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3.54pm
29 August 2013
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Back from my holiday with a new Beatles book…large one with Andy Warhol’s picture of Paul on the front. Anyway, there’s a quote on there that goes…”Cynthia observed that Paul was fed up playing rhythm guitar along with John. He wanted desperately to expand his musical ability by playing left-hand bass, which of course would leave Stuart out in the cold.” I’ve never seen this before and I don’t entirely believe it’s true. Any ideas?
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4.21pm
Reviewers
29 November 2012
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Not true at all. Paul disliked Stu’s lack of talent, but he didn’t play bass by choice. After his guitar broke, while Stu was still in the band, Paul either played the guitar unplugged (in essence, miming) onstage, played a piano if the venue had one, or sat in on drums or bass is Pete or Stu couldn’t make the gig. Basically, once Stu left the band and they *needed* a bass player, Paul *had* to take the role on as he had no instrument to play by that point. It’s all in Lewisohn’s book.
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4.22pm
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1 May 2011
Offline Every quote i’ve ever seen about Paul taking up the bass says that none of the others wanted the task so it fell to Paul.
Did a google searh using the quote and it brings up this thread and a load of other stuff that has no relation to the Beatles.
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4.33pm
Reviewers
29 November 2012
Offline meanmistermustard said
Every quote i’ve ever seen about Paul taking up the bass says that none of the others wanted the task so it fell to Paul.Did a google searh using the quote and it brings up this thread and a load of other stuff that has no relation to the Beatles.
Exactly. And as Lewisohn fleshed out, Paul was in a tough spot with a busted axe and no need for a 2nd rhythm guitarist in the band. In any event, it obviously turned out alright as he’s one of the best bass guitarists in rock history 8)
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4.51pm
1 December 2009
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Very strange quote, that one. I wonder, is it attributed to Cynthia herself? Because if so, then it could be “true”, in the sense that it was her mistaken interpretation of the situation.
But yeah, even if it’s a good-faith mistake on her part, it still contradicts everything we’ve ever heard about how Paul came to play the bass – reluctantly at first, then with increasing enthusiasm when he began to explore the possibilities.
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
5.01pm
Reviewers
29 November 2012
Offline I’d find it hard to believe it’s factually a Cyn quote…she only went to Hamburg *once* to visit them when they were playing there, and Stu was in the midst of his tenure then (I believe) and I highly doubt she’d have any inkling of any inter-band struggle like that. John seemed to try and keep her pretty well isolated from the band business, or as Paul later commented, when the guys “were down in the pits and the women stayed back home.”
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8.13pm
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Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline John did send letters back to Cyn when in Hamburg so it could have been in a letter, but i highly doubt it.
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5.46am
29 August 2013
Offline I think it’s been established that Lewisohn’s book is THE book to go for, however I think early books like this do paint an early picture…this was probably written right after they broke up and they were trying to sort through all the mess that had surrounded them at that point..It must have been very difficult to research, as most of the only source material was in interviews and maybe about five books. Anyway, who knows? Maybe Paul has been hiding something from us….
"White Album - My joint-fave Beatles album along with Revolver. They show the two sides of Beatles. Revolver's very controlled - even though it's also very innovative. The White Album's playful and almost ramshackle. It's like a scrapbook kept by a genius. Fantastic stuff."
1.38am
17 January 2014
Offline Was Paul not the best guitarist at this point? I’ve read that nothing ever came easy to George I think from Geoff Emericks book. Also as seen in let it be that Paul basically told George what to play and would do solos if George couldnt get it. Why not go for lead? Was he not the best yet? Would it take away from him being able to sing? Or did he have too much love for George?
2.32am
1 November 2013
Offline kezron9 said
Was Paul not the best guitarist at this point? I’ve read that nothing ever came easy to George I think from Geoff Emericks book. Also as seen in let it be that Paul basically told George what to play and would do solos if George couldnt get it. Why not go for lead? Was he not the best yet? Would it take away from him being able to sing? Or did he have too much love for George?
I heard that Paul was the only one in the group willing to take up the Bass and not quit the band so Paul couldn’t take up the guitar I think.
5.12am
14 February 2013
Offline Annadog40 said
kezron9 said
Was Paul not the best guitarist at this point? I’ve read that nothing ever came easy to George I think from Geoff Emericks book. Also as seen in let it be that Paul basically told George what to play and would do solos if George couldnt get it. Why not go for lead? Was he not the best yet? Would it take away from him being able to sing? Or did he have too much love for George?I heard that Paul was the only one in the group willing to take up the Bass and not quit the band so Paul couldn’t take up the guitar I think.
That is what I have read also, Annadog40
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5.58am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline LikeASir said
I think it’s been established that Lewisohn’s book is THE book to go for, however I think early books like this do paint an early picture…this was probably written right after they broke up and they were trying to sort through all the mess that had surrounded them at that point..It must have been very difficult to research, as most of the only source material was in interviews and maybe about five books. Anyway, who knows? Maybe Paul has been hiding something from us….
If this is the book you mean:
not too early for the story of Paul being the “reluctant bassist”. An early-ish (1980?) book, but Paul was honest in the ’60s that he ended up on bass because John and George refused.
Interesting book however, as the whole original cover was the full set of Warhols:
And early editions carried a clear version of the Warhol as well:
The Warhol was done specifically for this book, I believe, and my copy came with the two dust jackets. The titled above the clean. Had it on my bedroom wall(s) for many years before it got returned to the book.
The actual book itself was largely a dreadful “cut and paste” job. Very good for pictures though!
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12.09pm
17 January 2014
Offline HeyTrud said
Annadog40 said
kezron9 said
Was Paul not the best guitarist at this point? I’ve read that nothing ever came easy to George I think from Geoff Emericks book. Also as seen in let it be that Paul basically told George what to play and would do solos if George couldnt get it. Why not go for lead? Was he not the best yet? Would it take away from him being able to sing? Or did he have too much love for George?I heard that Paul was the only one in the group willing to take up the Bass and not quit the band so Paul couldn’t take up the guitar I think.
That is what I have read also, Annadog40
Good point he always put the band first. Now that I think about it there sets were so long then they would all get to solo. I remember in the Anthology book Paul mentioned John would do alot of Chuck Berry Soloing think it was all he knew.
1.43pm
7 February 2014
Offline What about after Paul went solo and when he formed Wings? Obviously, by that point, he no longer had to play bass out of necessity and could have recruited a very capable musician to fill in on bass enabling him to switch back to guitar. Do you think it was just that he had fallen in love with playing the bass by that point?
3.53pm
1 November 2013
Offline tulane said
What about after Paul went solo and when he formed Wings? Obviously, by that point, he no longer had to play bass out of necessity and could have recruited a very capable musician to fill in on bass enabling him to switch back to guitar. Do you think it was just that he had fallen in love with playing the bass by that point?
I read that he grew to like the bass over time
6.11pm
14 December 2009
Offline Yeah, I heard him say that very thing on a radio interview years ago. Mentioned that at first nobody wanted to play bass, that groups seemed to always get “the fat guy” to stand at the back of the stage with it going boom boom boom, but Paul grew to love it for its melodic possibilities.
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