Lennon’s favorite Beatle song.

Readers who have purchased my novel, Beatlemaniac, can tell you before they reach chapter four, which Beatle song held the honor as McCartney’s all-time favorite among the more than 200 selections. But not so for John or the other remaining two members chosen gem gain mentioned in this book. So, without further ado, I’m happy to give the answer now.

Subsequent to the accidental overdose fatality of manager Brian Epstein on August 27, 1967, the lads were at a complete loss how they should move their careers’ forward. Eager to work, Paul pushed his bossy dominance onto his mates’ shoulders, and from a recent mini hobby filming home movies, the famous bass player indulged himself in, Magical Mystery Tour, the film, proceeded as the predominate project. Written by Paul, produced by Paul, and of course, directed by Paul since the others shared little interest on the concept and simply arrived on set.  Actually, there was no script, storyboard, or planner. Just an urgency to fulfill the United Artist contractual agreement. Every scene unraveled by following a jumbled collection of handwritten ideas, sketches, and spur of the moment influences. Filming commenced on September 11 – September 25. The disastrous result captured ten hours of video, then snipped, scraped and edited down to 52 minutes. . . supposedly the good stuff used in the final cut. Critics overwhelming hated it, audiences, including Beatles Fans, watched sadly disappointed. To this day, I myself find it God awful boring and hard to sit through. I’d much rather listen to the American release album than agonize over the rubbish that spills total wasted effort and time over the TV screen, except for the golden touch footage of, I Am The Walrus, which loomed as John’ favorite tune––the first song laid down on the recording studio equipment at Abbey Road after the passing of Brian. Come Sept 5, 7 pm with instruments in hand, 16 takes marked the lads first challenge to continue making money without proven leadership. This peculiar composition conceived birth from a letter delivered by the postman for John, hand-written by a young student from Quarry Bank High School that indicated his English master trained the entire class how to evaluate Beatles lyrics as part of the course curriculum. Amused, that an English Professor had placed so much determination toward understanding his songs’ analogy, John mailed a reply to the student dated Sept 1 and decided his next song would contain the most confused set of lyrics ever, just to topsy-turvy the heck out of the intellectual brilliant minds of the gifted high I Q. By the way, John didn’t quit the confusion with just his lyrics. . . He baffled the ordeal by using all seven of the major chords found in typical music theory structure, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, but was kind enough not to mold the song’s chord pattern in that order. Other known songs most dear to Lennon based on his proud affection of the lyrics, are In My Life, Help, Girl, Strawberry Fields Forever, and especially, Across The Universe.

Next week, I’ll share what I know about Harrison’s favorite Beatle song.