Fifth Beatle floored by John Lennon's outrageous wish for The Beatles' songs
Considering The Beatles' success, which continues to mount more than five decades after their split, it's hard to imagine any of the Fab Four wishing for more. Or, maybe it's not when reflecting on how much a perfectionist John Lennon was concerning the band.
Lennon was often the most critical of The Beatles' endeavors, both in and out of the recording studio, and continuously voiced negative views even after the group called it quits. He wasn't ever shy to throw certain Beatles songs under the bus and brutally bash them.
In fact, Lennon wasn't happy with any of The Beatles' songs, it turns out, and once confided in one of the most important figures in the band's life, their producer, George Martin, who was often referred to as the fifth Beatle, about a wild wish he had about their tunes.
Lennon wrote some of the most famous songs in music history with and without his songwriting partner, Paul McCartney, but Martin said that he didn’t exactly look back at his songs fondly. Throughout The Beatles' lifetime, Lennon would call some of their songs like Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, Hey Bulldog, Run For Your Life, and Dig a Pony garbage or even embarrassing. Despite what he thought about The Beatles' work, Lennon always commended Martin for helping them translate their ideas into music.
He once said (per Far Out), "He had great musical knowledge and background. He taught us, and I’m sure we taught him a lot through our primitive musical ability. Which I still have. I can’t always translate what I’m trying to say all the time."
Martin always praised the group and fondly reflected on their musical collaboration, but there was one memory of working with Lennon that always unsettled him. Lennon once told him that he wanted to redo every song The Beatles had ever recorded.
While speaking to Robert Sandall, Martin remembered him having plans for re-recording certain songs, too.
Source: themirror.com/Hannah Furnell
