Paul and Carl Perkins: My Old Friend question
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Hi everyone, I was watching the You Tube clip of the song My Old Friend by Carl Perkins and Paul. Carl tells the backstory of the song, which you can hear at 32:00. This is probably another "beatle myth' but I heard that Carl in an interview said that Linda told him, the reason Paul got so affected by that song was because John told Paul in one of their last conversations "Think about me every now and then, my old friend" (which is a line in this song). But Carl doesn't mention that in the video, he does mention that Linda said "Carl, Paul needed that" (cuz John was killed a few months earlier). And when Paul calls Carl, Carl says Paul has a 'connection to the spirit world' So, my question is: is that just a Bealte Myth Story or did Carl really say that Linda said that to him in an interview (maybe a different interview than this one)? thanks
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I know I have read the story, which involved Carl playing the song and Paul rushing out of the room in tears, with Carl at first not knowing what had happened till Linda explained. But I can't remember where I've read it or vouch for the authenticity at this point. But it doesn't really sound like something someone would make up.
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Bruce M.:
I know I have read the story, which involved Carl playing the song and Paul rushing out of the room in tears, with Carl at first not knowing what had happened till Linda explained. But I can't remember where I've read it or vouch for the authenticity at this point. But it doesn't really sound like something someone would make up.
I remember reading the same thing, and like you I can't remember where. If I remember correctly from what I've read, both Linda and Carl have told this story.
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thanks for your replies Bruce M and paulfan11
I have heard this story many times too, but I was curious where it came from: a Carl interview/Linda interview? or if it's just a myth. But I did a bit of digging on the net, and apparently this story was published in John Edwards book. I found this on a website:I´ve read the following story some time ago. Sincerely I don´t know if it´s true or not, but....anyway...here you have it (I found it in http://www.daytrippin.com/lennon65.htm ) Crossing Over: The Stories Behind the Stories By John Edward (Princess Books, 2002) John Edward is internationally acclaimed as a psychic medium. He has hosted his own television show Crossing Over with John Edward, been a frequent guest on Larry King Live and many other shows. He also was featured in the HBO documentary Life After Life. When John Edward was in Seattle a few years ago, tickets to his show were selling like hotcakes so I decided to go see what he was all about. Coincidentally, the day I bought the tickets, I happened to see this book prominently displayed as I was walking through a discount bookstore. I immediately bought the book, and as I read through it I discovered a chapter called "Legends of Rock". I turned to it instantly and began to read about how Carl Perkins' daughter had wanted to have a reading with John Edward in 1998 after her dad died. A friend set the reading up, only saying what the daughter's first name was. The reading was significant because John did not know who her father was, until, befuddled, he said "Elvis is with your dad..who was your dad?" Amazed, the daughter then admitted that Carl Perkins was her father and that he was the one who wrote Blue Suede Shoes. Following the full description of this reading, which is fully outlined in the book, to my surprise Mr. Edward then recounts a story about John Lennon that I had been familiar with in part, from the 1998 video (VHS) called Paul McCartney and Carl Perkins: My Old Friend. I had no idea the story was in the book, and I learned some details that had not been on the video. In 1981, just after John Lennon died, Paul and Linda invited Carl to stay with them in Montserrat. Paul wanted Carl's help recording a song called Get It for his new album, Tug Of War. Carl spent eight days with them, and George and Ringo had been there to help out as well. It was a great time between old friends who had shared such a legendary musical past. The night before he left, a song came to Carl that summed up his warm feelings about the visit, and he couldn't get it out of his mind. It was so strong that Carl didn't even write it down, which was strange for him. He usually always wrote his songs down immediately. In the morning, Carl Perkins sang the song, which he named My Old Friend, for Linda and Paul, saying it was his gift for having him as a guest. Half way through the song, after singing "if we never meet again this side of life, in a little while, over yonder, where there's peace and quiet, my old friend, won't you think about me every now and then?" tears streamed down Paul's face and he stood up and stepped outside. Not knowing what the matter was, Carl stopped and Linda put her arms around him, thanking him for helping Paul to connect with his grief over John Lennon's death. Now this next part was not in the video, but according to the book, Linda explained that the last time Paul talked to John, he had said the same line to Paul, "think of me every now and then, my old friend." Carl had no doubt that the song was from John Lennon, as a gift to Paul. The story doesn't end there. The only reason this story is known publicly is because Carl told the story while being filmed in 1997 for what would later become part of the video I mentioned above. When he got done telling the story on camera, sitting in his studio, and sang the refrain, his wife buzzed in on the intercom, and said, "Carl, Paul McCartney just called." Carl was so stunned at the coincidence he turned to the camera, speechless, and said "you tell me this boy has not got a connection to the spirit world!" Carl Perkins coincidentally died exactly one year to the day later, after suffering two strokes. If he had not been inspired to do a video in 1997 on his musical career, and recounted this experience, we would never have known the story.
http://www.beatlelinks.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-33142.html
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That was so sweet and touching. Made me cry.
