reflectismo

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The juxtaposition between Ringo and George’s quote. We love to see it.

#Ringo Starr #George Harrison #The Beatles #1964 #Quotes

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#(This is lovely!) #Fanart

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John had a very close relationship to Paul on a different level than Stuart. His relationship to Paul was music. He admired and loved Paul.

- Astrid Kirchherr, interviewed in 1996.

#John Lennon #Paul McCartney #Astrid Kirchherr #The Beatles #1996 #Quote

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John Lennon and George Harrison photographed in early 1964.

#John Lennon #George Harrison #The Beatles #1964 #Photos

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One interesting part in John’s manuscript of Paul’s affidavit is his note in the margins regarding the section where Paul talks about the growing musical differences between him and John. In particular, John underlines Paul’s statement that “[John] he was no longer interested in the performance of songs which he had not written himself.” John counters this comment with “Paul was guilty of this for years. Witness ‘let it be’ clip.”

The ‘Get Back’ clips have shown us that not all was dire between them at this time. But I do believe John’s comment is valid and crucial in order to understand the feelings wrt. the unity (or the lack thereof) felt within the group and how that played into the role dynamics of the band at this point. At the very least, it indicates to me that a lot more was going on than just simply John being completely checked out from the group in the later years.

#(As always the truth is somewhere in the middle) #John Lennon #Paul McCartney #The Beatles #1970 #The breakup

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I’m really feeling it today…

#(How do you sleep brother) #(In my feelings about this again)

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Ringo is a sweet guy. As you know he's given up booze and cigarettes. He's too clean for words. He and his wife Barbara are such sweet people. And as a drummer he is unique. He's not a great technical drummer if you measure him against someone like Steve Gadd or Jeff Porcaro, he wouldn't be able to play like that. But he has a unique sound. When you hear Ringo, you know it's Ringo, there's no one else. He contributed an enormous amount to The Beatles' sound with his distinctive sounding drums. Enormously supportive, he was always there.

Apart from his drumming he would be the catalyst. His opinions counted. If John was doing something a bit dubious and Ringo would say, "That's crap, John," John would take it out. He wouldn't get angry, he would accept it.

— George Martin, interviewed November 1998.

#(Tagging them as the 40 line from now on) #(John and Ringo — their relationship is so important to me) #John Lennon #Ringo Starr #George Martin #The Beatles

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Reading the manuscript of Paul’s 1970 sworn affidavit to dissolve the Beatles partnership, which contains John’s comments and responses to Paul's statements handwritten into the margins, and beyond confused as to how John read this in the dissolution papers:

In September 1969 I was still keen that the Beatles should continue as a group. I therefore proposed that we should get the group together again, and play live before small audiences. Ringo agreed with this proposal and George was non-committal. Later at a meeting John said: "I think you're daft. Look, I might as well tell you, I’m leaving the group. I wasn't going to tell you till after the Capitol deal. When I told Allen (Klein) last night he said I was not to. I've had enough. I want a divorce, like my divorce from Cynthia (formerly his wife). It's given me a great feeling of freedom."

And yet was shocked when McCabe and Schonfeld told him the exact same thing in 1971:

M&S: I asked Lee Eastman for his view of the split, and what it was that prompted Paul to file suit to dissolve the Beatles' partnership, and he said it was because John asked for a divorce.

JOHN: Because I asked for a divorce? That's a childish reason for going into court, isn't it?

(See also.)

#John Lennon #Paul McCartney #Lennon/McCartney #(He literally read this as a reason in the affidavit in 1970) #(And was still shocked in 1971) #(He’s truly too funny) #(I adore him) #(At this point it isn’t even horrible communication it’s simply cognitive dissonance LOL) #The Beatles

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Paul playing guitar at home in London, April 1969

#Paul McCartney #The Beatles #1969 #London

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Paul: […] I remember we had dinner one night – just a friendly dinner, just bein’ mates – and I remember John saying he was thinking of having this trepanning thing done: drilling a hole in the skull. The Romans or the Greeks or somebody used to do it, so that gave it a validity in John’s mind, I think. And he said, “Would you be up for that? Do you fancy doin’ that? We could go and get it done.” I said, “Why?” He said, “It relieves the pressure on your brain.” I said, “Look, you go try it, and if it’s great, you tell me, and maybe I’ll do it.” That was the kind of stuff that was floatin’ around then. I just feel very lucky to have said no to those things. ‘Cause at the time, I felt bad about sayin’ no. I thought, “Oh, here I go again, look at me, unadventurous, I’m always the one, they’re gonna make such fun of me.” I mean, I got such pressure when I wouldn’t take acid the first time. I got a lot of pressure there.

Int: Was it like the group sitting around all dropping acid, and you . . .

Paul: Yeah. They were sayin’, “What’s wrong with him?” Now, looking back on it, I think, Jesus, I must have had some courage to actually resist that peer pressure. But at the time, I felt really goody-goody, you know: “Hey, Mr. Clean, squeaky clean,” you know? It was like “Aw, come on, fellas, I’m not really squeaky clean, but, you know, acid is maybe gonna do our heads in.”

Thinking about this quote from Paul regarding the peer pressure of doing LSD with the group. And then thinking about John’s acid/pep pill mix-up at the studio and Paul taking him home and finally tripping with him because he really did not want to leave John on his own that night. And then the subsequent trips together, and the “I know, I know’s.” And just for fun, let’s think about how almost every time Paul’s LSD statement fiasco was brought up, John did not vacillate in defending him.

#John Lennon #Paul McCartney #The Beatles #Rolling Stone #1986 #(Guess I’m just feeling things)

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Fascinated by the date of this interview. Just four days after the infamous Lennon Remembers interview, John and Yoko are interviewed by Howard Smith on December 12, 1970. Smith interviews John & Yoko the day after the Plastic Ono Band albums are released, and they are in the midst of shooting 2 art films. They discuss the emotional process of their music including specific songs from the albums, their time in Janov therapy, how they handle fame, and whether the Beatles will ever get back together. The above is an excerpt from the interview.

Interesting to note that John seems less dismissive about The Beatles, to the point that he does not discount a possible reunion down the road. Quite a divergence from his interview a few days prior with Jann Wenner. Notably, John indicates there is no great estrangement, although he hasn’t seen Paul in “six or maybe nine months.”

#(Still an interesting interview based on the timing.) #John Lennon

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“The Beatles is over but John, Paul, George and Ringo, God knows what relationship they’ll have in the future, I don’t know. You know, but they still, I still love those guys. Because they’ll always be those people that were that part of my life.”

#(Randomly remembering he still loved those guys) #:( #John Lennon

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Q: Do you and George Martin still talk regularly?

PAUL: Yeah, we meet up quite a bit, actually. Particularly because we used his studio for the London end of the recording. George always pops in, especially if he knows I'm there. He's one of the most important men in my life, and that's including my father, my brother, the Beatles –George Martin is right up there in the top five. Really, I would like to work with him forever. That would be my dream.

#The Beatles #Paul McCartney #George Martin #Rolling Stone #Interview #2005

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I find it wholesome that John knew Paul was in a school play once and had no lines LOL.

Perhaps John was referring to Paul’s role as an assessor in The Liverpool Institute’s 1960 production of Saint Joan. Paul’s name can be seen below in the cast list.

#John Lennon #Paul McCartney #The Beatles #1965 #Saint Joan #Acting

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John and Paul discussing their songwriting partnership and other artists covering their songs. Never heard this part of the broadcast!

Paul: I remember you saying quite distinctly John, “Heavens above us! Heavens above.”

John: Eureka. A songwriting formula!

#Lennon/McCartney #(I just love when they were interviewed together) #(Especially about their music)

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The following is an excerpt from the 1970 sworn affidavit of Paul McCartney, made in support of his Application to dissolve the Beatles. This passage pertains to the conflict that surrounded the release date of Paul’s first solo album. Some interesting insights here.

#(I can see why Paul got upset. Klein was definitely out there maneuvering.) #Paul McCartney #Allen Klein #(Had no idea that George originally sent out a telegram confirming that Paul’s album would not be held up/stopped.) #(Only for him and John to write a letter just days later confirming his album would be held up/stopped) #(Lol what?) #The Beatles

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Annette Tapper’s (Phil Spector’s ex-wife) recollection of meeting the Beatles:

I met them in March 1965, during the height of Beatlemania. A friend invited me to the Bahamas for the filming of the beach scenes in Help. After we arrived, I was told to contact Victor Spinetti, which I did. We met and he took me to a sandy beach where a scene was being filmed. All four Beatles were there and they were on a break. Spinetti said, 'I’d like you to meet somebody; this is Annette Spector, Phil Spector's ex-wife.'

John Lennon turned around, smiled at the other three, started conducting and counted '1-2-3-4.' Then they all sang (to the tune of "Happy Birthday"):

'Happy Mrs. Spector to you, Happy Mrs. Spector to you, Happy Mrs. Spector to you, Happy Mrs. Spector to you.' After they finished, I shook each one's hand, saying how nice it was to meet them and we all stood talking for awhile.

There were very friendly and cordial, but above all, so harmonious with each other. They were like brothers and didn't seem on guard either with each other or with me. Besides exuding warmth, they were very funny and humorous, exactly like in the film. The only other people around were the crew preparing a boat for the next scene. None of the Beatles' wives or girlfriends had come to the Bahamas.

Later that day, I went with Mal Evans, the Beatles' bodyguard, to buy cigarettes for them and then we went to a cabin where all the Beatles were resting. When we walked in, the room was very quiet; then George Harrison screamed hello and I didn't know if that was a welcome or a 'get away.' But I went in and sat down next to John Lennon, who was very quiet. Paul McCartney was on the phone having an argument with his girlfriend, Jane Asher. She was upset that he had been away so long and he was promising to call once or twice a day. I congratulated Ringo Starr, who had recently gotten married. George Harrison was playing the guitar. I noticed that they were called 'the boys' by everyone associated with them.

After awhile everyone went to another shooting location. A camera man was filming George swimming in an underground pool. John was joking around, pointing his index finger at different people and saying 'bop, bop, bop.' It was done in a funny way, not as if he had a gun. Then he made a motion signifying somebody is crazy (he'd make a circle around his ear with his index finger and then he'd point to a particular person). He put his finger on my stomach and poked me playfully.

That night there was a party and I danced with Ringo Starr. When the record 'Help' was played he said, 'Excuse me, I can't do this. I can't dance to my own music.' Paul McCartney was also there, surrounded by many women.

I saw them one more time, the next day, when I rode out on a bus with the entire entourage to another of the sets. The Beatles were all singing as we drove along and I felt, once again, the wonderful humor and harmony that they generated.

— Interviewed in 1990.

#The Beatles #John Lennon #Paul McCartney #George Harrison #Ringo Starr #Annette Tapper #Victor Spinetti #(I just love these little recollections of the boys during the height of their fame) #(Lol at Ringo exiting the dance floor as soon as a Beatle song comes on) #1965