The Beatles
Page 129
“We were really getting away”: John Lennon, 1974 interview, in Anthology, p. 281.
“There [was] quite a heavy flow”: George Harrison in ibid.
“It was a collision”: Farrow, What Falls Away, p. 132.
Meditation… should last for: Melody Maker, 3/9/68.
“Nevertheless,” she later wrote: Farrow, What Falls Away, p. 137.
“I was meditating about eight hours”: John Lennon, 1974 interview, in Anthology, p. 283.
“To John, nothing else mattered”: C. Lennon, A Twist, p. 155.
“It was pretty exciting”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 281.
“It was quite nice”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 413.
“It was almost magical”: Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 283.
“like a feather over”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 414.
“Regardless of what”: John Lennon, 1971 interview, in Anthology, p. 283.
an homage to his boyhood idol: “ ‘Back in the U.S.S.R.’ was my take-off of Chuck Berry’s ‘Back in the USA.’ ” Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 422.
There, in a series of dilapidated tents: Hello!, 5/28/94.
“Every time we met”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 419.
“to go shoot a few poor tigers”: Sheff, Playboy Interviews, p. 168.
“Prudence meditated and hibernated”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 284.
“She went completely mental”: Sheff, Playboy Interviews, p. 168.
George and John had been selected: Farrow, What Falls Away, p. 139.
“got her out of the house”: Sheff, Playboy Interviews, p. 168.
using a finger-picking technique: “I introduced John to a finger-picking style…. With this style he wrote ‘Julia’ and ‘Dear Prudence.’ ” Donovan in Badman, Off the Record, p. 341.
“Umbrella”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 421.
“We’re not fucking here”: Ibid., p. 420.
Besides, Maureen had a phobia: “He couldn’t stand the food and his wife couldn’t stand the flies.” Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 284.
“very much like a holiday”: Melody Maker, 3/9/68.
“Paul and Jane were much too sophisticated”: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 286.
“some huge spiritual lift-off”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 409.
“John took meditation”: Coleman, Lennon, p. 341.
“Something had gone very wrong”: Hello!, 5/28/94.
“I’m a cloud”: Fawcett, John Lennon: One Day at a Time, p. 33.
John “missed his company”: “Alex was summoned to Rishikesh by John.” Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 287.
“because he didn’t approve”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 427.
“appalled” by the accommodations: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 287.
Maharishi might have come on to her: Farrow, What Falls Away, p. 141.
“I think it was completely untrue”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 429.
“to plug into the divine”: George Harrison in Badman, Off the Record, p. 341.
“When George started thinking”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, pp. 55–56.
“Wait,” she recalled: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 428.
“John told me he knew”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“If you’re so cosmically conscious”: Variations of this response have been reported in Wenner, Lennon Remembers; Brown & Gaines, Love You Make; C. Lennon, A Twist; and Jenny Boyd’s account in Miles, Paul McCartney.
“You can’t say that”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 286.
an appearance in a documentary: “30 New Beatle Tracks,” NME, 4/20/68.
“But you’ve got to bloody hear it”: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 291. Cynthia confirms this in Hello!, 5/28/94.
“I never dreamed”: C. Lennon, A Twist, p. 163.
“We want to help people”: The Tonight Show, 5/15/68.
whose brainstorm produced: “He came up with the idea for the ad in my house.” Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“Overnight, we were swamped”: Ibid.
“By the time I came back”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 287.
George… “had very little to do”: Ibid.
“I hate it”: D. Taylor, Fifty Years, p. 330.
“Paul, for the longest time”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“he’d stay there all day”: McCabe & Schonfeld, Apple to the Core, p. 102.
“John was in a rage”: D. Taylor, Fifty Years, p. 330.
“He was more fucked up”: Author interview with Pete Shotton, 7/10/98.
“It seemed like everything”: Ibid., 1/19/98.
At a London party: Author interview with a confidential source.
“We wanted a grand launch”: Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 287.
“It was a mad, bad week”: D. Taylor, Fifty Years, p. 327.
“mild and extremely benign hallucinogen”: Ibid., p. 329.
“He said, ‘We’re leaving’ ”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 450.
“There was something awfully steamy”: Author interview with Nat Weiss, 1/28/98.
761–62 “didn’t think she was particularly attractive”: McCabe & Schonfeld, John Lennon: For the Record, p. 24.
“high-breasted”: D. Taylor, Fifty Years, p. 329.
“He was a fairly hip person”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/12/97.
“she looked very pretty”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 454.
“He is an American song writer”: Memo duplicated in D. Taylor, Fifty Years, p. 326.
“It all came as a shock”: Author interview with Tony Bramwell, 8/6/97.
“tons of songs”: Sheff, Playboy Interviews, p. 160.
“The Beatles were getting real tense”: Ibid.
“I said, ‘What are you doing?’ ” Author interview with Pete Shotton, 1/19/98.
“I played her all the tapes”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 176.
“We improvised for many hours”: Coleman, Lennon, p. 344.
“the babel inside an insane asylum”: Author interview with Terry Doran, 8/13/97.
“enjoying the uncertainty”: Coleman, Lennon, p. 344.
“It was dawn”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 176.
“I had no doubt”: Coleman, Lennon, pp. 344–45.
“shellshocked”: Author interview with Pete Shotton, 1/19/98.
CHAPTER 35: GOOD-BYE TO THE BOYS IN THE BAND!
“The question they all ask”: Melody Maker, 9/3/68.
“a hectic recording scene”: “Beatles George Today,” NME, 6/1/68.
“It seemed to many of us”: Author interview with Don Short, 8/11/97.
“the Beatles were embarrassed”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“We bought a few things”: NME, 6/1/68.
He was “absolutely fascinated”: “He wore several of them himself.” Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/12/97.
“I had to give it away”: John Lennon, undated interview, in Anthology, p. 290.
John and Paul “blew millions”: George Harrison in ibid.
“tens of thousands” of requests: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 313.
“Suddenly Apple was a free-for-all”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 290.
“Any numbskull could walk in”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“I remember going round”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 318.
“Magic Alex said that EMI”: George Martin in ibid.
“The Jam”/“Walkabout”: “Beatles Broaden Role in Business,” New York Times, 5/15/68.
“Some Gorgeous Accident”: The Times (London), 4/26/68.
There were preliminary discussions: “Beatles Maharishi Documentary Film,” NME, 3/9/68.
a high-grade 50 percent: “The Story of Yellow Submarine,” Beatles Book Monthly, 9/93, pp. 5–11.
“He dreaded going to them”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 10/31/97.
“We only had o
ne or two”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 292.
“Their reaction was: ‘OK’ ”: Martin, All You Need, p. 226.
“brilliantly inventive”: Daily Telegraph, 7/19/68.
strong “visual imagination”: “Tati and the Beatles New Films in London,” Christian Science Monitor, 8/3/68.
“The film packs more”: “Lessons at the Movies,” Observer, 7/28/68.
Ringo… “loved Yellow Submarine”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 292.
“I think it’s a classic”: George Harrison in ibid.
“The Beatles stubbornly continue”: Daily Mail, 12/29/67.
“They have a different feel”: “Interview: John Lennon,” Rolling Stone, 11/23/68.
“just finish off the tail”: McCabe & Schonfeld, John Lennon: For the Record, p. 119.
“it meant that I’d hear”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 487.
Paul regretted the loss: “Because John [was divorcing] Cynthia and had gone off with Yoko…” Ibid.
“my love cloud”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 106.
“never known love like this”: John Lennon, 1968 interview, in Anthology, p. 301.
“my head would go off”: McCabe & Schonfeld, John Lennon: For the Record, p. 56.
“She was the ultimate trip”: Sheff, Playboy Interviews.
“eerily silent”: Coleman, Lennon, p. 345.
“John and Yoko, wearing nothing”: Hello!, 5/28/94.
“in complete shock”: Ibid.
But one night in that desperate: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 293.
“She knew it was a mistake”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/12/97.
“For a while, everything”: C. Lennon, A Twist, p. 168.
“a very agitated” Magic Alex: Ibid., p. 169.
“absolutely devastated”: Hello!, 5/28/94.
“I knew when I saw the picture”: Coleman, Lennon, p. 350.
The groundwork for it: Lewisohn, 25 Years in the Life, p. 104.
“They were like two nervous”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
773–74 “loyalty to and affection for Cynthia”: D. Taylor, Fifty Years, p. 347.
“As your friend and press officer”: Ibid., p. 340.
“Word had circulated”: Author interview with Don Short, 8/11/97.
“Where’s your wife?”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/12/97.
“Who is this?”: D. Taylor, Fifty Years, p. 340.
“What happened to your wife”: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 297.
“Paul, in his usual way”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/12/97.
Ringo had installed a rear window: Author interview with Ken Partridge, 1/18/98.
made “Paul [feel] uncomfortable”: “Paul felt uncomfortable around John and Yoko.” Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 486.
“[John] was getting into harder drugs”: Ibid.
John’s “adversity and… craziness”: Ibid., p. 487.
“ ‘God will save us’ ”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 131.
“I really thought that love”: Ibid., p. 132.
“He doesn’t really get off the fence”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 484.
“He seemed to be particularly focused”: Author interview with Alan Brown, 5/18/97.
Yoko Ono sat “perversely”: Coleman, Lennon, p. 363.
“It was fairly shocking”: Author interview with Alan Brown, 5/18/97.
She “just moved in”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 308.
“John brought her into the control room”: Lewisohn, Sessions, p. 135.
“dared the others”: Author interview with Alan Brown, 5/18/97.
Studio grunts watched: Author interview with Martin Benge, 5/18/97.
“talk about fixes and monkeys”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 486.
“[The studio] was where we were together”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 308.
“Yoko was there”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 484.
“I bastardized it”: Author interview with Paul McCartney, 3/21/97.
“I could hear them”: Author interview with Alan Brown, 5/18/97.
“She came in and she would expect”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 69.
“fed up [with] being sideman”: Ibid., p. 49.
“cop out”: Ibid.
“Finally, he just told EMI”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/12/97.
Paul celebrated: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, pp. 304–5.
“I’m here if you show up”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 451.
“The moment Linda arrived”: Author interview with Tony Bramwell, 8/6/97.
“[I’d] always found Linda”: Author interview with Paul McCartney, 3/21/97.
Linda “seemed amused”: Author interview with Tony Bramwell, 8/6/97.
“Her family was the most academic”: Author interview with Paul McCartney, 3/21/97.
Paul “felt particularly sorry”: Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 297.
Julian was “a fragile little”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“the Law of the Husband”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“I thought it was a bit much”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 465.
“try to cheer them up”: Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 297.
“a hopeful message for Julian”: Ibid.
“one of [Paul’s] masterpieces”: Sheff, Playboy Interviews, p. 157.
John was holding out: “I wanted to put it out as a single.” Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 131.
“No, George… You come in”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 467.
“oblivious to anyone else’s feelings”: Author interview with Ron Richards, 12/29/97.
even had the structure for… “Something”: While recording “Piggies,” George played “Something” for Chris Thomas, George Martin’s assistant. Pritchard & Lysaght, The Beatles, p. 265.
“made the other Beatles self-conscious”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 492.
“There was a definite vibe”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 308.
“I remember having three studios”: Ibid., p. 305.
“For the first time, I had to split myself”: George Martin in ibid.
“looking after what both”: Martin, All You Need, p. 132.
“dead set against putting such a mess”: Author interview with Ron Richards, 12/29/97.
“[Paul] even recorded it”: Sheff, Playboy Interviews, p. 160.
“there was such a lack of enthusiasm”: George Harrison in Badman, Off the Record, p. 391.
“They weren’t taking it seriously”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 306.
“the others would join in”: George Martin in Pritchard & Lysaght, The Beatles, p. 263.
“We were in George’s car”: Eric Clapton in Badman, Off the Record, p. 391.
“I was recording not a band”: George Martin in Pritchard & Lysaght, The Beatles, p. 263.
“because some of them weren’t great”: George Martin in Anthology, p. 305.
“I’m going on holiday”: George Martin in Pritchard & Lysaght, The Beatles, p. 264.
“really arguing amongst themselves”: Lewisohn, Sessions, p. 143.
“Paul was re-recording the vocal”: Ibid.
“None of us had any experience”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
For a while the company’s destiny: “We went through a period when we weren’t allowed to do anything before someone threw the I Ching.” Alistair Taylor in Pritchard & Lysaght, The Beatles, p. 273.
“We invited people to Apple”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“John wouldn’t rest”: Author interview with Tony Bramwell, 8/6/97.
“We really want to help people”: New York press conference transcript, 5/14/68.
“not necessarily having a hard time”: “Beatles’ Loose Habit of Recording,” NME, 8/17/68.
“smashed down an entire… panel”: D. Taylor, Fifty Years, p. 348.
Beatles “were a mot
her’s dream”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“to make business fun”: Ibid.
“foolish disregard”: Letter, Derek Taylor to the Beatles, 7/26/68.
“mistaken for little Jewish businessmen”: George Harrison in Badman, Off the Record, p. 375.
“Yoko came up with the idea”: McCabe & Schonfeld, John Lennon: For the Record, p. 106.
such “a good happening”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 59.
“Originally, the shops were intended”: Beatles press release, issued 7/29/68.
“The night before, we all went in”: McCabe & Schonfeld, John Lennon: For the Record, p. 106.
“a smashing raincoat”: Paul McCartney in Badman, Off the Record, p. 375.
“loads of shirts and jackets”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 296.
“It was great”: McCabe & Schonfeld, John Lennon: For the Record, p. 106.
“Yoko revealed a greedy side”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“Hundreds of people” stampeded: Daily Mail, 8/1/68.
“the bulls at Pamplona”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“people… coming with wheelbarrows”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 296.
“it brought out the worst”: D. Taylor, As Time Goes By, p. 143.
The version Paul cut with Mary: “He originally tried to get the Moody Blues or Donovan to record it.” Badman, Off the Record, p. 351.
“ideal material for half-time”: NME, 8/31/68.
“I wanted a really different sound”: Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 289.
“It wasn’t intended”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 466.
“It felt good recording it”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 297.
the largest-selling Beatles record: Billboard research department files.
“all the time in the world”: “Danger—Beatles at Work,” Saturday Review, 10/12/68, p. 64.
Paul recorded “Mother Nature’s Son”: Lewisohn, Sessions, p. 147.
so offended Paul that he refused: Author interview with Ron Richards, 12/29/97.
“the whole thing was going down”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 312.
“unloved and out of it”: Ibid., p. 311.
Ringo’s “feel and soul”: Paul McCartney in ibid.
“the most raucous”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 488.
“drummed as if his life”: Lewisohn, Sessions, p. 154.
The Beatles’ goal, according to John: “We made the double white album because it was going to be a double album forever.” John Lennon, 1970 interview, in Badman, Off the Record, pp. 391–92.