‘Halloween’ Director John Carpenter Listened to 1 Beatles Song ‘Over and Over’

Halloween director John Carpenter is also an accomplished musician, having composed the scores for many horror films. He revealed one of The Beatles‘ songs from Rubber Soul “hit” him at the right time. Subsequently, he said the track isn’t as “flashy” as other songs Paul McCartney wrote.

‘Halloween’ director John Carpenter loved 1 of The Beatles’ songs from ‘Rubber Soul’ that isn’t very ‘memorable’

Carpenter scored films such as Halloween, The Fog, Christine, and Escape from New York. He was also part of a band called The Coupe De Villes.

During a 2022 interview with Stereogum, Carpenter said The Beatles’ “You Won’t See Me” is his favorite composition by Paul. “It’s on Rubber Soul, and it hit me at the right time, when I was an adolescent,” he said. “I just love the song. 

“It’s not as flashy as his other stuff, and it’s not really as memorable as his other stuff,” he added. “But I love it, I love the way they arranged it, with the harmony in the background. I used to listen to it over and over again.”

John Carpenter prefers The Beatles’ songs that came before ‘Sgt. Pepper’

Carpenter discussed his feelings about the Fab Four in general. “They were the definitive thing for me,” he revealed. “It didn’t start that way. But I got curious — who are these guys, what is this band about? Then I got into it. I started listening to their songs and they were so great. I just fell in love with them. I was a raving maniac all the way to the end.”

Carpenter discussed movies as well. “My first love was movies, and that’s the love that is the most powerful for me,” he said. “But second was rock ‘n’ roll. The Beatles, they were gigantic for me.” Carpenter said he was partial to the ballads Paul wrote before the release of 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. He said no music could compare to those ballads.

How The Beatles’ ‘You Won’t See Me’ performed on the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

“You Won’t See Me” was never a single, so it never charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s parent album, Rubber Soul, was a big hit. It was No. 1 for six of its 70 weeks on the Billboard 200.

“You Won’t See Me” wasn’t a single in the United Kingdom. According to The Official Charts Company, “You Won’t See Me” never charted there. Meanwhile, Rubber Soul was No. 1 for eight of its 42 weeks on the U.K. chart.

The Beatles’ “You Won’t See Me” wasn’t a hit but it meant something to a major horror movie director.