John Lennon Thought 'World Without Love' Wasn't Good Enough for The Beatles
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John Lennon Thought 'World Without Love' Wasn't Good Enough for The Beatles
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At the time this was a hit, I don't believe most people were aware it was a McCartney Lennon song. There weren't any computers and so it was difficult to find out that type of info. Only unless you bought the 45 and then happened to read who wrote it. Many many songs were written by other songwriters back then. So you might not even have read the 45 label that closely, to become aware.
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love2travel wrote:
At the time this was a hit, I don't believe most people were aware it was a McCartney Lennon song. There weren't any computers and so it was difficult to find out that type of info. Only unless you bought the 45 and then happened to read who wrote it. Many many songs were written by other songwriters back then. So you might not even have read the 45 label that closely, to become aware.
Yeah, I can't remember exactly when I found out Paul wrote WWL, and that he was the "Bernard Webb" who wrote Woman for them as well. It was probably in the late '60s though, because I was a member of the Beatles fan club and read everything I could about them.
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World Without Love is a very early ( late 1950's) song by Paul. From the book 'The Paul McCartney Story' by George Tremlett :
In an early interview with the New Musical Express, he recalled some other songs he had written around the same time*: 'I was lucky enough to get ten bob a week pocket money - but it didn't go far. If I was taking a girl to the pictures I had to work it out exactly - 3d for the bus from my house to the pictures, 2s 6d each to go in, and about 2s for ices or nuts and a packet of ciggies. I used to walk home if I didn't have enough left for the fare. But I never minded that. I wrote lots of songs on those walks home - "World Without Love" and "Love Of The Loved" included...'.
* The same time Paul had written "I Lost My Little Girl"
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Nancy R wrote:
love2travel wrote:
At the time this was a hit, I don't believe most people were aware it was a McCartney Lennon song. There weren't any computers and so it was difficult to find out that type of info. Only unless you bought the 45 and then happened to read who wrote it. Many many songs were written by other songwriters back then. So you might not even have read the 45 label that closely, to become aware.
Yeah, I can't remember exactly when I found out Paul wrote WWL, and that he was the "Bernard Webb" who wrote Woman for them as well. It was probably in the late '60s though, because I was a member of the Beatles fan club and read everything I could about them.
Wish I knew about Beatles Fan Club. That was Frieda right?
20 Fortlin road is looking for someone to take over the tour guide there. The woman there is leaving after 7 years. I think she's the one there when Paul and James Cordon dropped in.
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Nancy R wrote:
love2travel wrote:
At the time this was a hit, I don't believe most people were aware it was a McCartney Lennon song. There weren't any computers and so it was difficult to find out that type of info. Only unless you bought the 45 and then happened to read who wrote it. Many many songs were written by other songwriters back then. So you might not even have read the 45 label that closely, to become aware.
Yeah, I can't remember exactly when I found out Paul wrote WWL, and that he was the "Bernard Webb" who wrote Woman for them as well. It was probably in the late '60s though, because I was a member of the Beatles fan club and read everything I could about them.
Wish I knew about Beatles Fan Club. That was Frieda right?
20 Fortlin road is looking for someone to take over the tour guide there. The woman there is leaving after 7 years. I think she's the one there when Paul and James Cordon dropped in.
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Kestrel wrote:
World Without Love is a very early ( late 1950's) song by Paul. From the book 'The Paul McCartney Story' by George Tremlett :
In an early interview with the New Musical Express, he recalled some other songs he had written around the same time*: 'I was lucky enough to get ten bob a week pocket money - but it didn't go far. If I was taking a girl to the pictures I had to work it out exactly - 3d for the bus from my house to the pictures, 2s 6d each to go in, and about 2s for ices or nuts and a packet of ciggies. I used to walk home if I didn't have enough left for the fare. But I never minded that. I wrote lots of songs on those walks home - "World Without Love" and "Love Of The Loved" included...'.
* The same time Paul had written "I Lost My Little Girl"
Interesting reading Kestrel
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love2travel wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
love2travel wrote:
At the time this was a hit, I don't believe most people were aware it was a McCartney Lennon song. There weren't any computers and so it was difficult to find out that type of info. Only unless you bought the 45 and then happened to read who wrote it. Many many songs were written by other songwriters back then. So you might not even have read the 45 label that closely, to become aware.
Yeah, I can't remember exactly when I found out Paul wrote WWL, and that he was the "Bernard Webb" who wrote Woman for them as well. It was probably in the late '60s though, because I was a member of the Beatles fan club and read everything I could about them.
Wish I knew about Beatles Fan Club. That was Frieda right?
20 Fortlin road is looking for someone to take over the tour guide there. The woman there is leaving after 7 years. I think she's the one there when Paul and James Cordon dropped in.
GOOD OL' FREEDA!!!!
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love2travel wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
love2travel wrote:
At the time this was a hit, I don't believe most people were aware it was a McCartney Lennon song. There weren't any computers and so it was difficult to find out that type of info. Only unless you bought the 45 and then happened to read who wrote it. Many many songs were written by other songwriters back then. So you might not even have read the 45 label that closely, to become aware.
Yeah, I can't remember exactly when I found out Paul wrote WWL, and that he was the "Bernard Webb" who wrote Woman for them as well. It was probably in the late '60s though, because I was a member of the Beatles fan club and read everything I could about them.
Wish I knew about Beatles Fan Club. That was Frieda right?
20 Fortlin road is looking for someone to take over the tour guide there. The woman there is leaving after 7 years. I think she's the one there when Paul and James Cordon dropped in.
No, it was not Freda's. It was the U.S. Beatles Fan Club. The lady who was there when Paul and James Corden were there is named Linda (different woman) I met her in 2016 there at 20 Forthlin as she was our guide. Ran into her at the Adelphi Hotel later and we laughed about how she was Linda and I was Nancy (Paul's wives' names of course) The woman who is retiring actually lives in the house in what was Jim & Mary's room. That's why you can't see that room (or what was Mimi's room at Mendips - a man lives there as the custodian)
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jimmix wrote:
love2travel wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
love2travel wrote:
At the time this was a hit, I don't believe most people were aware it was a McCartney Lennon song. There weren't any computers and so it was difficult to find out that type of info. Only unless you bought the 45 and then happened to read who wrote it. Many many songs were written by other songwriters back then. So you might not even have read the 45 label that closely, to become aware.
Yeah, I can't remember exactly when I found out Paul wrote WWL, and that he was the "Bernard Webb" who wrote Woman for them as well. It was probably in the late '60s though, because I was a member of the Beatles fan club and read everything I could about them.
Wish I knew about Beatles Fan Club. That was Frieda right?
20 Fortlin road is looking for someone to take over the tour guide there. The woman there is leaving after 7 years. I think she's the one there when Paul and James Cordon dropped in.
GOOD OL' FREEDA!!!!
It's spelled Freda.
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Nancy R wrote:
love2travel wrote:
At the time this was a hit, I don't believe most people were aware it was a McCartney Lennon song. There weren't any computers and so it was difficult to find out that type of info. Only unless you bought the 45 and then happened to read who wrote it. Many many songs were written by other songwriters back then. So you might not even have read the 45 label that closely, to become aware.
Yeah, I can't remember exactly when I found out Paul wrote WWL, and that he was the "Bernard Webb" who wrote Woman for them as well. It was probably in the late '60s though, because I was a member of the Beatles fan club and read everything I could about them.
I remember reading (probably in the late 60's too) that World Without Love was a Lennon-McCartney song. I also don't remember the DJ's bringing it up on the radio at all since Peter and Gordon were the performers and a new group too. They seldom brought up who the writiers were if they were different than the artist themselves. It was a time where the studios and record companies really wanted the DJ's to "push" the names of the bands. It didn't hurt that the Beatles at the same time had their own hits under their own name.
Many years ago (just a few years ago actually) I remember being with our own Nancy on this board at the Abbey Road on the River Festival (outside of Lousiville KY) where Peter Asher was one of the guest performers. At a presentation that Peter was giving (he also played a few songs too) telling us the story and origin of World Without Love. Of course, Paul was living part of the time at the Asher's home because Paul was dating Peter Asher's sister, Jane. Peter heard Paul doing a demo of a recent song he had written but (as Peter said) John didn't think it was right for them. Peter loved the song and kept it in the back of his mind while he was starting his own musical career with his friend Gordon. A little later (right before they were starting to tape some songs for their own album) he saw Paul and asked him about his song "World Without Love". Peter was delighted and frankly stunned to hear that the Beatles were not going to record it and asked Paul if they could do it themselves.
The funniest part of the story is that Peter remembered that the song wasn't yet completed and needed a "bridge" part. Peter obviously was determined and on a day or two before the Peter and Gordon were recording a bunch of songs, Peter asked Paul almost embarassingly if he could complete the song. As Peter is telling the story, he very sarcastically told us that Paul just hid himself in one of their home's bedrooms and in about 20 minutes, finished the song that we now know as "World Without Love".
It's not too surprising to me that John didn't feel the song was"rock and roll" enough for the Beatles. I also remember Paul saying that in the earlier days they wouldn't release a song unless all four of them agreed. While John didn't like the song, I never read anywhere where John "turned down the royalties" to the song. While all the Beatles later became rich, this was early1964 and the royalties from "World Without Love"alone became quite handsome since it was a # 1 Billboard Hit in both Great Britain and the US.
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^
Yes, I remember us hearing that story - I think Peter actually said it only took Paul 15 minutes to come up with the bridge:So I wait, and in a while
I will see my true love smile
She may come, I know not when
When she does, I'll know
So baby, until then...
