George Harrison never held back regarding his former bandmate, Paul McCartney. Here are five of the snarkiest comments he made about his fellow Beatle.
George Harrison didn’t know why Paul McCartney used so many Beatles songs in ‘Give My Regards to Broad Street’
During a 1984 press conference, George revealed that his relationship with Paul was going well and that he liked Paul’s latest hit, “No More Lonely Nights.” However, George couldn’t hold back one critique. He thought it was strange that Paul chose to cover many of his Beatles songs for Give My Regards to Broad Street.
“I can’t understand why he did it,” George said. “Makes me think it must be because he got the publishing of it or something… I think he would have been better off to have not done so many of them and had more new tunes. But he’s not doing so bad.”
George seemed to imply that Paul had used so many Beatles songs because he couldn’t come up with them anymore. When MuchMusic told George that Paul was thinking of covering other older Beatles tunes and even some of John’s hits like “Beautiful Boy” and “Imagine,” George was shocked. “Paul? Maybe because he ran out of good ones of his own. It’s true,” he said.
George, on Paul and his in-laws during The Beatles’ split
In 1970, shortly after The Beatles split, George told Howard Smith (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters) that the band hadn’t wanted to do what was in the best interest of Paul and his in-laws. George, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr wanted Allen Klein to manage them, but Paul wanted his father-in-law, Lee Eastman, and brother-in-law, John.
George explained, “That’s only a personal problem that he’ll have to get over, because the reality is that he’s outvoted and we’re a partnership… He’s outvoted three to one and if he doesn’t like it, it’s really the pity. Because we’re tryin’ to do what’s best for the Beatles as a group or best for Apple as a company. We’re not tryin’ to do what’s best for Paul and his in-laws.”
George would’ve become bandmates with John again, not Paul, and he liked Willie Weeks on bass more
During a press conference in 1974 (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters), George talked about The Beatles getting back together. It only would’ve happened if they were broke.
However, George would’ve joined a band with John again, not Paul. “To tell the truth, I’d join a band with John Lennon any day, but I couldn’t join a band with Paul McCartney, but it’s nothing personal. It’s just from a musical point of view… I’d rather have Willie Weeks on bass than Paul McCartney. That’s the truth, with all respect to Paul… Paul is a fine bass player … but he’s a bit overpowering at times. John’s gone through all of his scene, but he’s like me, he’s come back around.”
George said he wasn’t musically compatible with Paul. The guitarist didn’t like that Paul was pushy with his songs. The “Yesterday” singer didn’t care about doing anyone else’s while with The Beatles
George thought it was funny that Paul suddenly wanted to write songs with him in the 1980s
In the 1980s, George and Paul started talking to each other more. However, during a press conference, George said he’d spoken his mind to Paul many times. He also said it was funny that the bassist suddenly wanted to write songs with him.
“Paul had asked, had suggested maybe the chance of me and he writing together something, and it’s pretty funny really because I mean, I’ve only been there about 30 years in Paul’s life,” George said. “It’s like now he wants to write with me but I think it may be quite interesting.”
George said Paul was charming one minute but uptight the next
During the same press conference where George commented on writing songs with Paul again, the guitarist explained that his former bandmate was charming one minute but uptight the next. George hoped that Paul would eventually find a balance between good and bad.
“I think there’s a thing with Paul,” he said. “One minute, he says one thing, and he’s really charming, and the next minute, he’s all uptight. We all go through that, you know, good and bad and stuff. But I think by now, we got to find like somewhere in the center.”
George said Paul thought too much about his past, so he preferred to hang out with his other friends
During a 1988 interview with Countdown Holland, George admitted that since Paul thought too much about his past, George liked hanging out with other artists who were more friendly.
“You know, I just like to hang out with people who are friendly,” George said. “I was sort of getting friendly with Paul, a little bit, but I haven’t really known him that well for the last 10 years. If it gets to the point where he’s friendly and happy then we could do something. At this point in time, I have more fun with Jeff Lynne, Eric Clapton, and Ringo and Elton.
“We get on really good, and I don’t like to get into situations where I don’t have fun. Paul sometimes is too, you know, he thinks too much of his past.”
The guitarist thought the ‘Yesterday’ singer was a hypocrite for not attending The Beatles’ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction
George often called Paul a hypocrite, especially regarding his no-show at The Beatles’ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. In multiple interviews, George explained that he and Paul had been mending their relationship into the 1980s. However, Paul still used some old business issues as an excuse not to attend.
In one 1988 interview, George said, “We’ve all gone through problems with businesses and different things, but they’ve all slowly been getting solved. We’re right on the point now, the best time we’ve ever been at in order to get all our past problems solved.
“Plus, the fact that we’ve spent a lot of time with meetings with Paul, having dinner, and just being friends because having not spent a lot of time with him, you have to get to re-know each other again, and we were just in the process of doing that… For some strange reason, he decided to superimpose some old business thing that was getting solved anyway onto the Hall of Fame. It was a shame he didn’t come, really.”
George outright told Ray Martin (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters) that he thought Paul was a hypocrite for not going. Then, George told MuchMusic that he didn’t miss Paul at the event at all.
Despite all the snarky comments George aimed at Paul indirectly, there were many times when he couldn’t help but defend his former bandmate. George and Paul eventually mended their relationship and recorded together with Ringo Starr one last time in the mid-1990s. While their relationship was often complicated, George and Paul loved each other like brothers.
