Paul McCartney wrote ‘rough and screaming’ Helter Skelter on acoustic guitar

One of the heaviest rock and roll songs Paul McCartney managed to write was done so on an acoustic guitar.

Helter Skelter, a defining song from The Beatles‘ White Album, would see McCartney respond to a challenge set by The Who‘s Pete Townshend. Where the My Generation guitarist said he had written the “loudest and dirtiest” song to date with I Can See for Miles, McCartney thought he could do better than that. He did with Helter Skelter, a rock and roll powerhouse which still forms part of the Wings frontman’s setlist today. Despite the heavy tone and thrilling electric guitar work throughout, the song was actually written on an acoustic instrument while jamming with John Lennon.

The song, which influenced heavy metal and rock and roll for decades to come, was written because McCartney fancied having a go at “screaming” his head off. The Beatles member explained: “Umm, that came about just ’cause I’d read a review of a record which said, ‘and this group really got us wild, there’s echo on everything, they’re screaming their heads off.

“And I just remember thinking, ‘Oh, it’d be great to do one. Pity they’ve done it. Must be great—really screaming record. And then I heard their record and it was quite straight, and it was very sort of sophisticated.

“It wasn’t rough and screaming and tape echo at all. So I thought, ‘Oh well, we’ll do one like that, then.’ And I had this song called ‘Helter Skelter,’ which is just a ridiculous song. So we did it like that, ‘cuz I like noise.”

Though the song would go on to revolutionise rock and roll, the album isn’t quite a favourite of McCartney’s. Despite featuring some of his all-time best works like Back in the U.S.S.R., Blackbird, and Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (seriously), the album was much preferred by Lennon.

The Imagine hitmaker shared: “[Paul] wanted it to be more a group thing, which really means more Paul. So he never liked that album.  always preferred it to all the other albums, including Pepper, because I thought the music was better. The Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band myth is bigger, but the music on the White Album is far superior, I think.”

It’s not the first time Lennon has been keen to slam The Beatles’ work, with the Come Together songwriter suggesting McCartney’s Ram was a far better listening experience than both Abbey Road and Let It Be.

He claimed: “I’d sooner have [Paul McCartney’s album] Ram, John Lennon Plastic Ono Band, George’s album, and Ringo’s single and the movies than Let It Be or Abbey Road. I think my music’s improved a millionfold lyric-wise and everything.

“And Ringo’s coming out and writing It Don’t Come Easy and now he’s going to write the title song for this cowboy thing he’s in, and he’s playing a really tough guy and all that. It’s really beautiful.” You can watch McCartney put together Helter Skelter in the studio below.