Sneaky Haircuts and More About Paul

Not rated yet.

ONE CRITIC TRIED TO EXPLAIN THEIR SUCCESS BY SAYING THEY HAVE A SOUND WHICH IS
TODAY'S VERSION OF THE ETERNAL CRY OF THE YOUTH. STILL OTHER CRITICS PLACE A
LESSER VALUE OF THEIR MUSICAL APPEAL AND ATTRIBUTE THEIR SUCCESS TO THEIR
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. THE GROUP'S MOST DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC, THE
HAIRCUT. A CARDINAL RULE, NEVER SHOW THE FOREHEAD. I ASKED PAUL IF THE GROUP
EVER VISITS THE BARBER SHOP.
"YOU KNOW, YOU NOTICE WHEN YOU'VE HAD A HAIRCUT. BUT YOU DON'T NOTICE WHEN
WE HAVE. WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S SNEAKY HAIRCUTS."
AH, THOSE SNEAKY HAIRCUTS. THOSE WHO WOULD ANALYSE THE REASONS FOR THE
FANTASTIC APPEAL ON THE BEATLES OFTEN SAY IT'S THEIR SOUND, THEIR ACCENT AND SO
FORTH, STILL EVERYONE AGREES THAT THE BEATLES ARE SUCCESSFUL. AND OF SUCCESS,
PAUL McCARTNEY SAYS, "IT'S FABULOUS, THE SUCCESS AND ALL THAT, BUT I WISH PEOPLE
WOULDN'T THINK THAT BECAUSE WE'RE SUCCESSFUL THAT WE'RE UNAPPROACHABLE. IT
IS NOT TRUE."
IT REALLY BOTHERS PAUL THAT SOME PEOPLE THINK HE HAS CHANGED SINCE THE
BEATLES BECAME THE RAGE OF ENGLAND. "I REALLY CAN'T QUITE EXPLAIN IT BUT WHEN I
MEET SOME OF MY OLD MATES, THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE THE SAME. THEY HAVE A
DIFFERENT ATTITUDE TOWARD ME. PERHAPS THEY THINK THAT WE'VE ALL GONE BIG
TIME SINCE GETTING INTO THE CHARTS. I REALLY DON'T KNOW. BUT I KNOW THEY'RE
WRONG."
THE BEATLES HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO HECKLERS DESPITE THEIR POPULARITY. IN SOME
CITIES THE BEATLES HAVE BEEN MET WITH A FEW JEERS BUT THEY SHRUG IT OFF
PHILOSOPHICALLY AS PART OF THE GAME OF SHOWBUSINESS. ON AT LEAST ONE
OCCASION, HOWEVER, THE JEERING GOT OUT OF HAND AND THREE DELINQUENTS, OR
'TEDDY BOYS' AS THE BEATLES WOULD CALL THEM, HURLED OBJECTS AT THE STAGE. ON
THIS SUBJECT ALL SPOKE FOR ONE AND ONE BEATLE SPOKE FOR ALL WHEN IT CAME TO
REACTION.
"IT WAS JUST A MINOR GROUP THAT THREW THEM, YOU KNOW. AND WE HAD FOUR OF
THEM IN THE ROOM IN MELBOURNE. AND THEY, THEY DECIDED AT THE END IT WAS A
STUPID TRICK. WE BROUGHT THEM UP AND SAID WELL WHY DID YOU DO IT AND THEY
SAID, 'WELL, EVERY TIME WE TURN THE RADIO ON YOUR RECORDS ARE ON,' SO WHAT CAN
YOU SAY TO THAT?"
MANY A SUCCESSFUL GROUP OF THE PAST HAS FALLEN VICTIM TO WHAT HAS BECOME THE
ESTABLISHED RULE RATHER THAN THE EXCEPTION. SPLITTING UP TO INDIVIDUALLY
PURSUE CAREERS. I ASKED PAUL IF HIS GROUP, THE BEATLES WAS REALLY A COMPATIBLE
COMBINATION.
"WELL WE'VE BEEN EACH OTHER'S FRIENDS FOR YEARS NOW, A LONG TIME. AND YOU
KNOW, I KNEW GEORGE AND JOHN AT SCHOOL. AND SO WE'RE JUST WE ARE EACH OTHER'S
FRIENDS, SO WE GET ALONG. WE GET ALONG AS WELL AS BEST FRIENDS DO WHICH IS
LUCKY."
IS IT LUCK, TALENT, TIMING, THE BREAKS? I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF ALL THESE
THINGS. AND MANY, MANY MORE FACTORS. BUT THEY ALL ADD UP TO SPELL SUCCESS AND
THIS VERY TANGIBLE COMMODITY CAN OFTEN CHANGE ONE IN THE LIMELIGHT. BUT I
DOUBT VERY MUCH WHETHER IT WILL CHANGE PAUL McCARTNEY. HE STILL HOLDS THE
SAME IDEALS HIGH, STILL LIKES THE SAME THINGS THAT HE DID WHEN HE WAS A BOY.
HE'S STILL VERY FOND OF ART.
IN PAUL'S WORDS, "I GOT MY DIPLOMA IN ART AND I'M STILL VERY INTERESTED IN THIS
SUBJECT. I OFTEN SKETCH WHILE WE'RE ON TOUR, THAT IS WHEN I'M NOT WRITING SONGS
OR GO GO-CARTING." AND HE HOPE SOME DAY TO EARN ENOUGH, ENOUGH MONEY THAT
IS, SO HE CAN INVEST IN A BUSINESS, HIS BROTHER'S BUSINESS. IT'S A HAIRDRESSING
BUSINESS!


TWIST AND SHOUT
By Bert Russell and Phil Medley (pseudonym of Bert Berns)
Recorded live Sunday 23 August 1964 at Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California, USA

AH -
AH -
AH -
AH -
WHOA! OW! OW!

WELL, SHAKE IT UP, BABY, NOW, (shake it up, baby)
TWIST AND SHOUT. (twist and shout)
COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, BABY, NOW, (come on, baby)
COME ON AND WORK IT ON OUT. (work it on out -oo-)
WELL, YOU TWIST, LITTLE GIRL.

 

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