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harrisonstories · 5 years

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What is happening with the BEATLES – RECORD MIRROR – (17 Aug. 1968)

Trying to say something objective about the Beatles right now is no easy task and it hasn’t been made any easier by George Harrison’s recent remarks knocking the press for knocking them. (George’s petulance is understandable enough, even justified, but it’s not as detached and cool as one might expect from a yoga student.)

So first, a denial: George has been quoted denouncing all journalists for “just sitting there, waiting to knock us down and see us do things wrong.” Well, George, not this journalist and not quite a few others I’ve talked to. I’m not interested in joining in any fashionable attacks, nor in writing any “defence” full of smarmy praise. Let’s simply try to consider some of the issues and arrive, with charity and a desire for truth, at a conclusion or two.

FILMS. During a tantalisingly brief conversation with George at a press showing of “Yellow Submarine” I asked about the fate in America of the Beatle-made “Magical Mystery Tour”. Had the poor critical reception in this country been echoed over there? Indeed, had the film been shown at all on U.S. network television as originally planned? George said he didn’t know and, to find out, called a business associate over. This man said it had been decided not to show it on television but to screen it instead at colleges and similar more-or-less private locations. I said this sounded as though the Beatles, and maybe TV moguls, had been daunted by the unfavourable British reaction. “Well, it wasn’t as bad as was made out,” answered George, “especially not if seen in colour.” Since I greatly enjoyed the film I was able to agree with sincerity. I hadn’t expected anything with a superb professional gloss, its amateurishness was completely forgivable since it provided a colourful exuberant visual accompaniment to a bunch of excellent songs. Why did those eagerly savage critics expect so much more? The answer, surely, is that those critics felt the time had come to cut the Beatles down. I particularly remember an unlovable attack by James Thomas in the “Daily Express” in which he confessed he’d long regarded the Beatles as over-rated.

VULNERABLE MOOD

Unfortunately for the Beatles, they were obviously in a vulnerable mood. Brian Epstein was dead, they were going it alone and they were expanding their range of activities, having a shot at things they were inexperienced in. You might well think they deserved encouragement and, at least, some praise for their courage in trying. But no, they got slammed for their pains.

As for “Yellow Submarine” – practically every critic admired it but the knocking stories have nevertheless emerged. Seems that there’s been a shortage of customers at some cinemas so the film has been taken off here and there. Somehow, this has been turned into blame for the Beatles. Is there, one wonders, something unusual about thin audiences in midsummer at Rank cinemas? Don’t make me laugh. Sure, there are those who won’t like it – I heard Daily Mirror pop pundit Don Short dismiss i[t] as a load of psychedelic rubbish (though Dick Richards wrote an admiring review in the Mirror) – but it is beyond dispute that the Beatles have nothing, precisely nothing, to be ashamed of in their somewhat tenuous connection with this very splendid picture.

THE APPLE BOUTIQUE. Can’t begin to see what the knockers are on about here. If the Beatles decide they’ve had enough of rag trade shopkeeping, and if they’re kind enough to give some of their stock away, that’s up to them and very generous of them, I’d say, wouldn’t you?

PUBLIC FIGURES

PRIVATE LIVES. They’re public figures and so their romantic/sexual involvements are naturally more likely to come under impertinent scrutiny from scandal-hunters than less publicised citizens. But IF (and it’s a very big if) the Beatles are inclined to lead wilder, less tidy lives than popular morality requires it should be remembered that this is nobody’s business but their own and their friends. What “decent, ordinary” citizen wouldn’t be tempted to live it up a bit, given the fame, the money, the opportunity?

I can only admire their interest in something as serious and spiritual as meditation though I do think they goofed in the way they allowed their apparent disillusionment with the Maharishi to lead them into a certain bitchyness. Fallible old fellow he may be but I’m sure a lot of what he taught them was well worthwhile and it would perhaps have been better if they’d kept their mouths shut and simply faded gracefully away from his influence. Daresay Paul was only trying to be honestly outspoken about their “mistake” but it seems to me that the Beatles were really condemning themselves for their previous starry-eyed naivety. If any of them now think transcendental (or any kind of) meditation is a waste of time they are, frankly, mistaken.

Then there’s the scary subject of the dreaded LSD. If they wanted to take it, that was up to them and any critics who didn’t know about LSD from personal experience are hardly in any position to comment. One afternoon a friend of mine who worked for ITN rang up and said I should catch the next ITN bulletin which contained a fascinating interview with McCartney. A reporter had gone along to the McCartney residence and tried to get him to admit that his admission of tripping was likely to be a bad influence on fans. Paul replied that he’d merely told the truth when he’d been asked if he’d taken LSD: would it have been more creditable to lie? In any case, Paul added, the responsibility for publicising this lay not with the Beatles but with people in the communications industries. “If you’ll shut up about it, I’ll shut up,” said Paul. Unarguably. In any case, and despite anything the moralists may wish to think, the greatness of the Sergeant Pepper album (among other achievements) was certainly in some measure aided by acid…so total condemnation of a dangerous drug is plain unfair and ignorant. Obviously, it CAN be inspiring, both in an artistic and a religious sense.

SIX CREATIVE YEARS

MUSIC. Time to lay it on the line. After six amazingly creative years the Beatles are still coming up with beguilling sounds and for this, above all, they deserve our thanks. Soon, let’s hope, a new Beatles LP will be out. It’s always possible that it will disappoint but I’ll bet it won’t be dull. Most likely it will be their best yet, which will be a terrible blow to the knockers. Let’s hope so.

- David Griffiths

#john lennon #paul mccartney #george harrison #ringo starr #the beatles #record mirror #david griffiths #magical mystery tour #yellow submarine #maharishi #scans #1968

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