Highlights
- The Beatles had their fair share of fights and conflicts during their time together, with instances of near fistfights and getting kicked out of homes.
- John Lennon believed that George Harrison and Ringo Starr were unnecessary to the band's success, but thought Starr would have found success regardless, while he didn't see Harrison reaching his full potential.
- Lennon and Harrison had some tension while recording the song "Norwegian Wood," but ultimately managed to record it the way Lennon wanted, despite disagreements.
The Beatles are one of the biggest rock bands of all time. With 2 studio albums, 5 live albums, 51 compilation albums, 36 extended plays (EPs), and 63 singles, they sold millions of copies across the world. Despite their ability to create incredible songs together, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison didn’t always get along.
During their short time together, many fights arose between the four members of The Beatles. For instance, George Harrison and John Lennon almost got into a fistfight once, and Paul McCartney once kicked Ringo Starr out of his home. On another occasion, Lennon and Harrison got into a big fight over a song that almost ruined their friendship and put the band’s work at stake.
John Lennon Thought George Harrison Never Reached His Full Potential As A Musician
During one of his last interviews ever, John Lennon admitted that he always thought Ringo Starr and George Harrison were unnecessary to The Beatles’ success. "Let’s say, I think it’s possible for John and Paul to have created the same thing with two other guys,” the ‘Imagine’ singer explained. "It may not have been possible for George and Ringo to have created it without John and Paul. OK?”
In that same interview, Lennon admitted that he thinks that Starr would have found success even if he hadn’t been a member of The Beatles. “Ringo was a star in his own right in Liverpool before we even met. Ringo was a professional drummer who sang and performed and was in one of the top groups in Britain, but especially in Liverpool. So Ringo’s talent would have come out one way or the other.” However, he didn’t seem to think the same about Harrison.
In fact, Lennon once claimed that he had yet to see Harrison reach his full potential as a musician.
“I don’t want to assess him,” Lennon said. “George has not done his best work yet. His talents have developed over the years and he was working with two fucking brilliant songwriters, and he learned a lot from us. I wouldn’t have minded being George, the invisible man, and learning what he learned. Maybe it was hard for him sometimes, because Paul and I are such ego-maniacs, but that’s the game.”
John Lennon Got “Very Angry” At George Harrison While Recording This One Beatles Song
John Lennon and George Harrison worked closely on the song “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” which was featured in The Beatles’ 1965 album Rubber Soul. Lennon originally reached his bandmate for help because Harrison was the only member of the band who knew how to play the sitar, which played a crucial role in Lennon’s vision for this song.
However, things got heated rather quickly when they began recording the song. Lennon grew increasingly angry because he felt as if Harrison simply couldn’t play the song right. “George had just got the sitar and I said, ‘Could you play this piece?'” Lennon told Rolling Stone in 1971. “We went through many different sort of versions of the song, it was never right, and I was getting very angry about it, it wasn’t coming out like I said.”
Lennon’s outbursts created some friction with his bandmates. But, ultimately, they managed to record the song just the way he wanted.
“They let me go and I did the guitar very loudly into the mike and sang it at the same time and then George had the sitar and I asked him could he play the piece that I’d written, you know, dee diddley dee diddley dee, that bit, and he was not sure whether he could play it yet because he hadn’t done much on the sitar but he was willing to have a go, as is his wont, and he learned the bit and dubbed it on after. I think we did it in sections.”
What Did George Harrison Really Think of John Lennon?
On more than one occasion, John Lennon claimed that he was always a sort of role model to George Harrison. "George’s relationship with me was one of a young follower and older guy. He’s three or four years younger than me. It’s a love/hate relationship,” he once admitted. But is this really how Harrison felt? It seems the answer is no.
In a 1987 interview with 57th St., Harrison admitted that his relationship with Lennon was nothing like the singer suggested, claiming that his Beatles bandmates didn't really understand him. “I liked him very much, he was a groove, he was a good lad, but at the same time, he misread me,” Harrison explained, noting that he never idolized Lennon.
“He didn’t realize who I was, and this was one of the main faults of John and Paul. They were so busy being John and Paul, they failed to realize who else was around at the time.”
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