John Lennon and Paul McCartney were among the most successful songwriting duos in music history. Together, they crafted songs that will have a lasting impact on contemporary culture forever. But as is often the case with artists, they had their moments of creative tension. That tension evidently did not cease with the dissolution of the Beatles. According to a close friend of Lennon's, the ex-Beatle was reportedly "insanely jealous" of McCartney's triumphs with his new band, Wings, in the 1970s. What was that all about?
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John Lennon Was Bothered by McCartney's Solo Career Success
Per People, Elliot Mintz, who was close to Lennon, recently talked about the late Beatle's complex feelings toward his pal and fellow songwriter. Mintz was a guest on The Magnificent Others podcast hosted by Billy Corgan on July 30.
Per the outlet, McCartney, now 83, did well with fans and critics when he formed Wings, scoring hits with songs like "Live and Let Die" and "Silly Love Songs." On the other hand, Lennon was leading a more domestic life. He put his career largely on hold for a while to help his wife, Yoko Ono, with child-rearing responsibilities for their young son, Sean.
Mintz said, "He spoke so lovingly of Paul. But then, when John was not making any music between 1975 and almost '80, and Paul would have these mega-hits with Wings, John became insanely jealous about that. He was jealous of the amount of attention and accolades, and the fact that Paul was filling stadiums."
John Lennon Could Not Be Talked Out of His Alleged Anger
Mintz claimed that he tried to reason with Lennon to no avail. "At that time, John was just looking after Sean. John would say to me, 'They're not embracing me the way they are him.' And I said, 'John, you're not on a concert stage. You're not in a stadium. You're not making music,' And he said, 'You're missing the point. They're embracing his genius, but have you heard 'Silly Love Songs'? And I would say, 'Look, let's be fair. He's done things other than 'Silly Love Songs.' But that would go nowhere."
They Sniped at Each Other in Songs
John Lennon dropped a song about McCartney called "How Do You Sleep?," which was a thinly disguised poke at his former bandmate. For his part, McCartney did likewise with a song aimed at Lennon called "Too Many People."
Whatever the uneasiness between the two legendary musicians was, it seems to have dissipated in the years since, especially after Lennon's murder in 1980. According to People, "McCartney regularly pays tribute to Lennon on his birthday each year on social media."
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