On this occasion, I'm pleased to present one of the songs that most promoted a change in musical style. It was no longer the legendary rock and roll; this time it was a type of rock that music scholars began to call hard rock, or power pop, with hints of what would soon follow: the famous psychedelic rock. Of course, I'm talking about the song "Paperback Writer."
This song was written by Lennon and McCartney, although Paul was the primary songwriter, with minor contributions from John. It wasn't initially included on a formal LP, but was released as the A-side of the single "Paperback Writer," which had "Rain" as the B-side. I was amazed a few years ago when I first heard this track; I liked its upbeat rhythm, but I was also surprised to learn that around the same time they filmed this video (two versions were filmed, one in a studio and the other in the gardens of Chiswick House in London, the same location where they filmed the "Rain" video, which I also reviewed a few weeks ago in this same space), the myth surrounding Paul McCartney was born—a myth that has persisted ever since and still persists today—about his supposed death in a car accident. To me, it has always seemed just that: a theory that has never been verified.
I've read in several sources, and I know from historical records, that Paul did indeed suffer a car accident around the time of the video's recording. However, what fueled the theory of his supposed death is a detail that appears in Paul's mouth, specifically his incisors, which show a slight unevenness. Previous videos didn't present this issue in his oral cavity. Furthermore, there are numerous photos of Paul with visible bruises on his face, which further fueled these rumors over the years. Shortly after the release of the Sgt. Pepper video in 1967, a few months later, Paul's physical appearance was quite different from how he looked in videos, photos, and album covers. The supposed double, who is the one we see today (according to this theory), is William Shears Campbell. In the song "Sgt. Pepper," he's referred to by the pseudonym Billy Shears, who was supposedly a McCartney impersonator and also a policeman in Canada. This man would then replace Paul from that day forward. I find this legend very far-fetched, but well, it's part of the mystery surrounding The Beatles.
I'd like to tell you that this song was recorded in mid-April 1966 at EMI Studios in London, under the Parlophone label. It was produced by George Martin and features Paul on lead vocals and bass, John on tambourine and backing vocals, George on lead and rhythm guitar and backing vocals, and Ringo on drums. On the US Billboard Hot 100, the song was at number one for two non-consecutive weeks, in June 1966, interrupted by Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night". The song is about someone who wants to be a writer of simple, popular novels. Paul recounts in an interview that around that time he saw Ringo reading a book, which he called a "white-covered book," and that's where the idea came from, also supported by Paul's aunt.
Well, my dear friends, that's all for this review, written with much love for all of you. I hope you enjoyed the song, the review, and the video. Every time I watch the video, it seems so fresh, like it was recorded yesterday. And I can tell you that back then it also looked this high-quality, even though it's over 60 years old... We'll see each other, read, and comment again soon... Blessings...!!!
Original YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvkICbTZIQ
Original story by @cayitus63 (Based on historical data with my own personal observations and opinions)
Screenshots from the The Beatles - "Paperback Writer" -1966
Images from the era of singles, EPs and song promotions.
Separators created and edited by me in Canva: https://www.canva.com/
Translated with Google Translate: https://translate.google.com/
Rating: 90/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/music.
