#i see a lot of people say paul had a guitar at the fete but idk

[get-back-homeward]

Paul’s Trying To Get To You

The thread of this song weaving in and out of Paul’s most formative music experiences

Oct 1956: Elvis’s debut album is released in the UK as Rock ‘n’ Roll and the B-side includes Trying to Get to You

I just had to reach you, baby / In spite of all that I've been through / I kept traveling night and day / I kept running all the way / Baby, trying to get to you.

Well if I had to do it over / That's exactly what I'd do / I would travel night and day / And I'd still run all the way / Baby, trying to get to you

[full lyrics]

Jan-June 1957: Ian James gets the Elvis record and a guitar

“It was in this time frame that Paul formed a closer friendship with Ian James, an Institute boy (in his year) he’d known since 1954. Ian was also into rock and skiffle and he’d recently been bought an acoustic guitar by his grandparents, at whose house he lived in the Dingle. (Every guitar had a maker’s name: his was a Rex.) The two boys became good pals on the strength of it. While they tended not to see each other in the evenings, because they lived some distance apart, Paul often went to Ian’s house for an hour or two after school—they walked there together down the hill from the Institute—and Ian sometimes went to Forthlin Road at weekends, taking his guitar with him. Ian James held a triple attraction for Paul: he was an intelligent, decent and affable lad, he had some rock records, and he had a guitar—an unbeatable combination.

In the front room at home I had a table-top portable record player, three speed. I remember playing “Blueberry Hill” by Fats Domino over and over, just the first line and then I’d pick up the needle and put it back at the start. I also had Elvis Presley’s first album, which we played time after time after time, with “That’s All Right Mama,” “Trying to Get to You,” “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You),” “Mystery Train” … Elvis was the one to copy, he was the hero. He had everything: the charisma, the looks, the voice. Frank Sinatra had only one style but Elvis could do anything—gospel, blues, rock and roll, romantic ballads. There was nobody else like him. Paul and I talked about Elvis all the time.15

The Rex guitar was ever at hand. Ian showed and reinforced to Paul those three chord fundamentals that would get him started, C, F and G or G7, the basis for pretty much every song they loved.”

—Tune In (Ch. 5, Jan-June 1957)

July 1957: Paul is invited to join the Quarrymen and trades his trumpet for his first guitar

At some point in July 1957, Paul finally got his first guitar. It had been a long time coming and he was desperate. As he couldn’t afford to buy one he had the bright idea of swapping his trumpet for it, the one his dad had bought him two years earlier. Jim didn’t mind—it was clear where Paul’s interest was. “I traded in the trumpet for a £15 Zenith guitar from Frank Hessy’s. There was a feller there called Jim Gretty and he showed us (me and George) a great chord. I never knew its name—we called it ‘a jazz chord’…”

Mike McCartney has said of Paul and his first guitar, “He would get lost in another world. It was useless talking to him—I had better conversations with brick walls.” Paul played the guitar everywhere, even on the bus. At home he played it in the bath and sitting on the toilet. “The fine acoustic of the toilet area was always very appealing to me. And it was also very private, about the only private place in the house. I used to sit there for hours—there and the bathroom. Dad would shout, ‘Paul, get off that toilet!’ [And I’d reply] ‘I’m practicing!’ ”4

…Rod Davis has a recollection of Paul dropping in to see a group rehearsal at (of all places) Mimi’s house, and Eric Griffiths says the group all went to Paul’s house one afternoon for a rehearsal together—something Paul has never mentioned. (Like almost everything to do with the Quarry Men, solid information is lacking.)

…Ian James says he and Paul struck up an informal musical duo: “We used to take our guitars around to parties and play a few numbers. Have guitar will travel—wherever we went our guitars went too. We played songs from that first Elvis LP: ‘Trying to Get to You,’ ‘Lawdy Miss Clawdy,’ ‘Mystery Train’…

—Tune In (Ch. 7, July-Aug 1957)

Aug 1957: Paul’s away at summer camp and then on holiday but glued to his guitar

[O]n August 7, the Quarry Men played the Cavern again…This Cavern booking would have been Paul’s Quarry Men debut but for him being away with the Boy Scouts at summer camp—another ten days of wet feet, wind and Woodbines. The 19th City troop’s destination this year was the Peak District—Callow Farm, Hathersage, Derbyshire—and both McCartney brothers went. Paul (inevitably) carted his Zenith along with his sleeping bag and tin mug. Almost as soon as they’d pitched tents, Mike had an altercation with an oak tree, badly breaking his arm; he was taken to the hospital in Sheffield while Paul remained at the camp and entertained around the fire with Elvis’s “Trying to Get to You.”13

Mike was in the hospital four weeks, his plastered arm in a sling, and on the day of his release—the last full week of the school holidays—Jim arrived in Sheffield with Paul and revealed they were all heading straight off to Butlin’s. Bett and Mike Robbins had fixed them seven days at Filey, on Yorkshire’s east coast…

Ever the keen photographer, Mike operated the camera single-handedly to take a fascinating photo of Paul on Filey beach with Bett Robbins and her infant son Ted. Paul is perched on Ted’s pushchair and playing the much-traveled Zenith. The photo could be the closest taken to the date he met John Lennon, showing a 15-year-old who’s come through his chubby period and is looking good.

—Tune In (Ch. 7, July-Dec 1957)

Oct-Nov 1957: Paul plays his first gigs with the band as John’s equal

In images of the Quarry Men before Paul joined they’re all wearing different clothes. In the first photo of the group with Paul they have a uniform look, and a sharp one at that: white shirts with black bootlace ties and black trousers, and John and Paul (only) are also wearing jackets on top, white or cream—it’s Paul’s “white sports coat” and something similar John has managed to acquire. This was undoubtedly Paul’s doing, reaching back to his experience at Butlin’s in 1954 when he saw how a singing group in matching gear claimed everyone’s attention. He’d brought the thinking early to John, and John had bought it. And something else is compelling about this Quarry Men photo: although it’s John’s group, new boy Paul is not at the back with Colin or Len, or to the side like Eric, he’s up front with John. Lennon and McCartney are clearly the front line of the Quarry Men, strumming crummy Gallotone and upside-down Zenith, and they’re the only ones with vocal microphones. The group is the two of them and three others. When one sings lead the other provides harmony; often they sing the lead in unison—and their voices go together.

One can only surmise what they sang into those microphones. Nigel Walley remembers plenty of rock in the repertoire in this period and not so much skiffle, including several Elvis numbers—“All Shook Up,” “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “That’s All Right Mama” and “Trying to Get to You”—as well as “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” “Blue Suede Shoes” (Carl or Elvis), “Come Go with Me” and “Twenty Flight Rock.”

—Tune In (Ch. 7, July-Dec 1957)

Jan-May 1958: Paul writes In Spite of All the Danger and John wants to record it

As George knew several more guitar chords than John or Paul, every time he showed them a new one they tried to write a song around it36—and it was in this period, possibly at Upton Green, that Paul wrote one he called “In Spite of All the Danger,” a chugging and melodic country-flavored number with a couple of extended lead guitar solos created by George. For this reason, the song was a unique deviation from the Lennon-McCartney credit: it went down as McCartney-Harrison.

The tune of “In Spite of All the Danger” was entirely Paul’s, but it leaned heavily on the melody of Elvis’s “Trying to Get to You,” a song that includes the lyric “[in] spite of all that I’ve been through.” Using an existing song as inspiration for the writing of another is standard practice, but the rock and roll era was already littered with outrageous examples of plagiarism seemingly free of legal action—possibly because the song being copied was not entirely original to that composer either.

…John decided the Quarry Men should make a record, and the others needed no persuading—just 3s 6d each. This time the answer to “Where we going, Johnny?” was 38 Kensington, where one Percy F. Phillips ran probably Liverpool’s only recording studio and record press.

Seventeen years later, without the advantage of hearing it in between times, John recalled what he could of the session: “The first thing we ever recorded was ‘That’ll Be the Day,’ the Buddy Holly song, and one of Paul’s called ‘In Spite of All the Danger.’ It cost us fifteen shillings and we made it in the front room of some guy’s house that he called a recording studio.”

…John again sings lead on “In Spite of All the Danger,” Paul provides more fine harmonies throughout, and George adds an “ah” backing. It’s said Colin and Duff hadn’t heard the song before, and so were feeling their way through it, but it’s not solely for this reason that it plods somewhat. Though the debt to “Trying to Get to You” is clear, it’s still an original number and an interesting, attractive one at that, written by a boy of 15—a fantastic achievement.

—Tune In (Ch. 8, Jan-May 1958)

[cultofbeatles]

beginners guide to the beatles

 made one of these a long time ago but i'm surprised by how short it was. so here we go again. doing it right this time lol. 

pov: you told a bad joke and now the beatles are judging you. 

john winston lennon. later in his life known as john winston ono lennon. 

born on october 9, 1940 

i believe in astrology bc how does john just happen to be a libra 

when john was four he started living with his aunt mimi who acted more as his mother figure 

his mother, julia, remarried and would visit him quite a bit.

it was julia who taught john how to play banjo and piano. and she bought his first guitar.

they both had a deep love for music and rock n roll 

he never really thought of her as his mother but more as a cool friend i suppose 

aunt mimi was more rough on him and did the disciplining 

his father was never really present growing up and his uncle passed away when he was young 

he thought he was a curse for the men in his family 

he had five half siblings. two of them, julia and jacqueline, he was pretty close to. the other three he barely knew. 

fashion icon.

hated school but loved art 

very early on he was insecure with himself 

teachers always shit on him and said he would go nowhere in life 

he met paul at a church fete on july 6, 1957 

paul taught him how to play guitar properly.

once told paul that he didnt know how paul carried on after his mother died bc he just didn't think he could do it 

john’s mother died from being hit by an off duty policemen. john was seventeen at the time. 

 he took her death really hard and became a bit of a recluse. 

first serious relationship was with cynthia (we stan her) 

once cynthia cut her hair short and he didn't talk to her for two days. 

hate men. kill all men. 

when he asked her to dance at a party she turned him down saying that she was engaged, and so he said “well i didn't ask you to fucking marry me, did i?” 

slapped her once bc he was drunk and another boy was talking to her.

only time her hit her.

read cynthia’s books about john pls. i beg. 

once a psychic told him that he would be shot in the states.

founder of the beatles and also came up with the name.

instruments he could play: guitar, harmonica, rhythm guitar, banjo, keyboard, piano, saxophone, bass guitar, and a little drums. 

main songwriter in the beatles along with paul.

was more open minded to change in the beatles music. 

was insecure in his relationship with paul after a while bc he thought he only needed him for songwriting. 

would bitch about paul all day long but the second anyone else said something about him he’d be on their ass. 

had a lot of issues and needed a good hug. 

suffered from eating disorders, drug addictions, depression, insecurities, and questioned his sexuality bc of the time. 

was super open minded and ahead of his time in many instances. 

once he was called “the fat beatle” and after that he stopped eating as much.

truly loved his first son, julian lennon, and would buy him presents all the time bc he was excited to see him play with them.

“your famous ex husband”

he enjoyed playing monopoly. 

he once claimed that he saw a ufo.

he had written three books but he always wanted to write a children's book.

 the last song he ever performed in front of a live audience was “i saw her standing there.” with elton john.

he was afraid of the dark. 

found out later in his life that he was dyslexic. 

was also legally blind without glasses.

never could catch a break huh.

said that his best lyric ever was “all you need is love” i agree.

the first time yoko and john met was not at her art exhibit but actually when she approached him about giving away songs for free.

wanted to write a musical with paul. 

once a friend dared him to masturbate ten times in one day and he managed to do it nine times.

would hold circle jerks with paul and a few other friends. 

just dudes being dudes. 

went on a holiday with brian epstein, who was gay, and told some people afterward that they did certain sexual things. but we will never know for sure.

yoko says that john was bisexual.

once in an interview he said that he would of married a rich man or woman if he wasn't in the beatles. 

hated his voice on records. would always ask for effects on his voice for final recordings. 

made a film with yoko where it was just his penis going from flaccid to erect for fifteen minutes in slow motion. 

only beatle not to of become a vegetarian while he was alive. 

murdered on december 8, 1980.

gave his autograph earlier in the day to the man who would murder him.

died at the age of 40.

“all my loving” was played while he was at the hospital.

and its spooky bc a lot of times in interviews he would say “when i'm 40..” 

and it’s sad bc he was finally becoming who he truly wanted to be. 

honorable john moments that i love:

“thanks for the purpler hearts” he says while receiving the silver heart 

“you are the first person from liverpool that i've ever seen” “great”

eric lennon on my mind today 

this come together performance where he messed up the lyrics lol

that interview where paul was sick and john keep checking on him 

john lennon speaking nothing but facts 

when he said that he could see the beatles going separate ways but that they'd always come back together.

SHUT UP 

“shut up while he’s talking..”

this interview breaks my heart sometimes 

and this interview is great as well 

sir james paul mccartney 

born on june 18, 1942

if you ever have spare time just check out this man’s natal chart. 

idk how he’s still alive with his chart tbh. 

he has a younger brother named mike and a step sister named ruth. 

his dad thought he was the ugliest baby he’d ever seen when he was born. 

when he was young paul would kill frogs in a way to prepare himself for the war if he ever was drafted. 

the first instrument he ever learned to play was the trumpet.

I don't even want to list every instrument this man can play but trust me when I say it’s a lot.

but for the beatles he mainly did bass, vocals, and piano. sometimes playing the guitar and the drums.

the beatles was just paul moving really, really fast. 

he lost his mother when he was 14 due to surgery for breast cancer.

never really learned how to cope well with loss of a loved one tbh. 

had the cutest chubby cheeks as a kid tbh 

met john and was accepted into his band 

sometimes they'd ditch school together and either work on music or would visit art galleries.

went to paris with john and john bought him all the banana milkshakes that he wanted.

connected over their love and admiration for music, and bc they had both lost their mothers. 

had a girlfriend’s mom who he would make comb his leg hairs. 

was an ass to his first girlfriend.

kill all men again. 

almost had to marry his girlfriend dot bc she was pregnant, but she ended up losing the baby.

was the one who introduced george harrison to john.

practically despised pete best and stuart stutcliffe bc they were bringing the group down. 

got arrested along with pete best bc they lit a condom on fire in hamburg.

still felt awful and a little guilty when stuart died suddenly. 

main force behind the beatles imo. 

without him we’d have not as much beatles music as we do. 

was dating jane asher throughout majority of the sixties. 

when they first met they talked about syrup and paul fell in love.

they broke things off after she walked in on him sleeping with another woman though.

directed magical mystery tour and it was amazing and I don't care what anyone says ok?

when john divorced cynthia he was the only one not scared of john and went against his wishes of not speaking to cynthia.

was a little controlling at times. 

has a good heart though. 

mal evans had to drive him home once after a beatles sessions bc he was crying so hard. 

was talking about getting the band back to touring when john said he was leaving the group. 

everyone kind of turned against him when the beatles were breaking up and i hate it.

he just wanted what was best for the band.

married linda and had a nice little farm. 

we love that story.

linda i'm free thursday if you want to hang out pls.

started up the whole “no meat monday” thing where you don't eat monday on mondays

food meat. not the other kind of meat.

children: james mccartney, stella mccartney, heather mccartney, mary mccartney, and beatrice mccartney. 

rip martha. 

WINGS!! 

he lost linda in 1998 due to cancer.

 cried for a whole year bc of it.

still has dreams about john and says they're nice.

wrote a sad song about john called “here today.”

really loved john. like..he truly, genuinely did. 

want someone to love me like paul does john. 

“think of me every now and then old friend.”

honorable paul moments:

his story about george’s dad 

“john? he was beautiful. very beautiful.”

humpty dumpty rap 

another story about him and george.

his google search video that I watch every week 

this 

george harrison 

born: February 24, 1943 

or at least we think 

bc he use to say that his birthday was february 25, but later started saying it february 24. 

why can't we change our birthdays its not like we picked it 

he was the youngest child.

baby of the family and of the beatles awwww

two older brothers named harry and peter. one older sister named louise.

when george’s mom was pregnant with him she’d play sitar music.

his mom was super supportive of his career choice 

when he was 16 he worked as an electricians apprentice.

his dad kind of hoped he would start a family business out of it.

george said nah

would ride the bus opposite way of his house just to spend time with paul 

headbutted a kid bc he didn't think they were worthy of paul’s friendship 

was brought into the band bc of paul insisting to john 

would follow john around like a lost puppy when he first met him 

once had an eight hour erection. don't ask me how idk he said it.

was 17 when he lost his virginity and the other band members were in the room watching and cheered him when he finished 

most sex craved beatle tbh 

once walked into a girls dressing room and asked if they could stand there so he could masturbate 

he was the first beatle to go to america 

got a black eye for defending ringo once 

would make john and paul take turns sharing rooms with ringo when he first joined the band so that he felt more welcomed 

when ringo left during the white album and then came back george decorated the studio with flowers for him 

during the beatles first recording session he told george martin that he didn't like his tie

became a vegetarian at 22 

favorite candy was jelly beans and purple was his favorite color 

used the phrase “grotty” in the hard days night movie, hated it, but everyone else picked up on the slang 

met his first wife, pattie boyd, on the set of a hard days night 

was turned down by her at first 

they married in 1966

wouldn't let her do modeling stuff and was kind of an ass 

a stylish couple but not the best image for a healthy relationship 

got into eastern religion around 1965 

during the Hamburg days he would eat chicken on stage 

had an affair with ringo’s first wife maureen 

got a divorce from pattie in 1977

in 1978 he married olivia who he stayed with until his death and had one son with. dhani.

was the first beatle to hit a number one single and album. 

was buddies with led zeppelin

inspired their “rain song” 

smashed a piece of cake on john bonham’s head and then was thrown into the pool by him 

he financed and produced films. had a production company.

tom petty said that george never shut up once you started talking to him 

but he was often referred to as “the quiet beatle”

formed another band called the traveling wilburys

he’d answer questions online in the 2000′s and it’s the cutest thing ever and his answers break my heart too.

“what do you miss most about john lennon?” “john lennon.”

in 1999 a schizophrenic person broke into his house and stabbed him 40 times 

thank god olivia was there bc she was the only braincell in the room 

had to get a part of his lung taken out 

died november 29, 2001 from lung cancer 

ashes were scattered into the ganges river 

honorable george moments:

this interview he did with ringo 

“i'm sad bc i can't play guitars with john anymore. but i did that...i know we’ll meet again some day.”

when he invented reaction videos 

“the wind was blowing.” “..blowing my girl?”

“what kind of girl do you like?” “john’s wife.”

sir richard starkey aka ringo starr 

born on july 7, 1940 

oldest member in the group 

has no siblings 

naturally was left handed but his grandma thought it was bad luck so he writes right handed, and plays drums with a right handed kit 

but does everything else left handed

when he was 6 he fell into a two month coma 

was a very sick child 

when he was 13 he was in the hosiptal for tuberculosis and formed a hospital band 

grew up poor 

loves and looked up to his stepfather a lot 

his step father bought him his first drum kit in 1957

wasn't that great in school bc he missed so much of it from being so sick 

he worked for a britain railway for a while 

also served drinks on a day boat for a job 

loves dancing 

Rory storm and the hurricanes 

got his nickname from all the rings he would wear

replaced pete best as the beatles drummer 

dealt with people hating him for a bit bc they liked pete more 

had to style his hair in a bowl cut to be in the band and i'm still mad at them for making him do that shit 

ringo i'm so sorry 

george martin didn't really like his drumming and had a session drummer come in for the first album 

in 1964 he had tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and high fever all at once and had to be in the hospital for a bit.

was worried the beatles would replace him for good 

he’s a cancer don't worry

was the first beatle to try weed 

drummers always go first huh 

married his first wife, maureen, in 1965 

she kissed paul, ringo, and george.

what a champ

honeymoon was ruined by reporters 

was really insecure in his relationship and needed a lot of reassurance 

had a great relationship with pretty much all the beatles 

but a great one with john 

john felt his most relaxed when he was with ringo

was once in a movie with roger daltrey 

divorced maureen in 1975 

his wife now is barbara bach who he married in 1981 

had alcohol problems 

once gotten so drunk that he beat barbara so badly that he thought he killed her 

put himself into rehab after that 

barbara lowkey looks like jan from the office 

children: zak, lee, and jason

zak is the drummer for the band the who 

peace and love 

but don't send me fan mail anymore 

peace and love 

ringo starr and the allstar band (starting 1981)

was the narrator for thomas the tank engine 

will play at paul’s concerts sometimes now for fun 

mad bc he came on stage during paul’s last concert show and it was on my birthday and I couldn't go to it 

honorable ringo moments:

“do you want me to come with you?”

stupid barbara walters 

talking about paul 

giving us a little dance 

[thecoleopterawithana]

[I was about to go to sleep when I was overcome with the urge to do something to celebrate this special day. So, I decided to illustrate one of my favorite accounts of this occasion. With the sun about to rise, here it is. I might colour it later… Enjoy and happy 6th of July!] 

“How did you learn all those chords?” asked John, who was anxious for more knowledge. “Did you have a book?” 

“Nah, I’ve got a friend called Ian James at the Institute. He’s far better than me and he taught me a lot. I could teach you if you like.” 

“Well, could you show me a few? Trouble is that with your guitar strung the other way it’s difficult for me to follow. It would be good if you could draw a few diagrams showing the frets and finger positions.” 

Paul looked at John and could see the hunger to learn in his eyes. He sat them down with a piece of paper and a pencil and drew out some bar chord diagrams for John to follow, making sure that it was for a right-handed guitar player. 

Suddenly it was 7:30. “Sorry chaps but I’ve got to go. Nice meeting you all, perhaps I’ll see you again sometime. Coming Ivy?” With that, he picked up his guitar and the two friends departed on their bicycles. It all happened so suddenly. John was left there trying to follow the diagrams on the scraps of paper that Paul had left strewn across the chair. 

John spent the rest of the evening trying to put into practice the diagrams of chords that Paul had left him, having had to wear his glasses for this exercise at least. He was tucked away from all the surrounding noise in a corner of the hall, away from the ever increasing congregation that had come to hear the George Edwards band. Eventually, Eric Griffiths joined him as he too was keen to learn proper chords. 

“John, you know we’ll have to play the usual banjo chords for tonight’s show.” 

“I know that, Eric,” he snapped as he looked over his spectacles. “I’ve learned more this evening than in all those guitar lessons we went to in Hunt’s Cross. Do you remember what they were like when we first started?” 

[…]

It was 8:30. I could hear people talking about the likelihood of a storm later on that evening. I can remember hoping that it would clear up before my cycle ride back to Wavertree. Up to now, it had been an eventful day but very tiring and as a group, although committed to playing, we all wished that we could pack up and go home. 

All of us apart from John Lennon. 

I think that meeting Paul had whetted his appetite and by the time we went on stage for our session at 8:45 he looked refreshed and seemed to have a new sparkle, as though he had had an injection of renewed optimism and enthusiasm as he played and sang through our usual repertoire that evening. […] 

I went outside for some air and a smoke; John and Pete decided to come with me. We stood outside pulling on our cigarettes, enjoying the breeze that had risen with the oncoming storm. 

“Do you know, John,” remarked Pete as we stood outside, “I’ve never heard you sound as good as you did just then. I know you’re going to say that I’m not very musical but I could hear the difference. I can see that something’s happened to you. Even the skiffle numbers which I know you’re not that keen on sounded good. You seem to have put more effort into them.” 

“Pete’s right, John. I couldn’t help noticing it as well,” I said. John was silent for a few minutes, just enjoying his smoke. 

“I guess someone took the trouble to share what he knew with me and it’s just given me a little encouragement for the future, that’s all.” 

“Oh I see, you’re getting a little sentimental in your old age, aren’t you,” joked Pete, who had never seen his life-long friend in that light before. 

“Don’t be thick, Pete,” replied John, who seemed almost back to his normal abrupt self. “Come on, I need a drink.”

[…]

It was time to pack up our things and go home. John, Pete, and I walked back to Vale Road, Pete helping me carry the tea chest which I was to leave at Ivan’s that night. Fortunately, the storm had abated. 

“Well, what did you think?” asked John, directing the question at both of us. 

“Think of what? Oh, you mean how the day went,” Pete said, knowing all the while that John was referring to Paul McCartney. Pete answered the real question: “I think Paul seems okay, he’s pretty knowledgeable about chords, words, and the like but I got the impression that he was a bit of a show-off. You know, playing the guitar around his back like that.” 

“Well, I didn’t think he was pushy,” John replied. “He was just showing me what he could do, that was all. If that’s being pushy then I’m glad that he was.”    

— Len Garry, John, Paul and Me: Before The Beatles (1997).

I was saying to somebody the other day, “There’s only two artists I’ve ever worked with for more than a one night stand, as it were. That’s Paul McCartney, and Yoko Ono.” And I think that’s a pretty damned good choice! Because in the history of The Beatles, Paul met me the first day I did ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ live on stage, okay? And a fr– a mutual friend brought him to see my group called The Quarrymen. And we met and we talked after the show, and I saw he had talent, and he was playing guitar backstage, and doing ‘Twenty-Flight Rock’ by Eddie Cochran. And I turned ’round to him right then on our first meeting and said, “Do you want to join the group?” And he said, “Mm-hmm, y’know, mm hm hm hmm…” And I think he said yes the next day, as I recall it. Now George came through Paul, and Ringo came through George, although of course I had a say in where they came from. But the only – the person I actually picked as my partner, who I’d recognised had talent, and I could get on with, was Paul.

— John Lennon, interview with DJ Dave Sholin for RKO (8 December 1980).

My memory of meeting John for the first time is very clear. … I can still see John now - checked shirt, slightly curly hair, singing ‘Come Go With Me’ by the Del Vikings. He didn’t know all the words, so he was putting stuff in about penitentiaries - and doing a good job of it. I remember thinking, ‘He looks good - I wouldn’t mind being in a group with him.’ … Then, as you all know, he asked me to join the group, and so we began our trip together. We wrote our first songs together, we grew up together and we lived our lives together. And when we’d do it together, something special would happen. There’d be that little magic spark. I still remember his beery old breath when I first met him here [Woolton church fete] that day. But I soon came to love that beery old breath. And I loved John. I always was and still am a great fan of John’s.

— Paul McCartney, in Bill Harry’s The Paul McCartney Encyclopedia (2003).

[nikfix]

Circus Tricks with the Ringmaster, Francis Lorenzo

Photo by Alyza Abacan

I met Francis Lorenzo (or Fran, as many people call him) after my band Garage Morning played a set at Checkpoint Rock Bar in BF, Parañaque. We headed to Tas Roofdeck to have drinks with MOONWLK’s Nick Lazaro, Isa Romualdez, and a few other friends. He goes in the same gym as with my bandmate and close friend, Roy.  I began looking at Fran’s stuff after meeting him, and we even got to play with his former band Sleepwalk Circus, which makes really good music. I would see Fran again a few months after at the Fete dela Musique Post Rock/Math Rock Stage, playing with acts like AOUI, Tom’s Story, Twin Lobster, and others. I was amazed with his intricate arrangements and textural guitar work. I’ve been really curious with what he uses to create these awesome guitar tones.

How did you start making music and playing guitar?

I remember fragments - how I initially wanted to be a pianist but eventually got too defeated (I really suck at piano, one would think it’s just a simpler typing keyboard) that I moved to the guitar instead. Till this day I kind of regret it, the keyboard is the ultimate future proof instrument that can do everything (forgive me guitarists, if I could - i would gladly be labeled a stringed traitor).

Photo courtesy of Fran Lorenzo

How did your career, and your band/s start out?

I used to play solo gigs under my name I think? I really can’t remember - but eventually a lot of those songs got carried to Sleepwalk Circus which was formed with my friend Jm Quiblat (I was the sleepwalk chill guy / he was this energizer bunny circus guy). Cut to now, I went full circle and am sort of back alone.

Photo by Alyza Abacan

Who are your main influences? And how did they inspire you to play better?

Can I answer this one guitar wise cos entire musical wise might be too long and boring for people? Not a lot of credit is given to Billy Corgan (Sorry, I meant William) when it comes to influencing a generation to pick up or play a guitar a certain way. Then we have Sigur Ros for that large orchestral guitar sound, Kevin Shields for the even noisier stuff and Phil Keaggy for all those minstrel stuff. But ultimately sound wise, I think I am more influenced by piano/keyboard players as a whole, I have evolved (devolved?) into a guitarist trying hard to sound like a keyboardist.

Tell us more about your music.

1st Band: Sleepwalk Circus - these guys are still active but without me around (Sorry we had no drama, but we can think of a nice move-like story/scenario if you ask us. It just won't be consistent). Back then tho we relied a lot on delays to fill out stuff - having a perfect bpm drummer really helps enhance this. They have a much heavier sound now but do check em out.

Current: TheRingmaster - In summary, we could say this was initially the spinoff series to SC - I am going to release a new album soon where I collaborated with a lot of cool musicians! I don’t really use much delay/reverb as before but I think at this point anything I make turns out dreamy for some reason. I guess it’s one of those natural inclined sort of things. I sadly can’t give a date yet on the release because I myself don’t know. I’m really bad when it comes to those kind of things.  

You can hear a lot of my stuff in commercials or tv shows. I tend to fool around with my last name but if you see Fran <insert dumbest last name you can think of>, usually that is my stuff. (Clearly we get bored in the credits section of these things)

Future: I have plans to have someone with me in the future - the equal partner. Some songs are semi done (I write a lot) - to be honest i’m more excited about this than my upcoming album release.

I’ve seen you play that awesome Shoreline Gold Suhr JM. Tell us more about it!

I was never really a fan of Strats or Jazzmasters (or a fan the Fender lineup in general - mostly because they look so normal and generally have a thin/bright sound). Strats were generally tinkly sounding (with addition to having the most generic guitar design) while Jazzmasters have this weird “look at me people” mid attack sound going on. And then along came this Suhr Strat, you can say I was “initially forced” to get it because a friend of mine (Carlos Tanada) at the time needed additional money to lessen the wedding whapam.

But wow, just from feel alone you could tell its difference from a regular fender and below tier Strat. The neck setup and plek make everything so comfortable. Also I don’t know what John Suhr does to make it sound so balanced. How one can best describe it is - it sounds like you don’t need to treat it in post anymore - kind of balanced. I also like how it is enough to be different but not so different enough that strat players won’t complain about it. Carlos bought the strat back eventually by the way.  

With that in mind I tried out the Suhr JM for the sake of seeing if Suhr was consistent for that model too - honestly I was hoping I wouldn’t enjoy it, but I did and ugh - poof went the $$$. This thing was meant to be played with an overdrive forever on. Also It didn’t help the only available one left was the rare Gold model either! Aside from unique red-ish guitars, i’m a sucker for white and gold guitars! I had to get it. Again I am sorry future sick me who won’t be able to pay his emergency medical bills.

What about your other guitars. Which is your favorite one, which ones do you use the most for gigs/recordings and why?

Like all musicians, I name all my important guitars. In general I like ‘clearly a gem but undesired anyway’ guitars. It would be like Lobster, everyone knows lobster is amazing but majority always name Sushi, Steak, Lechon or Spaghetti as their favorite dish:

Bijou, The Gretsch White Penguin - I don’t bring this one around too much because it requires too much care, that kind of care that doesn’t go well with alcohol. This is probably my prettiest guitar and I would say is an example of a 10/10 lookwise guitar. Even non-music instrument people would ask about it - like a work of art, there are so many pleasant details to appreciate from the pearl inlays to the efforted gold sparkle binding. Sound wise, it has this great acoustic sounding clean + overdriven tone which I did use on a few of the songs for my upcoming album! But honestly I only ever really desired one purely on looks. Much like not really caring if a supermodel I will marry has wonderful cooking skills or not. 

It was always a childhood dream to own one so when an opportunity came to get one at an attainable price - i had to do it. I’ve been contemplating on selling it (I had it low effort posted) because I honestly have no right owning one, in the same vein we should question the lifestyle of a homeless man driving around and living inside a Rolls Royce.

Bill Goldberg, The Suhr Jazzmaster - This is the current workhorse / live gigging guitar. It plays and sounds so consistently well no matter what amp I am use which is why it ended up becoming my current go to guitar. It has that Suhr comfortable PLEK neck playability and still has enough looks and symbol power to make people go “Awssshiiii” when they see it. I do want to change the pickguard to some custom art piece made of wood one day, perhaps when I look at my wallet and realize I haven’t made a terrible life decision in a while. Also I like how despite the price, there is something about Fender type design guitars where should a ding or a massive paint scratch accident occur - it's alright. Like an expensive dirt bike - it looks prettier should it take a beating.

Natasha Sashiminov, The GIbson BFG Les Paul - I remember when this model first came out, everyone kept dissing it because it looked so ‘bad’ in photos plus it wasn’t of tradition. C’mon oldies, it’s called BFG (actually stands for “Badass Fucking Guitar”) so you can tell the target market already. I saw one in person (It really does look nicer in person) and tried it out - so warm and loud + great sounding for the price tag. I think I got it for brand new 35k range (Considered cheap for a Gibson and my first REAL/of worth guitar) back then - a true unwanted gem. P90 and burstbucker combo + chambered body keeps it nice and warm. The non lacquer wood looks so raw that if a ding occurs, you would think it was part of the design - I love it, no guilt from accidental dings. The first gen ones then became sought after a while (they’re more expensive now) - people eventually realized they were actually great guitars. Recently I heard Gibson released a new BFG version but the configuration of this first gen one is still better! (Attached is a tripleplay to make it output midi notes)

MEH, the James Tyler Variax 89 (USA Version) - These things are apparently super expensive, like an absurd $3000+ range expensive because the USA versions are limited + built in James Tyler’s factory with his specs. That being said this is the ugliest guitar I have. The only reason I got it was I really wanted a Variax for recording purposes and finding a cheap one was near impossible (The Korean models go up to $1000), but then I found someone who was selling it to me for cheaper the price than the Korean model! (Don’t want to give exact amount I paid because people will get annoyed) And just so I can say I own an actual James Tyler. Feel wise though, this is sadly the comfiest of all guitars to play with. PLEK, Perfect smooth playability no matter how you set it, playing at higher frets still gives a center stable non jittery tune note on the tuner, graphtech nut and tuners make it super stable no matter how hard I strum, real humbuckers sound awesome and of course the HD modeling, etc. See, I always find myself justifying its existence. I remember asking Micsis if he would like to paint it white and then somehow make it all fancy but he gave me a “No, this coat is expensive. And there’s a cpu inside.” reasoning so cue ~ sadface and any form of hope. But in fairness I use this thing a lot for recording albums + works, I could say this is the most useful guitar in my collection - as much as possible I don’t want to be seen with it tho.  

Tinosexual, the Antigua Squier Baritone - This is how I usually do my bass lines when recording or if I need -5 down song writing inspiration. I only mention this here because apparently this certain model is sought after - and I got it at a really cheap price. Like below 10 cheap. Hee.

The First One / Art Guitars - I have guitars that I keep at weird tunings / for display. I currently have 2 DND’s being sanded right now before I can ask my go to artists to work on them so I can’t picture em at the moment. This picture is actually my first ever ‘guitar’ made with Indonesian artwork to give tribute to my homeland. It’s a piece of garbage sound wise - I used it on one song in an old Delusion of Reference album (Merry Frolics) where I needed an annoying cheap ‘sounds broken overdriven guitar sound. I was thinking of helping market some of these artists to do commissions in the future so i’ll mini tease that here.

Let’s take a look at your pedalboard. What effects do you use live?

Hoboy hoboy this is where my face actually lights up. I’m not so interested in drive / dirt pedals but I do keep myself updated with the stuff out there. I base my purchasing on ‘uniqueness’ and ‘featureness’. Sometimes I don’t understand why people would get X + Y pedal when pedal Z does em both for half the price at better/equal the sound. My pedalboard at home / recording is the same as my live so I don’t need to remove anything + I still sound the same live. If I could give pedalboard advice though, give yourself a size limit! And try not to exceed that size. It makes for easier gigging + controls the unnecessary gas.

1) Digitech Freqout - This is the only pedal out there that does this kind of sound. It sounds more natural than the boss feedbacker and you can adjust how fast it ramps / how loud it goes or even the pitch and when it activates. I lent my ebow to a friend after getting this as well because it can do that sound - ish.

2) Dwarfcraft Silver Rose v2 - The original one I believe was a BillyC commissioned pedal by Devi Ever that got discontinued because the two had a falling out. Dwarfcraft revived and improved the v2. After getting this fuzz, I immediately sold every other fuzz (except for one) I had - this was that tone I was looking for. Controlled messy fuzz. I can’t describe the tone so I suggest people look it up on youtube instead. It has so many modes! I also love that this fuzz has a clean through knob to help with the ‘control’ and layering.

3) Devi Ever Rocket - Of course I had to get this for that SP Muff tone. On one side it has a messier version of a MUFF and a crazy octaver fuzz on the other. This thing is amazing for thickening or for “notice me / stank face” fuzz leads. Yes, it does the siamese dream tone stuff really well.

4) EHX Pitch Fork - This pedal has amazing polyphonic tracking, add an exp and it can do whammy stuff. It also does pog stuff. Has a blend knob and has a chorus like effect in built as well. Why do people even bother with the other similar featured pedals then like the Pog / Digitech Drop / etc?

5) EHX Soul Food - I like the sound of Klon drives simply because they are really transparent. This Klon clone is the only drive I have tried that doesn’t affect the tone of the guitar or doesn’t cut the low end. I would like to get a tumnus one in the future just for real estate reasons but the Soul Food is priced too well.

6) Boss DC-2 Dimension C- I love this chorus, it’s so subtle in a way that if I am plugged into a stereo setup - it will sounds like I am double tracking but am on time a lot. Think the Cure type subtle chorus - so naturally great for coloring clean tones.

7) Boss SL-20 Slicer - This was a dismissed pedal by many because of its ‘one trick’ pony-ness but this really is useful for time based rhythm effects especially if the drummer is following a strict bpm. They come by really cheap here but in Japan I remember it being sought after because the synthers use it to spice their pads up. Sometimes if I can’t think of anything I place a basic loop and just have the slicer come up with riffs or pattern ideas for me.

8) Eventide H9 Max (2) - Owning a Max automatically turns up to 4 H9 cores into a max. (Hey you friends trying to take advantage of my remaining slots! I see your slithery intentions!)  I would really like to have gone back to multi effects - it makes things so much easier but there are so many unique effects in the H9 that I use a lot (from other pedals as well) that I can’t go back as of now.

9) Digitech Jamman solo XT - I only use this because I used to have 2, I wanted them to sync and I wanted my loopers to have a set bpm with savable banks. Usually I tend to play verse/chorus in advance so I can focus on singing more live, it goes well with the inbuilt loopers of the H9’s.

Sideboard - Optional RC202 or VE20 depending on gig : Voice effects only on long big sets or if I have a guest singer with me. I make her do dynamic effects on our signals + a few triggering.

10) Strymon Zuma. Before I had this thing - my board was such a hassle to power with adaptors everywhere that would get lost / broken etc. Not to mention the extension cord / wire nightmares. This is the only PSU out there I know that could provide my power needs. The H9’s are hungry. The Jamman, Freqout and Pitchfork also require their own hungry selfish slot. That’s 5 hungry slots down without the remaining others. But money well spent - it’s so quiet.

Also let me tell a story for people who can’t comprehend why one would spend so much on a proper PSU, I once played a gig where they was an outdoor fountain. I brought my Les Paul at the time and because of the gun metal hardware (suspected) and improper shielding, every time i touched the guitar and the mic I would become electrocuted. I had to stop the set because it was getting legit scary and painful - that even roadie who held it nearly dropped my guitar. Cut to future where I played similar gig but this time with this PSU (same guitar) and poor no more noise and electrocution! It could be that they fixed their power thing but I will give credit to the PSU.

What amps do you use at home and live? Oh noes - forgive me pure bloods, I don’t believe in real amps! (Except for live where I have no choice) I honestly think modeling amps are better. My priority has always been recording and to 100% of people who have told me “My recording of a mic’d amp” sounds better than an even basic line 6 - I am sorry, we just don’t have the heart to tell you it does not! Hell even your heroes don’t hide that they prefer modeling. It’s cool though, i get to level up my ‘nodding so hard + snickering sipping’ plastic look.

What are you listening to right now?

Olafur Arnalds has an album coming out soon that I can’t wait for - the releases so far have been amazing. Same goes for Halloween Alaska! A little Lambert here and there as well as stuff from my musician love - Alice Sarah Ott.  The new Jon Hopkins is so pleasant to the ears too so I occasionally go to that + Kiasmos old stuff which is in a similar venn diagram.

What advice can you give to your fellow guitar players and musicians who want to play like you do?

Be lazy if you can, let your pedals do the work for you. Think of it as computer code that you can efficiently make use of so you can focus on doing other things.

Nice chords > blupluplubplupl headache solos.

Will your notes sound good on a keyboard? If so awesome!

Swells + OD + Delay + Reverb = whale sounds = boring. Don’t do it. That’s not ‘experimental’ anymore. Also why is it strymon people always make demo vids/clips of whale noises? What a waste of power.

In the same vein fast dotted delay sweet disposition style delays will make me like you less as a guitarist. Sorry, i meant as a person.

Play with looper pedals! Learn how to support yourself with a long bars. Don’t solo over yourself though, rhythm jam with yourself. Also any loop noise / accidental or ugly when in a pattern could potentially become great music if escorted with the right notes.

Reverb is not meant to hide your notes - it’s meant to accent, enhance or immerse.

Play the same chord 5 times in strong generic strum vs a 5 times crescendo strum. Which sounds better?

“You can coat a turd gold - but its still a turd” so make sure your source instrument is actually nice sounding.

BPM perfection is oddly a skill I find lacking in the general musician population. Play rhythm games guys. Parappa the rapper or Um Jammer Lammy guys! They’re less forgiving = training!

Find yourself an extremely skilled versatile guitarist and do the opposite of how that person plays.

Once you start playing to impress - you have failed.

Ignore all my advice and don’t listen to what anyone tells you to do. They don’t know you like you do.

Get to know The Ringmaster by checking out his stuff!