A Musician Called Paul McCartney and John Lennon Idiots and Then Set a Record Singing 1 of Their Songs
Many music fans consider The Beatles as one of the most influential bands ever. They greatly impacted popular music and won over fans worldwide. Still, some fellow musicians hated the Fab Four. One outspoken critic once called Paul McCartney and John Lennon idiots as songwriters. That doesn’t mean he was above recording one of their songs himself.
Kenny Lynch called Paul McCartney and John Lennon idiots after a frustrating songwriting session
It seems hard to believe now, but John and Paul were still novice songwriters even as The Beatles’ popularity grew. The band’s first single, “Love Me Do,” was a top-20 hit in England in 1962. “Please Please Me” nearly reached the top in early 1963. “From Me to You” gave The Beatles their first No. 1 in England in April 1963.
No thanks to Kenny Lynch.
As they worked on “From Me to You” during a tour early in 1963, Paul and John asked for assistance from Lynch. The English singer and actor grew frustrated with Lennon and McCartney’s inability to finish the song. Eventually, he blew up at them and called them idiots who didn’t know music.
Lynch didn’t hold a high opinion of John and Paul’s songwriting ability. The Beatles duo had the last laugh, though. They scored the first of their 17 No. 1 hits on the English charts (per the Official Charts Company) and had the knowledge that, despite calling them idiots, Lynch took one of John and Paul’s songs for himself.
Lynch set a record when he took one of Paul and John’s songs for himself
Just because he decried John and Paul’s songwriting doesn’t mean Lynch was above trying to score a hit with one of their songs.
The two Beatles wrote the song “Misery” while on the 1963 tour with Lynch and Helen Shapiro. John and Paul offered it to Shapiro initially. When she rejected the offer, Lynch recorded it for himself (per The Guardian).
Lynch set a record with his version of “Misery.” He became the first entertainer (aside from The Beatles) to record a song written by John and Paul. Lynch’s “Misery” is notable for being the first Beatles cover ever (even though it had yet to appear on a Fab Four record). Otherwise, his version barely registered. It didn’t make the singles chart, and the song soon showed up as a Side 1 tune on The Beatles’ album Please Please Me, which reached No. 1 in England in 1963.
Lynch’s bravado might have been his misstep. Though he put a pop-oriented spin on his version of “Misery” (via Spotify) and adjusted some of the lyrics, the song is more of a ballad, very unlike the upbeat hits the Fab Four put on the charts in their early days.
Macca included his harsh critic on the cover of a Wings album
Lynch called Paul an idiot in 1963. Yet he was more than willing to work with Paul on the Wings’ album Band on the Run a decade later. The ex-Beatle didn’t need help with the music, but he did need a cover model. Lynch and five other British celebrities joined the Wings trio Paul, Linda McCartney, and Denny Laine on the cover.
The resulting sleeve, depicting a supposed prison break and a group going on the run, became one of the most recognizable album jackets. Interestingly, Lynch stands directly behind Paul, whose songwriting skills caused consternation a decade earlier.
Kenny Lynch called Paul McCartney and John Lennon songwriting idiots when he helped them with “From Me to You.” Still, that didn’t stop him from recording one of their songs soon after. The Beatles’ duo proved him wrong, though — “From Me to You” was the first of many No. 1 Beatles hits in England.
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