Lenin and McCartney

Paul McCartney in Red Square, 2003, doing "Two of Us". The song is about him and his then girlfriend Linda Eastman, not John Lennon, but it is apparently thought to be, and could well have been. In any case, a nice number about camaraderie, with a catchy bass run.

John Lennon Would Have ..

done a concert tour in 1981 to follow the success of his last album Double Fantasy. There is no reason to imagine it would have been his last, or last album. There had been enough extra music that Yoko released songs in 1981. As well John and Paul were on more friendly terms at least since 1974 when they actually jammed together and sang Lucille, along with Stevie Wonder and Harry Nilson. There are bootleg recordings of this, and can be found online, but it's nothing to be proud of.. it was during John's so-called "long weekend" of excess.
The photo is a rare shot of Lennon and McCartney "together" at least in the same photo, post-Beatle breakup.. in 1974 during a jam session


In 1980, Lennon was listening to music by Paul McCartney, and he liked what he heard, specifically "Coming Up", the catchy upbeat solo hit by Paul. Lennon has said that, "it's a dam fine number.. I just can't get it out of my head", and some say it was a factor in him getting back to the recording studio.

During the 1970s, despite old wounds from financial and management disagreements during the breakup of the Beatles, Lennon still did not totally discount a Beatle reunion of some type. He told friend Eliot Mintz that "if it happens, it happens because we would want to." So it is very conceivable given a warming of relations between Lennon and McCartney that they and the other Fab two would get back together for a concert, album or both.

Lennon would have been 69 today. The only thing possible is to enjoy the music and message he left. Below is the last Beatle performance, on the Abby Road studio rooftop. They performed five songs, and this clip is "Don't Let Me Down".

Upbeat Tune for the Fogtime Blues

Lady Madonna has to be one of the most buoyant and lively pieces of pop music there is. It's instantly recognizable opening piano notes shout, "come alive"! This is mainly Paul McCartney's composition, musically and lyrically, though John Lennon threw in the line "see how they run". It was released as a single in March, 1968. McCartney, influenced by American blues and pop performers such as Little Richard, was inspired by the boogie-woogie piano sound in the song "Bad Penny Blues" by Englishman, Humphrey Lyttleton, for Lady Madonna. You can hear the influence in the opening part of the song.

Piano is prominent in the song, and saxophones are as well. The original song is interesting for more than just the catchy, high-spirited melody - there is a part in the song, that, for this listener anyway, was hard to determine upon first hearing, whether it was voice or an instrument making the sound. The sound resembles a saxophone, but it's been mentioned on one Beatle "fact" site, that the sound was made by the singers cupping their hands over their mouths and mimicking the sax (in this video, they voice it anyway). In any case, it was trademark Beatle musical creativity, and it had the fingerprints of Paul's typical upbeat style.

Here's the You Tube video, with Paul playing it on a British show hosted by musician Jools Holland. So turn up your sound and get ready to tap your feet.


Whatever your musical preference, You Tube is a great site to search and find live performances, cover versions, and lessons in guitar, piano, or whatever.