McCartney Sabotaged Lennons Songs?

Hobbayne · #1 10-06-2010, 09:34 AM

in an interview with I think Rolling Stone magazine, Lennon was really nasty to Macca, accusing him of ruining his songs by recording them with a boring and unimaginative bass parts, while his songs were adorned with beautiful lines crafted for them.
I for one cannot understand what he is talking about!
Macca laid some lovely lines for Lennon including Mr Kite and most of the white album especailly the slow version of Revolution!
Lennon played bass on Long & Winding Road and made a right hash of it! At least Macca never left any blemish on a released recording!

benjammin420 · #2 10-06-2010, 09:38 AM

when was the interview from? they had a bitter relationship for a long time after the breakup, sounds like he's just talking shite

TimmyBoomBoom · #3 10-06-2010, 09:43 AM

I seem to recall hearing a bootleg of the Beatles recording Paul's song Teddy Boy. You can hear John mocking Paul by doing a sing along at the end with some changed lyrics. At the end Paul says something like "I don't think this was given fair consideration...". Cuts both ways ya know

Tampabass · #4 10-06-2010, 09:45 AM

Paul didn't ruin anything.

kenfxj · #5 10-06-2010, 09:51 AM

For all the Imagine, Give Peace A Chance, St. John kind of way society and the media tends to remember John he was actually often a mean-spirited ****.

**barebones** · #6 10-06-2010, 09:52 AM

I have a Beatles fanatic friend who claims that Paul's "busiest" bass lines were played over John's vocals, while more "laid back" lines were used when Paul sang. Maybe John thought the busier lines cluttered things up or something, I don't know. All I know is I get schooled every time I sit down to learn me some Paul lines!

Ric5 · #7 10-06-2010, 09:58 AM

John did not like busy bass lines. When he hired Tony Levin to for some of his solo work John told him "I hear you're good but just don't play too many notes"

**JxBass** · #8 10-06-2010, 10:16 AM

I believe there was an inherent jealousy and competitiveness between the two from which we all benefited. I recall a post-Beatle article in which Lennon complained that, knowing McCartney would come into recording sessions with a boatload of songs, Lennon felt pressured to bring in as many of his own as he could so that he wouldn't be underrepresented on the album.

Thankfully we had George Martin to help sort it all out

mpdd · #9 10-06-2010, 10:22 AM

john lennon didn't really have the fake enthusiasm and no opinion thing down that dominates the entertainment industry today

SactoBass · #10 10-06-2010, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barebones

All I know is I get schooled every time I sit down to learn me some Paul lines!

+1000

Every time I sit down to learn Paul's bass lines note for note, I always end up looking at the CD player and saying "wow!"

john_martin_sai · #11 10-06-2010, 10:26 AM

The John Lennon I will forever like best is the self-deprecating John Lennon.

eSmith · #12 10-06-2010, 10:29 AM

I'm no expert but you might think the bass lines would naturally be more involved if the bass player isn't concentrating on singing.

When he is singing, he may have played less simply becuse he was doing two things at once.

I don't think I would be too quick to call it delebrate.

-eSmith.

srxplayer · #13 10-06-2010, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eSmith

I'm no expert but you might think the bass lines would naturally be more involved if the bass player isn't concentrating on singing.

When he is singing, he may have played less simply becuse he was doing two things at once.

I don't think I would be too quick to call it delebrate.

-eSmith.

Listen to a lot of the songs that Macca is signing and the bass lines are still crazy. I don't know how he does that...The guy is a freak.

**travep** · #14 10-06-2010, 10:56 AM

I am a huge Beatles fan. Not to start a flame war or anything but I have always been of the opinioin that Paul McCartney would have been a star without John Lennon but the converse would not have been true. Both were clearly better than the sum of their individual parts but I always found Lennon to be less talented than PM. That is not to say that Lennon was talentless but next to McCartney, few musicians look like stars. He's so well rounded...bass player, pop vocalist, songwriter, personality.

As for his personality (at least what has been on display), Lennon always seemed petty, childish and the kind of guy I probably wouldn't want to spend time with. So, I guess this comment doesn't surprise me.

I'm sorry to the JL fans out there...all opinion, of course...

Hobbayne · #15 10-06-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benjammin420

when was the interview from? they had a bitter relationship for a long time after the breakup, sounds like he's just talking shite

I Think it was late 1970 to Jann Wenner, but was also mentioned in the book Revoution In the Head by Ian McDonald

Deluge Of Sound · #16 10-06-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hobbayne

I Think it was late 1970 to Jann Wenner, but was also mentioned in the book Revoution In the Head by Ian McDonald

Yeah, its the Rolling Stone interview. I have a bootleg of that tape--its pretty surreal.

5StringBlues · #17 10-06-2010, 12:17 PM

The 1970 Wenner interview is full of things John would later regret saying.He and Paul lashed out at each other in interviews and songs for about 4 years after the Beatles broke up.

Here's another quote from Lennon that is probably closer to his true feelings on the subject: “Paul was one of the most innovative bass players ever. And half the stuff that is going on now is directly ripped off from his Beatles period.”

Stinsok · #18 10-06-2010, 12:20 PM

From what I gather, Lennon didn't really care for creative bass parts.

lunarpollen · #19 10-06-2010, 12:33 PM

Paul gets mocked because often his lyrical matter is absurd or non-serious, while John was often trying to "say something" with his lyrics. But lyrics aside, Paul was definitely the most all-around musically talented Beatle. And I think all of the other Beatles would agree. Paul was just born with that certain natural magic. Which is not to say the others weren't talented. Paul was just the most musically gifted.

lousybassplayer · #20 10-06-2010, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benjammin420

they had a bitter relationship for a long time after the breakup, sounds like he's just talking shite

Couldn't have been all that long of a time. Relationships generally require two living participants.

I'd generally take Macca's side anyway, but whenever I hear that "wonderful christmas time" song I think some awful stuff. Regardless, there was obviously a number of musical disagreements between the two, and I think its safe to say they were the creative force in the band.