tell me what you see

About two months ago. I keep meaning to go and see him. We write a lot—we’re always sending postcards from all over the place. I’d like to see him this week. I see Ringo and George almost every other day because they are usually here at Apple, but Paul hasn’t been here for ages.

Why do you think he has lost interest in Apple?

That’s what I want to ask him! We had a heavy scene last year as far as business was concerned and Paul got a bit fed-up with all the effort of business. I think that’s all it is. I hope so.

Paul’s two big public projects, since the release of McCartney III in December 2020, have cemented Jane Asher’s place at the heart of The Beatles, and his own, story.

He’s probably never been more effusive and categorical about her than when discussing ‘And I Love Her’ in his 2021 book ‘The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present’.

In 1984, he had said of the song: "It's just a love song, it wasn't for anyone,".

In ‘The Lyrics’ ,however, he says:

“But precisely because Jane was my girlfriend, I wanted to tell her there that I loved her, so that's what initially inspired this song; that's what it was...So, I was very proud of that. It was very satisfying to make that record and to have written that song for Jane."

Arguably, the big reveal of the book was his story of bumping into Jane many years after they split up, in Wimpole Street of all places.

“Many years later, long after we had lived together in St John’s Wood, I ran into her when I was going to a doctor on Wimpole Street. I’d been walking down the street from Marylebone, and I passed the house and thought, “Wow, great memories there”. Then I went further down the street to where my doctor was, and I was just pressing the bell when I sensed someone behind me. I turned around, and it was Jane. I said, ‘Oh my God. I was just thinking about you and the house.’ That was the last time I saw her, but the memories don’t fade.”

Quite startling, too, is his comment about Margaret Asher, when discussing ‘We Can Work It Out’:

“Sadly, Jane and I did break up. And that meant breaking up with her mother too. Margaret Asher was a real mumsy type and, since I'd lost my mum, she had filled that role for me. Now I'd lost a mother for a second time.”

“Now I’d lost a mother for a second time” - wow. Poor guy. No wonder he was a mess after the breakup.

Paul’s ‘Eyes of the Storm’ exhibition and book are even more Jane centred. A section of the exhibition is titled ‘At Home With The Ashers’ and includes black and white portraits of Jane. One has the caption ‘The intimate black and white shot doesn’t do justice to Jane’s striking copper-coloured hair’. At least we know he still digs her gorgeous copper locs.

Looking through the ‘Eyes of the Storm‘ book, I was struck by the placement of the Jane portraits. There is a double page pic and two single page ones. The single page pics are not placed side by side but, instead, are matched with portraits of Paul. There are only another couple of full page Paul pics in the book. He’s honouring the couple that they were, I think. Which is nice.

RS: Critics may be pleased by the harder pop sound of Press to Play. Some of the tracks have an almost experimental tilt to them.

PM: The funny thing is, there was a time when I was the avant-garde one in the Beatles — around the time of Sgt. Pepper, ’cause that album was largely my influence. I thought of the idea, the concept of pretending we were another group. I was trying to get everyone in the group to be sort of farther out, and do this far-out album. John was living out in Weybridge with his wife and child at the time, and I was bein’ the bachelor in London […] I remember sayin’ to John once, “I’m gonna do an album of this and call it Paul McCartney Goes Too Far.” And he said, “Yeah, you’ve gotta do it, man!” So I was the one who introduced John, originally, to a lot of that stuff. In fact, not many people know this, but Yoko came to my house before she met John. There was a charity thing — it was rather avant-garde, something to do with John Cage or something — and she wanted lyrics, manuscripts. I hate to tell you, but I really didn’t want to give her any of my lyrics — you know, selfish, or whatever, but I just didn’t want to do it. So I said, “But there’s a friend of mine who might want to help — my mate, John.”

RS: So you were the catalyst for John and Yoko’s relationship?

PM: Well, I don’t know that. But I kind of put her on to John, and then they really hit it off — it was like a wild fire, you know? John was certainly in love. Um… a little insecurely in love, ’cause he warned me off Yoko — sort of said, “Look, no, no.” ‘Cause he knew I was a bit of a lady’s man — I liked the girls, no doubt about that.

“Paul, tell us about your new music”

“Yes, but how about my friend John instead?

……………….……I like girls, by the way”

January 31, 1969, John and Paul.

If you’re ever in a jam, here I am

If you’re ever in a shit, grab my tit

That’s friendship, friendship