Paul McCartney Recalled the Previously Untold Backstory of an Old Beatles Photo 

After years of interviews, Paul McCartney said it’s difficult for him to think of stories he hasn’t already told about The Beatles. During one interview, when asked to think of an untold story, he said he “dredged the barrel” of his memory in order to come up with anything. Ultimately, though, he remembered the story behind a photo of himself and John Lennon in deep conversation while taking pictures for Abbey Road. 

The bassist’s wife was a photographer

In 1969, McCartney married Linda Eastman, an American photographer. She had long been fascinated with photography and began working as an editorial receptionist at Town and Country magazine. Through the job, she managed to snag an unwanted ticket to a promotional party for the Rolling Stones and photographed the event. Town and Country was impressed with her work and published the images. From there, she began professionally photographing musicians.

McCartney met his future wife in 1967, and they married two years later. 

Paul McCartney shared the story behind a Beatles photo

While taking photographs behind-the-scenes at a shoot for Abbey Road, Eastman captured an image of all four Beatles sitting on the steps of Abbey Road studios. In the picture, McCartney and Lennon are deep in conversation. In an interview with The New York Times, McCartney recalled the previously untold backstory of the photo.

“Linda was also there taking incidental pictures,” McCartney said. “She has some that are of us — I think it was all four of us — sitting on the steps of Abbey Road studios, taking a break from the session, and I’m in quite earnest conversation with John. This morning I thought, I remember why.”

He explained that Lennon’s accountants had called his accountants in frustration.

“John’s accountants had rung my accountants and said: ‘Someone’s got to tell John he’s got to fill in his tax returns. He’s not doing it.’ So I was trying to say to him, ‘Listen, man, you’ve got to do this,’” McCartney explained. “I was trying to give him the sensible advice on not getting busted for not doing your taxes. That’s why I looked so earnest. I don’t think I’ve told that story before.”

McCartney said it was somewhat surprising that he’d been able to think of a memory from his time with The Beatles that he hadn’t previously told.

“I have dredged the barrel,” he said.

Paul McCartney said his talk of The Beatles can bore people

The popularity of The Beatles has made much of their history common knowledge. McCartney said that because of this, people often know the stories he’s telling, as he’s telling them.

“This is the danger: At a dinner party, I am liable to tell stories about my life, and people already know them,” he said. “I can see everyone stifling a yawn.”

Still, he said that the public knowledge and love of The Beatles continues to amaze him.

“The thing that amazes me now, because of my venerable age, is that I will be with, like, one of New York’s finest dermatologists, and he will be a rabid Beatles fan,” he said. “All of that amazes me. We were trying to get known, we were trying to do good work and we did it. So to me, it’s all happy memories.”