Although Paul McCartney has shown over the years that he is a gifted musician and songwriter in his own right, his life story is frequently linked to that of his late partner in the Beatles, John Lennon. They became the most successful musical duo in history when they joined forces. They made history by defying convention, and a large portion of contemporary rock can attribute its innovations to them.
All four members of the Fab Four contributed to songwriting during their ten-year career and helped shape their artistic direction. The fact that most of their most influential works were the result of their collaboration speaks volumes about the collaborative strength of Lennon-McCartney.
Although there were many important factors that led to The Beatles‘ success, drummer Ringo Starr and bassist Paul McCartney’s rhythm section was one of the most important. The former is still regarded as one of the most influential guitarists to have ever picked up a four-string. His busy, melodic style draws inspiration from both Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and Motown icon James Jamerson. It significantly influenced the musical styles of artists like Sting and Geddy Lee in the future.
Debates have consistently heated up around Starr’s stance. There is a well-established myth that he was the poorest drummer and the weakest member of the Liverpudlian quartet. That is just untrue. Though, as many heroes after him—including Dave Grohl and Phil Collins—have acknowledged his innovative style. His lack of regard for tradition would leave modern rock percussion in utter desolation.
By joining forces, McCartney and Starr created a formidable rhythm section that permanently altered the appearance of both their individual instruments and this aspect of the rock band. But the fact that they didn’t collaborate on a song until 1996 is just amazing. The first song credited to McCartney-Starkey is “Really Love You,” from 1997‘s Flaming Pie. It was the tenth solo album by the former Beatles bassist.
Ringo Starr jammed with Paul McCartney while helping him record “Beautiful Night.” This jam session inspired them to write the song together. McCartney clarified in the Flaming Pie liner notes, saying, “Doing ‘Beautiful Night‘ with Ringo wasn’t enough.” I was hoping for more enjoyment. Thus, we jammed. The actor’s worst nightmare is to be on stage and not know what play he is in. Fortunately, when performing a vocal, there are no restrictions. You must decompress, play the bass, open your mind, and improvise everything.
When Starr received an invitation to perform on “Beautiful Night,” he knew he had to take advantage of the chance to see his old friend again. “He had a few ideas for a jam, playing his bass,” the drummer recalled. Paul is still the most melodic bass player, and I love to play drums when he’s playing.
The two looked younger despite the fact that they were well into their 40s at the time. McCartney began to shout as they entered the jam, and guitarist Jeff Lynne added choppy guitar riffs that enhanced the bass groove. The connection between the former members of the Fab Four was evident, even though the song sounded nothing like anything McCartney and Starr might have imagined with The Beatles. Instead, it had more in common with Talking Heads and other funky new wave acts.
In addition, Starr stated that “we did just make it up as we went along“. He found it surprising to receive co-credit for the song. While the two had long shared the unspoken understanding that if one performed on the other’s album, the favour should be reciprocated, McCartney went above and beyond by receiving payment. After spending years hanging out in non-musical settings, this strengthened their friendship.
