#that john lennon anecdote

[got-ticket-to-ride]

[javelinbk]

MK: John Lennon there, wearing glasses which we'd never have seen that in public at the time PM: No, he was... up until the advent of Buddy Holly, he would never be seen out with glasses, but Buddy Holly - who was a big favourite of ours - wore glasses, so John felt a bit better about wearing the glasses then. But normally it was like, 'whoop, there's girls around'... glasses came off MK: Get them off PM: Yeah MK: And he looks, is he slightly nervous there? PM: I don't know, no it's just one of his habits, you know... MK: Chewing his fingers PM: He's doing it there too MK: Oh yes, chewing his knuckles PM: It was just one of his little things... and I was very pleased to see that, 'cause I'd forgotten that... it's not the kind of thing you remember about people, that he just got a little... MK: Their mannerisms PM: Mannerism, yeah. But that was... I don't think it was nervous, I think he's just... thinking. Yeah. And here he is again doing the same thing.

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

can you elaborate more on John struggling with feeling possessive over Paul while somewhat needing to downplay that to himself. idk, i feel like john was able to do that well. i mean he was the one who asked for the divorce, plus during his house husband years, he did not want anything to do with paul. or do you just mean during the beatle years?

I meant a lot more in the Beatle years than later, yes, though I think it all had a long after-effect. Whatever Yoko meant when she said no one hurt John as much as Paul – do you think that referred to something before the Divorce meeting? Because I would have suspected it was related to Paul's announcement of leaving or to the lawsuit, which would indicate John still had some lingering attachment, no?

People differ wildly on how over Paul they think John actually was. Personally, I think some of his complaints about Paul in Playboy 1980 don't really indicate he was, on the other hand he had kind of changed his tune a lot by December, sounding more nostalgic… Either way, I don't know if avoiding Paul is in of itself indication that he had no issues though. That could just be a different type of self-preservation.

[paulandjohn]

Does anyone know when this interview with Rolling Stone was done?

Paul said the exact same thing when he was on the Michael Parkinson show in the early 2000s and someone in the audience wolf-whistled! 😭

john lennon grew up on yaoi street. never forget this.

[bambi-kinos]

Beatles Reading List (Introductory)

Hi guys. So I saw a post floating around asking about "where to start" with the Beatles and how to find out more about them. Moeexyz's recommendation on it was to read fanfiction and this alarmed me a bit. Fanfiction just isn't a good source to get information about the band for one simple reason: fanfic authors change stuff for dramatic purposes all the time. It's just not a great way to get more information about them because fanfiction by necessity shifts things around for the sake of storytelling.

That Beatles iceberg is nice but the only way you're going to get a good picture of the Beatles is by doing a lot of reading of published sources. That's right. You're in for a lot of homework.

In an effort to combat misinformation, I asked the McLennon discord server to help me put together a rough list of introductory level books for Beatle fans that want to learn more about the band. These books are either a) read by me or b) read by someone I trust and I have included her quotes about the books she liked. I'll have color commentary talking about what they are and why they should be read. I do not consider this post finished! My server is constantly reading and discussing (we're looking at podcasts right now because they're the ones doing interviews with Liverpool citizens who were peers of the Beatles!) and they're being very gracious by contributing to this list. That means that this post may be updated in the future as I read more! If you want to keep up with updates then give my blog a follow, I'll post every time I update this list.

Some of these books are available on Archive.org but others can be gotten through your local library or through piracy. If you buy something, buy it used. Never pay more than $20 for a Beatle book.

The Whole Story

Anthology This is the documentary made by the band after John Lennon's death in 1980. It is both a documentary as well as a book (essentially a script of the documentary) which makes it very accessible. This is the version of the story that the band wanted to put out and includes interviews with Paul, George, and Ringo. They cover their beginning to their end. Anthology can be found on archive.org if you want to read it: https://archive.org/details/beatlesanthology0000unse_y2k8 The episodes are also available on Archive.org. If you search for "Beatles Anthology" and select "movies" option to search for videos then you will find it there. It's worth the watch and is all around the best introduction to the Beatles.

The Beatles - Hunter Davies This is the only sanctioned biography of the band. It's written in older language since it is contemporary to the 1960s but it's still very readable and a good intro. It is part of the media image that the band wanted to present at the time so you should make sure to think about what you are reading, who is saying what, and contemplate why he is saying it. It it still a great resource.

150 Glimpses of the Beatles - Craig Brown This is a short book that describes 150 anecdotes about the Beatles and what it was like to experience them. I recommend this because it demonstrates what a unique and personal experience the Beatles are while also demonstrating their global reach and how they became the most famous rock band in the world. It's a short read but a good one and there are many charming and thought provoking anecdotes in it. The story of the Beatles is just as much about their fans as it is about the band and you cannot understand one without looking at the other.

Books About Each Beatle

This particular section is a bit of a minefield. Many books written about the Beatles are of questionable veracity or just out and out wrong. (I can think of two that were written as blatant cash grabs and filled with libel that someone should have been sued over.) My recommendations on this may change so please check back from time to time! John Lennon

The John Lennon Letters - John Lennon, edited by Hunter Davies Primary source documents of the various letters and missives John wrote through his life. This may be the most important book on the list because it shows us who John really is: just another ordinary guy like us, trying to get through life. Also gives insight into his mindset as the decades pressed on.

The Making of John Lennon - Francis Kenny This is a very vital and heartbreaking read for people who want more insight into John. John Lennon is the most famous Beatle but he is also the one who's image is the most obscured and distorted. Francis Kenny is a Liverpool native who puts John in his proper context. To quote my server friend who read this one: Kenny, himself a Liverpudlian, takes into account how life in Liverpool in the first half of the 20th century shaped not only John but everyone he knew and his entire family. Mimi and Julia get a good critical view, and Uncle George gets his moment in the sun. He also lays out how class divides affected the Stanleys and then how Mimi took it out on John and Julia. He quotes a 1880s travel guide of London that said Liverpool was called "the New York of Europe," because of its economy and place on the ocean, and like in the Gilded Age New York that was happening concurrently across the ocean, Liverpool had pockets of wealth and splendor surrounded by poverty and rough living. Definitely a pro-read and a great insight into the culture and time John lived in. It does not fall into the pitfalls of hero worshipping John but Francis Kenny still treats John with sympathy and respect, hard qualities to come by when it comes to the cashgrabs written about John and his family.

John - Cynthia Lennon John's first wife, Cynthia, wrote two autobiographies about herself and John. This is one of them. It's a tough read in many places but a good one. Hers is a voice that doesn't shy away from John's flaws and actions but she also takes care to tell us why she and so many other people love him and remain loyal to him.

Paul McCartney

Many Years From Now - Barry Miles This is Paul's only sanctioned biography. It is formatted as a quasi-interview with Paul where there are interruptions of regular prose in each chapter. There are eyebrow raising moments where you can tell Paul is not quite telling the truth but it's important to read and identify these moments since Paul's habit of embroidering the truth is important to know and understand. Nonetheless it is still a lot more honest than I was expecting when I read it.

Paul McCartney: A Life - Peter Ames Carlin Probably the best Paul McCartney biography on the market. Peter Ames Carlin also did a similarly great bio of Paul Simon for people who are into that. To quote my friend Betty who read it: Paul gets to be a whole person here: the preternaturally talented boy wonder, the guy casting around for meaning, the less than attractive moments and qualities described without getting preachy or turning to [Paul Derangement Syndrome]. Carlin treats him with dignity instead of something to be gawked at and gossiped about. His (many) sources are cited at the end of the book. What I really appreciated was the ideas he put forth that I've only seen on Tumblr and not in Serious Official Biographies, which says to me he's writing as a fan and scholar and not a journalist trying to fill column inches.

George Harrison

I Me Mine - George Harrison Make sure to get the extended edition! George Harrison in his own words. There's a lot to say about this biography but it won't make much sense without context so I just encourage you to read it. George Harrison was, in my opinion, the best Beatle.

George Harrison: Behind the Locked Door - Graeme Thomson A good no bullshit biography about George Harrison. This covers his life as the material musician and the man seeking the divine. Graeme worked very hard to be respectful of George and his life, did extensive interviews with George's wife Olivia. Such a pro-read and definitely the best George biography written to date.

Ringo Starr

Photograph - Ringo Starr Ringo has stated that this book is his autobiography. In a few bumpers on the Beatles Sirius XM channel Ringo says that he doesn't want to write a biography like the others did but he was happy with putting this photobook together and essentially writing a bio through the captions. This is the closest that we will get for a biography for him as of right now. In time that may change but this is your best option. Piracy is the way to go when it comes to getting a copy of this, iirc it was a limited run and getting a physical copy might be very expensive these days.

Brian Epstein

A Cellarful of Noise - Brian Epstein/Derek Taylor This autobiography was ghostwritten by Brian's assistant Derek Taylor. It's not a tell-all but Brian talks about his youth and how he met the Beatles, including giving his own personal (and accurate) insights into each band member.

Conclusion

There are many, many books about the Beatles. Almost all of them offer something but most are about very niche periods in the Beatles history. When it comes to understanding the band I tried to put together a list where you can get an overview of the band and then read materials that either come straight from the Beatle in question or are not as biased as the competition. I am a McLennon shipper but for a post like this I did my best to recommend books that don't have that kind of bias in them so this is a list you can send to non-shipper friends haha.

In another post I will put together a history book list in the order of their timeline as a band, starting from the Quarrymen and on to the present. There is a LOT of ground to cover in a historical arrangement and it will take a while to compile. Please check back here regularly or give me a follow: whenever I update this post or make a new list, I'll make sure to post about it.

My plan is to make a website with all of this information that anyone can reference but it will take a long long time to make such a thing so put a pin in that one.

[icriedforthemoon]

"oh... Do you remember the cafe on the left bank?"

-John Lennon singing in french in one of his Dakota Recordings

well, I'm reading the lyrics and there's a song called "Cafe on the Left bank" and Paul just describes it with anecdotes from the '61 Paris trip.

Help me lord give me strength I can't do this anymore do I even have to say anything

Link to John's song >

Link to paul's song >

[pleasantlyinsincere]

Hi, I was wondering if you know what music John was a fan of in the late 70’s? I’m aware of him being excited about the B52’s, and I’m assuming he liked David Bowie and Elton John’s music in part because they were his friends in addition to obviously being talented. And I think I read once that Julian turned him onto Queen but tbh that may be me misremembering a fanfic lol I just wonder if there’s anything out there that describes what John’s music tastes was in those days or whether he preferred to stick with his favorite classics; early rock and roll, girl groups ect. Like what did he think about the punk scene in NY?? Or the close harmonies a la Fleetwood Mac that dominated the charts? Just things I think about haha.

Hi, thanks for the question. I know that I skipped through a book called John Lennon: 1980 playlist by Tim English before, that may be a good source for you. Here's some random info, that I remembered where to look up. I think Julian introducing John to Queen comes from the SPIN magazine interview in '75:

[Julian] likes Barry White and he likes Gilbert O’ Sullivan. He likes Queen, though I haven’t heard them yet. He turns me on to music. I call him and he says, “Have you heard Queen?” and I say “No, what is it?” I’ve heard of them. I’ve seen the guy … the one who looks like Hitler playing a piano … Sparks? I’ve seen Sparks on American TV. So I call him and say, “Have you seen Sparks? Hitler on the piano?” and he says, “No. They are alright. But have you seen Queen?” and I say “What’s Queen?” and then he tells me. His age group is hipper to music … at 11 I was aware of music, but not too much.

But then there is also an anecdote, I think by Tony Barrow, that John didn't want to sign Queen to Apple years earlier? However that may be a lie, or John just didn't remember.

Yoko gifted John a jukebox for his birthday in '78 and apparently John filled it with the old music he liked. Elliott Mintz says there was quite some Bing Crosby. And I remember John also putting some new song by Dolly Parton in there.

"Yoko gave him this old-fashioned jukebox and John stocked it with Bing Crosby records. People kind of expected him to have rock 'n' roll records in there, but it was almost totally Crosby stuff. There were 3 songs which John played over and over. I still remember them. They were Crosby with a jazz quartet from the 50's, I think. He would banter and talk in the songs and John thought that was just the end. The songs were Whispering, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter and Dream a Little Dream of Me. Yeah, those were the songs, I can still see John listening to them." - Elliott Mintz

“The one modern song I remember him listening to was ‘The Tide Is High’ by Blondie, which he played constantly. When I hear that song, I see my father, unshaven, his hair pulled back into a ponytail, dancing to and fro in a worn-out pair of denim shorts, with me at his feet, trying my best to coordinate tiny limbs.” - Sean Lennon

One night we were playing at Max's (Kansas City) in New York City, and I was waiting for everyone to leave the club so I could go back in and pick up my gear. We were sitting in the van waiting and John Lennon and Ian Hunter from Mott the Hoople came staggering out and looked over. John Lennon saw it was me and stuck his head in the window. He was kind of drunk and stuck his face right against mine and went 'yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah' because he recognized it (Devo's song Uncontrollable Urge) as being an updating of She Loves You. That was one of my most exciting moments ever. - Mark Mothersbaugh on John coming to a DEVO gig in '77

PB: John, what is your opinion of the newer waves? Lennon: I love all this punky stuff. It's pure. I'm not, however, crazy about the people that destroy themselves. Playboy interview, 1980

I like pop records. I like Olivia Newton-John singing "Magic" and Donna Summer whatever the hell she'll be singing. I like ELO singing "All over the World". I can dissect it and criticize it with any critic in the business...But without any thought I enjoy it! That's the kind of music I like to hear. - John

John Lennon raced into Yoko Ono’s home office in the mammoth old Dakota building with a copy of Donna Summer’s new single, “The Wanderer.” “Listen!” he shouted to us as he put the 45 on the record player. “She’s doing Elvis!” I didn’t know what he was talking about at first. The arrangement felt more like rock than the singer’s usual electro-disco approach, but the opening vocal sure sounded like Donna Summer to me. Midway through the song, however, her voice shifted into the playful, hiccuping style Elvis had used on so many of his early recordings. “See! See!” John shouted, pointing at the speakers. The record was John’s way of saying hello again after five years. [...] It was just weeks before his death in December of 1980, and his playing the Summer record was an endearing greeting -- and one that was typical of John. Of the hundreds of musicians I’ve met, John was among the most down-to-earth. Corn Flakes with John Lennon (And Other Tales From a Rock ‘n’ Roll Life) by Robert Hilburn

"I'm aware of ... Madness. "Don't do that. Do this." (As on the spoken word intro to "One Step Beyond".) I think that is the most original thing actually because it's so peculiar. ... Out of all that mob I think that was one of the most original sounds. Very good drumming, very good bass and all of that." Andy Peebles interview

And things I don't have quotes for right now: I remember Bob Gruen had given John some video compilation of punk bands, that John enjoyed watching. In one of the last interviews John said Hungry Heart by Bruce Springsteen was a great song. There are the albums John asked Fred Seaman to buy on his shopping lists. Some are printed in The John Lennon Letters (Though I'm not sure that means he liked them, but at least was interested in.) Lot's of Bob Dylan talk in the diaries and parodies. Many anecdotes about reggae bands. In the Double Fantasy studio recording John references quite some songs and artists, when he tells the musicians what they are aiming for in the songs.

[crepesuzette2023]

Please, what's the leg fur hypothesis?

I can't thank you enough for this question.

I've never made a secret of the fact that I love Paul McCartney's long, furry legs. I also love that having his legs combed after a show helped him calm down. Who can resist the wild and silky androgyny of his shapely, hairy legs? Not me.

(And don't get me started on the black cotton candy swirls of his arm hair, and the warm, reassuring nest of his springy bush!)

Anyway, a while ago, my friend @didwemeetsomewherebefore alerted me to the disturbing possibility that, starting in the 80's, Paul lost his leg fur. His legs on photographs from that time looked smooth, well-oiled even. Had waxing occurred?

I resisted the truth, but not for long: the photographic evidence was too strong.

Seeing my distress, she proposed the following scenario, which, in this post, I referred to as the leg fur hypothesis:

Shortly after John's death, Paul buried something at a special place in Liverpool. (Go here to read the anecdotal claim and a fictional treatment.)

What if, having lost John, Paul started shaving his leg fur, and now buries it in a magical spot, so John can let his fingers wander through the familiar hair in the afterlife? Until Lennon/McCartney are reunited?

I for one take some comfort from this idea.

Obviously, it didn't take us long to bend this scenario into an angsty direction, in which John demands increasingly higher quantities of fur, and Paul needs to seek supernatural help to grow it faster, exhausting himself in the process...

But I'm sure at this point you are sorry you ever asked, and I will spare you the details.

No matter if you're combee or comber: go in peace.

[merseydreams]

hi mersey! i saw your post on the way john and paul were weird about each other in re: their wives and the break-up and stuff. are there ways that they were weird or romantic or even just "different from other friendships" before all of that? in your opinion?

i supporse i mean, are there ancedotes or things about them that raise your mclennon eyebrows pre-break-up?

Hi anon! yes in fact i do think they were weird and romantic and different from other friendships even before any of the india/yoko/linda/break-up stuff comes into it -- only, it's a little hard to quantify because a lot of it is vibes and sharing looks and almost making out over microphones and cracking each other up rather than specific anecdotes.

but ok here are a few McLennon Lore examples that make me go hmmmm:

everything about the day they met and how romcom/meet cute it was, particularly in the way they describe it: paul saying john was the only one he noticed in the band; john loving elvis and saying paul looked like elvis; paul trying so hard (and succeeding) to impress john; john immediately knowing he wanted paul in his band. i mean, paul regularly talks about the way john smelled on that day.

the Lennon/McCartney name decision. these two teenagers decided almost right away that they were going to merge their last names and that even when they wrote songs individually they'd both get a songwriting credit. like, they knew so quickly that they trusted and respected each other and wanted to merge their talents and present the merged version to the world? it's such a commitment. partners forever.

the Paris trip. john getting all that money and wanting to spend it on taking Paul and only Paul on a holiday. the way their girlfriends and bandmates were mad at them for fucking off and canceling plans and shows. the two of them taking pictures of each other like a couple on their honeymoon. Paul using his own money to buy John a birthday dinner. the fond and romantic way they both talked about that trip for the rest of their lives.

the jealousy! the insane instances of jealousy! john crashing young paul's date and being a total nightmare to the girl. paul fighting stu. john cutting up a woman's dress. paul pouting his way through Tenerife because john went away with brian. john being awful to jane when he saw paul's interest. paul storming out of a recording session because john worked on a song with george. lol

the LSD story. all the high school drama of John wanting Paul to do LSD with him and Paul doing it with Tara instead and John being mad about it. the DRAMA. Then finally doing it together because Paul had to take LSD to be there for John during a bad trip. His man needed him!!!! and then they stared into each other's eyes for hours and "dissolved into each other" and paul had a vision of john as the emperor of eternity. ok gay boys

Those are the ones that come to mind first but there are other things I could also talk about like paul defending john unconditionally, always; their flirty little beetle crawl; playing tragic lovers/naming kittens after those lovers; john having The McLennon photo up in his music room; paul quitting his job because john told him to/john saying paul chose him over Jim. um or what about the fact that they wanked together.

[wingsoverlagos]

Beatles Radio Shows

My recent ~endeavors~ have led me to dig up a bunch of old radio shows by and about the Beatles, and I wanted to share them in one place.

These are unofficial uploads. If you've ever searched out old Beatles-related content - particularly audio or video content - you have likely experienced the crushing devestation of locating a download link to some obscure interview George Harrison gave in 1977, only to click it and find the link dead! If you're interested in listening to any of the shows listed here, or think you may be interested one day, I recommend downloading them now rather than suffering the bitter sting of a dead link in days to come.

By the Beatles

Paul McCartney's Routes of Rock (Host: Paul McCartney; Approx. Runtime: 2.5hrs)

A five-part series that aired on BBC radio in October and November 1999. It was part of the promo for Paul's mostly-covers album, Run Devil Run. In this series, Paul plays old rock 'n' roll tracks along with his recent covers, interspersed with discussion of his formative musical influences and some cute early-Beatles anecdotes.

Ringo's Yellow Submarine (Host: Ringo Starr; Approx. Runtime: 26hrs)

A twenty-six-part series that ran on the ABC Radio Network from June 4 to November 26, 1983. Unfortunately, I only have links to the first three episodes atm. Episode 1 // Episode 2 // Episode 3

About the Beatles

The Lost Lennon Tapes (Host: Elliot Mintz; Approx. Runtime: 221hrs)

Perhaps the most famous Beatles radio show of them all? The Lost Lennon Tapes ran from Januar 24, 1988 to March 29, 1992. The huge draw here is the inclusion of audio from the Lennon/Ono archives. I believe this is the only publicly available source for audio from many John Lennon interviews. Unfortunately, you only get to hear a few minutes of any interview at a time!

The show also features interviews with people from John's life (e.g. Julia Baird and Sean) as well as Beatles experts (including a young Mark Lewisohn!) There's huge depth here, and it's very much worth the listen.

The above link includes episode names, but this site has a more detailed list of what's included in each episode.

The Beatles - The Days In Their Life (Host: Ira Lipson; Approx. Runtime: 30hrs)

A 21-part series that aired in 1981 and followed the Beatles career from their genesis to the modern day. Includes archival interviews as well as (I think) new interview material with many people in the Beatles' stories.

The Beatles Story (Host: Brian Matthew; Approx. Runtime: 14hrs)

A BBC Radio 1 series that came out ~1972, with an extra episode that came out ~1974. Many original interivews were conducted for this series, but I believe we only see a subset of the existing material on this show. From the quotes in Tune In, it appears there are full tapes out there, perhaps in the BBC Archives - if anyone has any idea where the full interviews (conducted by Johnny Beerling) may be accessible, I'd love to know!

Collections of Misc. Radio Interviews

Series aside, here are a few accounts that have uploaded a number of one-off interviews with the Beatles:

The Beatles Interviews on YouTube. Lots of great, lengthy interviews, along with a few shorter clips. Disclaimer: the video titles don't always correctly identify the year/interviewer. Fortunately, Beatles fans live to correct things, so there is always lively discussion in the comments to sort out who the interviewer actually is, and when the interview was conducted.

Beatle Stories on YouTube. While the above channel's video titles are at times incorrect, this channel's titles are mostly straight-up unhelpful lol. Still, there's some good content here.

The Beatle Tapes 2 on the Internet Archive. This is the same user who uploaded The Beatles Story (see above). They have over five hundred uploads including many radio interviews, some video interviews, and several live performances as well. A treasure trove!

[gardenschedule]

re: your post about j/p competitiveness - imo John certainly felt very insecure about Paul getting ahead around the late 60s, but when I see something like how he acted in Get Back I just don't see someone that has to be the top dog, my interpretation is more that he felt it was no longer a partnership - and honestly, I don't think Paul meant any harm by it but I completely see why he might feel that way.

I'm probably projecting too much onto him here but personally I like competitive partnerships until I feel like I can't compete and then it's painful just being around that person, and I've always thought that's what happened with John. He seemed to me like someone who wanted an equal, but imo Paul took to fame and its stresses a lot better and thrived in it while John floundered, feeling increasingly left behind.

Really good points! I totally agree about John in Get Back, to me he comes across as patient and tolerant and sweet (if a bit out of it sometimes). I can't imagine that John desperate to be the alpha male or anything. But then again, I can't imagine that John doing or saying a lot of the things he's known for, you know? I can't imagine him gleefully asking for a divorce or releasing HDYS. He is way less aggressive/macho than so many anecdotes and interviews would suggest, so it may be that it was an atypical time or certain aspects of his behaviour are more occasional than it seems.

In regards to leadership, there's so many conflicting claims about it... Some say it didn't matter, some say it was his ultimate concern, and there's a weird fetishization of John as leader among some (cough Lewishon) that makes it hard to tell what the reality was and probably influences my thinking. Maybe it was less about wanting to be boss and more about just wanting Paul to give in for once, let him have some things he really wanted. Maybe Klein gassing him up and treating him as the most important Beatle triggered a renewed expectation that Paul defers to him.

And yes I definitely think John felt it was no longer a partnership, after the breakup he was going around calling Lennon-Mccartney a myth and fake, lying about how they never wrote together because it felt that way to him, etc. He seemed very disillusioned about their relationship.

[got-ticket-to-ride]

do you know of any other moments of john and paul calling each babe/baby or any other terms of endearment? i know of the I’ll Follow the Sun outtake (you can really hear the love they had for each other here!) , "My Dear One", that one anecdote of john asking for drinks and calling him baby... are there any other ones?

Thanks for the very interesting question, anon.

I'll just compile all the ones I know of here as well :

1.) Can You Take Me Back Take 1

John: Are you happy here honey?

Paul: I ain't happy here my honey, can you take me back? I ain't happy here my honey, can you take me back?

2.) Till there was you - John echoing the romantic lyrics Paul was singing in Hamburg

3.) I'll follow the sun: John: I’m playing, baby! Don’t stop me now.

4.) This is one of my favorites, no baby-calling but SOFTEST John:

John: Alright Paul, come along now. *kiss sound* Come on... (rather softly)

5.) John: Uh, I need another drink baby.

6.) John singing during the late 1970s: My cheri (my darling) my Paul, Paul in french accent

7.) Paul calling John babe before singing "Here Today" at a concert in 2009 "are you listening babe?"

8.) During John's 75th birthday Paul said : We miss you, baby. I miss you.

I feel the last 3 are particularly important to note, because John despite their "break up" in 1969 continues to address Paul in an endearing manner. Old Paul is still calling John baby/babe. Old habits die hard. I strongly feel like this is how they actually called each other privately.

That's all I know as of this moment. Feel free to add more in the comments.

[javelinbk]

The Beatles in Australia/New Zealand: part 6 (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 7, part 8, part 9)

John and Paul talk to Bob about Adelaide fans in bins, Mad Mal and there's nothing wrong with our Jim

Bob: Would you say... Paul: Well, I'm in the Beatles room now and, I was just out on the balcony before, and there were three or four people outside there. None of them waving. Bob: How many would you say were there, John? John: About four million, I reckon Bob: Actually, I'd say between five and ten million, I wouldn't like to count them, and hundreds of them in a... been there all day, does this happen... Paul: In a bin?! John: In a bin all day! Paul: Hundreds of them, in a bin all day John: It's the record, must be the record Paul: You see? They must have gone in a bin all day... John: Yes, I sort of woke up at 7 o'clock and thought 'oh, it must be late', and I looked at my watch and thought 'oh no, I've got it wrong,' you know... so I popped off to sleep again, sorry folks Bob: Actually there would have been 200 people there I think at 7 or 8 o'clock this morning, and I wanted to know if this sort of thing's been happening elsewhere in the world... I've seen it in Amsterdam, but what about, you know New York... is this bigger than New York? John: Yeah... oh, it's bigger than New York, but they were outside the hotel... some, a lot of them got in in New York, you know, finding them in strange bathrooms and things like that Paul: The New York hotel was a bit higher though, you know, it was a great big skyscraper, this is... Bob: This is the lowest building we've been in - two storeys! Paul: Yes! They're just here Bob: It's been a fine day in Australia, and you haven't been out to, been able to get out... there were talks that you were going to BBQs, to see an Australian Rules football match etc, but you're still in the hotel John: Well, we never watch football matches anyway, but we like to go out, but it's a bit difficult, isn't it? Bob: Yes, I believe tonight you're going to watch yourselves on television, and then you're going to listen to... your show will be broadcast tonight, you're aware of that? John: Yes, oh we know that, we saw you last night recording it Bob: Err, what did you think of the reaction in the crowd here in Adelaide? John: Great, you know... that's all you can say, people give a... marvellous, it was, you know. It was wild, man! Wild, baby! Paul: Wiiild babe! Woo! Bob: Keep going... Paul: It's Mad Mal - he's back again Bob: Playing mad monkey business Paul: Yeah... John: Cut that out, Mal! Paul: Yeah, cut that out, Mal - we've had enough of that John: Listen, can we get this telegram in? Bob: Ah, yes John: There's a telegram here that says 'Did you see 'Welcome Beatles' nearing landing? Reply: Julie Hodgkinson, Therbarton... Thebarton... Thebarton Girls Technical High School'. Well, we did see it, so we want to thank you all, we saw it out of the plane just as we were coming in, in the schoolyard, and we saw you all jumping up and down, and we were waving, but you couldn't see us. So thanks very much, folks. Paul: Do you know what it was, Bob? These girls in the school got a big piece, I don't know, of material or something, and it had 'Welcome' and 'Beatles' written on two big pieces. They'd laid it out in the schoolyard, because they couldn't get to see us. You know, just in case anyone's wondering what it was, so thank you girls, thank you. Bob: I see in this morning's paper that some 200 schoolgirls staged a sit-down strike at lunchtime yesterday, because they were not allowed to listen to the Beatles broadcast of their arrival on their transistor radios - did you hear about that? Paul: No... John: It's a bit mean Paul: That's tight, in'it? John: I read also that we were only 220 yards away, and they weren't allowed out, but... some people are like that. Never mind. Bob: That's a kind word from John. Now, I want to go over and talk to Jimmie, because Jimmie I've heard... Jimmie: (screams) (laughter) Paul: There's nothing wrong with our Jim

Bob Rogers interviews John Lennon and Paul McCartney in Adelaide, 12th June 1964

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

thoughts on philly norman stating that john wanted to have a thing with paul just because he was bohemian and nothing to do with attraction? i know a few ppl who think this way too.

Fair question. Do you mean you know people who believe this about John or people who also wanna try out gay sex one (1) time?

Here's the passage again, I bolded the bits most relevant to my point:

From chance remarks he [John] had made, she [Yoko] gathered there had even been a moment when—on the principle that bohemians should try everything— he had contemplated an affair with Paul, but had been deterred by Paul’s immovable heterosexuality. Nor, apparently, was Yoko the only one to have picked up on this. Around Apple, in her hearing, Paul would sometimes be called John’s Princess. She had also once heard a rehearsal tape with John’s voice calling out “Paul … Paul …” in a strangely subservient, pleading way. “I knew there was something going on there,” she remembers. “From his point of view, not from Paul’s. And he was so angry at Paul, I couldn’t help wondering what it was really about.”

I haven't read the entirety of Norman's book, but other passages from it that I've come across feel contradictory to the idea that John was merely a "bohemian" and not authentically attracted to men (I'll leave some under the cut).

Either way, his book is not the only source for John being attracted to men and it seems kind of implausible to me that John would be into men in general but not into Paul but still want to fuck Paul specifically, to the point it actively pissed him off that Paul wouldn't "put out". If someone can flesh this scenario out in a way that makes sense to them, though, they're welcome to tell me about it.

If you want my personal opinion, someone in the "knowledge-chain" is downplaying: that is to say either John downplayed his feelings to Yoko in order to appease her/because he was in denial, or Yoko was trying downplay them to Norman to try and control the direction of his biography, or Norman kind of didn't like what Yoko was implying about John here, so he came up with a reason that would relativize it. I lean towards the latter because Yoko's quoted words just really don't cohere much with the concept that this wasn't about Paul specifically to John. (it could also be that John was openly contradictory in this way and that's just not quite coming out in the passage though)

Other sexuality-related stuff from John Lennon: A Life by Philip Norman

(not perfectly sourced, just screenshots of my epub, I'm on a train. If you need help, just ask)

this bit is genuinely insane. as in, according to this (and it seems, according to Yoko), John told Pete Shotton he let Brian toss him off because he thought this would – IN 1963???? – reflect positively on John?

Also, now we're saying something DID happen in Spain. Okay?

Underratedly Certified Insane anecdote about John.

This is a little later in the same chapter.

There might be more but I have to get off now.

[wutheringmights]

I wanted to read one last book to close out the year, so I shopped through my bookshelf for a small little novel I could read in a few days and ended up pulling out my copy of The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger (CITR).

I never read CITR in high school. My AP teacher had the privilege of being able to assign us non-state standard readings and took full advantage of it. And in college, professors just assume you've already been forced to read it. But, nope. Not me.

I actually bought my copy many years ago from Goodwill when I lived in [redacted city], then proceeded to forget about it until now. I only mention this because my copy is apparently the UK edition and doesn't have so much as a synopsis on the back. So beyond knowing a little bit about the misinterpreted poem scene and that everyone HATES Holden Caulfield, I had no idea what this book was even about.

And... holy fuck.

This book is AMAZING.

At first, I just thought it was funny. I was enjoying how much of a shit head Holden is, and all the ways he is such a teenager. He's insightful, but draws some of the dumbest conclusions you have ever seen. He thinks he's so suave and cool, and it's so clear that everyone thinks he's a loser. He wants so badly to be thought well of by his peers while not respecting any of them. I love how Salinger writes his narration, how he branches off into little anecdotes about barely related topics.

But at some point, I just got so sad for him. I'm not sure where exactly it hit me, but at some point you can't help but see how tragic he is. He truly is in so much pain and has no idea how to process any of it. He's traumatized and has been failed by every adult in his life. No one is helping him.

But for a character that has such a reputation for being a manipulative man, he really does seem like a child who is scared to grow up. I was surprised to find out that the titular catcher in the rye monologue was about wanting to protect the innocence of other kids. With the way people discuss this kid, you would think he was conspiring to kill, well, John Lennon.

By the end of the story, when he's with Phoebe at the carousel and he's feeling happy for once in his life, I was crying (or as Holden would say, that killed me).

I then proceeded to spend the next twenty minutes staring at the ceiling, just trying to make sense of it all.

It's such a shame that this novel has been so thoroughly marred by its controversy. I tried to talk to my sister about it afterwards, and she just got really hung up about how she always thought Holden Caulfied was a "psycho" and "one-step away from being a school shooter."

Which, no? Did we even read the same book? Are we still talking about the same kid? He's a brat, but he's not out there to hurt anyone one.

I'm not sure how I would have felt about this book had I actually read it in high school. On one hand, I had a hefty respect for classics when I was a teen and would never dare claim that any one of them is terrible or stupid (except The Great Gatsby). But on the other, I think that a teacher that tried to teach this novel as Holden being a character who has profound thoughts and sees through the veneer of polite society (like apparently how it was taught to my brother)... I mean, I would have believed it but adult me certainly doesn't agree.

This book definitely lays a blueprint for Robert Cormier's entire catalogue, and I was obsessed with his books in junior high. So I probably would have inevitably liked CITR.

I'm glad I waited until now to read it. Teenage me wouldn't have understood everything in it. Older and (hopefully) wiser me does, and she will defend Holden Caulfield with her life.

[muzaktomyears]

I know there's a lot of answers out there for this question, but personally like what do you think are the best beatle books to read? Like what's the best for you?

hello anon! I'm hyperfixated so I'll read pretty much anything on them tbh. I do like to read the more anecdotal stuff because I love gossip lol - and some of them can be so revealing (both of the Beatles themselves and the authors). But I'll read and have enjoyed lots of stuff: the big biogs, memoirs, fan accounts, academic studies, that novel by Paul's ex publicist.

anyway, here's the list of Beatles books I've read all the way through and what rating out of 5 I'd give them. The books I've rated highest have generally been the big biographies just because I think they tend to say more and tell a fuller story, since obvs that's their purpose, so they're a more satisfying read. My ratings are based on a random combo of what they can tell us about the Beatles, how interesting I find them historiographically/as Beatles reception, and how much I enjoyed reading them.

★★★★★

One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time (Craig Brown)

The Beatles: The Authorised Biography (Hunter Davies)

Shout!: The True Story of the Beatles (Philip Norman)

Love Me Do!: The Beatles' Progress (Michael Braun)

Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America (Jonathan Gould)

The Man Who Gave the Beatles Away: The Amazing True Story of the Beatles' Early Years (Allan Williams & William Marshall)

★★★★☆

The Love you Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles (Peter Brown & Steven Gaines)

Backbeat: Stuart Sutcliffe - The Lost Beatle (Alan Clayson & Pauline Sutcliffe)

The Gospel According to the Beatles (Steve Turner)

Lennon vs. McCartney: The Beatles, Inter-band Relationships and the Hidden Messages to Each Other in Their Song Lyrics (Adam Thomas)

Beatle! The Pete Best Story (Pete Best & Patrick Doncaster)

Dreaming the Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and the Whole World (Rob Sheffield)

A Cellarful of Noise (Brian Epstein)

Waiting for the Beatles: An Apple Scruff's Story (Carol Bedford)

John (Cynthia Lennon)

John Lennon: In My Life (Pete Shotton & Nicholas Schaffner)

Summer of Love: The Making of Sgt. Pepper (George Martin with William Pearson)

★★★☆☆

John, Paul & Me Before the Beatles: The True Story of the Very Early Days (Len Garry)

The Beatles and Me on Tour (Ivor Davis)

A Twist of Lennon (Cynthia Lennon)

At the Apple's Core: The Beatles from the Inside (Denis O'Dell with Bob Neaverson)

The Guitar's All Right as a Hobby, John (Kathy Burns)

With the Beatles (Alistair Taylor)

The Day John Met Paul: An Hour-By-Hour Account of How the Beatles Began (Jim O'Donnell)

The Beatles: I Was There (Richard Houghton)

All Our Loving: A Beatle Fan's Memoir (Carolyn Lee Mitchell & Michael Munn)

Rock Bottom (Geoff Baker)

Once There Was a Way: What if the Beatles Stayed Together? (Bryce Zabel)

Like Some Forgotten Dream: What if the Beatles Hadn't Split Up? (Daniel Rachel)

Dylan, Lennon, Marx and God (Jon Stewart)

Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion (Alan Goldsher)

★★☆☆☆

Paperback Writer (Mark Shipper)