John Lennon insulted Paul McCartney on a number of occasions, calling his songwriting “granny music”. Despite the juvenile connotation of that insult, it likely cut McCartney deeply. Many of McCartney’s most famous songs fall into this Lennon-defined category. He made his name off of wearing his heart on his sleeve and never shying away from the fanciful.

His fans love him for this, but there are times when he took it too far. No one’s track record is perfect–not even a Beatle’s. Below, find three McCartney songs that are confusing listens, even for Macca superfans.

McCartney has many songs about domestic bliss, but few are as odd and on-the-nose as “Cook Of The House.” In this off-kilter rock anthem, Linda McCartney sings about her household duties. Ground rice, sugar, vinegar, Seco salt / Macaroni too, she sings, with some heavy vocal editing. This song feels like the kind of thing you’d hear in a dream or a children’s show you’d shut off quickly. We can never knock McCartney for trying new things. That’s a large part of his charm. But songs like “Cook Of The House” make it hard to deem all his experiments success stories.

Source: americansongwriter.com/Alex Hopper

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Paul McCartney continues to champion aspiring musicians, dedicating his time to the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).

The 82-year-old singer-songwriter — who rose to fame with the Beatles in the 1960s, thanks to their iconic hits including “Help!” and “Come Together” — regularly visits the institution to support graduating students.

David Stark, a colleague at LIPA, attested to McCartney’s motivating commitment.

“For the last 20 years I’ve been involved with LIPA, which Paul is the patron of, and he was instrumental in getting that off the ground in the early 90s,” Stark told The Mirror US. “They have the graduation day every year in July and I give out the SongLink Prizes every year. And Paul’s always there. So he makes a big effort.”  McCartney reportedly also dedicates time to teaching and mentoring songwriting students prior to their graduation.

“He’ll sit down with each of them for half an hour or so to talk about their songs. He’s great. He really is,” Stark said. “He makes a big effort and I’m very proud to work with him.”

Source: yahoo.com/Connor McCrory

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Ringo Starr has revealed the real story behind his famous catchphrase.  The legendary drummer is well known for frequently signing off with the words, “Peace and love.” Many fans have long believed the 84-year-old legend came up with the phrase during the Beatles’ spiritual trip to India in 1968 - but this isn't the case.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Ringo finally set the record straight – and the roots of his mantra lie not in the East, but on the West Coast of America. “It actually came, for me, from San Francisco, where the hippies were,” Starr said. “They were, of course, great peace and lovers, and then it changed. But I found a picture the other day of the four of us [giving the peace sign]... I didn’t invent it, I just picked it up. John was a big proponent of peace and love, and it just came to me.”

Decades later, Ringo admits the message is still important today, saying, “I think it’s important every day — and right now the world is going through a madness. Maybe it’ll help."

The Beatles drummer was flung into the spotlight after joining the Beatles in 1962, and has since faced the highs and lows of fame. He has held onto his optimism since childhood, despite facing some difficult challenges early in life regarding his health.

Source: themirror.com/Ayaan Ali

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Few things are more exciting than getting to go on the road with your band, let alone a world tour, but in early June 1964, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr had to wait a little while longer to join in on the fun. Indeed, as exciting as embarking on a tour can be, it can be equally devastating when you find out that circumstances beyond your control will be keeping you from following through with your plans.

Beatlemania was in full swing as the Beatles set off for what would be their first world tour in early June 1964. The band began in Denmark on June 4, and from there, they traveled to the Netherlands, then-British Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, England, Sweden, and back home again to England. It was a massive trek for the Liverpudlian band, lasting from June 4 to August 16. But for the first six performances, they were notably missing a member of the Fab Four: Ringo Starr.

The morning before the Beatles left for Denmark (it’s always the morning before, right?), the drummer fainted during a photoshoot. After team members rushed him to the hospital, doctors diagnosed Starr with acute tonsillitis and pharyngitis. He had a notable fever, and other likely symptoms included a very sore throat, headache, body aches, and a cough. Not exactly the best shape for going on the road—at least, that’s what the doctors thought when they ordered him to rest. He wouldn’t be leaving with the rest of his band, and that was that.

Producer George Martin suggested the band reach out to Jimmie Nicol, a talented session drummer who had recently played on a Beatles cover album called Beatlemania. “I was having a bit of a lie down after lunch when the phone rang,” Nicol later recalled, via BeatlesBible. “It was EMI asking if I could come down to the studio to rehearse with the Beatles. Two hours after I got there, I was told to pack my bags for Denmark.”

Source: americansongwriter.com/Melanie Davis

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Years before the Beatles sold hundreds of millions of albums themselves, they were looking for a record deal that would save them from playing racy Hamburg venues, only to be given an uncredited performance opportunity on an album they didn’t even like that much. As the old adage goes, beggars can’t be choosers, right?

The recording process might not have been everything the band dreamed of. Still, it was an interesting precursor to a life they would soon become well-acquainted with: that of an original recording artist. But before that could happen, the lads had to pay their dues.

As is so often the case in the music industry, the Beatles got their start as a backing band, not the original band we know and love today. The group cut their teeth across Europe, performing for hours on end for solo performers, entertaining nightclub attendees into the wee hours of the morning, and other kinds of “jukebox” gigs that make playing music feel like, well, a real job. Countless green performers will “pay their dues” in this way in the hopes that these backing gigs will lead to something bigger for themselves, and the Beatles were no exception.

When solo performer Tony Sheridan needed a backing band to cut a few records in the studio, the Beatles obliged. But once they got there, they quickly realized that this wasn’t the “big break” they had been looking for. As George Harrison recalled in Anthology, “It was a bit disappointing because we’d been hoping to get a record deal ourselves.” Moreover, the band walked into the session with a great deal of confidence. “We thought it would be easy,” John Lennon added. “The Germans had such s***** records. Ours were bound to be better. We did five of our own numbers. But they didn’t like them.”

Source: americansongwriter.com/Melanie Davis

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He's known for this three-word mantra.

When the average person hears the name Ringo Starr, a few things might come to mind: The Beatles. Drums. "Yellow Submarine." Thomas and Friends. And, of course, there's always the musician's iconic catchphrase: "Peace and love."

It's long been assumed by many that Starr, 84, came up with his motto after visiting India with the other Beatles — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison — in 1968. But as he recently told the Associated Press, Starr was actually inspired to coin the phrase after spending time in a particular American city.

“It actually came, for me, from San Francisco, where the hippies were,” Starr said. “They were, of course, great peace and lovers, and then it changed. But I found a picture the other day of the four of us [giving the peace sign]...I didn’t invent it, I just picked it up. Johnwas a big proponent of peace and love, and it just came to me.”

In the years since, however, Starr has come to appreciate the true value of his message, which the world might need to hear now more than ever.

“I think it’s important every day — and right now the world is going through a madness. Maybe it’ll help,” Starr said.

Later in the same interview, the drummer admitted that he's naturally “an optimist, not a pessimist," referencing the challenges of his early life (which included contracting tuberculosis and spending two years in a sanatorium, where he learned to play the drums).

Source: parade.com/Jacqueline Burt Cote

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