Who was the hardest-working member of The Beatles?
Between 1962 and 1970, The Beatles recorded approximately 200 songs and released 12 studio albums (13, if including the Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack). By any measure, they were an incredibly hard-working and productive group. But which member was most responsible for driving their output?
Of course, the answer isn’t totally clear-cut. All four members had their productive moments, and there were times when inspiration dried up for all of them. The same goes for the band’s work rate. The Beatles typically worked at a ferocious speed, particularly in the so-called ‘touring years’, when they had a near-constant schedule of recording and playing live.
However, a couple of factors contributed to the band’s output slowing (slightly) in the second half of their career. Firstly, they stopped touring and became a studio-only band, spending far more time writing and recording than they had done before. For instance, their 1967 single, ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, took around three months to record. In contrast, in 1964, The Beatles laid down eight tracks for their Beatles for Sale album in a single day.
Yet, arguably, a more significant factor was the geography of the group. By 1967, three of the members had moved out of London. They had bought homes in Surrey, located a few hours outside of London. The only one to stay behind was Paul McCartney. According to him, it meant the rest of the group were getting a little “sleepy” out in the countryside – leaving Paul to start suggesting new things to do.
“Around that time I was living in London, and I’d say I was active in quite a few areas,” he said. “And the guys – particularly John before he met Yoko – were getting a little bit sleepy out in Weybridge. So I would suggest projects.”
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was famously McCartney’s brainchild. He liked the idea of creating a fictional band as a way of forging a new identity for themselves. He also devised the idea behind Let It Be: a back-to-basics record without overdubs, accompanied by a film. Then, as the other Beatles focused on their solo projects, it was Paul and producer George Martin who stayed behind to put together the glorious closing medley on side-B of Abbey Road.
Ringo Starr confirms that McCartney would be the one pushing the group forward at that time. “John and I lived close by, and so we’d be in the garden together admiring the greenery,” he said. “The phone would ring – and we’d both know it’d be Paul. And he would be saying, ‘Hey lads, let’s get in the studio.’ So we did much more work because of Paul.”
However, there were other periods in the band’s existence when Lennon appeared to be the main creative force. A Hard Day’s Night is dominated by Lennon-led compositions, with the Beatle taking lead vocals on nine of the album’s 13 songs. The next most fruitful phase for Lennon was during the band’s time in India when he wrote around 15 songs compared to Paul’s 12. Most would make their way onto the White Album, but others – such as ‘Jealous Guy’ – would eventually be released during his solo career.
Still, McCartney was the one Beatle who consistently drove the band forward throughout their existence. It’s a work ethic that has lived with him to this day, with the 82-year-old still regularly touring and recording new music. Long may it continue.
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