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The Long and Winding Road Documentary (and controversy about Paul's playing Twenty Flight Rock)
26 September 2010
12.24am
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mithveaen
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A friend gave me this documentary about The Beatles, The Long And Winding Road , with people like Julia Baird, ex-Quarryman and Allan Williams talking about the Beatles.

 

For someone who hasn't seen much of Beatles history (I mean, I have read a lot in my favorite site called Beatles Bible  but I haven't seen many documentaries) it's ok, but something that caught my attention is that most of the Quarrymen (I don't remember their names, I have to check that part again) said that they don't remember Paul playing Twenty Flight Rock when he met John, because he wasn't carrying his guitar, or that it was not possible for him to play that song because John's guitar was for right-hand players, not left-hand players. It was really really weird. And a Beatle fan from those days praising too much Pete Best whereas Tony Sheridan said Best was not a good drumer.

 

I haven't finished watching it. But it's quite weird. Have you seen it?? a-hard-days-night-paul-4

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……

Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…

Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.

Beware of Darkness… 

26 September 2010
12.29am
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MrBig
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mithveaen said:

A friend gave me this documentary about The Beatles, The Long And Winding Road , with people like Julia Baird, ex-Quarryman and Allan Williams talking about the Beatles.

 

For someone who hasn't seen much of Beatles history (I mean, I have read a lot in my favorite site called Beatles Bible  but I haven't seen many documentaries) it's ok, but something that caught my attention is that most of the Quarrymen (I don't remember their names, I have to check that part again) said that they don't remember Paul playing Twenty Flight Rock when he met John, because he wasn't carrying his guitar, or that it was not possible for him to play that song because John's guitar was for right-hand players, not left-hand players. It was really really weird. And a Beatle fan from those days praising too much Pete Best whereas Tony Sheridan said Best was not a good drumer.

 

Wait , what?

"The best band? The Beatles. The most overrated band? The Beatles."

26 September 2010
12.34am
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mithveaen
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Sorry! The actual name of the documentary is The Beatles – A Long and Winding Road.

 

It's this one:

 

ie=UTF8&qid=1285457602&sr=1-7

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……

Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…

Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.

Beware of Darkness… 

26 September 2010
12.36am
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MrBig
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mithveaen said:

Sorry! The actual name of the documentary is The Beatles – A Long and Winding Road.

 

It's this one:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beatle…..amp;sr=1-7


That's not what I was confused about.

 

So they're implying that Paul didn't play TFR?

"The best band? The Beatles. The most overrated band? The Beatles."

26 September 2010
12.38am
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mithveaen
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I know Mr. Big, I just realized the mistake before you posted your message.

 

To answer your question, so far I remember, they do. I have to go to a reunion now, but as soon as I'm back home, I'll watch that bit again and try to quote what they say.

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……

Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…

Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.

Beware of Darkness… 

26 September 2010
1.01am
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skye
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So what are they saying he did to impress John if he didn't play TFR?

Ad hoc, ad loc, and quid pro quo! So little time! So much to know!

26 September 2010
4.34am
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mithveaen
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Here's the info. I might have changed some stuff like “remember” for “recall” but most of it it's almost verbatim.

BTW the video has an error in captioning, because they have “Len Garry” caption when it's actually Eric Griffits (That's why I was so confused about who is who).

 

….

Rod Davis

I don't remember meeting Paul although I remember Ivan, I knew him very well If Paul and Ivan were together,  then I must have met him

….

Len Garry

No.. I don't remember he played Twenty Flight Rock, but I remember he took a guitar, and showing off playing a little bit,  putting the guitar at the back of his head to play it and also doing a Little Richard impersonation. Little Richard had come on the scene by then

John could never get the high pitch of Little Richard but Paul could….

I thought, well, there's a posibility there.

….

Eric Griffiths

I don't believe that Paul played Twenty Flight Rock on the day of the Woolton Fate

Len Garry

Begin Paul McCartney , not seriously. I didn't know much about guitars, I don't know much about now. I wouldn't consider that an impossibility. A

probabilty…

….

Eric Griffiths

Paul played Twenty Flight Rock a few days later at his (house) when John and I went visiting him. Paul was showing off a little bit on the piano and played Twenty Flight Rock. It was the first time John and I had heard it

Colin Hanton

What Alec did say that he and John went to Paul's house some days later. There must have been a reason for John to go to Paul's house He wouldn't have just.. >>just after the first day he met Paul<<… he wouldn't have just gone and visit him a few days later, there must have been a reason, so. I suspect he must have played something and John must have been impressed

….

Eric Griffiths

Paul was very good. At that time, he was better than all of us.

Rod Davis

But I don't remember any of that at all, which is *laughs* seriousluy very incovenient.

But this business Paul playing Twenty Flight Rock I 've wondered about it because being a guitar player.. How could he suddenly *making a

sarcastic face* a left-hand guitar player – assuming he did it of course – and just after… 1997 when we recreate this thing 40 years later, and there was an article in “The Liverpol Echo” which said, and it was quoting Paul “I played Twenty Flight Rock left handed on a guitar for right handed guitar” and when he said “I played Twenty Flight Rock” he didnt play the solos he was just  playing the chords so it wasn't that big deal

And for a left handed guitar player the world is full of right hand guitar, so very quickly if you wanna go around with someone else's guitar you gotta learn to play the chords the other way around. I can just go about and do it but then again the world is not full of left hand guitar players.. so… that's what Paul said, he played Twenty Flight Rock the other way around. 

And I know for someone later who was in a band supporting them in Paris that John actually later then, could pick up Paul's guitar… he could play

Paul's guitar the other way around.

It sound more sense to me that he restringed the guitar or he'd going back to get his own guitar and… Pette Shotton says on their way home He and John were talking about this you know and John said “how about getting him to join the band?”

So there are a lot of conflicting memories about it. It will never be solved. It will be one of the great life mysteries

 

….

 

Later they always talk about Paul as someone who always convinced John to do things, without telling him directly to do these things, and making it like if it was John's idea. And they say “Paul being Paul”. One of them says “Well, I don't think John would have gone so far if it hadn't been for Paul” I need to check the right quote. But I didn't feel much love for Paul.

 

Interesting stuff uh?

 

Edit 2 : I got an audio capture from that part of the documentary. If someone is interested, send me a PM.

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……

Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…

Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.

Beware of Darkness… 

26 September 2010
1.49pm
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MrBig
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mithveaen said:

 

Rod Davis

But I don't remember any of that at all, which is *laughs* seriousluy very incovenient.

But this business Paul playing Twenty Flight Rock I 've wondered about it because being a guitar player.. How could he suddenly *making a

sarcastic face* a left-hand guitar player – assuming he did it of course – and just after… 1997 when we recreate this thing 40 years later, and there was an article in “The Liverpol Echo” which said, and it was quoting Paul “I played Twenty Flight Rock left handed on a guitar for right handed guitar” and when he said “I played Twenty Flight Rock” he didnt play the solos he was just  playing the chords so it wasn't that big deal

And for a left handed guitar player the world is full of right hand guitar, so very quickly if you wanna go around with someone else's guitar you gotta learn to play the chords the other way around. I can just go about and do it but then again the world is not full of left hand guitar players.. so… that's what Paul said, he played Twenty Flight Rock the other way around. 

And I know for someone later who was in a band supporting them in Paris that John actually later then, could pick up Paul's guitar… he could play

Paul's guitar the other way around.

It sound more sense to me that he restringed the guitar or he'd going back to get his own guitar and… Pette Shotton says on their way home He and John were talking about this you know and John said “how about getting him to join the band?”

 


The thing is, it's kind of easy to make a guitar from right handed to left handed. Just hammer out the plastic piece by the strings (also known as the nut) and reverse it. All that's left is restringing it.

"The best band? The Beatles. The most overrated band? The Beatles."

26 September 2010
2.51pm
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mithveaen
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I've been thinking about this controversy and I don't want to sound Paul team, but I think Paul actually played Twenty Flight Rock.

The 2 arguments are :

  1. I don't remember that happened. Well, if something is happening in your living room and you don't see it, it doesn't mean it didn't happen. So maybe these guys were not with Paul and John when they talked. I mean, they actually claim they can't remember who or what they did. So the thing would be, who actually witnessed Paul and John's first meeting?
  2. I don't think Paul who is left handed played Twenty Flight Rock in John's right hand guitar. Logic says it's not possible right? Well, Mr. Big is right. I found this.

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……

Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…

Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.

Beware of Darkness… 

26 September 2010
4.52pm
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skye
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I thought that was how Paul taught John guitar chords – upside down and backwards. Again, it's Paul's word but it would be a strange lie.

Ad hoc, ad loc, and quid pro quo! So little time! So much to know!

26 September 2010
6.58pm
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mithveaen
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And John's word as well Skye. Here's what he says in the documentary. I'm sure there must be a transcript of this interview somewhere on Internet.

 

I was thinking about something the other day. There only 2 artists I have ever worked after after >>one night stand<< Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono.

I think that's a pretty good damn choice, because in the history of the Beatles, when Paul met me, the first day I did Bee Bop a Lula live on stage ok? A mutual friend brought him to see my group called “The Quarry Men”

And we met, we talked after the show I saw he had talent, and he played guitar backstage doing “Twenty Flight Rock” by Eddie Chochran

And I turned and >>I said in our first meeting<< “You wanna join the group?” (John babbles imitating Paul's voice) and I think he said “Yes” the next day as I recall it.

 

Now George came through Paul, Ringo came through George, although I had a saying when they came from. But the only, the person I actually picked as a partner, when I recognized his talent, it was Paul.

a-hard-days-night-john-1

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……

Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…

Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.

Beware of Darkness… 

31 January 2011
1.16am
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Kail
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So at 14 left handed Paul could play a right handed guitar? Pretty damn impressive.

31 January 2011
3.03am
Marcelo
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I heard a rumour that says that Paul can play right-handed too. Can anybody confirm it?

I'd like to say "thank you" on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition.
John Lennon

31 January 2011
3.57am
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PennyLane
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Marcelo said:

I heard a rumour that says that Paul can play right-handed too. Can anybody confirm it?


I wouldn't be surprised if he can. I mean it's Paul McCartney . Come on.

Well we all shine on like the moon, the stars, and the sun.

9 February 2011
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Just saw a you tube video of Paul talking about meeting John, and he did play someone else's guitar left handed that day. He even picks up and plays a righty to prove it. Amazing.

9 February 2011
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The Walrus
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Jimi Hendrix never owned a left handed guitar.

I told her I didn’t 

9 February 2011
10.26pm
mr. Sun king coming together
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The Walrus said:

Jimi Hendrix never owned a left handed guitar.


And…..

As if it matters how a man falls down.'

'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.

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