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Some good vibes for the end of a bad day

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Something that always bothers me is how people talk about Paul taking the role of the manager after Brian's death.

Yes, Paul took the initiative and managed a lot of the projects like MMT etc. and especially John and George were pissed off by this, but when you think about it for literally two seconds, you realize why Paul did it. He's always said how important the Beatles were to him, has called them his second family. He never expressed any interest in managing the band while Brian was still alive and after the Beatles broke up, his focus was always on making music, not the managing part of his job. Everyone makes him seem like this power hungry demon who was just waiting for his turn at the steering wheel, but there are so many things that point to him just trying to literally save what was most important to him: this band.

He's been known to throw himself into projects when grieving, mourning by not mourning. John was devastated by Brian's death and (I assume) in no fit state to think about what project would make the most money or whatever. While everyone was sitting on their asses (I know this is a mean way to put it, but I'm pissed off), Paul actually took matters into his own hands.

"He was too bossy". Was he bossy? Probably, yes. But someone fucking had to be, or the Beatles would have crashed and burned. I do understand why everyone wasn't happy with how things were going, George who already felt like the little brother who was sort of tagging along but not being taken seriously enough was obviously pissed that this "power dynamic" for lack of a better word was only increasing, and John, who had always been equal to Paul in literally anything didn't like the idea of Paul having power like that and being "above" him. But really, what would have been the better scenario? John managing the band? The same person who pissed off entire countries in like every second interview and had to make public statements and apologies about half the things he said? I think John was very smart and I find his wit and candor very endearing, but if he had been the one in charge, chances are the Beatles would have blown up. He's a fantastic artist, but not very smart about money etc etc, so not exactly the perfect fit for the role of a temporary manager. George? Perhaps he’s smarter about money (although he apparently didn’t understand the importance of paying taxes?) and publicity, but at that time he was completely infatuated with India, Hinduism and meditation and so on. I don't mean to say that was inherently bad, but I think Paul was the one with the most common sense. He knew how to charm the press to keep from getting into scandals (I mean, even when he was arrested for weed, he managed to sort of wiggle out of it. Nobody gave a shit). If Paul hadn’t been born a musical genius, I think being a manager would be a good fit for him. As for Ringo, I love the guy more than I can say but half the time in Get Back while decisions were being made he was completely zoned out, staring at walls. I honestly don't think he was very much interested in managing. So, perhaps a democratic regime where everyone gets a vote? Sure, if you want to get absolutely nothing done at all you let many people decide. I don't mean to sound like a monarchist, but I very much doubt an anarchistic management would have worked.

Now when you look at the years that came after, everyone was half in love with Allen Klein, but Paul was weary and didn't want to back down. And who turned out to be the Judas in this Bible? Allen fucking Klein. I don't mean to say Paul should have become the official manager, but I just find it baffling when people make it seem like he was trying to gain power over his best friends or whatever. There was no ideal outcome of this situation, because Brian was fucking dead. Of course it wasn't all peaches and cream. But there weren't (m)any scandals and they got a few albums done. That's, in my opinion, more than what would have happened if Paul had sat back and watched.

[celestialvinyl]

Here it is, Beatle People! The official 'Insane Things Paul Has Said About John' list, as created by the people of tumblr

Sources under the cut:

“He was a very cool boy” (@javelinbk)

"Whenever other people do that it always reminds me of John" (@javelinbk)

"We put our names next to each other in our school exercise books" (@beatlepaul4ever)

When was Lennon at his best? "When he was asleep." (@didwemeetsomewherebefore)

"A delicious broth of a boy" (@zilabee)

"A lovely little baby, John was" (@mallowedheart)

"Daddy's room" (@pauls1967moustache)

"We’re songwriting together even if we’re not together" (@midchelle)

"John seemed like some sort of emperor in control of it all" (@blondecasino)

"I'm trying to get my son to have a son and call him Lennon, and then he'll be Lennon McCartney" (@peaceloveandstarrs)

“John and I had millions of fabulous little experiences in Paris” (@divine-sphinx)

"We used to have wanking sessions" (@merseydreams)

"You can be heterosexual and be having a homosexual dream and wake up, and think, 'Shit, am I gay?'" (@skylikeaflame)

"It was a place called Menlove Avenue. [Pauses] Someone's going to read significance into that: Paul and John on Menlove Avenue. Come onnnnnnn" (@s-l-martin)

"I slept with him a million times" (@s-l-martin)

"A wild and woolly genius who it was my pleasure to work with, walk with, talk with, and occasionally sleep with." (@didwemeetsomewherebefore)

"In bed" (@i-am-the-oyster)

"Well, I’m sure Brian was in love with John, I’m sure that’s absolutely right. I mean, everyone was in love with John; John was lovable, John was a very lovable guy." (@whenyourbirdisbroken)

"Dear friend, throw the wine, I’m in love with a friend of mine." (@heartsinthebasement)

"We got very drunk and cried about how we loved each other" (@nikidontsurf)

“Then also we were like married, so you got the bitterness. It’s not a woman scorned this time, it’s two men scorned — probably even worse. And I had to make way for Yoko. My relationship with John could not have remained as it was and Yoko feel secure.” (@thefortunateisle)

"If I was a girl, maybe I could go out and…" (@alienoriana, @majinmelmo)

"You just don’t hang around with your ex-wife" (@javelinbk)

"No, I have a lot of dreams about John, and they're always good" (@notgrungybitchin, @skylikeaflame)

"This (painting) is John’s Room. It just looked to me like John, when he had his long hair and then his cloak or whatever this is. Then I just scratched in that, looked like one of those drawings John used to do. You know his funny little men. So then I called that John’s room … If I’m gonna see a face in a painting it’s highly likely to be his." (@foryouwereinmysong)

"I wish I had sat and just hugged John all the time when we were together.’ (…) I’d just sit around and hug him forever. That’s the depth of my feeling for him" (@theoldmixer)

“Here Today - a love song to John” (@javelinbk, @bluewater9)

"So if you've got someone, you want to tell them you love them, just get it said, don't wait" (@lennon-gal)

And honourable mention for the following stories:

Stalking John all over Liverpool until Ivan officially got them introduced (@only-a-northern-soul)

He’s been telling himself and the whole world that nobody cared about writing songs and his music before he met John. He knew George Harrison. (@greatsaladavenue)

Quitting his job to commit to the band aka explicitly picking John over his father (@adriansfrombrooklyn)

Writing "Here, There, and Everywhere" by John's pool while waiting for him to wake up and write with him alone in his attic (@aint-that-kind-of-blog-bruv)

Taking the one photo of him and john from that night with the cursed pictures with jane and then blowing it up and hanging it in his office at apple (@pauls1967moustache)

Taking LSD so he could join John in his potentially bad trip (@scurator)

The time he vaulted over a table because another man was touching John and Paul had to physically intervene (@scurator)

[celestialvinyl]

hey while we’re on the topic can i show you guys a fun timeline of events that happened in the last two weeks of july 1968 that i’ve been thinking about non-stop since march 2022?

july 15th - geoff emerick quits working on the white album bc he’s sick of the beatles fighting during sessions. (supposedly the last straw is john and paul bitching at each other about oh-bla-di, oh-bla-da).

july 17th, (2 days later) - yellow submarine premiere: john, and yoko, and paul go together, (presumably from cavendish where they are all living). paul is the only beatle going stag.

july 20th, (3 days later) - paul goes to liverpool with francie schwartz and jane announces the end of her and paul’s relationship on live tv while they are there. per francie’s account, paul’s real sore about it.

july 28th, (1ish week later) - mad day out: paul Behaves Like That. john joins him.

july 29th, (next day) - the beatles start recording hey jude, the song john thinks is about paul telling him to go and be happy with yoko.

[celestialvinyl]

Today I’ve been losing my mind looking at the cursed throuple at the yellow submarine premiere. WHY do they look like they’ve been dressed by the least subtle costume designer in film history.

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“The language he used was my language. In it sounds had texture, notes had color, tracks were applied in layers like impasto, sweeping strings were brushstrokes, and so on. At the time, I assumed that Paul had brilliantly come down to my level. As our friendship grew I came to realize that he always speaks in the language of the visual artist. It is his natural inclination.”

— Brian Clarke describing a conversation in which Paul McCartney explained ‘the detailed procedure of operating a mixing desk’.

[celestialvinyl]

Hello!  Allow us to elaborate.  Firstly, the name isn’t an indictment on denim.  :)  

Jean Jackets refers more to a specific mentality, really.  The type that believes the Beatles were “John’s band,” and that John was always both right and righteous.  They romanticize John’s childhood and struggles with mental illness as qualities that make him “deep” and earn him a free pass for the worst of his behavior.  Because they see John as a savior, they tend to characterize his bullying and vitriol as a righteous man doling out justice.  Therefore they consider it unfair to discuss how John’s behavior was damaging to others and would prefer to find fault with his targets and normalize all of it (usually at the expense of McCartney).  To them, John was perfect in his “imperfection” and the idea that subsequent generations might have a different, more complex and less reverential take upsets them.  Jean Jackets essentially believe that their personal experience is empirical reality, making “outside” perspectives irrelevant and unwelcome.  They are deeply invested in hierarchy and maintaining Lennon’s perceived supremacy within the band.

These are the people who have dominated 99% of all Beatles discourse, authorship, etc for the past 50 years (Rolling Stone is a great example).  They are fiercely protective of this privilege and hostile towards anyone who challenges the traditional narratives (i.e. invades their turf).  In my experience, their love of Lennon is sincere.

While the term “Jean Jackets” evokes a SWM baby boomer with a ponytail in denim outerwear, the Jean Jacket mentality can transcend age, sex or race.  So this isn’t specifically against boomers, or men as a whole or even people who believe the traditional narrative.  It’s about people who fiercely cling to and perpetuate the traditional narrative, even when confronted with new ideas, evidence or insight that might shed a different light on the story.  Don’t be a Jean Jacket!

Again, we aren’t trying to demonize a fabric.  :)  All the Beatles could look cute in said clothing:

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Have a cute Joe Mazzello to make your day better

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#where gwilym is all of us

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you say goodbye &. i say hello

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PAUL MCCARTNEY IN “FOOL ON THE HILL” FROM MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (1967)

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The Rolling Stones performing You Can’t Always Get What You Want or as this one youtube comment put it very nicely:

Mick Jagger being your mom for four and a half minutes

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beatles music videos as movie posters → paul mccartney

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AESTHETIC  »  the beatles

As friends, as musicians, we had a lot of time together. Actually, we didn’t have a lot of years in a band – eight. But we had a lifetime in those eight years.  —  Ringo

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““After we’d done the One To One concert film,” recalled Steve Gebhardt, “I remember John saying to me that the days of everything being Johnandyoko – one word – were over. I was shocked.” Ono completed her record, Approximately Infinite Universe, which was greeted more positively than her previous releases. Lennon did his best to publicise it, writing a personal note to the Capitol Records boss asking him to throw the company’s weight behind it. But in mid-January 1973 Lennon and Ono quarrelled publicly at another party. “I wish I was back with Paul,” Lennon reportedly said.”

— Peter Doggett, You Never Give Me Your Money: The Battle for the Soul of The Beatles. (2009)

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“I thought when we went into News Of The World, we couldn’t reinvent ourselves as a punk band, but we wanted it a little bit more simple. Of course, we thought these really grandiose things weren’t really quite what was happening then. To be more of the time, I guess we made a more straightforward record.” — Roger Taylor

“When they dug in to do something mean or hard, they could do it better than anybody. News Of The World has ‘Fight From The Inside’, one of my favorite Queen songs, and also the brilliant ‘Get Down Make Love’. This is just my favorite end-to-end Queen record.” — Slash

“I don’t know why this isn’t regarded as real classic – one of Queen’s best albums. For me it certainly is. But perhaps we’ve gotten so used to ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We Are The Champions’ that we take them for granted, and therefore we also take the album for granted.” — Taylor Hawkins

Happy 42nd anniversary to News Of The World!

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The Beatles – “Penny Lane” (1967)