Paul McCartney - the Biggest Name Dropper I Know

I have a friend who was famous for a short during the 60s when the Beatles were an unknown group in Liverpool trying to make it big. We were once discussing those opportunities that could have changed our lives but as often happens, had slipped from our grasp. I mentioned the well-known story of Decca missing the chance to sign the Beatles in 1962. ‘That’s nothing,’ my friend said, ‘I can remember sitting in a cafe with John Lennon and Paul McCartney, while they tried to persuade me to sing their songs ... but they were nobodies and I wasn’t interested.’

I remember quite well at Primary School, on a coach back from London, discussing the groups we liked. I can recall everyone saying they liked Cliff Richard, but I said I thought the Beatles were good, and I had an idea that maybe they were even better than Cliff. It seemed radical at the time and caused a few looks of concern amongst my young class mates but, in retrospect, who was right I wonder?

I am of the generation that even now thinks Paul (and Ringo) are about to pop in for tea.  And when he does finally turn up, I will be able to ask him those things that have bugged me for the last 50 years. Such as, did you, George or John play guitar on Dr Robert? And did you get the idea for the riff from Mystery Train?  

I know it’s a well worn cliché but if you were not of the Beatle generation it is hard to understand how revolutionary the Beatles were; Beatle releases were the number one item on the BBC News.  All of us, (unless you were a Stones fan, of course) waited with baited breath to hear what new form a Beatles’ single would take, and you could almost guarantee that everyone’s response was pretty much the same. It went something like this, ‘Well it’s a bit different but I reckon after a few plays I’ll probably get to like it’.

The good or bad thing about those recordings was that over time, they attached themselves, limpet – like, to our psyche in such a way that now, the playing of any Beatle track immediately transports us back to the innocent days of our teens.

If I hear I Feel Fine, I’m reminded of Airfix model planes - I was making one when I dropped the glue on the single. 

If We Can Work it Out is sung, I can hear the corresponding response which was the schoolboy joke of that time. There’s a Place reminds me of switchback rides and the distorted speakers and sallow lights of the fairground.

Neil Aspinall talked loftily about the importance of preserving the Beatles creative output and not allowing it to be sullied by mixing it with adverts and the like. And it is true that a Beatle song, just like any good conjuring trick, can lose its magic once we know the secret of how it’s done. I remember figuring out how to play, I’ll Be Back, (nothing to do with Arnie) only to then think, ‘Oh, is that all it is?’ (Of course it’s a lot more, especially the first chord of that particular song – it’s not an A7)  On the other hand a close examination of many of the Beatles’ chord progressions can be a revelation. Take for instance, It’s for You, and, Love of the Loved, both Cilla Black hits.

I think it would be good for Paul, as part of his legacy, to explain how some of the early magic was created. And I don’t mean George Martin leaning over an enormous mixing desk, speaking in raptures about Tomorrow Never Knows, (not one of my favourites – glad it was the last track on the album as I could then skip it).

And of course to some extent, Paul’s recent video of Ever Present Past on YouTube and his Rude Studio tracks from Ram have done just that. Paul’s 70 now and we should not expect him to think and write with all the optimism and innocence that a teenager has, like us, he had to grow up. His own personal magic will have faded over time just as it does for all of us.

The friend I spoke of earlier also told me that when he’d played at the Cavern in the early 60s, an entrepreneurial Paul McCartney had turned up and given him a lift home in his car in an attempt to persuade him to get the Beatles work in London. Paul McCartney must have been around19 at the time, and he’s 70 today. Paul has survived but the car that drove him and also drives us, hasn’t.

10 ways Not to Submit Music to The Guitar Library!

You’d be surprised then amused, concerned maybe even confused if you were me, watching the email submissions for The Guitar Library, as they gaily flutter down into my computer in -box.

I’m always happy to receive as many as I do and as each one arrives, nothing pleases me more than the anticipation of reading the accompanying email and listen to a fresh original piece of music.

Sounds like an enviable job, you might say, I should be ecstatic - but often I’m not.  And here’s the reason why:

1. Read the advert. Quite often the sender has not read my advert or looked at The Guitar Library website but instead has relied on the ‘scatter gun,’ approach for distributing his music. I understand how it works, I’m sure that when I was submitting music there were times when I did the same thing. You know how it goes, ‘Oh well, he asked specifically for guitar music, but this electronic stuff that I do is great, and once he’s heard it, he’s bound to change his mind and realise how great my music really is.’ This is a bit like going into an exam with your one perfectly honed essay answer and trying to jerry-rig it to any essay question you like the look of, it just doesn’t work, does it?

2. Don’t send junk emails. When a generic email arrives addressed to no one in particular and then talks about how the band has just completed a world wide tour and is now seeking management etc, it’s obvious to me that the sender has not read my advert for guitarists or bothered to visit our website. Imagine if this really good looking girl or boy sent  you a letter suggesting you start a relationship (and one of the great things about The Guitar Library is the relationship we have with all our writers)  and you later find out that the letter was sent to all your friends too, you wouldn’t feel so good then, would you?

3. Location, location, location. This has nothing to do with music; it’s something that Estate Agents bang on about. However, what is important is:

4. Quality. Try and make the best recording you possibly can. Don’t think we won’t hear the coughs and unintentional bum notes, we will and so will the producer if we send it to him. So take time and make your tracks perfect. 

5. Top and tail your tracks. The first thing I do if I like a track is to put it into my DAW (digital audio workstation) and see if it starts at the beginning and ends at the end. Nearly always there is a few seconds of silence at the beginning and the same at the end which I edit out. Producers like their music to start at the beginning so that it can be synchronised correctly, so make sure any blank spaces are deleted.

6. Fade in, fade out. Don’t do this. If a producer chooses a piece of music for a programme he doesn’t want to find it fading out half way through his film clip. If he wants the music to fade, he can do it himself, so don’t start fading your track 3 seconds before the end, either end with a dead stop or just hold the last few notes and let them fade naturally.

7.      Think emotionally. The kind of music we require in The Guitar Library should be able to conjure up a specific mood immediately. Remember, a producer will probably be looking for something that’s lively, happy, sad, exciting or scary maybe. So keep that in the forefront of your mind when you are composing.

8.      Keep it real. Synthesised instruments were once de rigueur, but now anyone with half a brain can spot a guitar played on a synthesiser. If you’re sending music to The Guitar Library then use real guitars, bass and drums.

9.      What music should I write? The Olympics is upon us and we’ve had requests from BBC producers for the kind of music that is exciting and builds up as it progresses. If you want to write sports music then sit down with a note pad and watch sports programmes on TV. Make notes on how the music works with film. One thing that worked really well for me was to go to YouTube, find a piece of film then turn the music down and start writing. If you keep the volume up slightly so that you can hear the commentary, you will get a good idea of how much or how little you should be writing.

10. Finally If you’ve read all this and are keen to submit music then go to our website http://www.theguitarlibrary.co.uk/ and look at the Music Writers section. I look forward to getting a nice email from you. Good luck!