I was just wondering...

Who are Paul's friends??

LOL. This might be a silly question, but I always had the impression that Linda and their kids were the only close friends he had :((

Since her death, I can't really think of anyone Paul could trust or that would be there for him no matter what, except for his kids. And that makes me feel bad for him.

I mean, if there was a Concert for Paul after his death, like the one for George, who would be invited? Ringo would, for sure. But only because he was a Beatle. I don't even think Paul and Ringo are that close as friends.

There's another thing that bothers me: it seems that every single friend that he had turned his back on him. I'm not saying he's a poor victim who was betrayed by his old buddies, but it does make me wonder. Is Paul such an arrogant, cold-hearted dude? Let's see... John, George (even though they were apparently in good terms with Paul when they died, I think they kept a lot of resentment), Denny Laine, Angie and Ruth McCartney (stepmother and sister), Danny Fields (Linda's best friend)... There was also a Geoff guy (Geoff Baker?), I don't really remeber what he was for Paul, but I heard somewhere they had a fall out.

It really makes me sad. Maybe people who say Paul is not a good person are right :(

First of all, Paul IS a good person. The media just seems not to like him.

I can see what you mean with all those people turning their backs on Paul. A theory I have is that Paul is the kind of person who bottles up their feelings, rather than John. See, while John has the heartbreaking song "Mother" Paul never really talks about his mom, even though she died when he was 14. That's just a theory of mine.

As for the Concert for Paul, I think it'll be a whole bunch of classic rock musicians and such to pay homage to the most successful musician ever. Elton John, Eric Clapton, Ringo, etc.


I can only hope that after Paul dies he'll get the recognition he's always deserved.

I think part of this comes from Paul being a somewhat of a business man. No offense, but business minded people are (in my experience) hard to be close friends with, especially if part of your connection to them is their business.

Also, as a musician, Paul has always had a dominant personality. When making music, Paul knows what he wants and is unlikely to budge on what he thinks will make for the best musical experience, somewhat to a fault. This is not a knock on the man in any way, but I'd cite the infamous argument w/ George during the Get Back sessions as an early and easy to research example of this.

I think that Paul probably closely guards himself and his relationships like a hawk, as well he should. He has had some unfortunate betrayals himself (even if only from his point of view) by some that he allowed to get very close (ie: w/ the Beatles regarding Alan Klein; Michael Jackson and the song publishing rights).

Despite all of that, I still believe that Paul will given a most fantastic farewell when "the end of the end" comes.

Originally Posted by The_Taxman

See, while John has the heartbreaking song "Mother" Paul never really talks about his mom, even though she died when he was 14.

psst...pssst...let it be....

anyway, i think paul wasnt a man of many friends, but it wasnt because he wasnt a good person, he WAS. a VERY good person, beneath the exterior. its just because i believe he had his tight circle of friends, aka the beatles, and after they were gone, he hadnt the heart to form a new group. you know. couldnt let go of thier old friendship.

i hope dear paul gets a concert for him when he dies. he was, among other things, a musical genius, and beneath it all, just a fun-loving, light-hearted, spirited guy. anyone who says he isnt a good person obviously didnt know him.

I think Paul is a good person and believe him when he says he's an approachable, ordinary bloke. He is an ordinary bloke who just happens to be intellectually gifted and one of the world's most outstanding, extraordinary artists.

Mean spirited journalism like boils is a sad fact of life. Maybe with the right lancing tools, mean spirited tabloids will drain away.

In one book I read (can't remember the name of it might have been Hunter Davis?) they mentioned Paul's parents never really had many close friends around so maybe Paul's just following suit? Not saying any of the McCartney's had no friends at all just maybe not tons of people they were close to

Well, does the media really know him, anyway? We don't know him, the media doesn't know him. That's the one downfall: You DON'T know. I'm sure he's a good guy, but the media DOES make assumptions about Macca.

But he will be *very* celebrated when his time does come, I'm sure of that.

Well said, Cassy.

As for Paul's friends, well, let's just say they're very good friends.

Originally Posted by maribeatlecrazy

I mean, if there was a Concert for Paul after his death, like the one for George, who would be invited? Ringo would, for sure. But only because he was a Beatle. I don't even think Paul and Ringo are that close as friends.

I think you bring up a good point.

Paul is, of course, a good person... as many you above have said. He's a great person, actually. However, he does have the reputation of being a bit, uh, difficult. He is a perfectionist, after all... and that can be hard for people to be around.

I've been a Beatles fan all my life and I absolutely love Paulie... but all you have to do is listen to some of the outtakes in the Anthology and you can kind of hear that his legendary control freakness is actually real.

I don't think journalists have been unfair to Paul. In fact, back in the day, I read interviews with other rock stars (Jagger, Dylan, etc.) who weren't crazy about his personality. They say he can be kind of bitchy. John even said that people would sometimes ask him how they could be such good friends. I once met Allan Williams and he had few kinds words about Paul (although I think he had an axe to grind).

Paul's a family man. And he's very close with his family. I'm sure he has some close friends... And if there were ti be a concert for Paul, you can bet a galaxy of stars would perform!

Originally Posted by Maia 66

I think you bring up a good point.

Paul is, of course, a good person... as many you above have said. He's a great person, actually. However, he does have the reputation of being a bit, uh, difficult. He is a perfectionist, after all... and that can be hard for people to be around.

I know, he has his flaws. But hasn't everybody??
Friends are supposed to love us for what we are, even if we have flaws. Doesn't Paul have ANY good qualities that could make up for it?

Originally Posted by Maia 66

I don't think journalists have been unfair to Paul. In fact, back in the day, I read interviews with other rock stars (Jagger, Dylan, etc.) who weren't crazy about his personality. They say he can be kind of bitchy. John even said that people would sometimes ask him how they could be such good friends. I once met Allan Williams and he had few kinds words about Paul (although I think he had an axe to grind).

John could be bitchy too, right? And had some other serious flaws as well...

Originally Posted by maribeatlecrazy

John could be bitchy too, right? And had some other serious flaws as well...

John's flaws have been discussed in this forum (and others!) ad nauseum... we really don't need to get into it in this thread, because FOR ONCE, we are talking about the imperfections of another Beatle besides John!

Yes, Paul has MANY excellent qualities that make him a wonderful human being... but, like many great people, he can be very difficult. Am I saying that he should change? Abso-friggin'-lutely NOT. He is a great and accomplished person precisely because of those qualities he possesses that rub some people the wrong way. In my opinion, it is impossible to be truly great without being very difficult.

Thank goodness for difficult and bitchy people... it may be a challenge to be friends with them, but THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD.

Please... can we just leave John alone this once?

Peace

I wasn't trying to bring John into this, sorry if it sounded that way. I was just giving an example.

My point is that every single person in this world has flaws, but why Paul's are harder to forgive? Not only by the people who surround him, but by the fans as well.

Sorry if I came on strong, but I am obviously just tired of people pointing out John's flaws as if it negates his musical genius...

Ok, I think what you want to know is why it's hard for people to be friends with Paul when other people have issues, too. Here are my thoughts:

I think of Paul a lot like my sister. She's a very bright and gifted individual... and a very nice person, but she's a bit of an uptight know-it-all... and it's just annoying to be around someone like that! No fun to hang out with, you know what I mean? People think she's kind of stuck up, when actually she's just reserved.

Now, let's remember these details about Paul:

1) He hated The Rutles when it first came out. George was actually in the damn thing and John absolutely loved it... even though they satirized Yoko as a Nazi! Paul had no reason to be so uptight about it... I mean, come on, have a sense of humor!

2) The whole Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame boycott. Okay, so he was having financial issues or whatever with the other Beatles, but couldn't he just put that aside for something as major and once-in-a-lifetime as this? It's not like he was Johnny Rotten, who boycotted the ceremony because he thought it was lame... Paul was just being an a$$h*le.

3) Paul tells the story of how, when he was a little kid and his dad would hit him, instead of yelling or crying like his brother Michael, he would sneak into his parents' room while they weren't around and tear their lace curtains just a little bit. Sneaky! I know he was just a kid, but I think this story illustrates a little about how he handles conflict. Can you say passive aggressive?

Like I've said, I think Paul is gear, fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles. In other words, he's a great person... and I love him dearly. But I can understand why some people wouldn't want to hang out with him...

In re Paul....

Actually, they're just very good friends.