Ringo Starr recently chatted with PBS NewsHour, sharing insights about the reasons John Lennon and Paul McCartney often teased him about his songwriting attempts.
Shedding light on a less-known detail, Starr mentioned:
“Many don’t realize that when I first shared my songs with the band, they’d laugh out loud. Essentially, I’d just tweaked an existing song and presented it as mine.”
Describing the Beatles’ reaction, he continued:
“It was basically someone else’s song with a few changed words. Their response? A cheeky, ‘Sure, Ringo’ followed by laughter. Thankfully, I grew from there. George was incredibly supportive, even producing my initial singles. I’m forever grateful to him.”
The dynamics within the Beatles were complex. While Lennon and McCartney dominated songwriting, Starr and George Harrison often felt sidelined. In a 2021 interview with The New Yorker, McCartney acknowledged that they unintentionally marginalized Harrison, causing him to momentarily leave a recording session. McCartney recalled:
“I once mentioned to John that the songwriting should primarily be our thing. We didn’t explicitly sideline George, but the message was clear.”
The overshadowing of Lennon and McCartney even extended to the solo ventures of the other Beatles. Harrison previously commented on Lennon’s critique of his solo album, ‘All Things Must Pass,’ saying:
“John was initially dismissive. But later, he visited my place when I was away. A mutual friend told me John saw the album cover and remarked, ‘Releasing a triple album? And with that cover photo? He looks like he’s imitating an out-of-breath Leon Russell.’”
