slenderfire-blog

[slenderfire-blog]

This whole article on the Beatles' debt to avant-garde composers is very interesting but i did smile at this bit...

On a purple velvet sofa in his office, McCartney talks to me with the same irrepressible energy that has driven his contribution to music for more than 60 years. He also has a very endearing way of never assuming knowledge and very politely checks, for instance, that I know about his friend, John. “You know, John Lennon?” (I do.) And did I know the Beatles had “this song called Yesterday?” (I did). He seems delighted to talk less about his own achievements and more about the people who helped broaden his scope.

[slenderfire-blog]

Anthology 4 is coming!!!! This is a great day

[slenderfire-blog]

so there's been a lot of mention of John basically living in Pauls house around 1967. I just saw that picture of them walking Martha together around London, so they left Pauls house together. What are some other sources of John going often to Pauls house?

Some Apple scruffs, like Lizzie Bravo have commented on this:

"For someone like me, who used to hang around Paul´s house and EMI studios on a daily basis at the time, this is a fairly normal photo. Many days, John went to Paul´s house in the afternoon and left from there to go to the studios later on. That day Paul drove his mini cooper to the studios and John was with him." “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 studio. Some people would stay to see them leave the house and others would be at the studio to see them arrive."

George Martin also said:

"They egged each other on and helped each other if they got stuck. When John wanted to escape the suburbia, he would drive up and spend the night at Paul's."

Also John apparently leaving behind clothes at Paul's house, which Paul later used:

[slenderfire-blog]

"Regent's Park, Outer Circle. The location of an unusual photograph of John and Paul, taken on 13 April 1967. The image suggests the two Beatles had left Paul's house in St John's Wood, driven to Regent's Park, parked by the wall at the rear of 2 Chester Terrace and taken Paul's dog Martha for a walk, entering and exiting the park at Chester Walk Gate. John is holding Martha while Paul walks to the driver's side of his Aston Martin, keys in hand, ready to open the doors and drive them home. One of the surprisingly few examples of a paparazzi photo of the Beatles, taken without their knowledge, it was published  in the Guardian newspaper the following morning." (From "The Beatles London" book)

[slenderfire-blog]

Sixty years ago today, John was accused of having red hair

Sound definitely needed for John's voice and laugh...

The Beatles at the Hilton Hotel, San Francisco, 18th August 1964 - part 1 (part 2, part 3)

[slenderfire-blog]

I love your post about HDYS/TMP being cruel in their own particular ways.

But I’ve been rewatching Get Back, and when I see them recording Don’t Let Me Down, I can’t help but think—if J+P were even just emotionally (and not physically) involved, how difficult it must have been for Paul to sit through John writing and singing ‘I’m in love for the first time.���

They were so honest in their songs, especially on the White Album, but I honestly can’t imagine sitting through recording this. No wonder Paul felt the need to flaunt the strength of his relationship with Linda.

What do you think?

I know, I cannot IMAGINE what it must have been like. No wonder Paul was having seven million nervous breakdowns and John was taking heroin :/

I suppose when rehearsing songs, musicians probably go into "work mode" to some degree, where they just focus on the sound and making it come together well, even if they know damn well what it's really about. But that tension still finds a way to get through. Just think of "Rumours".

I imagine it's common for musicians (and other artists) to communicate very directly through art, but struggle to IRL. It must lead to a very strange and divided feeling. Everything is laid out in the art but also people can tell themselves "It's just songs". I think J/P had no problem communicating through music, but they never seemed to be able to get it to "stick" IRL. Painful.

And yes, I can definitely see Paul making his relationship very prominent partially as a defence mechanism. I think of the George M quote of the two of them like opposing generals in battle. With their new seconds-in-command by their sides for support. Poor Linda! "If I'd known then what I know now", indeed.

[slenderfire-blog]

“I saw the look she gave, they must think I just got to town”

In a recent episode of his ‘Rosebud’ podcast, UK writer and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth reads excerpts from his July 1968 diaries, a time when he and his girlfriend socialised with Jane Asher and Bob Kidd.

Wednesday 10th of July 1968

“On to the Fortune Theatre, where Bob Kidd was waiting and gave us our tickets for the first night of ‘Summer’ - this is the play that he was directing that Jane Asher was in…Paul McCartney was there and smaller than I expected. He doesn’t seem to know that it’s all over with Jane. I said nothing, of course.

We had champagne afterwards with Jane and her brother and parents……”

(Talking about when he began seeing Jane and Bob when ‘Summer’ was on in Oxford)

“…because Michèle and I began going out with Robert and Jane, I quickly realised that Robert and Jane were now an item….so I was hearing from Jane what was going on and I could see with my own eyes what was going on between Jane and Bob….Paul clearly turned up at the first night because he’d been invited, not knowing that Jane was having a little dalliance with the director.”

Wednesday 31st of July

“Meet Michèle at Charing Cross and go with her to King’s Arms, by the Royal Court, for lunch with Jane and Bob, both of them philosophical about ‘Summer’ closing. He was firing on all cylinders, while she was a bit flat and limp, though she phoned later to say she’d found a flat in Paddington Street”

As an aside, Gyles adds that “ he did send me a very nice note, Paul McCartney, the other day”.

[slenderfire-blog]

Fic: show me the way (to shake a memory)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/69372506

Paul in the depths of depression post-breakup in Scotland, questioning everything.

love is the king of the beasts (and when it gets hungry it must kill to eat)

A cardinal sin with two (2) WIPs on the go to post a one-shot, but this one came to me in a fugue state. Content warnings for suicidal thoughts, vague attempt, depression, drug use. It's pretty sad but there is no death.

Inspired by the song Eid Ma Clack Shaw by Bill Callahan.

[slenderfire-blog]

https://youtu.be/P7RX3_FIVR0?si=GHRzRKW-lwcNWABc

I just saw someone post this on Reddit and I’ve never heard it before. It’s an interview with Mick Fleetwood about how John/Paul could exclude George from their duo act using an example of John and Paul reciting Shakespeare to each other once at Paul’s apartment and meanly excluding George. It’s around the 13:00 minute mark

Thanks! I have never seen that one before! Wow, poor George 😢

[slenderfire-blog]

I should note that none of this makes me like TMP any less, it's still an absolute banger, and the whole album is great. I often wonder what messages were hidden in the supposedly "nonsense" lyrics of Monkberry Moon Delight that would drive an audience of one (1) absolutely insane.

Both TMP and HDYS are a reflection of their authors' extremely ravaged mental states at the time and both were inclined to walk it back a bit afterwards. And the public were either (a) oblivious (in the case of TMP) or (b) a bit shocked and turned off (in the case of HDYS). I think that song hurt Paul personally, (obviously) but it was so over the top I don't think it could possibly make "the public" turn against him or anything. Hell, even Rolling Stone said John had gone too far! Rock critics were probably freaking out a bit that the Thing We're Not Supposed to Mention was now being Very Much Mentioned lol.

After much consideration, I've decided Too Many People is harsher and more devastating than How Do You Sleep. HYDS was more public etc but the message of TMP is brutal. Even if you just take the choruses, it's saying "You would be nothing without me and you know it". Followed by "what can be done for you" - you're making an idiot out of yourself and you'll never make it without me. FOLLOWED by "and it's not just the professional relationship as Well You Know, I have a new partner and she has Replaced you in my bed". BRUTAL.

I think of a contemporaneous interview (possibly St Regis) where John is complaining that "people" think he was just a guy who got lucky ("won the pools") by meeting Paul. Which is most likely something he did believe deep down, with all his insecurity. And Paul comes along and says "Yep, you're right, it was all me, you just got lucky!" Just like John backtracked HYDS I think Paul backtracked TMP ("maybe one teeny line about John and Yoko" lol) because he also knew that his blast of anger was cruel and not true. But it was so unlike him to get that vicious publicly, it really shows how provoked he felt (Not saying he was justified or that he had no part in the bad feeling).

The other thing about TMP and much of RAM is how obviously a break-up album it is, and how critics just blithely ignored that, just to dump on it. I've a really strong feeling that people in the industry knew full well what the score was and had done for a while, but had long experience in intentionally not drawing attention to it while it was an ongoing affair. And then when it ended, they trashed some albums and praised others as part of 'taking sides in the divorce' while carefully avoiding mentioning the BLATANTLY OBVIOUS fact that it was a literal divorce.

[slenderfire-blog]

i found this paul quote in a 1985 interview when i was looking for something else and i cannot get it out of my mind. it was balls with smart.

[slenderfire-blog]

After much consideration, I've decided Too Many People is harsher and more devastating than How Do You Sleep. HYDS was more public etc but the message of TMP is brutal. Even if you just take the choruses, it's saying "You would be nothing without me and you know it". Followed by "what can be done for you" - you're making an idiot out of yourself and you'll never make it without me. FOLLOWED by "and it's not just the professional relationship as Well You Know, I have a new partner and she has Replaced you in my bed". BRUTAL.

I think of a contemporaneous interview (possibly St Regis) where John is complaining that "people" think he was just a guy who got lucky ("won the pools") by meeting Paul. Which is most likely something he did believe deep down, with all his insecurity. And Paul comes along and says "Yep, you're right, it was all me, you just got lucky!" Just like John backtracked HYDS I think Paul backtracked TMP ("maybe one teeny line about John and Yoko" lol) because he also knew that his blast of anger was cruel and not true. But it was so unlike him to get that vicious publicly, it really shows how provoked he felt (Not saying he was justified or that he had no part in the bad feeling).

The other thing about TMP and much of RAM is how obviously a break-up album it is, and how critics just blithely ignored that, just to dump on it. I've a really strong feeling that people in the industry knew full well what the score was and had done for a while, but had long experience in intentionally not drawing attention to it while it was an ongoing affair. And then when it ended, they trashed some albums and praised others as part of 'taking sides in the divorce' while carefully avoiding mentioning the BLATANTLY OBVIOUS fact that it was a literal divorce.

[slenderfire-blog]

Chapter 2 up

Fic: The sun itself sees not till heaven clears

Rating: Mature

Category: M/M

Fandom: The Beatles (Band)

Relationship: John Lennon/Paul McCartney

Additional Tags: Music Musicians Friends to Lovers Slow Burn Infidelity Friendship Friendship/Love Male Friendship Mental Health Issues Nature Ireland Angst and Feels Alternate Universe - Modern Setting Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Set Around 2017 Tenderness

If you looked back and forth at someone like that in real life - even at your wife or your child - alternating between intensity and carelessness, it would alarm you and the other person, it would make both of you self-conscious about how long you should hold the look for and how long you should look away, what amount of time is normal and appropriate. But all the rules go out the window when you play and sing with someone.

John and Paul are friends and experimental musicians living in the west of Ireland with their partners and children. For their latest project, an album recorded without using any digital equipment, they have also committed to giving up their phones and devices. The removal of distraction helps their music, and also makes them aware of other, more personal things about each other and their relationship.

Chapter 1: Thick ice

Chapter 2: Merman/Armada

_____________________________________________________

Back after a break! I'm still working on my Mary MacCartney fic and aim to have chapter 4 of that up in the next couple of weeks. In classic fic-writing fashion, this completely separate AU idea came to me in the meantime. It's more in the "characters-based-on-JP" mould - in fact it started out as OCs with different names - so take that into account if any of it feels very OOC. There's some big differences - they're both Irish, have different partners/kids, different eye colours and John plays bass (I don't know why!) But also enough similarities that I think they are recognisable. Mainly this is a love letter to the west of Ireland and the wonderful creative communities that live there <3 The landscape they live in is a combination of West Clare and West Cork, two of the loveliest places on earth. Note: The POV switches regularly throughout the text, this is intentional. I think I've signalled it clearly each time, but let me know if there is any confusion. Playlist in progress here. It showcases the type of music they'd be listening to rather than how the album would sound, exactly. Title from Sonnet 148 by Shakespeare

[slenderfire-blog]

From an old interviee with Jack Douglas, talking about how he was invited to produce Double Fantasy. Apparently Yoko's first husband Toshi Ichiyanagi was staying (living?) at the Long Island house in 1980????

Link to full article, including cute stories about Jack working on tracks in bed with John bc he liked to work from bed 💕

https://archive.ph/2023.09.16-002850/https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/producer-jack-douglas-talks-about-his-last-night-with-john-lennon-some-a-hole-shot-him-when-he-got-home

[slenderfire-blog]

PUSSY FACING THE WORLD

[slenderfire-blog]

why do the lyrics of 'paperback writer' remind me so much of writing fic

It's a thousand pages, give or take a few  I'll be writing more in a week or two  I could make it longer if you like the style I can change it 'round and I want to be a paperback writer