[lbo-talk] McCartney says Bertrand Russell was big influence on Beatles' political views

Jim Farmelant farmelantj at juno.com
Sun Dec 21 08:26:45 PST 2008


The Bertrand Russell Archives at McMaster University has letters from John Lennon and Yoko Ono which were sent to Russell. I don't think they had anything from McCartney.

Presumably, Ralph Shoenman would remember the details as to how the Beatles first got in touch with Russell, since he was Russell's personal assistant in the mid-60s.

Jim F.

On Sun, 21 Dec 2008 01:28:15 -0800 (PST) "B." <docile_body at yahoo.com> writes:
>
>
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/12/15/mccartney-bertran d-russell-changed-beatles-91466-22476615/
>
>
> Welshman changed the Beatles, says McCartney
>
> Dec 15 2008 by Darren Devine, Western Mail
>
> JOHN LENNON has long been credited with giving the Beatles their
> firebrand political edge through such classics as Revolution and
> Give Peace A Chance.
>
> But in a challenge to the prevailing view, Sir Paul McCartney has
> now thanked a renowned Welsh philosopher for changing the band’s
> musical direction in a move that forever altered the history of pop.
>
> The songwriting legend says his eyes were opened to the tumultuous
> political scene of the late 1960s following a meeting with
> Monmouthshire-born Bertrand Russell.
>
> Speaking of the band’s eventual change of direction from loveable
> mop-tops to rock revolutionaries, McCartney said: “We sort of
> stumbled into things.
>
> “For instance, Vietnam. Just when we were getting to be well
> known, someone said to me: ‘Bertrand Russell is living not far
> from here in Chelsea, why don’t you go and see him?’ and so I
> just took a taxi down there and knocked on the door.
>
> “He was fabulous. He told me about the Vietnam war — most of us
> didn’t know about it, it wasn’t yet in the papers — and also
> that it was a very bad war.
>
> “I remember going back to the studio either that evening or the
> next day and telling the guys, particularly John, about this meeting
> and saying what a bad war this was.”
>
>
>

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