Maclen Musings, Ltd.

"And Paul and I also did the same thing, once. We just canceled. We’d made it, in Liverpool. We were making good money, for those days. I can’t remember what it was – maybe a couple of hundred dollars a week – but enough that you’d have a little extra. You’d have it in your back pocket. And Paul and I just— A relative of mine gave me a hundred pounds, for my birthday, which I’d never seen that much money in me life. Paul and I just canceled all the engagements, and left for Paris… And George was furious, because he needed the money – to work, you know. But that was another time when the group was in debate as whether it would exist or not." - John

(Source: Excerpt, Interview with Elliot Mintz, January 1, 1976)

"I first went to Paris aged about twenty-one – well, actually I was twenty-one in Paris, but. The thing was all the kissing and the holding that was going on in Paris. And it was so romantic, just to be there and see them, even though I was twenty-one and sort of not romantic. But I really loved it, the way the people would just stand under a tree kissing; and they weren’t mauling each other, they were just kissing." - John

(Source: David Scheff, The Lost Lennon Tapes. September 12, 1980)

HARVEY WEINSTEIN: Both Yoko and Paul have been stellar about this film [Nowhere Boy]. Sam needed their blessing to include songs. Yoko had to approve the film in order to let Sam use “Mother,” and Paul had to give his blessing for the inclusion of one of his first songs, “In Spite of All the Danger.” I called Paul and set it up for him to see the film. He was just a total mensch about it. He understood that it’s a dramatic feature film, not a documentary. When you condense five years into a 100-minute film, there’s inevitably a little dramatic license. He got that. And he understood that the film captures the absolute essence of John. I got to tell you, Martin—the biggest thing that unites Yoko and Paul is how much they both love John, and how much John loved them.

MARTIN LEWIS: That is without any doubt. I was invited to see Paul when he performed at a very intimate gig at Amoeba Records in L.A. a few years ago. He sang that tribute song he wrote about John back in 1982. “Here Today.” Ringo was there, and Olivia. It was like a show just for family and friends. In all the years I’ve seen Paul perform, I’ve never once seen him lose his composure. But when he was singing that song he just choked up in the middle of it. Lost it. He recovered a couple of lines later. But there wasn’t a dry eye to be found. The love is just so deep. I like how that is shown in "Nowhere Boy." Those two guys were blood brothers, united by their love of American rock ‘n’ roll. And emotionally bonded by both having lost their mothers at that tender age. Their gift to us is that they channeled their pain and sorrow into making great music.

(Source: Why We Heart John Lennon, October 8, 2010)

"The phone rang. I picked it up. ‘Can I speak to Paul McCartney?’ asked a woman. ‘He’s busy at the moment. Who’s calling?’ ‘It’s Yoko.’" Joe knew instinctively it really was John’s widow, rather than a hoax. He told everybody to clear the room. "And Paul took the call. I just closed the door and he was crying – he’d lost his best friend." - Joe Reddington, on the day after John's murder

(Source: Howard Sounes, Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney, 2010)

“He [Paul] was just very, very quiet, and upset. ‘I’m never going to fall out with anybody again in my life’, he said.” - Denny Laine, on Paul the day after John's murder

(Source: Howard Sounes, Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney, 2010)

“During the session Paul fell into a lugubrious mood. He said, ‘I’ve just realized that John has gone. John’s gone. He’s dead and he is not coming back.’ And he looked completely dismayed, like shocked at something that had just hit him. I said, ‘Well, it’s been a few weeks now.’ He said, ‘I know, Eric, but I’ve just REALIZED.’" - Eric Stewart, recalling a studio session in 1981

(Source: Howard Sounes, Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney, 2010)

“They [John and Paul] seemed like giddy school chums. Hugging, patting each other on the back… like high-school buddies who hadn’t seen each other for a long time and really liked each other.” - Bob Gruen on the 1975 Christmas meeting between the Lennons and the McCartneys

(Source: Howard Sounes, Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney, 2010)

“I thought Paul and John were very bright. What clearly struck me – both in the case of John and Paul – was that if they’d wanted to go to Oxford themselves they clearly had good enough brains to go.” - Jeffrey Archer, on organizing an Oxford fundraiser with the Beatles in late 1963

(Source: Howard Sounes, Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney, 2010)

One night, when Paul and Iris [Cauldwell] and John and Cynthia went on a double date, the boys staged a mock fight in the restaurant so they would get thrown out and not have to pay; then they pulled the same trick at another restaurant.

(Source: Howard Sounes, Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney, 2010)