Love Me Do to Love Me Don't by Spencer Leigh

Author:Spencer Leigh
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780857161345
Publisher: McNidder and Grace Limited

CHAPTER 8

Don’t Upset the Apple Cart (1968)

“I’m Backing Britain” campaign – Assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy – Luxury liner, QE2, launched – Student protest in France – Invasion of Czechoslovakia – Two-tier postal service introduced.

In January 1968, there was a hive of activity, both personally and professionally around the Beatles. John Lennon was reunited, albeit rather spikily, with his father, Freddie. The Beatles’ new business venture Apple opened for business at 95 Wigmore Street, close to Oxford Street in London. On paper at least, it seemed like a good idea…

There was a press reception to launch their signing, Grapefruit, the name coming from John Lennon and the title of a book of poems by Yoko Ono. A single on RCA, ‘Dear Delilah’, was released as there was no Apple label as yet. Although the Beatles were to offer Grapefruit encouragement, they did not play on their records. For their album, Around Grapefruit (1968), Lennon and McCartney produced ‘Lullaby’ to which strings were added for their album. Lennon suggested the horn arrangement on ‘C’mon Marianne’ and McCartney produced ‘Yes’.

Starting in March 1968, Cilla Black’s new BBC-TV series, Cilla, attracted audiences of 7 million. Cilla Black recalls, “Paul McCartney said to me, ‘How are you going to open your TV show?’ and I said, ‘I don’t know.’ It was a problem because variety shows like The Billy Cotton Band Show had dirty big openings with big band arrangements. He said, ‘I think you should have a friendly song, a more intimate thing, and I’ll write you one.’ Paul wrote ‘Step Inside Love’ and he had the idea of beginning the show with opening doors. When I first sang it live on the telly, I forgot the words because I was so nervous. I made up some words and thought it didn’t matter because no one had heard the song before. Paul was watching the show and was upset because he thought the producers had been at me to change his lyrics.”

March 1968, And the Sun Will Shine/ The Dog Presides – Paul Jones (Columbia DB 8379)

Paul McCartney, drums

Having left Manfred Mann, Paul Jones formed his own supergroup for a single – Jeff Beck (guitar), Paul Samwell-Smith (bass), Paul McCartney (drums) and himself on harmonica – which was produced by Peter Asher. “Paul McCartney wanted to play drums and Peter Asher told me he was good,” says Paul Jones, “When we did ‘The Dog Presides’, Paul went ‘Ay, ay, its one of those songs.” Session men were known as Cromwell’s army and the Ironsides in the song are session men working for the dog (EMI).

March 1968, Lady Madonna/ The Inner Light (Parlophone R 5675, UK No.1, US No.4)

The Beatles’ first single of the year, ‘Lady Madonna’ was released in March and went to the top. It was a Paul McCartney song, inspired by Humphrey Lyttelton’s 1956 hit, ‘Bad Penny Blues’. This could have been a ‘My Sweet Lord’/ ‘He’s So Fine’ moment for McCartney.

Humphrey Lyttelton: “A number of idiots came up to me and said, ‘They’ve borrowed the introduction to ‘Bad Penny Blues’.

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