#but the 'John Lennon means something to me' bit is also of interest

[thestarsarecool]

Paul McCartney Interview in Q Magazine: Cash for Questions. January 1998 Issue.

Hi, all! A photo of one page of this has been around on tumblr for a while (here), but I’ve always wanted to read the full thing. Some lovely soul on Google Groups in 1997 decided to transcribe the full interview (here), so now I’m uploading it so you can read it. Hooray!

Q. When you first wrote a song with John Lennon, did you realise you would play one of the biggest parts in rock 'n' roll? (Michael McConnell, Crawley, West Sussex)

A. Obviously not. But even with all the so-called "historical" events that followed, you're just too inside it all, too busy doing it to realise anything's "historical". You just get on with it. I'm not a great ponderer. Some people would say that's a mistake but it's just the way I am. It's quite cool not to always get the overall picture because it leaves something to be found out. The musicologists get paid to discover the differences between me and John. I'm only just beginning to see it now, based probably on their analysis. So John is often one note, I'm often more melodic. (McCartney is thinking especially of Ian McDonald's book Revolution in the Head, where he describes the ace partnership in contrasts: Lennon's method is "harmonic, dissonant", McCartney's that of the "natural melodist".) It might sound amazing but we never spotted that when we were writing. We just did our thing. But it is kind of apparent when you bother to analyse it.

Q. If John Lennon could come back for a day, how would you spend it with him (Mark Wilson, Deeside, Flintshire)

A. In bed.

Q. Were you ever envious that Brian Epstein didn't fancy you? (Nick Gibson, London) 

A. No, I didn't mind. We just used to go to these clubs at night and wonder why there were so many men. It was OK. Brian was very cool about his side to things. I think the nearest any of us got to it was the John-going-to-Spain thing (it inspired the movie, The Hours And The Times) and I'm not sure what the strength of all that was. I think it was power play on John's part. But Brian kept his private life aside. He kept it out of our faces (pause, possibly for effect). He kept it out of mine, anyway.

Q. What were the last records you bought? (Chris Timms, Harrogate)

A. The Prodigy's The Fat Of The Land, Radiohead's OK Computer and Chopin's Nocturnes.

Q. How do you feel about all the animosity between you and Oasis right now? (Christina Vellano, Syracuse, New York, USA)

A. There is none as far as I'm concerned. What happened was I'd said, Good group, good singer, good songwriters. But people asked me about it so much that one time I decided to take it further and say that they don't mean anything to me. I am not related to Oasis. I wish them good luck and everything. But my kids mean something to me, John Lennon means something to me, but Oasis ....

Q. Who would you pick to play with in your dream six-piece band? (Alan Thatcher, Essex) 

A. Dream? So we're into fantasy, aren't we? Ringo, John, George, that's three. Me. Jimi Hendrix. That makes lots of guitarists, so Little Richard on keyboards.

Q. With Wings, did you feel pressurised to live up to The Beatles? (Andrew Williams, Neath)

A. Yes, it was a case of "follow that!". Impossible to do. Looking back on it, it's a lot better than I thought, though some of it is just not PLAYED as well as The Beatles. My son (James, co-worker on McCartney's last pop album, Flaming Pie) plays a lot of Wings, so I'm re-listening, and there's good shit that I'd forgotten about. A lot of the lyrics were off the wall, drug stimulated. Things like "Soily - the cat in the satin trousers says its oily". What was I on? I think the answer is stimulants.

Q. Do you still support the legislation of cannabis? (Grahame Woods, Northwood, Middlesex)

A. I would make a distinction between legalising and decriminalising. I'm in favour of the latter. The problem is that jails are stuffed full of kids doing what a lot of people do. Why stuff the jails with young kids? Plus it's one of the best places to score. I remember when I got busted in Japan, nobody made the slightest effort to rehabilitate me (laughs). Just stuck me in a box for nine days. Obviously you come out and you are fairly resentful.

Q. Do you roll a wicked joint? (Steve Kline, Bury)

A. I have nothing to say in answer to that question, m'lud. I wasn't even at the venue.

Q. The critics have been harsh on your solo work. Did this ever discourage you? (Robert Hemauer, Madison, Wisconsin, USA)

A. Yeah, sure, but you don't let it kill you. It's a difficult one, because it's never cool for someone to tell you you're shit. Many people through history were damned by the critics of their own time - Cezanne, Van Gogh, Stravinsky, all great painters! Ha ha!

Q. We'd like to see your paintings but can't get to the exhibition in Germany (McCartney unveils his work for the first time in Siegen, Germany, next year). Any thoughts about putting your paintings on "tour", or publishing a book of them? (Kathy Goodman, San Diego, CA, USA)

A. A difficult one. If you're a so-called celebrity - like Bowie, Anthony Quinn, Tony Curtis - and you exhibit any art, inevitably, people are not going to think of you as a real painter. Gallery owners come up to me and offer to give me exhibitions. I say, You haven't seen my pictures, and they say, It doesn't matter. Well, it does to me. Otherwise, it's just trading on the name. However, this guy from Germany came over, looked at all my paintings, seems to like them. He's telling me what they're all about.

Q. You've done so many things - classical, films, music, art, drugs - is there anything left you might have a go at? (Tim Bowler, Swansea)

A. The thing is how reluctant I've often been to have a go. I think we were brought up pretty repressed. Brought up to be seen and not heard, to stay in your place, particularly a working class thing. And I think - I hope - with The Beatles, we got rid of a lot of that. With the painting, for instance, it was Willem de Kooning who liberated me. I used to go to his studio, took in one of my paintings, said, Hey Bill, I hope you don't mind but can you tell me what it is? (Affects American drawl) "Oh, looks like a couch." Well it looked like a purple mountain to me. And he says, "Well, whatever." Here's one of the greats, his works go for one million, and it was great to see how little bullshit he was bringing to it all. It's really important to explode these myths that surround the arts, music, painting. It's Wizard of Oz time - so many myths, and it's often just a little man behind the screen. The paraphernalia that surrounds them gets in the way. Often you meet leaders in their field and they have none of that. I remember asking a great painter - Peter Blake, maybe - for some advice once, and he said "Just paint a lot". Similar to my approach to music.

Q. How do you know when a song's finished? (Joyce Slavik, Palatine, Illinois)

A. It's full up. You've answered all of your questions. Normally, I start following a thread: "Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice ... " The thread might come out of nowhere, and I follow it and complete it, like a crossword puzzle. When the crossword is full up, the song is finished.

Q. What's more embarrassing: writing Hi Hi Hi or Say Say Say? (Tien Vu, Costa Mesa, California)

A. (Weighs up pros and cons). Say Say Say.

Q. Why did you give such extensive interviews for an authorised biography (Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now) instead of writing an autobiography? (Deena Hochberg, Southampton, Pennsylvania)

A. I don't think I'm a writer. I've never been moved to do it. You have to have a pretty big fire in the belly to do something as big as that. I fancy music more. I'm happier writing in songs rather than in prose, or poetry. Though I wrote something that was never published about the time I got busted in Japan - for my kids. Because I knew one day they'd say, "Hey dad, what was it like, nine days in a Tokyo jail?". So I had a mate of mind, who did all our printing, knock up a few copies, one for each of the kids.

Q. I'd like to know if Sir Paul sings in the shower, and if so, what does he sing? (Jennifer Nash, Bursville, Minnesota)

A. It's normally the bath. I prefer a good bath. And the answer's Firestarter - "I'm a firestarter, de-de-de-de-dera."

Q. As a kid you used to play pranks at school by throwing balloons filled with something "worse than water". If you had one of those balloons right now who would you like to hit with it? (Brett Yuskiewicz, Leipzig, Germany)

A. Jonathan King. He's a prat from way back.

Q. Which football team did/does each Beatle support? (WC Chan, Maryland, USA)

A. None of us were big footie types. We weren't very sporty, unlike other groups who were always having knock-arounds. My dad was an Everton fan, which I was most of my life. But then Liverpool started playing well, and Everton didn't, so I took the unprecedented move of supporting them both. It's not allowed, I know, but there you go.

Q. For years, you've claimed it's you in the Walrus costume in the Magical Mystery Tour film. But watching the footage shows that for it to be you, you and John would have had to exchange all your clothes. Are you winding us up, or have you not watched the film in 30 years? (Dorothy Northcutt, Tucker, Georgia) 

A. The big one. Very good question. I tell you what it was. In the stills we had taken, I was the one with the Walrus head on - in the film it's different. So John then immortalised it in Glass Onion, "I've got news for you all, the walrus was Paul". Obviously at the time you don't care, it's just a Walrus head. You don't realise years later people like our friend from Georgia will analyse it.

Q. What is the quality of each of the other Beatles that you like(d) the best about? (S. Breggles, Richmond)

A. All of them - musical talent. All of them - honesty. Ringo -funny, and kind hearted. George - straightforward and open. John - witty with a soft centre, or maybe hard with a soft centre.

Q. Do the copulating beetles on the sleeve of Ram (1970) stand for F**k The Beatles? (Luc Van de Wiele, Wemmel, Belgium)

A. It happened to be a picture Linda had taken. We couldn't resist it just because of the way it looked. She'd caught these two beetles f**king, and then the significance hit us. We saw that pun, yeah, thought why not?

Q. Was there ever a third Lennon song for Anthology 3? (Jake Lennington, Rush City, MN, USA)

A. There was, but George didn't like it. The Beatles being a democracy, we didn't do it.

Q. I have a Beatles t-shirt which I bought from The Grapes (celebrated Liverpool pub). I was told the band are pictured in their favourite seats - adjacent to the Ladies where you would often catch a glimpse of the girls changing for an evening at The Cavern. True? (Alan Tomkins, Goring, West Sussex)

A. I hope so. It SOUNDS true. Had there been an opportunity to spot the girls changing, I'm sure we would have sat there.

Q. If you hadn't been a musician, what do you think you would have been? (Tony Carter, Manchester)

A. The only thing I could have probably qualified for was teaching. So I might have been an English teacher.

Q. Does it do your head in - stuff like the handwritten lyrics to Getting Better selling for $249,000 at Sothebys? (Peggy Robinson, Trinant, Gwent)

A. It's the price of fame - literally. You scribble them on the back of an envelope, and it gets to be famous. People want it, so it becomes a desirable object. Like Mozart's bog paper, which is another highly desirable object, apparently. More valuable obviously if it's been used.

Q. What is the inscription on the ID bracelet you wear? (Rachel Hyland, West Harford, Connecticut)

A. It says Paul - for when I forget who I am.

Q. How does it feel to have a star named after you (the christening courtesy of American astronomy fans)? (John Sales, Barry, Glamorgan)

A. Really cool. The good thing is that as you get on, your fans get on too. And some of them are pretty swotty. Like the people who started Apple, they were just Beatles fans, hence the name. You don't sit around looking at the sky, trying to find it, but it's like getting a very nice birthday present. I'm not religious, I don't believe in any one system - I sort of think the universe is basically benevolent and we f**k it up - but I am spiritual. I saw Stephen Hawking on TV the other night, and he was saying that we are made of the same stuff as the stars. Which is great. We are all stardust, luv.

Q. What do you want written on your gravestone? (Tom Mangold, Exeter) 

A. Here lies Gracie Fields. Anything to keep people away.

Q. Hey, is it true you are dead, and if you are, what is it like? (L.A. Patterson, Hamlet, North Carolina)

A. Yes. And it's very interesting. It's a very interesting afterlife.

#my quotes #my articles #paul mccartney #lots and lots and lots of thoughts #obviously the 'in bed' in quote is ridiculous #but the 'John Lennon means something to me' bit is also of interest #the way he talks about Brian is fascinating #and the way he says 'John-going-to-Spain-thing' is very amusing #My favorite part of the interview is when he says he was probably on stimulant when he wrote some of the Wings stuff #'What was I on?' indeed #I wish he said 'yes I roll a fantastic joint thank you for asking' #my life goal is to smoke a fatty with paul mccartney #him saying he was brought up to be seen and not heard?? hmm #ok why are either of those songs embarassing #ok maybe this is a cultural thing but why was he still taking baths #him just straight up calling out Jonathan King is very ??? #I wasn't sure if it was the same guy but @lennons pointed out to me that Paul wrote an open letter calling him stupid in 1990 #here: https://twitter.com/JohnFLyons2/status/1503719188321472521?s=20&t=m3KkkYTjSS5L23CIAthuww #the letter is awesome by the way #Dorothy from Georgia coming through with a 'you and John would have had to exchange all your clothes.' #I feel like I remember him denying the RAM beetles thing in the past so it's nice to see him admit it #of course he sees no problem with watching girls changing #like gross but I think it's funny that he's like 'lmao I hope so haha yeah I would have definitely done that' #love the beatles democracy reference. petty king #ok maybe the most fascinating thing for me here is the gravestone bit #that he would like people not to know where he's buried #he would like people to stay away #hmmmmmm #and for some reason 'it's a very interesting afterlife' made me sad #AND scene

[gardenschedule]

Perceptions of Paul as calculating & John's paranoia

“McCartney’s mistake, which he now admits, was to seem invulnerable. […] And yet, he says, the contrast between himself and Lennon, so assiduously cultivated by journalists, was a fabrication. “I wasn’t brilliant at school. I was trouble, just like John. I got caned practically every day, and the only exam I ever passed was Spanish. John and I weren’t black and white, although people took John, for all his aggression, to be the good guy, because he showed his warts. I’ve only just realized, after all this time, that people like to see warts. It makes them sympathetic. I’d always though that, in order to be liked, you had to be unwarty.””

Living with The Beatles’ legacy, the smears that Lennon left behind… and the battle to win my babies back, The Times Newspaper, Monday January 4, 1982.

Paul was the easiest to talk to. He had such energy and such keenness and, unlike John, enjoyed being liked, at least most of the time. I don't see this as a criticism; John himself could be very cruel about Paul's puppy dog eagerness to please. The irony was, and still is, that John's awfulness to people, his rudeness and cruelty, made people like him more, whereas Paul's genuine niceness made many people suspicious, accusing him of being calculating. Paul does look ahead, seeing what might happen, working out the effect of certain actions, but he often ends up tying himself in knots, not necessarily getting what he thought he wanted. I think there is some insecurity in Paul's nature, which makes him try so hard, work so hard. It also means he can be easily hurt by criticism, which was something that just washed over John.

Hunter Davies, Western Mail: The Beatles. (April 9th, 2004)

Even Paul’s immaculate manners could not thaw her. ‘Oh, yes, he was well-mannered–too well-mannered. He was what we call in Liverpool “talking posh” and I thought he was taking the mickey out of me. I thought “He’s a snake-charmer all right,” John’s little friend, Mr Charming. I wasn’t falling for it. After he’d gone, I said to John, “What are you doing with him? He’s younger than you… and he’s from Speke!”’ After that, when Paul appeared, she would always tell John sarcastically that his ‘little friend’ was here. ‘I used to tease John by saying “chalk and cheese”, meaning how different they were,’ she remembered, ‘and John would start hurling himself around the room like a wild dervish shouting “Chalkandcheese! Chalkandcheese!” with this stupid grin on his face.’

Philip Norman, Paul McCartney: The Life. (2016)

“He always suspected me. He accused me of scheming to buy over Northern Songs without telling him. I was thinking of something to invest in, and Peter Brown said what about Northern Songs, invest in yourself, so I bought a few shares, about 1,000 I think. John went mad, suspecting some plot. Then he bought some himself. He was always thinking I was cunning and devious. That’s my reputation, someone who’s charming, but a clever lad. “It happened the other day at Ringo’s wedding. I was saying to Cilia [Black] that I liked Bobby [her husband]. That’s all I said. Bobby’s a nice bloke. Ah, but what do you REALLY think Paul? You don’t mean that, do you, you’re getting at something? I was being absolutely straight. But she couldn’t believe it. No one ever does. They think I’m calculating all the time.

Paul and Hunter Davies, 1981

In the wake of his death you didn’t tour for most of the ‘80s. People suggested that you were scared to go on the road. Was that true? No. People speculate about anything. They always credit me with motives I haven’t even dreamed of. It’s interesting, the way they sort of perceive my life and analyse it for me. In that case, I never thought about touring much. People used to say, “Oh, it’s 10 years since you’ve toured.” I’d go, “Is it? Y’know, I’m not counting.” That’s all that was, really. I don’t know why. Maybe I didn’t fancy it.

The Q Interview, 2007

Astrid in Germany was always a bit suspicious of Paul at first, though his relationship with Stu was also bound up in this. 'It used to frighten me that someone could be so nice all the time. Which is silly. It's ridiculous to feel at home with nasty people, just because you feel that at least you know where you are with them. It's silly to be wary of nice people.'

The Beatles (Updated Edition) (Hunter Davies)

Paul is the easiest to get to know for an outsider, but in the end he is the hardest to get to know. There is a feeling that he is holding things back, that he is one jump ahead, aware of the impression he is giving. He is self-conscious, which the others are not. John doesn't care, either way, what people think. Ringo is too adult to think about such things, and George in many ways isn't conscious. He is above it all.

The Beatles (Updated Edition) (Hunter Davies)

Paul today is still the public Beatle, giving interviews at fairly regular intervals, being open and honest about himself and his past, his worries and his pleasures. Naturally, as ever, there are people who suspect his motives, putting him down for being too charming. Paul may be a bit of an actor, acting the part of Paul McCartney, the charming superstar, still loved by every mum, which can make him sound rather prissy at times, but I believe he does tell the truth about himself.

The Beatles (Updated Edition) (Hunter Davies)

“My problem is to me, I come over as this very together guy, always got his finger on top of everything: the man with no problems. School – a doddle, got all the exams. This is the sort of image of me. Actually, I had murder getting through exams, like I was saying about being on tour during my GCEs. I was like the kid who was getting the cane. Just like John was, but he [Phillip Norman] makes me the very shrewd, always-going-to-succeed guy, and John is the kind of cute, working-class hero. In actual fact though, John was just as shrewd and ambitious as I was. What does me in is he adds to this image I’ve got; I resent that, because I know I’m not that, and I know I’ve never been that.

Paul McCartney’s thoughts from 1983 on Phillip Norman’s ‘Shout!’

The funny thing is, when Apple [started], everything was laid out on the table, it’s like a Monopoly game. We saw who had what. I suddenly had more Northern Song shares than anybody, and it was like, oops, sorry. John was like, “You bastard, you’ve been buying behind my back.” John saw everything like a Harold Robbins movie, you know, which it was. He’s not incorrect. I couldn’t get over the fact that we were really involved in all this. I think to this day, he’ll not understand. I don’t think he would accept right now, my naïveté in it. I think he still suspects me of trying to take over Apple. He still suspects that when I offered the Eastmans as [managers] instead of Allen Klein, he naturally assumed that I would be taken care of better than the others, and that the Eastmans could never be moral enough to be equal in their judgment and do the Beatles’ thing rather than Paul’s thing. I think they still suspect to this day.

The point I was trying to illustrate is that it wasn’t so much John being a bastard as it was his being suspicious towards me, always being suspicious towards me. There was Northern Song shares. And I swear on any holy book you want, I know he won’t believe it, but I know for sure that I didn’t buy them with the view to— If I was really trying to do it, I could have bought an awful lot more. So it does hurt a little bit that there’s someone who still thinks, like, I’m out to get them, or that I always was. That’s one of the nice things about it— It’s a pity [I never said to John, “Fuck off, I’m not trying to do it”—and never was]. But he knows I was kind of— We were behind the scenes, and we did a few little [things] that we had to do, and our ambitions, and it was never a kind of terrifying skeletons in the closet. It was always just normal—but, uh, they …

All You Need Is Love – Peter Brown & Steven Gaines

SG: Were the other Beatles anti-Linda? PMcC: Uh, yeah. I should think so. Like we were anti-Yoko. But you know John and Yoko, you can see it now, the way to get their friendship is to do everything the way they require it. To do anything else is how to not get their friendship. This is still how it is with John and Yoko. I know that if I absolutely lie down on the ground and just do everything like they say and laugh at all their jokes and don’t expect my jokes to ever get laughed at, and don’t expect any of my opinions ever to carry any weight whatsoever, if I’m willing to do all that, then we can be friends. But if I have an opinion that differs from theirs, then I’m a sort of an enemy. And naturally, paint myself a villain with a big mustache on, because to the ends of the earth, that’s how they both see me. They’re very suspicious people [John and Yoko], and one of the things that hurt me out of the whole affair, was that we’d come all that way together, and out of either a fault in my character, or out of lack of understanding in their character, I’d still never managed to impress upon them that I wasn’t trying to screw them. I don’t think that I have to this day.

All You Need Is Love – Peter Brown & Steven Gaines

I was never out to screw him, never. He could be a maneuvering swine, which no one ever realized. Now since the death he’s became Martin Luther Lennon. But that really wasn’t him either. He wasn’t some sort of holy saint. He was still really a debunker. “For ten years together he took my songs apart. He was paranoiac about my songs. We have great screaming sessions about them.

Paul and Hunter Davies, 1981

SALEWICZ: Oh, he was presumably very paranoid. PAUL: I think so. I mean, he warned me off Yoko once. You know, “Look, this is my chick!” ’Cause he knew my reputation. I mean, we knew each other rather well. And um, I felt… I just said, “Yeah, no problem.” But I did sort of feel he ought to have known I wouldn’t, but. You know, he was going through “I’m just a jealous guy”. He was a paranoid guy. And he was into drugs. Heavy.

September, 1986 (MPL Communications, London)

Miles says, “I think Jane was always a bit irritated by John. Because he was so acerbic and difficult to get on with. And paranoid. He didn’t make life easy. I suppose it’s a sort of rapier wit, but it was usually just plain ordinary rudeness. There was nothing special about it.”

Paul McCartney profile for FAME Magazine (March 1990)

“They [Lennon & McCartney] saw each other again in 1977. The Lennons and McCartneys ate dinner together at Le Cirque, Paul’s favourite French restaurant in New York. John regretted going; it was a loathsome night. Paul and Linda blathered on and on about how perfect their lives were, how they had everything they’d ever wanted, and how they were as happy as they’d ever been. Something very paranoid suddenly occurred to John. Maybe Lorraine Boyle was spying on him for the McCartneys! He woke up the next morning still feeling disturbed; he consulted the Oracle. Swan assured him that Paul and Linda were frustrated and unsatisfied. Their marriage was in trouble, he said, predicting it would break up within the year. Lately Swan’s visions had been astonishingly accurate. Relieved, John began composing a song—a little ditty, really, that would never be released—in praise of the Oracle’s powers. But he still couldn’t understand why Paul and Linda had been together for as long as they had. There appeared to be a psychic connection between John and Paul. Every time McCartney was in town, John would hear Paul’s music in his head.”

Robert Rosen, Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon, (2000)

JOHN: […..] And he’s (Jagger) goin’ on about “he never calls. Do you think he ever calls? He never calls me. And he keeps changing his phone number all the time… And he’s hiding behind the kid.” I was hurt by it! You know… The fact that… A, I never call anybody. It’s not pride, it’s just that I never, ever have. REPORTER: Why? JOHN: I never call the other Beatles, I never call anybody. They always call me. REPORTER: Why? JOHN: Cos I’m self-involved! I’m paranoid, too. I don’t like phones… There’s nobody on this earth ever got a call from me that isn’t related, probably. Or a very old friend…

Sept 1980 – John

“Yoko was an extremist and was even more intense than John taking any idea or comment of his to the limit. If, for example, he complained about any of his fellow Beatles she would hint that that Beatle had always been an enemy implying that John should never deal with that person again. Her extreme positions fascinated John and help him take his mind off himself but when she became self-involved and paranoid herself -her paranoia usually dealt with her career, her fame and the fact that even though she had always been famous everyone conspired to keep her from getting even more famous- he had no place to turn. His insecurity about his solo career, his childhood, his relationships with the other Beatles, the way the public perceived Yoko overwhelmed him and he became more and more involved with drugs.”

May Pang, Loving John (1984)

John was lucky. He got all his hurt out. I’m a different sort of a personality. There’s still a lot inside me that’s trying to work it out. And that’s why it’s good to see that wedding-funeral bit, because I started to think, ‘Wait a minute, this is someone who’s going over the top. This is paranoia manifesting itself.’ And so my feeling is just like it was at the time, which is like, He’s my buddy, I don’t really want to do anything to hurt him, or his memory, or anything. I don’t want to hurt Yoko. But, at the same time, it doesn’t mean that I understand what went down.

Paul McCartney: An Innocent Man? (October, 1986)

Some three year later, during the making of Abbey Road, Lennon installed a twin bed in the studio so that Yoko, recuperating from a car crash, could survey proceedings and pass comment though a mike he had suspended over her. The other Beatles positioned themselves around the room as best they could. Yoko would later tell Paul that if, for any reason, he’d seemed to be standing too close to her, all hell would break loose when John got her home. Lennon, she said, was ‘very paranoid’ like that.

McCartney by Chris Sandford

But we were actually quite supportive. Not supportive enough, you know; it would have been nice to have been really supportive because then we could look back and say, “Weren’t we really terrific?” But looking back on it, I think we were okay. We were never really that mean to them. But I think a lot of the time John suspected meanness where it wasn’t really there.

Paul McCartney, interview w/ Chris Salewicz for Musician: Tug of war – Paul McCartney wants to lay his demons to rest. (October, 1986)

#the beatles #paul mccartney #john lennon #mclennon #i wonder how much of their issues were due to john suspecting paul of things that just weren't true #then again maybe paul is secretly an evil mastermind #can't put it past him

[mclennonlgbt]

John and Paul commenting on each other's appearance

John about Paul

I was very impressed by Paul playing “Twenty Flight Rock”. He could obviously play the guitar. I half thought to myself – he’s as good as me. I’d been kingpin up to then. Now, I thought, if I take him on, what will happen? It went through my head that I’d have to keep him in line, if I let him join. But he was good, so he was worth having. He also looked like Elvis. I dug him. (Hunter Davies’ The Beatles: The Authorised Biography (1968))

John: It [topless swimsuit/topless frock] sounds like a vaguely good idea but I wouldn’t have my wife or any friends wearing them.

Paul: Well, you’ve got us wearing them.

John: I know, Paulie, you’re so well-built!

3. John (Thisbe) talking about Paul's (Pyramus') appearance during "Midsummer's Night Dream" rehearsal: Dead, dead. A tomb must cover thy sweet eyes! These lily lips... His cherry nose. He's Cherry Wainer. His yellow cowslip cheeks!

4.

(although I also know the version that it was during the making of the movie Help!)

5. A pretty face may last a year or two/ But pretty soon they'll see what you can do (How Do You Sleep? (1971))

(Side note: I know that in this case John tried to discredit Paul by claiming that he only had a "pretty face" and nothing more to be proud of. It doesn't change the fact that he probably thought Paul was hot, too)

6. At one stage I went out, and when I came back he was talking to this woman and he said “She said, ‘I thought he was Paul, meaning McCartney.’” So John turns around and says, “No, he’s prettier than Pauly. He’s got a nicer mouth than Pauly. Pauly’s got a small mouth.”  (Tony Manero on meeting John Lennon in 1974, in Glass Onion by Geoffrey Giuliano (1999))

Paul about John

"I remember John looking..hmm.. we used to think that John looked pretty cool. He was a bit older than us and he would do a little more greased back hair than we were allowed… so John was quite groovy. He looked like a ted then - he had a drape. He had nice big sideburns." 

"Ah yes, I remember it well. My memory of meeting John for the first time is very clear [...] I can still see John now: checked shirt, slightly curly hair, singing ‘Come Go With Me’ by the Del Vikings. I remember thinking, ‘He looks good – I wouldn’t mind being in a group with him’. A bit later we met up. [...] Then, as you all know, he asked me to join the group, and so we began our trip together. We wrote our first songs together, we grew up together and we lived our lives together.”

"I’d seen him a couple of times [before the fete] and thought, ‘Wow, you know, he’s an interesting looking guy.’ And then I once also saw him in a queue for fish and chips and I said, ‘Oh, that’s that guy off the bus’. I’m talking to myself, in my mind I thought, ‘I saw that guy off the bus, oh he’s pretty cool looking. Yeah, you know, he’s a cool guy.’ I knew nothing about him except that he looked pretty cool. He had long sideboards and greased back hair and everything. [...] This ted would get on the bus, and I wouldn't stare at him too hard in case he hit me." (1997)

Paul: Nobody was remotely interested in this idea of I wrote songs until I met John! I said: I’ve written a few songs. And he said: Oh, so have I! So it was like… someone was interested at last. And I’d seen him around Liverpool, he’d got on a bus once and I said: Woah, look at this guy! At the big sideboards, you know, the hair swept back. I thought: He’s got something going. 

Howard Stern: Good look.

Paul: Yeah, he definitely had a look! (2020)

5. “I used to do caricatures of John. He was the only person I knew with an aquiline nose. When I painted him recently, I found myself saying: 'How did his lips go? I can't remember.' Then I would think: 'Of course you know, you wrote all those songs facing each other.'”

6. “If I'm going to see a face in a painting, it's highly likely to be his.”

7. “And I would often sketch John when we worked together, often without him knowing it. It was so easy doing John because he had glasses, those sideboards – what you call sideburns – and that long, aquiline nose.”

8. "I would often sketch John when we worked together, often without him knowing it. It was so easy doing John because he had glasses, those sideboards –or sideburns – and that long, aquiline nose.”

Source of quotes 5,6,7,8: https://www.tumblr.com/undying-love/748219983302098944/paul-mentioned-that-john-was-often-the-subject-of?source=share

9. “A young boy's bedroom is such a comfortable place, like my son's bedroom is now; he's got all his stuff that he needs: a candle, guitar, a book. John's room was very like that. James reminds me very much of John in many ways: he's got beautiful hands. John had beautiful hands." (Barry Miles, Many Years From Now (1997))

10. “But I don’t have any regrets, we were good friends when he died so… that’s something. And he was a beautiful boy!”

11. “Beautiful boy, beautiful memories…”

 12. “So I loved him dearly. He was a very beautiful man.”

Thanks to @undying-love, they had a lot of useful quotes!

Pls add more quotes if you know any.

#mclennon #mclennon is real #gay #bisexual

[soup-of-the-daisies]

so here’s part 2 of my james potter hcs bc this shitbag lives in my head rent free :))

(part 1 for those interested)

his prescription isn’t really heavy and he can technically get around without his glasses, but he gets really bad headaches if he doesn’t wear them

tried muggle contacts for a bit but got an eye infection after a month, went back to glasses permanently

can get really, really mean in the blink of an eye if he sees or hears something he doesn’t appreciate—something as innocent as feeling jealous or something as bad as blatant bigotry, doesn’t really matter. fandom may say that he was sirius’ moral compass but ohhh boy

“imagine sirius black having to reel you in” - overheard in the hospital wing by a random hufflepuff after a group of wannabe death eaters got hexed so badly for terrorising some muggleborn students they had to stay there for two days

can argue himself out of any sticky situation by being passionate and arrogant (like only getting a month’s worth of detention for hexing said group of wannabe death eaters into a two-day stay at the hospital wing)

did not relentlessly pursue lily, actually. he didn’t ask her out until their fifth year and stopped entirely after the slur-incident

did form a relentless (at times one-sided) rivalry that often went way too far with severus snape though, i’ll give you that

he’s got hazel eyes with a bit of green thank you

his nose isn’t longer than harry’s (he’s got a ‘hidung pesek’, like my mum would say). his nosebridge can’t hold up european glasses and it’s a struggle

sirius looks physically like his father which means james does, shamefully, find orion black handsome in a purely aesthetic way. he’ll take this tidbit to the grave with him though as sirius would have an aneurysm if he found out that james thinks orion is a bit of a dilf

james has tackled peter multiple times. most notably, that one time it was over the last digestive in the biscuit tin that hope lupin sent remus

peter broke his nose and james cried because he felt so bad

he’s got a dab hand at healing spells and sirius is good at cleaning spells so it was fine in the end

also ugly crier james 2k23. that man can WEEP

gives the BEST hugs. you’ll feel so safe. he just presses your face against his chest and you’ve got to take it, because it’ll relax your entire body

“it’s like i’ve been reborn” - peter pettigrew after The James Hug following the orange marmalade incident of 1975

will never talk about the orange marmalade incident of 1975 because peter asked him nicely

great secret keeper!! should’ve been his own secret keeper, actually!!

big beatles fan and really cringy about it: he even considers getting a mop top for a bit.

thinks george harrison looks like sirius (but not as handsome) and therefore george is his favourite

same james

ALSO he would be so flattered that some parts of this fandom see him as ATJ’s john lennon i swear lmao

would kill for sirius and has considered killing for sirius on multiple occasions

harry’s ‘trouble usually finds me’ gene comes from him and he has been face to face with acromantulas on multiple occasions purely by accident

harry’s ‘there’s no need to call me sir, professor’ gene is a mix of lily’s sass and james’ smart-assery. part of the reason jily started dating is bc they could match each other’s quips so well

good at practical magic with several seemingly random interests in the theoretical background of certain types of magic. will go off on a tangent on the Braach’s Sixteen Laws of Weight when someone offhandedly mentions a featherlight charm

created the runic sequences of the Map that ground the spellwork woven into the object to ambient magic all by himself and was SO proud of himself that severus was valid in saying james strutted around like he owned the place

human embodiment of the following emoticon= >:3

#james potter headcanons #james potter #james fleamont potter #dead gay wizards #i love him

[undescribed1mage]

breaking down my doctor who playlist by what from the show they remind me of the most <3

As The World Caves In by Matt Maltese — The Doctor & The Master, more specifically in The End of Time Part One & Two & Last Of The Time Lords. but also. just. vibes (vibes about the doctor holding the saxon master after he was shot).

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon — All of the Christmas specials but mainly, again, The End of Time part one & two. & . everything about that.

Two Birds by Regina Spektor — The Master and The Doctor, again (they're awful), but also twelve & clara with the bird symbolism and clara leaving when he tried to save her, clara being brave and letting go, and Jack & Torchwood &. everything with that (i've never seen Torchwood but I still know like. most of what happens)

Memories by Conan Gray — Martha Jones, specifically in the episodes after her season (also Jack in seasons 3 & 4). With 'It's been a couple months / that's just about enough time / for me to stop crying when I look at all the pictures / now i kinda smile / i haven't felt that in awhile'. 'You see / it's hard to find an end to something that you keep beginning / over and over again.'

I Know The End by Phoebe Bridgers — Ten's era, with different companions for different parts like — "When I get back I'll lay around / then i'll get up and lay back down / romanticize a quiet life / there's no place like my room." with Donna at the end of Journey's end, and "Out in the park we watch the sunset / talking on a rusty swing set / after awhile you got quiet / and i got mean / always pushing you away from me / but you come back with gravity / and when I call / you come home / a bird in your teeth." (the last line specifically with the fact that Jack was Supposed to be in a good man goes to war). I also think it works very well with The End Of Time Part One & Two & just. the world almost ending at the end of s4

Your Sister Was Right by Wilbur Soot — You know how like. every mother during the RTD (pt1) era slapped the doctor at some point? yeah. just. the doctor in reference 2 rose, martha, & donna & their mothers. as well as the doctor thinking that they're bad news which is something that comes up quite a bit with these songs.

Why Didn't You Stop Me? by Mitski — I don't really know how to explain this one it just. gives me ex-companion vibes, specifically with 'I look for a picture of you / to keep in my pocket / but i can't seem to find one / where you look how I remember'.

Long Live by Taylor Swift — In reference to a companion departure, from the Doctor's pov with 'will you take a moment? / promise me this / that you'll stand by me forever / but if, god forbid, fate should step in / and force us into a goodbye / if you have children someday / when they point to the pictures / please tell them my name.' & 'i had the time of my life fighting dragons with you.' I think, if we're going for a specific companion, it's very the Doctor & Donna coded.

Walking All Day by Graham Coxon — something about how multiple companions have followed the Doctor to the end of the universe (specifically martha & jack but I think it could also work with clara) & how devoted companions are to them, especially the ones that are interested in him romantically (that one rory quote that's him talking about how the doctor makes people want to impress them).

Never Love An Anchor by The Crane Wives — Part of my interpretation with this when it comes to Doctor Who is how the Doctor, after losing a companion, is always 'i will never love again this is the end for me...' & then he meets the next companion & does it all over again (& in specific situations, such as Donna & Amy & Susan & Vicki, they're very similar to the person he just lost), and also how awful ten was to Martha (& Jack) & oblivious to most of it because of the loss of Rose (it's a secret i keep tucked inside my chest / with this heart of mine that's guilty not remorseful / there is love that doesn't have a place to rest / but it would've buried you if it had settled on your shoulders). The Doctor just also (as seen in the Church On Ruby Road) just thinks they're bad news in general (no comment from my end on this) &. yeah

Two paragraphs for this one! The second interpretation I have is specifically the first doctor after the loss of Susan, and how he was (for the end of their time together, which was what we saw in Susans serials) very hard on her especially for her last two serials. Also, him leaving her behind & 'so I did the only thing that I could / and severed the rope that set you sailing from my harbor'. I don't have a lot to say about this but. the doctor & susan make me so :(

Be Safe, Be Good (For Rachel) from Ride The Cyclone — do you ever think about how many deaths (companions or otherwise) (no spoilers please i'm on series ten for nuwho & season two (soon to be three!) of classic who so) the doctor has caused. indirectly or directly. do you ever think about clara & how her family and her students will likely never know what happened to her. do you ever think

Blue Lips by Regina Spektor — originally when i added this to the playlist (back when i was first making it, probably around me watching series five) i had intended it to be about the doctor but now i think it's more about ashildr / lady me and how much she's seen and how much she's lost. she forgets anything she hasn't written down (and rips pages of things she wants to forget out) and she's seen the world in most of it's phases, she's seen societies crumble and rise &. yeah

The Main Character by Will Wood — I have so much 2 say about this one. buckle in. i'm that first person they talk about in all the books.' him being referenced in literally the first episode of torchwood (for valid reasons he is a very important part of jacks story). & 'imagine if protagonists just died in the first scene.' cut to jacks death in everything changes. & 'I loot plot armor from NPCs / well they are to me.' again. the amount of people that have tried to help him & died. specifically one off ones. & 'Villains are everywhere / that's how I know that I'm a hero.' yhe battle of canary wharf. enough said. & 'Her majesty says the royal we demand a stander of loyalty / an agreement to be reverent / link the emperor's new boots' something about tooth & claw. + so much more that i don't feel like elaborating on rn !!!! they even mention daleks in the song <3

Right Where You Left Me by Taylor Swift — SARAH. JANE. SMITH. It is so her coded. The way the doctor left her, and how in School Reunion she talked about how the Doctor was her life (such a good episode btw). & . she was just waiting. for him 2 come back. & . godddd. i'd break down these lyrics too but i'd be saying the same thing (basically just what i've already said) about all of them so. just listen 2 it or look up the lyrics & you'll see.

Thinking About A Potentially Awkward Interaction With An Old Friend by Crywank — another ex-companion song !!! I don't have any in particular for this but i feel like whenever past companions return for an episode or two it's never nearly as awkward as it should've been, especially with Martha & Sarah Jane, especially how much the tenth doctor had grown (& how much Martha had grown !!!) in between s3 & s4 Alone !!!! 'Well memories sure / they're precious / that's true / but I don't want to make any new ones with you' is sooo Martha. & 'It would be nice to underline it / but i know we're both doing fine without the other in our life.' & ESPECIALLY 'yes / time away has taught me that I like this distance from you'.

River Like You by Maya Hawke — the riverdoctorjack polycule is insane. man. & this is on here for them <3 i think a lot about how jack's other male love interests at least vaguely resemble the ninth doctor in some ways, and how he & river are both immortals so they'd be the perfect people to travel with. & how the doctor tries, at times, to separate himself from both of them (much more severe with jack). 'i've loved a river like you before / i'm a river too'.

Motion Sickness by Phoebe Bridgers — Martha Jones deserves to be SO bitter about how the doctor treated her. SO bitter. 'you said when you met me you were bored.' & 'i have emotional motion sickness / i try to stay clean and live without.' & . yeah. martha jones you will always be famous. also 'and while you're bleeding on your back in the glass / i'll be glad that i made it out / & i'm sorry that it all went down like it did.' in reference to the end of time part two.

Smoke and Mirrors by Emily Rohm — certain parts of it. are kind've the like traditional backstory for a companion (with nuwho) like. 19-25 year old girl who lives with her parents & is bored of everyday life & still waiting for her life to begin & then the doctor comes along & she's swept away into time & space & now she's sosososo important !! + 'She walks alone every morning / down the same old street / and wonders how she let her days get stuck on this endless repeat / she wants that movie life / a hero comes to sweep her off her feet / they'll run away'. & there's other parts that could fit but generally. just the same idea

Black Sheep from Scott Pilgrim — 'Hello again, friend of a friend / knew you when / our common goal was waiting for the world to end / now that the truth is just a rule that you can bend / you crack the whip, shape-shift and trick the past again.' literally no other part of this song matters in reference to this playlist. it is just that & the fact that it reminds me of the master <3

The Lucky One by Taylor Swift — companions drive me so crazy btw. specifically companions after leaving the doctor. 'It was a few years later, I showed up here / and they still tell the legend of how you disappeared / how you took the money and your dignity and got the hell out / they say you bought a bunch of land somewhere / chose the Rose Garden over Madison Square / and it took some time, but I understand it now.' with a current companion thinking about a past companion. & just. idk. something about bad wolf & the girl who walked the earth & the most important woman in all of creation & the girl who waited & the impossible girl & so on. the lucky ones.

Mr. Perfectly Fine by Taylor Swift — I've realized that from this playlist it makes me seem like a swiftie but i'm not i just enjoy some of her music & mr perfectly fine is the most tenjack coded song in all of existence. nine being at the very least interested in jack, traveling with him & flirting with him & kissing him & then ten turning around & running away from him & calling him wrong ('mr change of heart'). 'oh he's so smug / mr always wins'. 'hello / mr casually cruel'. 'always at the right place at the right time'. 'he goes about his day / forgets he ever even heard my name' . & last. but oh so definitely not least. ''cause I hear he's got his arm 'round a brand-new girl / i've been pickin' up my heart, he's been pickin' up her / and I never got past what you put me through / but it's wonderful to see that it never phased you'. I am so emotional about doctorjack can you tell.

Viva La Vida by Coldplay (Covered by Annapantsu) — don't ask me why i didn't add the original version on here i just didn't feel like it. anyways. it reminds me a lot of elevens era, with a good man goes to war & rory's line about how he (the doctor) doesn't make people brave, he makes them want to impress him (SO TRUE KING !!!) & the day of the doctor. i think it could also work with the time war & eight & the war doctor (i've only listened 2 some of eighths audios, working my way through them rn). & Maybe the battle of Canary Wharf. just generally. the doctor. & war. & how he is respected. oh & also him being the PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD IN CRISIS ???

Soldier Poet King by The Oh Hellos — saw a post about this in relation 2 ninejackrose & it got me thinking. rory soldier eleven poet amy king. i think if you tried hard enough this template could fit a lpt of the tardis teams. that's all <3

Little Soldiers by The Crane Wives — the master & the doctor. again. 'on the broken backs of all the words we spared / like little soldiers in the trenches' we're gonna take the metaphors a little seriously here & i'm gonna mention how the doctor has a habit of turning companions into soldiers and fighters. & . again. he makes people want to impress him. i think the rest of the song is still very them but that's the only part that i really have anything to talk about (besides 'i swear that you loved me / i swear that i loved you).

Not Strong Enough by Boygenius — 'Always an angel, never a god / Aways an angel, never a god /Always an angel, never a god / Always an angel, never a god / Always an angel, never a god / Always an angel, never a god / Always an angel, never a god / Always an angel, never a god / Always an angel, never a god / Always an angel, never a god / Always an angel, never a god / Always an angel, never a god' is so. companions in general coded. why can't they just have a nice time :(

Nowhere Man by The Beatles — I think this may be one of the only songs on here that portrays the doctor in a semi positive light :-) !!! — oh wait nvm forgot the lyrics. sorry we're criticising the doctor again (i adore them i swear. what a guy) 'He's as blind as he can be / just sees what he wants to see' @ ten. sorry buddy. you're really being attacked in this post aren't you. 'Doesn't have a point of view / knows not where he's going to.' do you ever think about how the doctor just sort've. wanders aimlessly in between companions. like. sir how'd you end up in victorian london wearing amy's glasses. 'Nowhere man / the world is at your command.' They are PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD IN EMERGENCIES. UNIT why would you let them have this power.

Interplanet Janet from Schoolhouse Rock — Added as a joke . for the sillies of it <3

Partner in Crime by Madilyn Mei — another Jack song (can you tell he's my favorite companion) but only like. a certain part of it (i have not listened 2 it all the way through but i heard a clip from it & went oh my god jack harkness... & here we are). 'Run for it / I'll keep 'em occupied for you / 'cause i love you / i love you so / left me hangin' at the station / but you'll be back for me soon / i'm 'bout to die / yet the only thing i'm worried about is you / something tells me you aren't coming / i guess i'm truly doomed.' it is so INSANELY PARTING OF THE WAYS CODED !!! Me when he sacrificed himself for the doctor & rose me when he was so ready to die for them. me when he woke up from DEATH to the tardis dematerializing and leaving him surrounded by dead bodies so far away from his home (which is the tardis. but yk). he was about to die and the only thing he was worried about was them. something tells him they aren't coming. he guesses he's truly doomed. j just. raigdhdjdhhdjd. he drives me crazy.

Don't Look Back in Anger by Oasis — 'Please don't put your life in the hands of a rock 'n roll band / who'll throw it all away.' so. many. fatalities, tumblr. that's all.

Oh Distant You by Wilbur Soot — okay i've already written this specific part out but tumblr deleted it when i switched from the page that i had the next songs lyrics in so i'm just gonna take a photo of the lyrics that are SO ten post rose coded & hope you read them

am i the biggest tenrose fan? no :( not on their own, at least, however i will accept that he loved & adored her. he loved her So Much. she was the first face that face saw !!!! & there are other companions that this song could work with but in my head. it's a them song. (this would probably be like. at the end of the end of time part two. him thinking about this.)

The Ballad of Lucy Gray from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes — i've never seen the ballad of songbirds and snakes (or consumed any hungergames media) however i do think that this song is clara coded <3 i can't really explain it but. amelia pond i love you dearly. i think that specifically 'it's sooner than later that I'm six feet under / it's sooner than later that you'll be alone / so who will you turn to tomorrow, I wonder? / for when the bell rings, lover, you're on your own'. her talking about how twelve needs to be on his own in face the raven. & how she needs him 2 understand that he cannot keep her from dying & that it's her time (he's already lost her at least twice, and that's just when we see her in the show). ''cause I am the one who looks out when you're leaping / I am the one who knows how you were brave / and I am the one who heard what you said sleeping / i'll take that and more when I go to my grave' i think this is more twelve or ashildr about her. & how she said 'let me be brave' before she died, and how she slowly became more daring after spending time with the doctor because that's just what he does (not gonna quote rory again but. yk) & how the original clara oswald (not oswin oswald or clara oswin oswald)s first appearance in the show was her standing over her own grave !!! 'Well, all right, I'm bad, but then, you're no prize either / Al right, I'm bad, but then, that's nothing new / You say you won't love me, I won't love you neither / Just let me remind you what I am to you.' clara, you are exactly what he deserves. & vice versa. they are both so awful & it is so insane. the doctorification of clara is so much worse than the other companions.

No One Lives Forever by Oingo Boingo — i . cannot explain this one. it is PURE vibes.

All My Little Words by The Magnetic Fields — last song (as of rn! there may have been more added by the time you're reading this) & surprise surprise. it's a doctorjack song. 'I could make you fly away / but i could never make you stay.' imagine you're jack harkness & the man you loved (& the only other immortal you know) is REPULSED by you. he keeps running away. 'You said you were in love with me / both of us know that that's impossible' i think this is from the doctors pov. it just seems like something he'd think. 'Now that you've made me want to die / you tell me that you're unboyfriendable' the tenth doctor after flirting by asking jack if he wants 2 die & then holding the man that tortured jack in his arms as he died in a similar fashion to jacks first death (being shot in some way). his ass Is Unboyfriendable

#doctor who #classic who #nuwho #the doctor #jack harkness #martha jones #clara oswald #doctorjack #tenth doctor #the master #saxon master #this took like two hours. but i'm very proud of it #sarah jane smith #rose tyler #eleventh doctor #rory williams #blah blah blah these are all my interpretations. & 4 sillies

[johns-prince]

Wanna make it a point that I've never actually sat down and watched the 2019 Rocketman movie, but I do know enough that The Beatles are mentioned and hinted at throughout the film, not to mention there's a bit where it appears that Elton got the rest of his stage name (Elton John) from the John of The Beatles but but but but the important one at least the most important to me that I for some reason remember quite vividly despite not watching this movie once, and been thinking very hard about, is this one scene:

Here if you want to watch the scene yourself.

And while the lines in the script were changed a bit, and those who were saying like one or two line changed, like the ''living and working together'' changed to just ''living together'' which I do find rather interesting, but otherwise that one line remained unchanged from script to acting out:

RAY

Whoever heard of song writers not

living and working together. Lennon

and McCartney are inseparable.

You can read the script here, find this on page 39.

The fact that Lennon and McCartney, their legendary collaborative partnership, being brought up here, of all times. Specifically because while you can't pick up intonation from the script, how Dick asks them if they're flatmates suggests a bit of leering, underhanded silent question ''are you two as men living together, y'know, as queers."

You can even see the guarded expression on Elton's face when this is asked, only to be relieved and softened when Bernie answers clearly with a "No, we live with our mums."

It's after that, and after the same man states ''whoever heard of two song writers not living together'' (the 'living and working together' was replaced with only 'living together' in the movie, which I think is also curious) that Ray, the man advocating for these two, responds seriously with "Yes, Lennon and McCartney are inseparable."

Lennon and McCartney are inseparable. Not were, but are.

If I've got my timelines right for this movie, and if my little bit of research is correct, Elton John and Bernie Taupin got started together in 1967. That means this scene here is during 1967.

Ya'll. If you know your McLennon history, 1967 is like, peak McLennon, it's peak free love Lennon-McCartney.

It was said that during 1967, John was most often found visiting and staying long periods at Paul's house:

“I was fortunate enough to see them together many times in the late 60’s, and have always been fascinated by what I saw/heard: they finished each other’s sentences, laughed together, just seemed totally in sync. I was a 15-year-old girl, but I did notice that about the two of them and will never forget it.”

“We used to go to Paul’s house in the afternoon. John often went there, George and Ringo went too, but John went more often. Then they would go to the studios. Some people would stay to see them leave the house and others would be at the studios to see them arrive.” Lizzie Bravo, apple scruff, on John and Paul [x]

Even as George said it, “...the crucible was in 1967 [sic; 1957] when John and Paul became a duo.” [x]

Listen, I know this movie isn't necessarily strictly on-the-money accurate or precise, and that it is a 'musical biographical fantasy drama about Elton John' but but but it's the fact that this would be considered something to even have said or mentioned, in the kind of way it was, in the kind of moment in that scene, which is happening in 1967.

We have it being said: Lennon and McCartney are inseparable.

You could say it's subtle enough that no one would really notice, right? That it makes sense for Paul and John to be brought up as a comparison to Bernie and Reggie (Elton) with other mentions of Beatles influence scattered and briefly highlighted in early and young Elton John's start off breakthrough years.

Though if you're a real Beatlemaniac, a real Mclennon Truther, and you watch this scene, and catch the tone of the manager's voice hinting at something in 'flatmates' and the look on his face as he brings up the not-so-subtle-accusation-question, and then with Lennon and McCartney being labeled as noticeably inseparable to those working in the industry, as a vocal agreement with ''who ever heard of song writing partners not living together'' and an example as such.

It was said that during 1967, John was most often found visiting and staying long periods at Paul's house:

“I was fortunate enough to see them together many times in the late 60’s, and have always been fascinated by what I saw/heard: they finished each other’s sentences, laughed together, just seemed totally in sync. I was a 15-year-old girl, but I did notice that about the two of them and will never forget it.”

“We used to go to Paul’s house in the afternoon. John often went there, George and Ringo went too, but John went more often. Then they would go to the studios. Some people would stay to see them leave the house and others would be at the studios to see them arrive.” Lizzie Bravo, apple scruff, on John and Paul.

While this is a fantasy/drama biographical, Elton was the executive producer of this movie, and he and his husband had been working on trying to produce a film based on his life for like, two decades. Elton John was friends with John Lennon during the 70s, and they seemed to get on rather well, Elton not having a bad thing to say about Lennon, even though the 70s were tumultuous for him. I'm not necessarily saying Elton knows anything in particular, or truly understood the deeper happenings and complicated relationship that carved up John and Paul, but I'm sure John must've talked with him about it to some extent.

As a friend of mine said as I brought this one scene up to her, while it's probably Elton poking fun at the whole McLennon conspiracy, if anyone knew about some shit going down between John and Paul, anything much more deeper and intimate than just two mates creating music and being buddy-buddy, Elton would be that someone, or at least had his own suspicions.

So I'm sure Elton must've known something, or was suspicion of something, to some degree. There had to be a relevancy for him to want to include and greenlight that line in this scene with those lines and the body language and the quiet accusation of homosexual relations going on between these two up-and-coming songwriters/musicians who actually turn out to be like, platonic soulmates themselves, and to include Lennon-McCartney between the mix and as a comparison.

"Yeah! Lennon and McCartney are inseparable."

#mclennon #anthology of mclennon #elton john #the tinhat has made a reappearance in this post ik ik and idc #never watched the movie but this scene haunts me

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

whats your take on john and stu?

Outside Pauline Sutcliffe's allegations, I have never seen any huge indication that Stu was attracted to men, but so little is known about him there's no real way to know either way. I think Pauline even insists Stu wasn't actually into it. Really, I don't feel strongly about it either way. Pauline's been inconsistent and has also somewhat tried to defame John by alleging he caused Stu's death, and her framing of John and Stu's alleged sexual relationship to my understanding really makes John out to be an abuser. That doesn't mean it definitely didn't happen, to be clear, but it does kind of make the whole story questionable. I think Astrid and Klaus also disputed the claim.

From John's side, I do think it's interesting that he drew parallels between Yoko and Stu, in a similar way he did with Paul:

'The only thing ever lacking in working with another artist and they were usually male - whether it was Stuart Sutcliffe (my art school friend) or Paul McCartney (my musical friend) - is that the relationship only goes as far as the front door and after that you are alone in bed. It's a plus not a minus. The plus is that your best friend can also hold you.' – John, in an interview with Sandra Shevey (1972) Source: The Other Side of Lennon by Sandra Shevey (1990), p. 10

Also here, where Yoko noticed this:

'I [Yoko] said to [John] later, “When you wrote me all those letters, weren’t you worried I’d run to a newspaper or something? You’re a married man.” He said, “I used to write long letters like that to Stu Sutcliffe.” “Oh,” I thought, “I'm a replacement for Stu…He was a guy and I'm a woman…” I thought that was a little bit strange.' – Yoko to Philip Norman Source: John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman (2008), p. 532 ((got this quote from @phoneybeatlemania's old blog, love youuuuuuuu))

I don't take this as a confirmation that John was attracted to Stu, but it certainly is a possibility. The first passage would indicate it wasn't reciprocated, or not to the extent John would have wanted. I've also toyed with the idea that getting together with Yoko made John reassess his previous relationships and he may have retroactively "decided" he'd been in love with Stu without that necessarily having been the case at the time (this could even conceivably have happened with Paul).

All in all: I don't know! I do tend to think of Stu as probably at least a crush John harboured at some point though. As for Stu, I don't think I know enough to say for certain, but it kinda seems like John didn't think it was requited.

#ask #anon #js #my analysis

[jfleamont]

what do you think it is that makes James Potter such an attractive character?

Hello anon ❤️

This is such an interesting question! I could say that he's simply described like that and move on, but I think there's so much more to it, to him.

He was a Quidditch player, ruffled his hair, played with the Snitch, had a charming smile... Physically, he was the textbook definition of hot. On the surface he's a reformed bad boy: he used to be a prat but he died as a changed man, a hero... And this is a trope that a lot of us love.

But really?

He's someone who found out his friend was a werewolf at 12 years old and instead of pitying him or, worse, discarding him, he found a solution. He became an animagus at 15, not only breaking the law but risking his own life - it was already a dangerous process, and he did it unsupervised at such a young age - just so that he could make Remus' life a bit easier. You see, James was no stranger to sacrifices. He was like this before Harry.

James gave Sirius a home and a family when he lost both in one fell swoop, and he forgave Sirius' prank on Snape: he had a big heart, had a lot of love to give.

I'm in no way excusing his mistakes; but I think that even though we mostly got to know him through other people's eyes, it doesn't mean that he's any less interesting.

I think we find him attractive because he was a great friend. He was exactly what they needed: a brother for Sirius, an ally for Remus, an inspiration for Peter. I think his dedication to his friends is one of his best traits: personally, it's exactly the thing I look for in people in real life.

He was smart: he was a Transfiguration prodigy and he became Head Boy, which didn't necessarily require good marks as far as I'm aware, but if he was chosen it meant that Dumbledore knew he would take it seriously.

His relationship with Lily... We don't know enough about them, except for the fact that they rowed a lot, then finally made up, slowly became friends and, eventually, lovers.

I also believe that, no matter how many fix-it fics we read, no matter how many times we see him survive in other AUs, there's still an ache in our hearts when we think about him. He was doomed from the start, which makes his life even more meaningful. Not only that, but he died young. Awfully young. Twenty-one. I think about him and then I think about me at that age and... He shouldn't have seen any of those horrors.

We mourn the person he could have been. He's forever young, forever immortalised in his last moments as he bravely faces death and makes the ultimate sacrifice.

People have always been fascinated by great people who tragically died young. Heath Ledger, John Lennon (though the latter wasn't exactly young, he wasn't old either), or even the 27 Club: Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse and many more. These people died at the height of their fame; over time we tend to see them as more than human, almost god-like figures that have graced us with their presence on earth. I think we feel a bit like that towards James sometimes. He will never be older than twenty-one, he will never make mistakes as a father, husband or friend. And it is as heartbreaking as it is frustrating.

There's something about his potential as a character. Layered, interesting, captivating... He would have been important not because he was Harry's father, but because he was James.

However, one of the main reasons we love him so much - I know, this reply hasn't been about him being attractive for a while now - is because out of the four Marauders, he's the one we know the least about. It would make sense if we didn't get attached to him. Many people do not, in fact, like him. But we do and it's because he is, in many ways, a blank slate. He can be whoever we want, and that's so liberating! We can project our fears, dreams, insecurities onto him. It's both stimulating and cathartic. James has a freedom that other characters (Harry, for example) don't have. Even in canon compliant fics, James can be many different people and still have the core values that we know and love.

Despite this reply being very long, I don't think I fully conveyed why I like him so much. I'm not very good with words these days and there are things that I can't really put into words. There's a lot more I'd like to say about him but I'd like to see someone else's take on this! So please feel free to add more ❤️

Thank you for this wonderful question you made my day, seriously!

#the rest of the reply is under the cut because I couldn't stop myself #also I may be a bit biased but it's Jilytober and I just love him too much to talk about him in a calm and collected way #james potter #jily #harry potter #marauders #jilytober #jfleamont rambles #asks

[aqueeracademic]

morse being queer (and other commentary) pt 14:

season 4, episode 2, “Canticle”:

- so far this season isn’t very gay 🫤

- i miss jakes ‼️‼️

- SINGGGGG BITCH

- this music video would be a target pride ad tbh

- don’t even try to say i’m wrong

- wait isn’t this episode super gay?

- IT IS

- omg

- get ready for me to go absolutely ballistic

- character hasn’t even introduced himself yet and we r already seeing his entire ass

- also can this lady stfu?

- “‘kiss me.’” “what?!”

- morse panicking every time theres even a suggestion of physically intimacy is so….

- anyways

- as someone who grew up in colorado, i forget constantly that weed has ever been illegal

- the way morse looks at the younger brother when he meets the band

- clocks the queer and is immediately interested 🥰

- i actually have 0 clue if that’s the gay one i’m just guessing

- “never did anything for me.”

- thursday smokes pot and listens to the grateful dead is my new hc for him

- “you ever tried it?” “i’m a serving police officer!” MORSE U ARE LAME BOO BOO BOO

- “you put enough beer away.”

- TELL EM THURSDAY

- “beer is brain food.”

- YOU TELL EM MORSE

- [i am fully joking. smoking is bad for you, and i would never encourage it under any circumstances. i would also never shame anyone for partaking. i do vouch for the legalization of drugs such as marijuana and shrooms tho. just do what u wanna do!]

- i love summertime because they’re all walking around in just their shirt sleeves 🥰

- thursday and morse just laughing at this lady is so real of them

- the daughter immediately becoming attracted to morse because of how he talks to her mom is the realest shit i’ve ever seen

- i am obsessed with The Wildwood

- like i said in the tiger episode, the episodes where a woman is guilty are always more interesting and this one is the PRIME example

- let’s not pretend like loads of rock songs aren’t based on poetry

- they could have been onto something 🙄🙄

- this band is a bunch of 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

- debryn choking morse ???????

- like okay

- pressing up against his back and shit

- i love these two together

- given the marching band coats they’re all wearing i wanna say this band is supposed to represent the beatles during their sergeant pepper days which had me wondering which of the beatles this writer thinks is gay

- joy pettybon is SO ANNOYING 🙄🙄

- this song is an absolute banger

- so basically the position the gay guy has in the band is the same as john lennon for the most part

- so this writer thinks john is a lil 💅

- and i respect that

- however!

- the english band that was supposed to tour with the kinks and got denied their visas was the Moody Blues so they could be referencing that band also

- THURSDAY IS SO MEAN

- pettybon’s daughter is kinda…

- jk

- free her from this hell tho!

- the way he goes 🤫 at her after she asks him not to tell about the cigarette

- i’m obsessed w him 😭

- the way her talking about homosexuals is not even an outdated argument

- like

- we have not progressed

- props to this guy for standing up for himself and other queer people

- and i hate that nick is the one she said all that homophobic shit to directly

- i know morse hated her ass

- “he’s a pervert” SHUT UR BITCHASS UP

- as a gay, i can guarantee you gay people want nothing to do w ur dirty ass kids

- “it was about love. she said it was dirty. how can love be dirty?” “well if it isn’t then i suspect you aren’t doing it right.”

- HES FUCKING GAY

- this man jessop is talking about writing about the queer experience and wondering how it can be dirty and morse tells him that if it isn’t a little bit then he isn’t doing it right

- that’s like a quadruple entendre

- he’s fucking queer and that line alone proved it to me

- also good on him for telling joy her supporters got violent with jessop

- she’s a bitch

- her performative goodwill-doing is SO ACCURATE

- HOW HAVE WE NOT PROGRESSED???

- oh this bettina girl is a hoe

- good for her!

- morse instinctively straightening up when he decided to have a drink w her 💀💀

- he’s such a whore

- this girl straight up called his life sad because he’s alone 😭😭😭

- like she’s right but goddam girl

- “you seem lonely”

- FINAL STRAW

- death by chocolate is so wild

- the way she catches morse’s eye the day after and he just looks away 😬

- “the threat was made against you. so far as i can see, you’re still here.”

- GO MORSE GO

- the way morse smiles while jessop goes off about pettybon

- and the way that after they accuse him he looks to morse

- people go to morse for comfort in every scenario i hate it here

- OMFG I HATE JOY

- her daughter has NO FRIENDS and sought comfort in an older man via CONVERSATION because her father died and she’s projecting and her mom slaps her across the face for it

- like what the fuck 😀

- i. hate. her.

- the way nick is mourning a lover this entire episode and we don’t know until the very end

- and the way that queer people had to mourn silently for lovers, dead or alive, just because they couldn’t be together

- and people still now have to do that

- i’m sick.

- this is my favorite episode if you couldn’t tell

- combines my two favorite things

- gay people and the 1960s progressive movement via its ties to rock music and bands

- like i live for this shit

- also detectives

- i love a detective

- “comparing his [nick’s] lyrics to james joyce and oscar wilde” AKA TWO QUEER AUTHORS (joyce was only alleged it’s never been proven)

- like how did people not clock him as a homosexual

- tf?

- trewlove is so real for being a serious police officer and genuinely a genius while also being a boy band fan

- the reverend literally shit himself to death

- i’m not laughing 😐😐

- morse listening to rock and roll agenda ‼️‼️‼️

- nah this girl is wild for showing up to his flat

- him letting her in is even crazier

- his face when he says “no more than usual” IM SCREAMING

- why is he so 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

- i’m gonna lose my mind over him

- her asking him if she’s gonna burn in hell and him being like 🫤 like girl he does not believe in hell

- YOU WHAT

- “i love you” GIRL WHAT?????????

- his face

- boy said

- 😮😧

- “there’s someone else” GIRL U WERE NOT EVEN ON THE ROSTER

- “nick wrote it about me”

- girl….

- and then says she’s not allowed to go to the Enchanted Place but fully lets morse go

- like queen

- she looked at nick and said I Know What You Are and then committed murder over it

- so wild!

- PLEASE IM DYING

- bro gets offered a drink and says no SO aggressively

- trying not to catch the sleeping with suspects allegations out here

- nick reaching for his drink the second barry comes up 😭😭

- i feel so bad for this kid 😀 but i’m normal about it i swear 😀

- “don’t you want to expand your mind?” translates directly to “i know ur gay and u should act on it”

- “you ever tried em [mushrooms]?” “only as part of an english breakfast.”

- and then BOTH OF THEM GIGGLING?????

- morse couldn’t help but flirt huh

- i hate him

- and then smiling at him genuinely and asking him about his interests???

- hello.

- PLEASE THE SMILE WHILE NICK EXPLAINS WHATS BEYOND THE DOOR

- AND THE WAY HIS FACE DROPS WHEN NICK SAYS “infinite love”??????

- he figures it out really early on he just didn’t want to out him

- i stand by that

- “there is no shame. no guilt.”

- and morse finally breaks eye contact and looks away??????

- this scene is so inherently queer

- and then nick finally breaking down over barry 😭😭😭😭

- and morse is just not judgmental

- he KNOWS what happened between them 😐 and he won’t out nick 😐

- i’m normal about this episode 😀

- morse refusing to look at her naked 😧 sir i need you to be normal

- “Well, i hope you’ve arrested him. Dudley Jessop. He’s an abomination in the eyes of our lord.”

- “Strangely enough, the police training manual omits to mention abominations.”

- i just want to point out that no one in this entire show defends queer people the way morse does and i feel like it’s really telling

- just like jessop, he stands up for queer people

- they are comparing the two of them

- and they juxtapose him to nick while also making it clear that there’s something similar between them

- like HELLO????

- wake up.

- writing my dissertation about this episode

- anyways ‼️

- “Thankfully, Thursday and I can remember a time when people were decent.”

- the way morse looks absolutely disgusted by her

- i love him

- morse is literally celebrating in his mind when this lady gets arrested

- he’s so fucking happy 💀

- “he’s hiding something.”

- once again, i fully believe that morse KNOWS that nick is queer

- he knows that nick was with barry

- but he refuses to out him

- morse going back to nick’s spot because he knows where he goes to escape is so…

- morse just understands the queer people in this show and i’m obsessed w it

- nick 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

- justice for my boy!

- his brother is so real for keeping the girls away from him

- this girl is FUCKED for fully melting his brain to cover for herself

- i hate her

- debryn is awfully aware of the culture surrounding acid 🤨

- anything you’d like to tell us doctor?

- i like thursday referencing cain and abel

- makes u think it might have been the brother’s doing

- but no!

- i love a lil red herring

- morse finding the proof of nick’s relationship with barry 😬

- he can’t keep it on the dl now

- how unfortunate

- always sucks when ur fellow gays are tied up in murder 🙄

- “it was what he deserved.”

- GET HER BETTINA

- saying that someone deserved to die because of how they were “carrying on”???????

- ma’am

- you married a gay man

- it’s as simple as that

- there’s no need for all this hatred

- just divorce and move on there’s no need to drive people to end it all

- “she’ll be back.” “no. she won’t.”

- GET HER THURSDAY!!!!

- trewlove being a fan of boy bands is the ONLY reason morse solved this case so here’s a shoutout to all my boy band girlies out there!

- it’s me. i am the boy band girlie

- morse’s freckles 🥰🥰🥰

- the lemonade was already spiked when he drank it which means that girl was tripping ballsack and speaking completely normally

- good for her

- he drank so much 💀💀💀

- bro is about to meet god

- ope i was wrong

- nick is bisexual

- bisexual awareness!!

- OSCAR WILDE APPRECIATION

- morse being privy to the contents of a book about… actually i won’t say 🤨

- the book is called Justine by de Sade

- if ur curious

- the contents are sensitive tho so be wary

- ANYWAYS

- i always appreciate queer people from that period using oscar wilde as a means of communication or identifying other queer people

- and the fact that morse knows that off the top of his head…

- oh my god

- chris and nick 💀

- what all of you don’t know is that i assumed chris was the gay one at the beginning of the episode because i couldn’t remember which of them was gay

- and i wrote in these notes that it was him

- and then went back and deleted it because i was wrong and it was nick

- BUT I WAS FUCKING CORRECT

- CHRIS IS QUEER TOO

- i’m losing my mind

- just like morse is about to 🥰

- morse having a bad trip is so unfortunate

- it would b interesting to see him have a good trip and change his entire perspective on drugs tbh

- except that he has an addictive personality

- so it’s actually good he had a bad trip and will never even attempt drugs again!

- we won ladies

- his waist is soO SNATCHED

- morse 🥺🥺

- i don’t wanna know what he was hallucinating but yes i do

- because i’m a nosy bitch.

- “he went to hell and back.”

- thursday gets it

- morse in a wife beater agenda‼️‼️🗣️

- “what day is it?” “corned beef.” “it’s friday.”

- I LOVE THEM OH MY GOD

- i hate it here

- there’s no way that pillow is comfy

- why is it up so high

- oh my god he’s so fine

- GOOD FOR YOU BETTINA

- nah joan is foul for calling him and then not saying anything

- absolutely foul.

- to be quite honest i’m not sure i can forgive her after this little plot point

- so for anyone who isn’t privy to tarot card meanings:

- the hanged man, upright, means the person is experiencing sacrifice and martyrdom. this is obviously applicable to morse as he is very self sacrificial. martyrdom is typically defined as suffering or death to obtain sympathy; this can be applied to morse as he is intentionally being made to suffer by the people around him and it is causing people to swarm to him. we will see more of this in the future.

- the lovers, upright, represents duality and union as well as an important relationship. it is interesting that they chose to display this card upright given he keeps losing people he loves and the card in reverse (representing loss of balance and disharmony) would be more fitting. it does mean, though, that he could be seeing a relationship coming into his life that will provide him balance and unity

#this one is so long #but it’s my favorite episode #like in the entire show #i’m obsessed with this episode #i love #gay #people #endeavour #endeavour itv #endeavour morse #morse #itv endeavour

[good-to-drive]

The fact that people have romanticized or even sexualized your childhood trauma is disgusting. I'm genuinely so sorry that happened.

Can I tell you why I think it's important that talking about Paul McCartneys childhood trauma and it's effects on him become just as mainstreamed as talking about John Lennon's childhood trauma and it's effects on him has always been in Beatles fandom?

First, on a personal level. Have you heard of Ruby Franke, the Mormon momfluencer who has been charged with child abuse? My parents were A LOT like her and though my friends always recognized that we were "one of those" Mormon families, what they did was very normalized and justified. So, naturally, I don't like seeing abuse normalized or justified.

But more importantly on a public level. If we don't get comfortable talking about the truth of Paul's childhood and the effects of it on his thought processes, behaviors, and traits, and therefore him as a person and artist, we are going to have a flawed understanding of the Beatles music, group dynamics, and story.

Obviously none of it should be romanticized or sexualized. It needs to be taken seriously.

Yeah, I feel like that's my point.

Aside from the "it is your moral duty to hate John and if you don't you're as bad as he is" camp most people are capable of talking about John's experiences in a reasonable way, but with Paul there's a lot more resistance. I think that's partly because Paul has received a lot of undeserved criticism and hate over the years so (some of) his fans are a bit hypersensitive to anything that smacks of negativity, completely ignoring the fact that acknowledging someone's pain and trauma is not, in fact, negative or insulting (and it's arguably insulting to say that it is). And it's also probably that Paul's issues in particular are cartoonishly vilified in pop culture right now, to the point that it's almost impossible to even have a conversation about them (try talking to the average internet user about narcissism and you'll see what I mean).

But, frankly, it's also to do with deep misconceptions about the cycle of abuse and what it means to exist within it (which sounds like something you understand as well) and the savior complex a lot of people have about their faves that makes them really, really want Paul to be a poor precious kitten who just needs lots of cuddle sessions and weepy sex to fix his "issues." Which, like I originally said, is basically fine if that's what you want to do. It's essentially fiction, after all. But I wouldn't consider romanticizing abuse or infantilizing survivors to be the same thing as raising awareness around abuse, and I don't honestly think it helps us understand the group dynamic either. (I do agree that we'll never understand Paul and John's relationship if we can't accept that Paul is a human being with a past and a complex inner life just like John. That's something I've been bitching about for ages.)

I hope this isn't too nosy, but I've noticed you saying in tags that people jump on you and accuse you of "woobifying" Paul sometimes. If you're just trying to acknowledge that Paul faced trauma and deserves actual compassion and understanding then of course those people are out of line and I'm sorry that's happened, but if your idea of acknowledging this is "oh poor precious baby let me kiss it better" then, well.... You do you, but I don't think you can fairly claim there's any value in that. Yes, it's talking about abuse, but not in a way that I think we can reasonably claim is compassionate or productive.

No hate, though -- I haven't seen the posts you're referring to so idk what people are criticizing you for.

This is a really thoughtful and interesting take and I really appreciate you sending it to me.

#ask #m1ssunderstanding

[anotherkindofmindpod]

Hello! Love your podcast! I found it almost exactly a year ago, and I decided to celebrate by re-listening to Pizza and Fairytales—and I know this ain’t exactly a new topic, but I had a thought and couldn’t not throw it out there. Is that self-indulgent? Probably, but here we are!

At the end of Ep 4, y’all discuss the “Now and Then” demo and Paul saying in 2020 (ish) that he still plans to finish it. And then you point out that would be the last Lennon McCartney song (way to bum me out btw). And now, with Peter Jackson’s magical sound tech, he might be able to do something really interesting with it.

BUT, while I hope we someday hear “Now and Then” . . . I think there’s a really good chance it’s not going to happen. Ready for my armchair psychology? :)

As long as that song is ‘pending’ then Paul is still in a musical conversation with John. And I know he went 15 years after John’s death (before getting the demos) not really thinking that there could even be more music between them, but then there was! And for the last 25 years, there’s that demo, sitting in a metaphorical drawer, and at any time he could go into a room and create with John. I mean, this is the guy who writes a memorial song like he’s in mid-conversation with John, who frames the Hall of Fame speech as a letter to John. I can totally see him getting a bit in his head about a Last Song with John and never being quiiiite ready to ‘put the strings on it’ and call it done. So, while hope springs eternal, I’m also ok if Paul decides that he’d rather have an unfinished melody than an outro.

There. Musing over. Thanks for all your great work!

Hello Anon! Thanks for your message :) WRT "Now and Then," I saw this video a couple weeks ago that addresses (seemingly credible) rumors from Hoffman boards.

I don't know what to think about all of this... I could speculate but honestly, it's anyone's guess at this point!

#new McCartney album?? #I'm always down for that

[alextuna]

OKAY WE’RE FINALLY GONNA TALK ABOUT “I WANT YOU (SHES SO HEAVY)”

PRELECTURE:

remember these lyrics they’re important…

“i want you so bad it’s driving me mad”

“she’s so heavy”

important people…

Yoko Ono - John Lennon’s wife

John Lennon - singer of this song, Beatle, half of the Beatles’ main songwriting group Lennon-McCartney, long time friend of Paul

Paul McCartney - Beatle, half of Lennon-McCartney, long time friend of John

LECTURE:

In this song, John Lennon repeatedly sings these lyrics for several minutes. The song ends in white noise that builds up over the last minute or so of the song. So, I’m sure you’re wondering, what’s the meaning of this piece? At the time of writing and producing this song, John Lennon was already with Yoko Ono, the supposed subject of the song. Clearly, this song features a lot of symbolism around the topic of longing and almost forbidden love. It can be assumed quite reasonably that the song was written about Yoko because the other Beatles didn’t really want her around in the studio and everything.

However, if we want to get a little bit more interesting and in depth, this song can be interpreted as being written about John and Paul McCartney. Many people find it entertaining to conspire about John and Paul being secret lovers or forbidden from a gay relationship, but this song can be construed to prove this heartily. When this song was released, John already “had” Yoko, meaning that the point of the song was already achieved. Obviously, it could be a representation of his never ending love or something cheesy like that, but it could also mean that Yoko is a burden. The lyric “she’s so heavy” could imply that “she” aka Yoko is something that John would get rid of because he “want[s someone else] so bad”. Based on many pieces of McLennon evidence that can be found basically anywhere on the Internet, it is safe to assume that if this is the true interpretation of this lyric, the real person that John wants is Paul.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk there will be a quiz tomorrow.

#the beatles #paul mccartney #john lennon #yoko ono #music #mia song interpretation #this has been in my drafts and i dont wanna proofread it so enjoy this #twas written at 5:30 AM so i hpe it make s sense

[phoneybeatlemania]

Hiya @martin-molin-my-beloved! You sent this to my old account and your ask popped up in the gmail I occasionally check, so I thought id just answer this from here rather then leave you hanging :)

My thoughts on the Hamburg gang are probably going to be pretty boring since I haven't invested a ton of time into researching any of them yet, but ill share anyway:

Astrid Kirchherr — she intrigues me and someday Id like to learn more about her, since from what Ive heard about vaguely in quotes, she seems to have a bit of a dark side, so Im interested to find out What Thats All About. But aside from that, she was the moment in early 60's Hamburg, and Ive gotta stan anyone that cool; its just one of my principles lol.

Klaus Voormann — out of all of the Hamburg...ers? (do we call them that lol?), Klaus is by far my favourite. I couldn't even tell you why, I just Fucking Love Him. Ive heard from him the most in interviews, and I think he always gives really interesting and insightful perspectives on the Beatles and their relationships—plus, I love his art :) and also he's pretty lets get married

Im not sure why, but something about Klaus Voormann feels very.....relatable to me, I guess? Like of all the people in the group, he feels like the one who would be On My Level, if you see what I mean.

Stuart Sutcliffe — also someone who I plan to learn more about someday, but when it comes to the Beatles theres just so many areas of their history that I want to get to that its hard to get round to really investing some time into learning about one individual. With Stu, I think Id really be more interested in deepening my understanding of his relationships with both John and Paul (and the role it played in the early Lennon/McCartney relationship). Will say though that while there are things I think are cool about Stu, i.e wearing Astrid's clothes, something about him makes me feel like we Would Not Have Got Along irl if id met him in a bar or something lol. Don't ask me why because I don't know, Ive just got a feeling 😶

Jurgen Vollmer—don't really know anything about this man beyond John and Pauls Paris trip, so all ill say is: he has nice hair

Overall: the Hamburgers were a sexy bunch of existentialists and Klaus Voormann if you're reading this I am free on Thursday night and would like to hang out

#hope my vague opinions are satisfactory for you #key take away is that me and Klaus are getting married #he'll do his art and play bass. ill write my songs etc #a power couple tbh #lol someone let me know what their nickname is. cause if we call the beatles The Bugs surely we call the Hamburg people Hamburgers #I think there was a reason the beatles remained close to this group of people tho #I just dont know enough about any of them to say What that reason is #jurgen #stu #asks #astrid #@martin-molin-my-beloved #klaus voormann #hamburg days

[anyways-wonderwall]

Album of the Week #74

Canned Wheat

(1969)

by The Guess Who

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

TL;DR: Who knew a voice that incredible belonged to someone named Burton from Manitoba. 

(Look I get you're from Manitoba but this cover is a little too silly. also why the sticker about the single? 5/10)

Overall Thoughts

We’re staying in 1969 for this week, with an album that initially felt a lot like last week’s Flying Burrito Brothers album, but quickly veered off into something with more personality and intrigue. Well, for some of the tracks. 

One of the things I’m most critical about in music is a white man’s voice. That may be a little bit stupid given most of the music I listen to is (unfortunately) sung by white men, but we all know they are given way to many chances to be genuinely awful singers. Lou Reed is well respected, and Rolling Stone had the audacity to put John Lennon as the 12th greatest singer of all time and Bob Dylan at 15. Clearly if you’re a white guy who can write a decent song singing ability is optional, which means I will immediately point out if some guy has an obnoxious voice. That makes it all the more remarkable that I was just taken aback by how amazing Burton Cummings voice is. 

The Guess Who was originally marketed as blue-eyed soul, something that breeds melodramatic vocals, but Cummings doesn’t fall for that here. He’s always on pitch (even live), never self-indulgent, smooth, with just enough feeling to make you falter. The instrumentals on these songs were good, but often nothing remarkable. You have talented people on every part, every once in a while a bassline that’s interesting enough that I’ll start nodding along, but it was really the vocals that kept me listening, not something I expected from a 70s rock group. 

Well so what is interesting on this album? Not “No Time,” which was later put on American Woman as a single and became one of their most famous songs, despite sounding like a B-side off of the Flying Burrito Brothers album. “Laughing” and “Undun” ended up forming the single record for this album and are the ones that are actually worth listening to. The first leans blue-eyed soul and was marketed as a follow-up to “These Eyes,” and is wonderfully crafted if you ignore the 30 second fade out. “Undun” is the real star of the show and the reason I wanted to listen to more of The Guess Who. I just adore how consistently driving it is, with guitars that feel latin in a way I can’t quite put my finger on, a voice that gives me goosebumps, and MULTIPLE FLUTE SOLOS!!! That’s right, in case I wasn’t sure if I was in love with Burton Cummings (very unfortunate name), he plays the flute and adds solos to multiple songs on this album. I just need everyone to watch this live rendition of it that I have watched 3 times in a row already. Just incredible. 

The album ends with a eleven-minute song “Key,” which with a run-time that long is fighting an uphill battle to get me to like it. And the lyrics are biblical? Well now double the steepness of that slope. Weirdly though, I was interested the whole time, even through the 5 minutes of miscellaneous percussion sounds. After that song ended and I was left confused on how they were able to grab my attention that long the final song “Fair Warning” comes on with bedroom pop perfect guitars (think Rex Orange County) that make me sink deeper in my mattress. I’m not able to fully relax though because then voice with an exaggerated scottish accent comes in warning me to not become a rock star. Its somehow soothing though, the way he says “dohn’t be a staaaa.” then the album goes quiet. Up until that point the album is pretty straight forward, and serious, leaving on that note makes me eagerly want to flip the page to the next chapter. 

(I should also mention that while it is not in the standard album the 2000 rerelease includes the song “Silver Bird” which is so peaceful that it is the only song that was new to me on this album that got added to my liked songs. God I love Burton Cumming’s voice. I just wish his name wasn’t so god awful.)

Next week's review: In The Right Place (1973) by Dr. John

#album 74 #album of the week #album review #music review #album recommendation #music recommendation #classic rock #the guess who #blue eyed soul #rock music #60s rock

[thisaintascenereviews]

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds

I’m sure that you saw a handful of jokes from people when the new album, Hackney Diamonds, by The Rolling Stones came out a few months ago that were along the lines of “what year is it,” because when that album came out, The Beatles dropped a “new” song. I kind of had to ask myself the same question, because if I had a nickel for every time that a beloved and influential British band from the 1960s released something new in 2023, I’d have two nickels. That’s not a lot, but it’s weird it happened twice. No one really expected The Rolling Stones to put out a new album, but here we are. The Rolling Stones, in case you don’t know, is one of the most popular and influential bands in rock history, and their new album, Hackney Diamonds, is their first album of original material in 18 years. They did put out a covers album in 2016 of blues songs they grew up with, but The Rolling Stones is a band that took me awhile to get into. I’ve only heard their classic material from the 1960s and 1970s, but they’re great. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are just as important of a songwriting duo just as John Lennon and and Paul McCartney. There’s a reason that there’s a debate between who’s better, The Stones or The Beatles, but why can’t someone enjoy both? They both have their place in music and rock history, just for different reasons.

As for their new album, I was very hesitant to listen to this, and it took me a few months to give it a listen, but like with a lot of new albums from these boomer rock bands, they’re usually not very good and it shows how clearly they’re out of ideas. I hate to be that guy that says these bands only put out late career albums when they’re either desperate for money and/or they got nothing better to do, but that’s how it happens. A lot of late career albums just aren’t good, unless you’re Paul McCartney, then your late career albums are actually pretty damn good. What about Hackey Diamonds? Nothing was riding on this album, as The Rolling Stones have nothing to prove, and both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are 80, so what else do they have to say?

Turns out, they don’t have anything important to say, but this album is still pretty damn good, especially (and I mean especially) if you look at it for what it is. This album reminds me a lot of the newest Metallica album, 72 Seasons, from earlier this year. Metallica isn’t as old, despite their debut coming out 40-years-ago this year, but 72 Seasons is their first album in seven years, and it’s also their best album since the 90s. A lot of people have said that Hackney Diamonds is The Stones’ best album in many years, too, maybe even since the 80s, and I would agree. Like 72 Seasons, too, it’s not among their best, but it’s their best in a long time (and still a good album in its own right).

This album has a couple of interesting tricks up its sleeve, such as having a modern production style with producer Andrew Watt at the helm. He’s worked with many rock bands, as well as pop artists, but I noticed that he worked with Ozzy on his last couple of albums. The songs feel more modern, but also have that classic rock sound to them. Songs like “Angry,” “Bite My Head Off,” and “Close To You” have a classic sound to them, but the modern production makes them a bit more interesting. The issue is, like I hinted earlier, the lyrics aren’t very good. Vocalist Mick Jagger sounds great, despite being 80, but these lyrics are bad at worst and bland at best. There’s nothing on here that I’m thinking about after the fact, even the song with Lady Gaga, which is cool all in itself.

This record is worth hearing if you’re a rock fan that wants to hear what a classic rock band is up to in the year 2023, but as much as I hate to say it, this record isn’t “essential” to hear at all. Not that every album needs to be, but there’s nothing out of this album that you can’t get from their earlier work. I can say the same thing for 72 Seasons, too, especially people that aren’t diehard fans, but there is something worth listening to if you are a big fan of this band, or you love classic rock. You’ll get some solid hooks, melodies, vocals riffs, and overall songs, but the lyrics are lacking. I guess when that’s the only major issue, minus this album just sounding like a typical Rolling Stones album, that’s not a bad thing whatsoever.

#the rolling stones #hackney diamonds #mick jagger #keith richards #rock #classic rock #blues rock #hard rock #sticky fingers #exile on main street #some girls #british invasion #the beatles #paul mccartney #lady gaga

[inspiteallthedanger]

I listened to somedays for the first time and I cried. Don't tell me this wasn't written for john😭🥺

Ah, Somedays. Big pain. The fact he wrote this in two hours is interesting. One, because it explains the unusual imagery in it, but also (to me) suggests that it's coming from ideas that are already floating around his brain.

He does actually mention John when talking about this song, not in the content, but more in the process of it (because they often wrote things very quickly). George Martin also thought it felt like a classic song. So, something he would have written when he was part of Lennon/McCartney.

Is it about John? Who can say. But, for fun, shall we play "things that could be about John?"

Don't ask me where I found that picture on the wall How much it cost or what it's worth Sometimes I laugh I laugh to think how young we were

This to me, immediately made me go to the Paris photo of John that Paul had on his wall. Partly because of the age thing. But, I like the idea that he's thinking "This is a really cheaply taken photo, but if I put it up for auction it'd go for a mint." But it's a double meaning - how much is it worth to Paul? Everything? Nothing? He's not sure because he's confused about what the relationship was worth.

This whole song has that vibe - like that quote where Paul suddenly burst out with, "I did love him, you know, and I know he loved me". This has basically been his entire demeanor about John since his death.

We don't need anybody else to tell us what is real Inside each one of us is love And we know how it feels

Hmmm, the idea that "Love is Real" ... who said that again? Also, obviously, this could be a reference to everyone in the entire world saying that they'd always hated each other, but Paul knows different. 

It's no good asking me what time of day it is Who won the match or scored the goal

So this person was someone he was in competition with, but now it all seems a bit pointless. Hmmmm.

Somedays I look Somedays I look into your soul

Now, who can we think of that Paul talked about staring into each others' eyes and becoming one with? Yeah, it's Johnny.

Somedays I look I look at you with eyes that shine Somedays I don't I don't believe that you are mine

This makes me sad to think about, but it does neatly sum up what happened to Paul with John and his legacy after he died. And continues to happen today. But, I mean, it's also a continuation of the theme of the song being, "What were we to each other?"

So in conclusion, it does make me wonder who could have inspired it. Especially as Paul wrote it in a boy's childhood bedroom. Is there someone that tends to evoke memories of that time for Paul, perhaps?

#paul mcartney #song meta #mclennon #beth rambles