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SYNOPSIS: In Creative Whirlwind, we take a look at how Tune In reports and characterizes young Lennon and McCartney as budding artists.
We’ll show that Tune In significantly downplays, shortchanges and ignores crucial aspects of McCartney’s artistic development and identity. On the other hand, Lennon’s creative development is shown from all angles in loving detail and with unbridled admiration.
Our discussion will be divided into three major sections: Visual Arts, Literature and Musical Self-Expression.
PLAYLIST
Sh-Boom THE CHORDS
Mona Lisa NAT KING COLE
Let’s Have a Party WANDA JACKSON
Blueberry Hill FATS DOMINO
New Day SUN RA
Woo-Hoo THE ROCK-A-TEENS
Blues in Orbit DUKE ELLINGTON
What is This Thing Called Love DAVE BRUBECK
Bloodnock Rock n Roll Call THE GOONS
Aint’ Misbehavin’ FATS WALLER
Sleepy Lagoon HARRY JAMES
Rocket 88 JACKIE BRENSTON
Come Go with Me THE DEL VIKINGS
Money BARRETT STRONG
I’ll Be On My Way THE BEATLES
SOURCES
Remember by Mike McCartney (1992)
The Beatles by Bob Spitz (2005)
Mike McCartney “Portrait of Paul,” Woman Magazine (1965)
Early Liverpool by Mike McCartney (2021)
The Guardian “The Long and Winding Ode” by Nicci Gerrard, (Sat 10 Mar 2001)
Many Years From Now by Barry Miles (1997)
Beatles Book Magazine (“Young Paul”), Issue 27
BC Interview (October 4, 1997)
Melvyn Bragg Interview, Southbank (1977)
Donovan Leitch Interview w/ Rolling Stone (April 30, 2012)
ANOTHER KIND OF MIND 
Thank you so much for doing this series and putting in the research to point out everything that’s wrong with this book and substantiate it with facts. My annoyance about the bias in Tune In is actually how I found your podcast about 2 years ago (tnx Google). So I don’t really need the series to convince me, but it feels good to hear others putting my grievances into words so eloquently.
I’m not a young fan. I discovered them at age 11 in the late 70s (after becoming a Wings fan), not long before John was killed. So I lived through the whole ‘Saint John’ era after 1980, where not a bad word could be spoken about Lennon, while McCartney was merely someone to be scoffed at, or worse. Except that narrative never felt right to me, no matter how often it was repeated. It did however make me give up reading Beatles books and articles in the ‘serious’ music press somewhere in the early 90s.
Tune In was in fact the first actual Beatles book I decided to read since then. And that only about 3 years ago. I knew Lewisohn from his first two books in the 80s, the first of which I bought and had signed when he was a guest at the Amsterdam Beatles convention. I thought he was ok. Boy, was I wrong! Yes, it’s nice that he can pinpoint what happened on what exact date, but he should have stuck to books only listing those and spared us his opinions. Honestly, I was so disappointed and couldn’t understand why the book got such raving reviews.
Anyway, to finish off with, here’s what broke the camel’s back for me, although it certainly isn’t the first or worst derogatory remark about Paul:
At the start of chapter 5 (extended version; sorry it’s all I have) Lewisohn describes a childhood photograph of Paul (7 or 8 at the time) as ‘looking pleased with himself’. First of all, that’s a weird thing to say about a young child, but it’s worse when you know the actual photo (which isn’t in the book, but I checked Mike McCartney’s book which is quoted as the source). He’s talking about the well known picture of Mary sitting in a field with her boys on either side of her. Dad Jim, who’s taking the photo, has probably just made a joke to make his sons smile for the camera, because Mike is already in stitches and Paul is trying his best not to burst out laughing. At least, that’s how I always saw that picture, but I guess Lewisohn knows best….
Again, thank you and keep up the good work!
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Hello!! I just wanted to say I love the podcast so much!! This new series is amazing and I’m so glad ya’ll are giving Paul his due. Your podcast is such a refreshing take on The Beatles and especially on Paul and John, I’ve learned so much and can’t wait for more!! Thank you for putting so much time and energy into this!!💛💜
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Thank you for doing this series. Many people praise Tune In for its accuracy and objectivity. But when I read it, the bias was palpable. For the most part, I did consider it to be more a pro-John than an anti-Paul bias, but the ongoing theme that Paul was some kind of inauthentic wannabe kept creeping in. There was the implication that he didn’t have his own voice in the previous episode — which should be OK since he was teenager; it takes time to find your voice, but Mark made it seem like he was a phony. And it reminded me of another part in the book where Mark implies that Paul is inauthentic because he dressed the part and “fancied [himself] an artist”. Well, here he is using Paul’s own words against him to point out some kind of character flaw, rather than showing us a normal but creative teenager who is turned on by the world around him and trying to find his place in it by trying on different hats, fancying himself an artist or a playwright or a musician or a teacher… It was a frustrating read.
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That the only anecdote Lewisohn includes about Paul’s artistic output and the language he uses to describe it is the one about the nudie sketches, shows his true intentions here. He doesn’t care about Paul as an artist – whenever he even mentions interests outside of music, he couches it in language that implies these are mere pretension. [Never forget that Paul is a poser. That’s his theme.] Lewisohn’s goal here is to continue to shame Paul, to make him seem lecherous and dishonorable. He’s sex-obsessed, a snitch and a coward. It’s interesting that both Paul and Mike have told this story, so it is formative and resonant, but it shouldn’t be defining. But in versions of this story, I’ve heard that the pictures were surprisingly realistic. I ‘d always thought they were sketches, but to find out that it was a cartoon flipbook of a woman undressing is actually pretty impressive artistically.
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To Paul, busses represent freedom and exploration. They allow you to go where you want to go and do what you want to do. They allow you to meet people and exchange ideas. Paul has implied that one of the people he would observe was John [before they met]. Without transportation, our world is confined to our home. Paul’s art often carries a theme of escape and self-actualization. The bus is a romantic idea to Paul.
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Thank you for putting in the work to do this series. It was really jarring to read Tune In and to be constantly hit over the head with the tired theme that John was a star and Paul was a wannabe, that John was an artist and Paul was a poser, that Paul’s creative output was the result of vanity and ambition, while John was an authentic voice. Especially when there are plenty of quotes from each one that could allow you to successfully argue the opposite. The reality is that they were both creatives who were frustrated and bored with their circumstances, who had a drive to create and an ambition to succeed. When they met each other, sparks flew because they recognized a kindred spirit in the other; they weren’t alone anymore.
The anecdote you mention at the end of this podcast is very telling. Lewisohn uses Paul’s words about John’s inventive replacement lyrics for Come Go With Me to paint a picture of John’s creativity, but fails to recognize what these quotes reveal about Paul. You successfully made the case in highlighting the real quotes behind his piano lessons, but I was waiting for you to state the obvious here. These were Paul’s words, his first impressions of John. What impressed Paul most about John was his inventiveness. That means this is a quality that Paul admires. This is what he values and he is projecting this value onto John and seeing himself reflected in John’s performance. Yes, he is amazed, but not in an overawed sense. This is simpatico in action. Yes, he will hitch his star to John, not because he is riding his coattails to stardom, but because he is a creative boy who’s finally found someone to play with.
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