Pop songwriters will likely be affected by Paul McCartney without realizing it. If you don’t like The Beatles, their studio practices and behind-the-scenes creativity may have inspired something you’re using today.
The idea of combining rock and roll and popular music seemed impossible before the Fab Four. Some artists would need to supply the tools to lead. Paul McCartney thought Carl Perkins was the best.
Perkins is too often overlooked in rock history. After a vehicle accident prevented Perkins from touring for ‘Blue Suede Shoes,’ Elvis Presley took the spotlight.
However, Perkins generally let his fingers speak. Influenced by American country and western music, Perkins, one of the first rock guitarists to bend strings, influenced The Beatles.
Since they had to play most of their sets as covers, the band performed many of Perkins’s songs throughout their career. George Harrison led ‘Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby’, and Ringo Starr sang ‘Honey Don’t’ at his best.
After business disagreements, the group disbanded, making it unlikely that they would return to their roots like on Let It Be. McCartney collaborated with his former idol after John Lennon paid tribute to his youth on Rock ‘n’ Roll.
After Lennon’s death, McCartney recorded Tug of War, a mix of genres. Pop was still popular, but McCartney and Perkins sang the rockabilly song “Get It” for the first time.
After the work, Paul McCartney said, “Anyone who was a legend in our formative years is still a legend.” He considered Perkins one of the best musicians he had seen. Carl wrote ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ and can do no wrong.” Although Perkins represented pre-British Invasion rock and roll, most of his successors successfully revived his name.
Harrison, unlike McCartney, was a Perkins fan and played with him in a mid-1980s tribute to ‘Blue Suede Shoes’. Tom Petty also supported Perkins’ playing. He let him sit in with The Heartbreakers and collaborate with him on Wildflowers‘ ‘Cabin Down Below‘. McCartney supported everyone he thought earned it, but if he had his way, Perkins would be a legend like Little Richard.
