Why George Harrison Once Said Paul McCartney “Ruined Me as a Guitar Player”

In the early 1970s, the tensions that bubbled beneath the surface in the lead-up to the Beatles’ dissolution came to the surface in the form of contentious headlines and revealing interviews, the latter of which is how George Harrison once let the world know that Paul McCartney had “ruined” him as a guitar player. Indeed, the Quiet Beatle became much more vocal about his feelings following the band’s split.

Harrison’s struggle to carve out a space for himself as an equal member of the Fab Four was an age-old element to the Liverpool band. John Lennon and McCartney were the primary songwriters. Harrison, like Ringo Starr, played a functional role.

But by the end of his time with the Beatles, Harrison wasn’t even sure if that function was one he could even do.

Why George Harrison Said Paul McCartney “Ruined” Him As A Guitar Player

As is often the case with superstars, what started as one of the Beatles’ strengths ultimately became their downfall. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr all had different approaches to writing and distinct musical tastes. This helped create their unique blend of pop, rock, and country. But with four egos all sharing one space, things got tense quickly. Lennon and McCartney famously rejected numerous Harrison compositions. Even the primary songwriters battled over whether to prioritize commercialism or creativity.

Amidst the loud, public drama and in-fighting, the Quiet Beatle started to experience an internal conflict. Was he even a good guitarist? He was one of the biggest rock stars in the world, but not even that was enough to convince him he was a worthy instrumentalist. In a 1974 interview for Let It Rock Around the World, Harrison attributed this imposter syndrome to his bandmate, McCartney.

Speaking of his first musical endeavors post-Beatles, Harrison said, “I had no confidence in myself as a guitar player, having spent so many years with Paul McCartney. He ruined me as a guitar player.”

When interviewer Alan Freeman pressed Harrison to explain what that meant, the former Beatle replied, “I think it’s easier to just read. [Paul] also seems to have done the same thing to Henry McCullough. I remember reading something that Henry said that he left Wings. He just left it because he said, ‘I don’t know if I’m good or I’m bad, if I can play this or I can’t play anything.’”

Henry McCullough’s Split Mirrored The Fab Four’s Breakup

The Beatles’ break up was a slow, irritable burn. Rather than one massive fight that marked the official end of the group in one day, the Fab Four split emotionally first, then mentally, before finally parting ways legally. It was as if all parties had been holding their breath, pushing through the discomfort because they thought everyone else was, before collectively exhaling. So, it’s unsurprising that George Harrison would mention Wings guitarist Henry McCullough in his 1974 interview. Indeed, the two guitarists’ split from McCartney seemed incredibly similar.

“We had a row one afternoon,” McCullough recalled in a 1997 interview with Mojo. “I want to contribute. ‘Give me a chance. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll do it your way.’ I felt it was time he allowed the musicians to have some of their own ideas used as part of this group’s vibe. But all that was slowly being lost—the idea from the university tour, the van, the craic, and all that started to go out the window.”

“I [tried] to hold onto it because I wanted it not just for the band but for him as well to show people that he wasn’t namby-pamby,” he continued. “It wasn’t a fierce row, just, ‘Oh, stuff it, I’m away home,’ sort of thing. There were a lot of things said in the press. There was a terrible rumor I’d pulled a gun on him, that I’d hit him over the head with a bottle—really! But I think we both knew in our hearts it was time for me to go, and he left it to me to choose the time of leaving.”

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