SKU: 41248671537

Who Wrote the Beatle Songs?: A History of Lennon-McCartney

Sale price$26.78 Regular price$29.75
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $7.44 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 20 - Jul 25

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Who Wrote the Beatle Songs?: A History of Lennon-McCartneyWho Wrote the Beatle Songs: A History of Lennon McCartney is a book in the tradition of Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Recording Sessions, Walter Everett's The Beatles as Musicians, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, and Tim Riley's Tell Me Why it surveys all of the songs by the Beatles. However, unlike those books, Who Wrote the Beatle Songs concentrates solely on songwriting. It also has a strong biographical element: I tell the fascinating story

Who Wrote the Beatle Songs: A History of Lennon-McCartney is a book in the tradition of Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Recording Sessions, Walter Everett's The Beatles as Musicians, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, and Tim Riley's Tell Me Why --it surveys all of the songs by the Beatles. However, unlike those books, Who Wrote the Beatle Songs concentrates solely on songwriting. It also has a strong biographical element: I tell the fascinating story of John Lennon and Paul McCartney as songwriters.

The Beatles are arguably the most influential group in the history of popular music, and the single most important element in their success was their songwriting. Unlike rock stars such as Elvis, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, they were songwriters first and performers second. They have been widely misunderstood because the history of their songwriting has not been examined carefully. Setting aside the songs of Harrison and Starr at this time, all their songs were attributed to "Lennon-McCartney," which suggests 50-50 songwriting ownership, in the tradition of George and Ira Gershwin. In fact, most of the Beatle songs were dominated by Paul or by John, and some were written entirely by one or the other (such as John's "Across the Universe" or Paul's "Hey Jude").

After the Beatles breakup, Lennon and McCartney have given a number of interviews discussing who wrote which Beatle songs. Unfortunately, these interviews are often contradictory, a natural result of trying to remember events that took place many years (sometimes decades) earlier. John had a tendency to emphasize individual authorship in his interviews, while Paul frequently remembered collaboration (though often "finishing" collaboration, after one writer had substantially begun the song). To evaluate such complex, contradictory evidence, I've tried to use standard historical tools to come to a valid judgment on who wrote each Beatle song.

The result is the first comprehensive, detailed assessment of who wrote the Beatle songs. Every chapter is devoted to a Beatles album, and its attendant singles. I give a careful attribution for every song and tell the story of how it was written. Then I evaluate conflicts or unities in the evidence. So this book is full of great stories--how John wrote "She Said She Said" after he heard Peter Fonda tell of a near-death experience at a party with the Byrds in L.A.; how Paul wrote "Yesterday" in his sleep, then sang it for months with the lyrics "Scrambled eggs--Oh baby, how I love your legs"; how George's mother, Louise French Harrison, filled in a gap in "Piggies" with "What they need's a damn good whacking ".

When this survey is complete, we can draw conclusions about the individual songwriting talents of Paul, John and George, and can reject many widespread stereotypes about them. One clich is that John specialized in rock while Paul produced ballads. Actually, both of them wrote strong rock songs (like Paul's "Helter Skelter") and strong quiet songs (like John's "Goodnight"). Another common misapprehension is that the Beatles' best songs were based on close collaboration; actually, as these two songwriters progressed in maturity they wrote together less. Paradoxically, the songwriting flourished as the collaboration decreased.

John became increasingly interested in lyrics, while Paul was always obsessively devoted to music (though they both wrote great music and lyrics at times). Who Wrote the Beatle Songs will celebrate and give a wealth of insight into the idiosyncratic brilliance of both of the Beatles' two main songwriters.



Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Todd M. Compton
Published: 05/09/2017
ISBN: 9780998899725
Pages: 434
Weight: 1.64lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.94d
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 41248671537

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.0 ★★★★★
Based on 19 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
M
Verified Purchase
Miguel Denyer
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 1
Don't waste your money - these people will not help you
On March 9th 2024, I purchased a MCombo Lift Chair costing $785. On the same day, through the same Amazon account (my PERSONAL account since I also have a business account), I purchased an Asurion Complete Protect policy at the cost of $16.99 per month plus taxes. About one month ago, a problem arose with the chair that required me to make a claim using the "Complete Protect" policy that I had purchased for that very item. The claim was initiated on January 1st, 2025 - On January 3rd, I received an email asking me for photographs showing the damage for which I was making a claim. I sent those photographs via email to the address provided on January 6th. On January 27th, having not received ANY response from Asurion, I contacted them via phone and was told that my purchase had been made with a business account, that it was being used for business purposes, and was therefore not covered. I assured the Asurion Representative that it was most certainly not a business use, and that the chair that I was claiming for had been purchased because I had extensive shoulder surgery done that made it impossible to get in and out of bed. After speaking (unsuccessfully) with the Asurion Rep, I then contacted Amazon Customer Service. I spoke with an Amazon Customer Service Representative on the phone who confirmed that I had in fact used my personal account to purchase the chair and the Asurion Complete Protect policy. That representative went on to send a message to Asurion on my behalf confirming that the purchase was for personal use and not business use. Asurion responded, asking me to call them with the order number for the Asurion purchase. The number I gave was the exact same order number on my order history, however, the Asurion Rep could not find it. I was finally able to discover that the order number in Asurion's system was entirely different and isn't even in the same format as an Amazon order number. Upon the Asurion representative finding my plan, she informed me that the chair was listed as being purchased for business use (despite Amazon confirming that it was NOT) but that I should give them "a couple of business days" to resolve the issue. Five business days later, still no response and so I called them again (Yesterday - February 1st 2025)... Lo and behold, I got the same crap yet again... the purchase was listed as business use and was therefore being denied, but she promised to remove the business use commentary and put the claim through again. Today, February 2nd, I called Amazon yet again to escalate and had to call THREE times because the first two calls resulted in me finally being connected to an Asurion representative (two different reps) and each time, the Asurion representative hung up the phone as soon as my name was mentioned. It has become clear to me that the Asurion "Complete Protect" policy is a SCAM - they will NOT take care of your issue, regardless of how long you've been paying. I have been paying every month since March 9th last year - so they've received over $170 from me thus far, with zero other claims, and if I am able to cancel right now, I will only receive $16.99 back. All I want, is the chair that I purchased the policy for coverage of, to be repaired or replaced. Asurion are NOT helping, and are actively avoiding contact. At this point, I am considering legal action against Asurion for fraud - perhaps even a Class Action. I'll wait and see if my issue gets resolved within the next 10 days or so.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2025
C
Verified Purchase
CamRam
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
Asurion is AWESOME!
Ok, so let me start with the fact that you should NOT waste your time calling Amazon's customer service if you think you have a claim under Asurion's monthly protection plan. CALL ASURION! I wasted almost an hour with Amazon representatives that have absolutely no training in how the Asurion plan works, or even any idea if my item was covered. In fact, they told me the mechanized chair I purchased under the plan wasn't covered! Finally, my call got escalated to a manager who was just as clueless about my coverage, but had the best idea ever... call Asurion! The smartest thing I did that morning was hang up with Amazon, and reach out to Asurion as I should have done in the first place. Dealing with Asurion's customer service, after my Amazon call, was like being elevated to VIP status! 😄 Asurion's rep nicely took all my info, including the chair's purchase date and order number. Then they asked that I upload a couple of pictures of the product, along with a written description of the malfunction I had mentioned over the phone. This is where it gets really good. They told me they'd review the claim to determine if they'd send a repair specialist or reimburse me the cost of the item. In less than 48 hours, they determined that a payout was in order, and sent me an email that included an Amazon gift card for the total cost of the item minus the taxes I had paid, which I loaded directly into my Amazon wallet. Apparently, Asurion does not include the purchase taxes in their coverage. But, I can live with that. All in all, Asurion's claims division get a double thumbs up 👍🏽👍🏽, and the company gets big ups from me for not only standing behind their protection plan, but doing so expeditiously! Special note: If you buy a lot of stuff from Amazon, and have Asurion's monthly protection plan, scroll the item listing before pulling the trigger on your purchase... you need to see the green streamer that indicates your product is protected by the plan. If you don't see that, check to see if there are alternative products that might be covered. There are very few electronic or high ticket items that aren't covered, but looking for that green banner in the item description that says it's covered is key to foregoing any future headaches.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2026
S
Verified Purchase
Shance L McGuffey
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
If they can't fix it they will replace it.
This protection plan that i pay monthly for paid for itself ten fold. My 3D printer just quit working and after the manufacturer warrenty had ran out at that. I submitted my claim they emailed me a shipping label in which I shipped out my printer that same day. Two days later they received my printer determined it couldc not be fixed and sent me a Amazon gift card for the full price of my printer. Today I will be receiving my new 3d printer thanks to Complete Protect. I highly recommend anyone and everyone to purchase this policy. This warrenty is like having a home warrenty like Homeshield but for your electronics and probably other stuff that i just have not read to see what else. This insurance will save me so much money over the corse of this year and every year after that. Thank you Complete Protect.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2026
N
Verified Purchase
nicolas juarez
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
"Outstanding support and a seamless process!"
Great experience with Asurion insurance through Amazon. I wasn't sure how to register my items for the monthly plan, but the customer support team in the chat was incredibly efficient and guided me through the entire paperwork process smoothly. Furthermore, the service I received at the repair shop (Break Fix) was excellent. The whole process was seamless, and I received my digital gift card without any issues, which I’ve already applied to my Amazon account. I am very grateful for their professionalism and how easy they made everything. Highly recommended!"
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2026
T
Verified Purchase
Toveth Noyse
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Received giftcard money to replace my plan-protected malfunctioning motherboard
I've been subscribing to the Asurion protection plan for a while. Recently, an Asus Prime PC motherboard I had bought a few months ago on Amazon stopped working well. I ended up considering filing a claim with Asurion to see if they would either fix/replace it or issue the purchase price money, so I could buy the failed electronics replacement component again for my custom-built PC. I went to the protection plan's website and started the claim filing process but couldn't find the category my failed component would be under in order to select it from the drop-down list. I ended up messaging the live customer service. The chat messaging was somewhat slow, the agent told me they were experiencing some communication delays throughout their systems. Ultimately, the agent was very kind and understanding, and completed the claim filing process for me on her side by asking me to provide the necessary info such as the item's product name, date of purchase, price before taxes, etc. I received a printable UPS shipping label in the email, printed it, and returned the item in the mail. Approximately 2 days later, I received an Amazon giftcard code in the email with the dollar amount equal to the item's price before the sales tax. Then I redeemed the giftcard code on the Amazon page and proceeded to apply the giftcard money to my next purchase of a replacement Asus prime motherboard, and it all worked out successfully. Therefore, I had no issues with the protection plan service and recommend it to others.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2026

recommand products