McCartney Album "NEW" (2013), part22

I can never tell right off how a song is going to "sit" with me for the long haul. I've changed my mind often enough to know that my first impressions, and often my second and third, are not carved in stone. I didn't much like Save Us at all when I first got this album. I wouldn't say it's my favorite by a long shot but I don't dislike it anymore (and i'm grateful it's quick). However, I haven't changed my mind about Everybody Out There, which I still think is the weakest track on the album.

 

I'm glad I re-read this Frank, I thought you were calling me a porno breather, but you was referring to Paul's "Press" single! I couldn't handle being a pot smoking porno breather!

 

Also, add the fact that the woman whom he called "fatso" was clearly not overweight and the remark is not as bad as it sounded. It's not like he was making fun of someone who had a wright problem.

 

I don't judge.

 

I've always considered these among your better qualities. You've been called worse things, and somewhere in your town there's a female mime who's only "silent gesture" is acting out giving you the finger, but that's a story for another time and place.

 

Thank you for the informative answer. Don't worry; I still need to get your book, and I fully intend to do so soon.

Overall, would you consider the sessions to be as negative as John and George made out afterwards, or do you think that the negative aspect has been overstated? It shocked me how short the Twickenham sessions were, and from the Nagra reel transcripts that I have read, there were more positive moments than I had imagined.

 

Hearing this has made me very happy. I am very glad that you went back and gave the album another chance. It is very rarely possible to completely change your mind about something, but it can occasionally happen, and I am glad that it did with you and PTP.

 

Tickets for the show were already spoken for via Beatles Monthly magazine. The December 1968 magazine had an "exclusive", explaining that 100 free tickets were to be given away in pairs for "the worlds biggest concert." There was a "Lucky Dip" coupon to be sent in, in the December 1968 issue and on January 1st 1969, the coupons went in to a drum for picking. In the January 1969 issue the magazine stated that no date for the concert had been set yet, and denied a rumor that because Andy Williams had lunch with Apple executives a few weeks previously, he might make a guest appearance. The article goes on to state that everyone was waiting for Paul to get back from Portugal to set the concert date.

The February issue actually lists all the lucky concert ticket winners, but goes on to say that the concert has been "put off" so the ticket winners will receive a consolation gift if no new show date is fixed.
They go on to mention that Paul was talking about the possibility of making the show on location in Africa or "somewhere just as sunny" and it was the Beatles strong desire to make the show out of doors that resulted in the cancellation of the Jan,18th date.

The article goes on to say that the group is still rehearsing numbers and continues to be keen on making such a show.

I've always wondered what the Lucky Dips received as a consolation prize ? What could possibly replace winning tickets for seeing the Beatles play live in a small theater ? I would have been really bummed out.

 

It is such a shame that Paul pushed the idea of recording and performing brand new songs; the White album was so new as it was, that simply performing songs like Back In The USSR and While My Guitar Gently Weeps would have made perfect sense and certainly pleased any audience.

I can just imagine how exciting it would have been to see the Beatles return to performing live, singing songs from all of the different parts of their catalogue. It would have been amazing, and the lack of a proper latter day live concert recording must be the biggest hole in their catalogue.

I know that Paul was impressed with a Picasso documentary that he watched, where Picasso was filmed painting a new artwork from scratch. It is obvious that Paul wanted to do the same thing, but with a rock album instead. I think that his big mistake was his attempt to merge the live show project and the 'Picasso' project together.

It would have made more sense to push the sessions back until the Savile Row studios were finished (instead of going to the depressing Twickenham studios so soon after the long White Album sessions). Then they could have gone to Savile Row and been filmed rehearsing 'oldies but goldies', and a few White Album songs. The rehearsals could have culminated with a live concert, held somewhere in London. I am sure that this would have been well received and would have boosted their confidence in their live abilities. The sound equipment available in 1969 would surely have impressed them, and made them realise that they could finally be heard on stage. The rehearsals and concert could have then been released as a live rock film.

This would see leave the Beatles halfway through 1969. The extra time would have allowed for John to write more songs and for Paul, John and George to finalise the arrangements of their songs. This would then have been the perfect time to go into the studio and make the 'Picasso' style documentary.
They would all have been happier being filmed at this point, on the back of a successful live come-back, and away from the gloomy Twickenham studios.
They could then have been filmed recording an album made up of the best available songs that they had, like Let It Be, Come Together, The Long and Winding Road, All Things Must Pass, Oh! Darling, Two Of Us, Something, Don't Let Me Down, Here Comes The Sun, Octopus's Garden, For You Blue, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Golden Slumbers Medley, etc.

A documentary watching them rehearse those songs, in a happy environment, would surely have gone down as one of the greatest music documentaries ever.

 

Whoa there Magnus! I couldn't have put it better myself! Nice one!

 

You're on a roll! Keep channeling me.

 

Absolutely agree. I've always been amazed at the short turnaround from finishing up the White Album in October and starting Twickenham rehearsals in early January. They really needed a year off before they started another project. But having said that, if they had they may never have gotten back together in a studio again, which means we wouldn't have Abbey Road.

 

Yep. Eric Clapton's reaction to Paul's bizarre explanation of what kind of guitar solo he wants in Freedom is fantastic! "I'll just play something in G". Priceless!

 

What, like this?

 

This would make a great song title! I'll see if I can come up with one.

 

The avatar is not exactly what Bemagnus looks like, Rob. I have it on good authority that he actually looks like this:

 

Thumbs up for any joke that references classic TV game shows. I'll pay friends to post likes for you if you come up with some good ones about "Joker's Wild" or, better still, "Liar's Club."

 

I've got the 1994 version under its original title (Drugs, Divorce, and a Slipping Image) -- and hey! its autographed. Indispensable.

 

The very first part of it is obscured a bit, so it's more like "---day afternoon is never ending". He actually said it Tuesday MORNING, but considering how badly things went in the late morning/early afternoon (as Paul and George discuss the potential end of the band), it seemed like an appropriate quote.

 

Well, they themselves perpetuated the myth. I've brought it up before, I'm sure (starting to repeat myself as I get older), but there's Ringo on "The Mike Douglas Show" in 1978 saying flat out "When we were making 'Let It Be' George decided to leave. He had a row with Paul." What can you do when one of the primaries who was THERE can't remember it correctly?

 

I think the sessions were definitely more "Hell" for George than for John, because of their relative standing in the pecking order. I don't get the impression that John, Paul and George had any particular personal animosity. Their animosities grew out of the increasingly difficult working relationship (which was forever exacerbated by George being treated as a second class Beatle and Yoko being forever present, and occasionally outspoken). George simply wanted to be other places doing other things (but he was wise enough to realize that being a Beatle afforded him the very opportunity to freely pursue all those other side interests).

 

Perhaps autographed copies of the 45 of the classic that Paul wrote while in Portugal?

 

That's a pleasant alternate scenario, but I'm of the opinion that they were absolutely doomed and were not going to survive as a working band no matter what. It's amazing that they managed "Abbey Road", and John's absences may have actually helped the album get finished (less Beatles, less tension).

 

Yes, the far superior title that St. Martin's wanted no part of. (They titled the 1997 version, and they designed the ugly cover to boot.)

I think the autographed ones are worth less because they have scribbling inside.