people’s attention from when they’re meant to be eating.” Or standing in a fucking lift. For fuck’s sake! So I was like, “OK, thanks, bye!”

#john paul jones #jonesy #led zeppelin #robert plant #planty #jimmy page #pagey #john bonham #bonzo #60s #70s #70s rock #70s music #rock music #ourshadowstallerthanoursoul

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m1ssunderstanding · 3 months

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Get Back Rewatch 55 Years On: Day Nine

Here’s the thing. Like, on one hand, Paul loves teaching. But on the other hand, I honestly think he’d be a terrible teacher. He’s genuinely trying to explain songwriting to this kid, and all I’m getting is that I should be able to just look at a piano and it’ll give me whatever I want. “So it’s really just . . .” *plays Martha My Dear* “. . . and from there, you know, like, um, there’s no – unless you stop yourself – there’s no stopping yourself.” Yes, thank you, Professor McCartney. Very informative. Good thing you’re a gorgeous genius because not a word of that lecture made any sense.

Seriously I am BEGging someone to write Paul and Ringo in the 20s as a cabaret duo! With Paul’s talents being songwriting, slutting it up, piano, and vocals and Ringo’s talents being tap-dancing, ventriloquist dummy impersonation, with the occasional piano, vocals, and sly winks. Maybe they meet George and John through organized crime, idk.

“They don’t just sort of come in your head, kind of thing?” “Yeah, sure. Fact, I had one this morning.” You know. As one does.

See, even Ringo’s on board with my plan. “Let’s make a silent movie.” And Paul. “In a club. That’s it. We’re in a band. We’re in a band, but we sell drugs.” And now they're stringing Paul up just for kicks. Maybe they could join the circus!

Literally the minute John starts being silly, Paul gets this fond look on his face and you can see the wheels turning like “quick, think of a way to get close to him.” And John’s into it. But they keep doing this seesaw thing and I can’t help but think how reminiscent it is of their dynamic as a whole.

“I see you’ve given up smoking, Richie.” “Yes, I have.” Reminds me of that classic, “I don’t even smoke,” thing. Seems like five-hundred years ago.

PLEASE tell me Peter Sellers and Ringo had a torrid love affair during the filming of The Magic Christian. The way Peter touches Ringo’s hair and his face! Ringo being a gentleman and getting Peter a chair! And I mean there’s plenty of queer coding between them in the film.

But also laughing my ass off at Peter’s reaction to their song-titles/lyrics/gibberish/other references code.

Yoko, you’re stone-cold and hilarious. “Or what we haven’t.” I honestly have mad respect for her complete disregard/disdain for the Beatles and their art only because that’s how they treat hers for the most part. But girl. You’re married to one of them. He genuinely does love them and what he does with them and you’ve got to respect that or go find someone else, you know?

Also, Paul does Not appreciate the attitude. “Or we’ll just sort of sit here and allow ourselves to be embarrassed. ‘Number nine . . .”

Aaand, just like that, Peter Sellers “must be off.” He lasted all of 1 minute 26 seconds. Weak. George and Ringo lasted fifteen years.

MLH is literally that annoying person that asks you a serious question about yourself just so he can use you as a segue to talk about his problems.

John: just recovering from the day, you know. Yoko: from the night. John: embarrassed (you have no right, dude, you literally played your sex tape for everyone like two weeks ago) Paul: Did not want that image, thanks very much.

It actually KILLS me though that we’ll never understand their code. Paul and Ringo will take it to their graves and no one else knows it and any footage like this we’ve got, and any code songs, will just be mostly uninterpretable for all time.

Okay these few minutes here are soooo special to me. It’s John at his peak lovely, sweet, gentle, kind self. He makes a joke at which Paul can only nod darkly which makes John realize just how bad of a place Paul’s in.

Paul wants them to get to work “achieve something every day.” But John knows he’s not in a good headspace to work and it’ll be shit and then Paul will spiral even more. So, he turns up the humor until Paul is sufficiently cheered.

And then, he says. “Guitars? I thought that’s what they do.” And Paul’s stammering. “Oh, that is what they do, but–” John stands up, does a little head-tilt toward the instruments. “Come on, I’ll even show you about half a song I was writing. Come on.” That last in the tenderest, most coaxing voice. It’s just soooo. Like. We talk a lot about Paul ‘handling’ John, and he did. But John sure knows how to handle Paul.

I SO wish they’d have done something with “Madman”. It’s so fun!! Every single song in this era I will go to bat for, no question.

Ringo’s little hug for Paul!!!! I can’t.

#paul mccartney #the beatles #john lennon #mclennon #ringo starr #get back

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rhapsodynew · 3 days

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Unsuccessful audition of the Beatles on January 1, 1962. Who was in the gap?

Sometimes it seems that the history of the Beatles consists solely of triumphs. But this is far from the case. To break through to fame, the Liverpool foursome had to go through hundreds of hours of rehearsals, exhausting concert marathons, and touring on a cold bus. And failed auditions, of course.

The most famous one took place on January 1, 1962. The sample for Decca has become legendary. What happened in London on that frosty, snowy, festive day?

It all started when Mike Smith, a representative of the Decca label, got to see the Beatles perform at the Cavern Club on December 13, 1961. The guys seemed promising to him. They were offered an audition.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best came from Liverpool to London with driver Neil Aspinall. Due to the blizzard, the journey, which takes four hours, stretched to ten hours. The musicians arrived just in time for the audition scheduled for 11 a.m. Brian Epstein traveled separately by train.

The Beatles of 1962: with Pete Best

Mike Smith himself was late due to the stormy celebration of the New Year. The musicians didn't like it too much. As well as the requirement to use Decca amplifiers due to the poor quality of the Beatles' equipment.

That day, 15 songs were recorded in about an hour without duplicates and overdubs. The most interesting ones are "Like Dreamers Do", "Hello Little Girl" and "Love Of The Loved", written by Lennon and McCartney. They are not included on any Beatles album and exist only in this performance:

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The rest are covers, which by that time had become part of the Beatles' repertoire.:

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Once in a professional studio and performing not in front of a crowd of Liverpool guys, but in front of stern pros, the Beatles faded slightly. And who wouldn't be embarrassed! In a nervous environment, they did not play to the maximum of their abilities. But all four were confident that the session would inevitably lead to a contract with Decca.

In the evening of the same day, they had a festive dinner, Brian even allowed the guys to order wine.

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But it turned out differently. A few weeks later, the Decca label notified the band that it preferred The Tremeloes, who auditioned on the same day. Transportation costs played a role: it was easier to work with locals rather than with visitors from Liverpool.

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Officially, the head of the Department of Artists and Repertoire Decca Dick Rowe uttered his catchphrase: "Guitar bands are going out of fashion, Mr. Epstein." That did not prevent him from subsequently signing a contract with the Rolling Stones — and still breaking the bank.

Rowe himself insisted that he had said nothing of the kind. Either Brian Epstein seasoned a boring story with a spectacular phrase, or Dick Rowe was trying to distance himself from one of the biggest mistakes in the history of show business...

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The Beatles, of course, were depressed. But there is no silver lining. If they had signed a contract with Decca, they probably wouldn't have brought Ringo Starr into the lineup like that. Their careers would have followed a completely different scenario.

High-quality listening tapes allowed Brian Epstein to offer his wards to other labels. Which eventually led to a meeting with George Martin, the producer of Parlophone. After hearing the Decca recordings, he was interested enough to offer the Beatles an audition at the Abbey Road studio.

Now they had a better drummer, more studio experience, and another year of songwriting, performing, and touring in Hamburg. They were a different group.

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George Martin's willingness to record the Beatles' original material, explore new directions, and experiment in the studio was crucial to the band's success. A tougher producer working "by the rules" would hardly be capable of such flexibility. So the failure turned into a triumph in the end!

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japage3moondog · 7 months

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the beatles birthday hc's

in honour of mine and johnny's birthday here are the ways the boys would celebrate yours and their birthdays.

john lennon

he makes you breakfast in bed and lays out all your gifts in the living room like it's christmas day. he loves playing the housewife. he wraps all your presents in plain white paper and then hand draws designs and patterns all over them and ties them up with colourful ribbon.

he takes you out to dinner but he spends the whole day with you. you watch tv on the couch while he bakes some bread for lunch and you cuddle while he waits for the dough to proof.

for his birthday, you steal his house husband schtick and cook him a romantic dinner. a nice feed like grilled chicken alfredo with roast potatoes and green beans. you eat it by candlelight to the sound of his favourite record. you'd try your hand at guitar to serenade him and to make him laugh.

paul macca

paul plans the whole day very elaborately months in advance. he would plan most of the event for the later half of the day so you can sleep in. he definitely takes you dancing out at a club, but picks one that's a little more exclusive to stop him from being swarmed on your bithday.

he writes a special birthday song for you every year and puts them all onto a casette for you. he draws little pictures on the labels of them and makes them look pretty for you. he explains all the parts to you and then plays it just on a accoustic guitar. he'll be like "okay so the bass part would go like bwomp bwomp bwaa and then then the drums would be like duh duh duh, just let me play it for you"

for his birthday you plan a party with all his friends, which makes it easy to find the music because most of them are musicians. he loves the attention, he's happiest when he's around the people he loves and he loves a lot of people.

george harrison

as much as george loves to stay inside, he takes you to a nice restaurant that he knows you love. he invites a few of your close friends for a casual lunch and then plans a more intimate dinner with just you at him later in the day. he takes advantage of his status to get a private room for dinner to keep things to just the two of you (and the servers).

he gets you a couple little sentimental gifts, books he's annotated with notes just for you, special mixtapes with some of his musician friends' unreleased songs, jewellery with both of your initials engraved on it.

for his birthday, surprise surprise, he wants to stay in. you take care of his whole schedule to make sure there are no phone calls or meetings or last minute grocery trips. he can just spend the day relaxing in bed or in the garden. you wake him up by putting on his favourite record.

you make his birthday cake together, some old people flavour like pound cake or carrot cake. you decorate in with all his favourite colours and make it look all cutesy. you have it for dessert for the next couple nights and if he ever goes out you pack it in a little lunch for him.

ringo starr

he definitely offers you some birthday oral. i hope you don't have any morning plans because the first few hours of your day is just you cumming in his mouth.

he goes all out on plans. he loves cheesy displays of affection so much. he leaves a trail of rose petals from your bedroom out to the living room and your gifts are arranged into the shape of a loveheart on the coffee table.

he'll take you out to the countryside for a secluded dinner, with all your favourite food. he hires a planner to make sure everything is perfect. he loves making you happy and he'll do everything he can to see you smile.

for his birthday, you take him to one of those cinemas that does a dinner with the movie and you bribe the workers to play his favourite movie.

#the beatles x reader #john lennon x reader #paul mccartney x reader #ringo starr x reader #george harrison x reader

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