I have had it up to here waiting for the Beatles catalogue to be remastered

Magic Eye Beatles posters. When are they going to release THOSE?

If you look hard enough, you can see Paul's dead

was idly wondering this morning about how much John contributed to George and Paul's various tracks post-White Album. Take "Old Brown Shoe", for instance, is John even on that? Or "Something"? Did the other two just occasionally bring him around for a rhythm guitar part here and maybe a backing vocal there...? I've never gotten the impression that he was interested in playing the multi-instrumentalist roles that George and Paul often assumed

like that sounds like John playing rhythm guitar on "Get Back" but it's hardly like a critical or creative part or anything

It really seems like as they neared the end, John would come in toward the end and shake a tambourine on their songs and that would be that.

Waggle a syringe

rattle his jewelry.

Play the pocket comb.

His bass playing on The Long And Winding Road is really bad.

Wave his cock around.

Waggle a syringe

lol

I was wondering about this because I was reading about how John had been "hurt" that George completely glossed over their relationship in his autobio (I Me Mine) and that John felt he had served as a mentor to George, that it was them against Paul, etc. But everything else I've read about their relationship seems to bely this - John refusing to play on George's stuff, not being interested in him contributing songs, etc.

Here's John making a very valuable contribution to a Harrisong:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eD2sU8ocA8

Shakey, Im about to consult the Bible (Lewisohn's "Recording Sessions") so I'll let you know what it says...

16 April 1969 : "Old Brown Shoe" had a rhythm track recorded live w all 4 Beatles, including John on rhythm guitar. John also joined Paul for backing vocals. John did further guitar overdubs two days later. They also did "Something" on this day but John isn't on that one, even though he was apparently still in the studio. Probably shouldn't read too much into that because early on he was pretty vocal about it being one of the best Beatles songs.

As for "Here Comes the Sun", which was started later in the summer, he wasn't on that either. "Recording Sessions" say it was due to injuries, and he was in a car crash in Scotland the week before, with Yoko, Kyoko, and Julian.

huh interesting - thx!

Also it looks like as soon as John got back into the studio, Paul was drilling everyone into turning "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" into the next "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", so I would guess that song curbed John's lack of interest more than anything.

The Maxwell sessions had to have been maddening

I don't mind that song, kinda love it, but ad nauseum would lead to homicide I'm sure

the irony.

funny that paul didn't just play the whole thing himself -- kind of sounds like he did anyway.

My favorite version of Maxwell is John's piss-take, where Paul chimes in Tiny Tim style. They could still have fun, even toward the end.

I just picture Paul grinning away, playing piano with everyone else scowling, grumpily banging hammers on a rail tie

Aren't railroad ties made of wood? I don't remmber hearing any railroad ties being played on Maxwell's Silver Hammer. Great, now there's another bootleg that I need to track down: the railroad tie mix of Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

Track not ties.

Just playin', I think it was actually an anvil in the Let It Be film.

Yep, Mal Evans is hitting an anvil w a hammer.

Imagine if the Beatles actually toured to support the Abbey Road album. They had have to stop everything and wait for Mal to trot out on stage with his anvil.

haha. wasn't Mal technically on the records more than anyone else aside from the Fabs themselves? like more than Yoko or Billy Preston or Clapton or whoever.

tie, track, anvil...I knew what I meant :)

If you read Mal Evans wikipedia page, it makes a strong case for him being the unsung fifth Beatle.

get in line, Mal

maybe there should be some kind of official voting

Evans was killed by police on 5 January 1976 at his rented duplex in Los Angeles. Officers were called when his girlfriend phoned the police and told them that Evans was confused and had a gun. The police believed that the air rifle Evans was holding was a rifle and shot him dead.]

WTF had never heard this story :(

They lost his remains in the mail too, prompting Lennon to say he was "dead mail".

Instant karma, John, instant karma...

instance, is John even on that? Or "Something"?

There's a session boot where John sings the lead vocal on "Something" so George can work out the harmony lines. If that's not helping, dunno what is.

His bass playing on The Long And Winding Road is really bad.

Apaprently, his bass playing was always really bad.

Not as bad as Mal's out-of-time Anvil playing. (The LP version does not feature him)

Also it looks like as soon as John got back into the studio, Paul was drilling everyone into turning "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" into the next "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", so I would guess that song curbed John's lack of interest more than anything.

This was the reason they split, according to Lennon. Macca was all "those wedding bells are breaking up that old gang of mine" which is why they might not have been as close in the latter days, but Lennon not wanting to do the McCartney songs he didn't personally like (without saying they had no merit) seems the truest reflection.

Apaprently, his bass playing was always really bad.

That version of Long And Winding Road was, for all intents and purposes, a rehearsal take. Ian MacDonald basically accuses Lennon of sabotage by passing it off as finished work, especially since Paul was around to overdub a decent bassline (I don't think they'd broken up just yet when Lennon got Spector in to assemble Let It Be).

From everything I've read, John must have been a 100% insufferable douchebag to be around by the end. I mean, in a way I guess they all were. But I remember being struck by that when I was reading 'Can't Buy Me Love'.

This is brilliant:

http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/deconstructing_helter_skelter/

Paul's voice!

^^^!!!!!!!

Really cool!

biggest marvel is really the editing. insane how much they chopped together on four tracks

neato. and apparently that's another example of lennon on bass. he had ideas!

haha oh man that bassline is so retarded

yeah, lennon seemed to think playing bass was kind of hilarious, i guess? maybe being dumb on bass is the only thing to do when mccartney is in your band.

I'm actually crying, real tears of hilarity over that bassline!

Generalizing, that sounds exactly like what happens when a rhythm guitarist picks up a bass in the studio and takes a crack at it.

"Hey, Paul! This is easy!" *cronk cronk cronk, grum grum grum*

it's demonstrably worse than that, Lennon's barely even keeping time, much less actually, y'know, playing notes with a decent tone

Lennon's sloppy playing is just what the song needs though. I'd be surprised if McCartney didn't arrange it like this on purpose.