The 1955 classic rock song John Lennon always begged Paul McCartney to sing: “Really throw it!”
While it’s fiercely up for debate as to who the best vocalist in The Beatles was, each of the four members had something different to offer in terms of their style.
John Lennon arguably had the most consistently rock-oriented voice, with many of his songs seemingly delivered with a sense of aggression that wasn’t present in what the other three had to offer. That being said, there were moments where he was able to deliver something softer and more melodic in nature, both of which were utilised to great effect throughout their discography.
On the other hand, George Harrison’s vocals were more consistently soft and suited to balladry, with tracks like ‘Something’ and ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ only really being possible to sing with the whispered timbre of the lead guitarist’s vocal style. A complete inverse to Lennon’s usual style, although not too dissimilar in its range, his less frequent offerings as the lead vocalist are just as good and valued in the band.
Ringo Starr may not have had the most natural talent as a vocalist, but his naive approach to singing works well for the whimsical and upbeat nature of the songs he was given to perform. That being said, the master of whimsy and being able to demonstrate versatility has always been Paul McCartney, who can switch from gentle ballads to rasping roars within the space of a song, as demonstrated by tracks like ‘Hey Jude’, which test the limits of his range.
Despite this being a much later example, McCartney has possessed this ability from early on in his career, and when it comes to his greatest influences as a vocalist, there was one rock and roll legend he frequently found himself trying to emulate, and Lennon admitted on many occasions to being a fan of his bandmate’s attempts at mimicking this iconic performer’s style.
Speaking with Playboy in 1984, McCartney revealed how Lennon had always been complimentary about his ability to launch into something raunchier. “He also liked it when I sang like Little Richard’s ‘Tutti-Frutti’ and all that,” he claimed, referring to the rocker’s ability to project almost effortlessly. “All my screaming songs, the early Beatles screaming stuff, that’s me doing Little Richard.”
He continued, stating how there were some mental barriers to him being able to pull this off on cue. “It requires a great deal of nerve to just jump up and scream like an idiot, you know?” McCartney added. “Anyway, I would often fall a little bit short, not have that little kick, that soul, and it would be John who would go, ‘Come on! You can sing it better than that, man! Come on, come on! Really throw it!’ All right, John, OK.”
While McCartney would undoubtedly have been thrilled when he was able to nail it, he claimed that he couldn’t have done it without the constant words of encouragement from Lennon, proclaiming: “He was certainly the one I looked up to, most definitely.”
The roaring vocal performances from McCartney on earlier Beatles records are certainly a joy to behold and contain a sense of unbridled youthful joy, but while these early efforts were occasionally on the sloppier side, he’d go on to perfect these howls much later in his career, using his early experience as a way of growing.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.