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Thursday, March 19, 2026
Who's Who? Paul McCartney That's Who (1981)
Who's Who? Paul McCartney That's Who
AP
March 21, 1981
Paul McCartney finally has joined the ranks of the British establishment. The ex-Beatle is listed in the 1981 edition of Who's Who. The 39 year old rock music superstar, son of a Liverpool factory hand, and now reputed to earn $50 million a year gets a 41 line listing-- more than many judges, politicians and other outstanding public figures.
While McCartney was given the accolade, neither of the other two surviving Beatles, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, was mentioned in the famous 2800-page red book, the latest edition of which was published Thursday. McCartney may be the only personality in the tomb, widely regarded as the last word in social standing, to have a string of drug busts to his name, although they are discreetly omitted.
He declined to comment on his elevation, but many felt it was long overdue. It came almost 19 years after the Beatles first became famous, and 16 years after the lads from Liverpool were made members of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the nation.
A spokesman for the publishers, Adam and Charles black said of the rock musicians' long omission from the reference book. "Their reputations may not be altogether permanent. We were very doubtful about the Beatles as four separate people. We wanted to wait and see if they made a continued mark, which Lennon and McCartney have done."
It was not clear whether John Lennon, McCartney's songwriting partner in the Beatles days, would have made the Who's Who. He quit music for five years and had just launched a musical comeback when he was murdered outside his New York apartment last December 8.
The publisher spokesman commented that Harrison and Starr, who have done little of note for years, have rather faded from the public eye. The Beatles broke up in 1969.
John Chambers of the Beatles fan club in their native Liverpool welcomed McCartney's accession to the establishment but criticized the continued snubbing of the other Beatles. "It's a bit crazy," he said. "It took four of them. It's 100% or nothing."
In McCartney's entry lists, 23 of the hits he composed with John Lennon, from "Love Me Do," the Beatles' first British hit in 1962, to "Hey Jude" in 1968. It also details McCartney's career after the breakup, particularly his success with his own band Wings.
McCartney is the only ex-Beatle to have consistently made his mark in show business since the split. He had a unique multiple listing in the Guinness Book of Records two years ago as the most successful composer of all time, with 43 songs that sold a million copies each. Winner of a record 63 gold discs with The Beatles and Wings, making him the world's most successful recording artist with estimated global sales of more than 100 million singles and 100 million albums.
Among other new entries in this year's Who's Who are author Andrew Boyle, whose book, The Climate of Treason unmasked royal art historian Anthony Blunt as a one time Soviet spy, actor Tom Conti who won a claim on Broadway, for Whose Life Is It Anyway, Prime Minister Charles Hogley of the Irish Republic and Prime Minister Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
The Good Show Scripts - A Book Review by John Lennon (1973)
The Goon Show Scripts
By John Lennon
New York Times Book Review
September 30, 1973
I was 12 when the Goon Shows first hit. Sixteen when they finished with me. Their humor was the only proof that the world was insane. Spike Milligan's (may he always) book of scripts, is a cherished memory, for me, what it means to Americans I can't imagine (apart from a rumored few fanatics) as they say in Tibet, "You had to be there." The goons influenced the Beatles (along with Lewis Carroll / Elvis Presley). Before becoming the Beatles' producer, George Martin, who had never recorded rock and roll, had previously recorded with Milligan and Sellers, which made him all the more acceptable --our studio sessions were full of cries of Neddie Seagoon, etc, etc, as were most places in Britain. There are records of some of the original radio shows, some of which I have, but when I play them to Yoko I find myself explaining "that in those days there were no Monty,Python Flying Circus, no Laugh In, in fact, the same rigmarole I go through with my "50s records," "before rock, it was just Perry Como," etc. What I'm trying to say is one has to have been there! The Goon Show was long before and more revolutionary than "Look Back in Anger" (it appealed to "eggheads" and "the people"). Hipper than the Hippest and madder than Mad, a conspiracy against reality. A "coup d'etat" of the mind! The evidence, for and against, is in this book. A copy of which should be sent to Mr. Nixon and Mr. Ervin.
One of my earlier efforts at writing was a "newspaper" called The Daily Howl. I would write it at night, then take it to school and read it aloud to my friends; looking at it now, it seems strangely similar to the Goon Show! Even the title had "highly esteemed" before it! Ah, well, I find it very hard to keep my mind on the BOOK itself, the tapes still rings so clearly in my head. I could tell you to buy the book anyway, because Spike Milligan's a genius and Peter Sellers made all the money! (Harry Secombe got SHOW BIZ). I love all three of them dearly, but Spike was extra. His appearance on TV as "himself" were something to behold. He always "freaked out" the cameraman/directors by refusing to FIT THE PATTERN. He would run off camera and DARE them to follow him. I think they did, once or twice, but it kept him off more shows than it helped him get on. There was always the attitude that, he was "wonderful, but, you know..." (indicating head.) I think it's because he's Irish. The same attitude prevails towards all non-English, British.
I'm supposed to write 800 words, but I can't count. Anyway, Spike wouldn't approve. I could go on all day about the Goons and their influence on a generation (at least one), but it doesn't seem to be about THE BOOK! I keep thinking how much easier it would be to review it for a British paper. What the hell! I've never REVIWED anything in my life before. Now I know why critics are "nasty." It would be easier if I didn't like the book, but I do, and I'd love you to love the Goons as I do. So take a chance.
P.S.: Dick Lester (of Hard Days Beatles fame) directed the TV version of the Goon Show, "a Show called Fred." It was good, but radio was freer -- i.e., you couldn't float Dartmoor prison across the English Channel on TV (maybe the B.B.C. should have spent more money.) Also, there is a rare and beautiful film (without Harry Secombe) called "The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film." Ask your local "art house" to run it. It's a masterpiece, and captures the Goon "spirit" very well.
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