McCartney II secret meaning of the inner sleeve photos

I think Lennon decided to make a comeback after hearing McCartney II because it would secure his place as the true genius of the Beatles when comparing the two albums

 

I mentioned this on the McCartney Concord threads but those pictures were a nod to the other lads in his former band,no not Wings. The whole Ringo reference was a bit weird to get but that was what Paul was getting at. The George reference might have been called racist today because of Paul making such an Asian face ,of course referring to George's love of Eastern mysticism etc so on. Paul looked kinda like how Lennon did during The How I Won The War period on the first photo.

Helter, I know you were joking around about Lennon being influenced to make an album after hearing McCartney II BUT say it wasn't so. The McCartney II album comes across as being so lighthearted and whimsical whereas Double Fantasy...let's just say that Yoko's songs were unintentionally funny! Lennon had some involvement in Wing Paul's bust? What the heck did he do that for ? Then again I could ask why he married Yoko? Why he went with Allen Klein? Why did he produce so many maudlin songs during the last album sessions...the list could go on forever!

 

Something like that! I've often seen this quote refered to but here it is off a random website:

Although he feigned disdain for his former songwriting partner’s post-Beatles work, Lennon kept close tabs on McCartney’s musical activities. After hearing McCartney’s one-man-band solo hit, “Coming Up,” in 1980, Lennon reportedly said, “Oh, [expletive], I’ve got to get back.” He later professed to love the song.

 

Really? Comin' Up,the live version was the hit ....it was dynamic and a fun record BUT that motivated Lennon to get back in the game? Now I wish he'd never had heard that tune! I enjoyed McC II far more than Double Fantasy......and that's putting it mildly.

 

Right. The timeline is important to consider for the songs as well. Someone mentioned "Frozen Jap" -- but like the rest of the LP it was recorded in summer 1979. I think Eight Arms to Hold You even mentions the irony as this track was titled as such long before the bust.

 

Watch this. John says he thinks "Coming Up" is great and even knows the difference between the live and studio version. He definitely was paying attention.

As to the OP's question, I always thought Paul was referencing the Beatles in those photos. John-Lennon Specs, George-Mustache & sharp cheekbones, Ringo-Ring. I don't think he was being malicious though.

 

The freak version, the freaky one. Very amusing way to describe it(the one Paul made in his barn,not the one in Glasgow),no? Then again that's how Lennon was. He also mentions Magritte and Picasso all above the din of a video game in the background!

 

You're absolutely right, if he did that today there'd be an uproar over it. While back then there was no mention of it whatsoever. Didnt Ashlee Simpson or somebody get in trouble for making the same kind of face a couple of years ago in a picture?. Times have changed for sure...

 

I'm with John. The freaky one! It's probably Paul's best video too IMO. The lyrics also seem like something John might of written....kind of that "Instant Karma" optimism.

 

The 'video game' is actually the soundtrack of a Star wars movie being edited or whatever! That's why it's SO LOUD!

 

Ringo, ring necklace.
George, Moustache, eastern Mystic look.

 

An oasis of sanity in a desert of nonsense!

 

I've always been convinced he was making a nod to the other three on these photos.

Glasses / Being at Home in warthrobe = Lennon
The Ring = Ringo
Mustace / Asian-Eastern look / Very thin-faced = Harrison

Can't believe people are in doubt about this, since it's so obvious!

 

Since Lennon and McCartney had a love/hate relationship the dates as you suggested don't mean a whole lot.
What is important is why he chose these 3 photographs that clearly show a John Lennon like person, and asian and a child's necklace with a small face?
John, Yoko and Sean. The timing and motive were all there.

The necklace is clearly for a small child so it makes no sense to attribute this to Ringo. And saying someone with asian eyes represents George just doesn't make sense in light of the other two pics.
Remember this album was released just 6 months after the drug bust. John and Yoko played a role, George and Ringo did not.

I'm standing by my theory

 

I did like the promo to that one,gents. Paul plays homage to Sparks there as well so he didn't listen to rubbish all the time! The album version was more in line with the tone of that record, a bit humorous, a bit quirky and in the end, a one man band. Wing Paul seemed to have fun there,then again was he still enjoying those funny cigarettes?

Coming Up Live in 1979:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV-3aGnF714

The Coming Up video where PM plays a cast of characters. I could only find the Twin Peaks remix version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdsRYyTDEN8

Must be The Empire Strikes Back then. They did some of the production work in NYC and not LA? That's interesting......

 

I can believe it's simply a nod to his other bandmates. Nothing malicious. Question - did Paul grow the moustache simply to look like George for the pic? I don't remember ANY other pics from that era sporting a moustache.

And personally, I can't believe John would ever be so mean, especially in 1980, to be involved in Paul's drug bust. He sorta had his own history with drugs... and busts.

 

He probably did it just for that reason (grew the 'tache) to goof on George. I didn't see it as some sort of eff you to be honest. It was more of a case of PM being cute and cuddly!

Why would Lennon get involved in getting McCartney busted? It doesn't make sense to me either. Lennon did things that were out there though so you never know on that one with 100 percent certainty.......

 

I don't think being mean was the primary motive.
They truly believed in magic, witchcraft, astrology, tarot cards etc.
Yoko sent John to South Africa by himself for safety reasons. Traveling in a certain direction at a certain time etc. They did everything based on people's "numbers" a lot of really bizarre things. Their is lots of documentation on this.

For reason's we don't fully understand they simply had to stop Paul and Linda from staying in their Presidential hotel suite at Japan's hotel Okura.

 

Numbers? Sorry to rain on Ono's parade BUT she was a total whack job. How well did the numbers work out for the Ono/Lennon's? I wonder if they conferred with Geffen on the release date of Double Fantasy as well? That didn't help matters much. If they did get McCartney in trouble because of Numerology they were not so much being mean BUT being completely stupid! John wanted to put a "hole in his head" at one time too...so I'm not surprised by anything he did. Or we could pull a Howard Stern and blame Yoko for all that weirdness......

 

Well then I guess Yoko dropped the ball in Dec 1980, where was her magic, astrology, tarot cards etc then? She should have sent him to Africa

 

Yeah, this is all it was.

Paul grew staches in one form or another just about every year in the 70's and into the early 80's. He had the one in '79 for the most part of the Summer as seen in the McII session photos and a few other shots from that period.

He passed the book out to a few close friends and one turned up on the auction block a few years back but presumably MPL bought it back pretty fast.

 

I think all that info comes from a suspicious source (Goldman via Fred Seaman maybe) who had his own ax to grind. I doubt that John or Yoko would do anything THAT malicious on purpose to Paul knowing he could go to prison.

Paul had been busted before (and Linda) for pot so it makes him a natural for the Japanese police to check out.

Regardless, I think the photos are nothing more than a shout out to his former bandmates as others have speculated. I don't think anything nasty was meant by this one (unlike Ram).

After Ram Paul and John met to agree not to dis each other in song, photos, etc. again like they had been. That didn't prevent John from expressing his opinion on the merit of Paul's work but they elected to make it less personal.

 

A lot of these things have their roots in Japanese culture.
Obviously, it's not very reliable since her "advisors" failed to warn them about 12/8/80.

Let's also keep im mind the Lennon's were victims also, because these tarot card readers and witches charged them thousands of dollars for IMO worthless imformation.

 

A die-hard Star Wars fan would hear that the dialog in the interview follows "A New Hope", and not "Empire".

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRNVOQkC9xo&feature=related

Sam Green about 3 minutes in discuss the Lennon's interest in witches



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m19El1wEssg&feature=related

One of the Lennon's tarot card readers