The Beatles Classic Paul McCartney Wrote Out Of A Sense Of Competition
Paul McCartney may be a much-loved figure in British music, but the family favourite also has a raunchy side. After all, when The Beatles were playing tiny clubs in Hamburg it was Macca who took the mic for those Little Richard numbers, shrieking to his heart’s delight.
So when the mid 60s brought a tit-for-tit war of distortion between top tier British groups, there was only ever going to be one winner. Reading an interview with The Who’s Pete Townshend about the band’s single ‘I Can See For Miles’, Paul McCartney’s eyes were drawn to a quote saying the 45 was their loudest and most extreme record yet – so he decided to top it.
Entering Abbey Road once more, he began sketching out ideas for ‘Helter Skelter’ – arguably one of the first true rock or metal records, it was born out of friendly competition.
Source: Robin Murray/clashmusic.com
