Tim Riley's Lennon biography, I'm about half way through, is the last word on the great man and though Tim falters a little on the social aspect and some of his reporting is a little off (I will deal with it when I review the book: nothing major, he just contradicts a little of what Peter Asher has said and he doesn't have an iron grasp on English society, more or less, this is a work of sustained, objective genius.
And it is fair, giving cos-ongwriter Paul McCartney his aboslute due.
So Riley's documented claim that Paul McCartney changed his tune when it came to "Yesterday" bears repeating. Macca is on record as saying "Yesterday" is completely his. Riley claims this statement, made post-1980, ergo post Lennon's murder, is contracted by McCartney's own recorded statements in 1967.
Here is the excerpt:
"Too busy to attend the annual Ivor Novello Awards on March 20, Lennon And McCartney granted a BBC Radio interview to Brian Matthew about their winning songs (…) . This interview contradicted many of McCartney's post-1980 statements about "Yesterday," recorded in 1965, which by this early date was already the runner-up to "Michelle"for most performed song of 1966. Here McCartney acknowledged that Lennon came up with the title, and the conceptual hook for "Yesterday…"
JT Woods noted the following: " According to " The Beatles: An Authorized Biography" by Hunter Davies, published in 1968, Paul woke with the melody in his head and called the song "Scrambled Eggs" because thats what Jane Asher was having for breakfast that morning, he later played the song for George Martin with the phrase "Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play" the only lyrics. George discouraged calling the song "Yesterday" because there had been a British pop tune with that title in the late 40's or early 50's. Lennon's only contribution to the song was insisting that George Martin was wrong because once people heard McCartney's tune no one would remember "that ancient relic"… I've heard and read George Martin recount this tale on numerous occasions, he says that Lennon stopping him from convincing Paul to call the song anything other than "Yesterday" prevented him from making the hugest mistake of his career'
And Bill Holdship added: "I hadn't seen McCartney giving Lennon credit for that, Iman, before the Riley book. But those in the know are saying that Riley's book is pretty definitive and describing him as the "anti-Goldman." (But I did read the Hunter Davies book in 1972 and must have forgotten that passage JT mentions above…)
It is strange, but very human, for McCartney to have bent the truth with his co-writer not around to question him. "Yesterday" is a signature acheivement (incidentally, I can't stand it), and even with all the accolades Macca has received, he still wants one he doesn't deserve.