Bonus Episode 3: Marriage Mythology
Happy Holidays! We’ve got THREE bonus episodes for you today!!! Sam Whiles of Paul or Nothing and Phoebe Lorde discuss two Made-for-TV films about the McCartneys and Lennons. Perfect listening for a post-Christmas haze!
In Bonus Episode 3, join Phoebe and Sam Whiles, host of Paul or Nothing podcast, as they discuss the cinematic portrayals of the McCartney and Lennon marriages. What mythology do they create for themselves? What does the public (fans, authors and outside media) project onto them? How have their images changed over time?
Movies discussed in this episode: The Linda McCartney Story (2000) and John and Yoko: a Love Story (1985).
Listen to Paul or Nothing Here
ANOTHER KIND OF MIND 
I would like to suggest a topic and it comes from things you have mentioned. Do you think its possible that Paul has some level of autism? The clues are his ability to hear complete arrangements in his head, instrumental ability and unfaltering rhythm, a fearlessness in physical stunts, and liking structure and a sense of order. In Get Back you mentioned stimming activity so this is what came to mind.
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I’m a new listener and have enjoyed your podcasts. Thank you! As with many people, perhaps particularly with people of my generation (born in 1956!), Get Back has provided quite the emotional ride. After all of these decades, the most important thing to me was to see the relationship between John and Paul in the closest thing to real time and everyday life as we can get. Of course, it was astonishing and affirming, breathtakingly sad, yet it filled me with a weird sense of comfort.
Get Back also sent me down some rabbit holes, where I found this podcast, among others, and interviews I’d never read. I was particularly struck by a quote (below) from Linda in the 1984 Playboy interview by Joan Goodman because I feel Linda’s viewpoint is really missing. This quote made me all the more curious, as do things I’ve seen, even from Paul, that their marriage was not as easy as it may have appeared. I’ve seen references to it as volatile, and I wonder, if true, how much of it had to do with all of the forever unresolved emotional issues with and about John. We’ll probably never know, unless something is left to be revealed after the principles have died.
From the Playboy interview:
(Paul leaves to take a telephone call)
LINDA: “I was just going to say that I think if John had lived, he might still be saying, ‘Oh, I’m much happier now…”
PLAYBOY: “And you don’t believe it?”
LINDA: “The sad thing is that John and Paul both had problems and they loved each other and, boy, could they have helped each other! If they had only communicated! It frustrates me to no end, because I was just some chick from New York when I walked into all of that. God, if I’d known what I know now… All I could do was sit there watching them play these games.”
PLAYBOY: “But wasn’t it clear that John wanted only to work with Yoko?”
LINDA: “No. I know that Paul was desperate to write with John again. And I know John was desperate to write. Desperate. People thought, Well, he’s taking care of Sean, he’s a househusband and all that, but he wasn’t happy. He couldn’t write and it drove him crazy. And Paul could have helped him… easily.”
(Paul returns)
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Interesting and original site – thanks. You will all know that Mick and Keef were walking down the King’s Road and flagged down the passing car with Paul and John as occupants. They were desperate for a 2nd hit, and were given ‘I wanna Be your Man’
Given their symbiotic relationship and concurrent development, I have created a novice-friendly selection of Beatles/Stones tracks.
3 track preamble then first albums onwards to the ‘B Side’ of Abbey Road, and beyond
Any feedback would be welcome. Cheers Rob
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Enjoying your podcast. You guys are certifiable and should probably wash your mouths with ajax, and I don’t agree with everything, but you HAVE done your homework, for sure, which I love. Was just listening to part 5 in your 4-part series (lol). Pretty interesting, and I will not say it was not an issue. Who knows, it is quite possibly correct that there was a romantic interest in Paul from John. Crazier things have obviously happened. I found the below, which you might not have seen, and seems to back up the possibility:
https://www.vulture.com/2015/10/yoko-ono-lennon-had-sexual-desire-for-men.html
One thing I wonder is, if the Beatles breakup is largely due to John’s unfulfilled relationship with Paul, let’s say, then why did Geoge contribulte to How do you Sleep, and why did George and also Ringo have issues with Paul? For years. I think there is more to it than you think. You might want to check out Sage of Quay, which you might not like, but I like to absorb as much as possible and make my own informed decisions.
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