George & Paul's relationship in the 80s

[tristanjblythe]

There's another interview on YouTube where George is told by the interviewer that Paul had said when he was doing the Broad Street album he was tempted to record new-solo versions of Beatles songs written by John and George and maybe even cover Imagine.

George says "maybe he ran out of good ones of his own." He seems to realise what he has said straight away from the shocked look on the interviewers face and nervous laughter from behind the camera. George laughs and says "well could be true..."

I think he's joking but at the same time he expressing his opinion on the subject - why was Paul bothering to return to Beatles stuff and his own old solo stuff (Silly Love Songs). Why not do something completely new - was he running out of ideas. Also he might have be thinking that not all of Paul's work is great, at least his and John's was equally as good. Who knows?

I think rather like John, George would say what was on his mind at the time (as previously said honest but not hurtful - this is clearly a joke even if a slightly spiky one) and also could make a deadpan joking comment and realise what he' said as he said it.

I'll try to find the clip and post it. Annoyingly its only an edited version of the interview so he may also have gone on to discuss it further.

[tristanjblythe]

Ah here it is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLoAlhoU ... re=related

There's loads of George interviews from the 80s on there.

[lampie1970]

I think he's joking but at the same time he expressing his opinion on the subject

i have mentioned this before somewhere else, but that is the same thing he does in Anthology when they are discussing "Golden Slumbers", George Martin, Paul, George, and Ringo are sitting at the mixing board and trying to figure out who played bass on the first take, because Paul was singing and playing piano. It is sort of: Maybe it was John, Maybe it was me?, maybe it was you, george...?

And George joke/retorts: (to Paul:)"You would be able to tell...because you would know how you would have done it..."

a little joking?...yes...a little cut?....yes....but you gotta love George

[jgkojak]

I don't buy this whole "control freak" thing.

Is he perhaps a "control freak"??? Yep.

But if youve ever written/recorded your own music, especially in collaboration with other, you know that you are either at the whim of how others choose to play, or you speak up and give some direction. And given Paul seems to know what he's doing as far as making records, I'd say he has a right to. I can see how it could get on George's nerves, but Paul certainly has a right to direct his own solo music how he sees fit.

And you can't obtain a sound as consistent as Jeff Lynne's, for instance, you have to be pretty picky and dictatorial in the studio.

[lampie1970]

you are either at the whim of how others choose to play, or you speak up and give some direction. And given Paul seems to know what he's doing as far as making records, I'd say he has a right to. I can see how it could get on George's nerves, but Paul certainly has a right to direct his own solo music how he sees fit.

hope i didnt give the impression that I dont appreciate that about Paul, because I absolutely do. I agree that he has a right to do things and have things done the way he wants them. I also agree it got on George's nerves (as well as a list of other people). Those are the facts (as was the piece from Anthology, reported exactly as it happened).

[ahawk66]

Also, I think that John and Paul were used to running the show. George didn't really write much until later, so I think the John and Paul looked at it from the earlier angle and George just "grew up" in a way, wanting to exert some of his own influence. It had to be hard for him in a pecking order that had been established 10 years before when he was a kid. I'm sure it got on his nerves more and more as he wrote more and heard from others that he had good songs only to come into the studio with the Beatles and have his stuff dissmissed quickly.