John Lennon says George Harrison had to be wary of ‘concentrating on certain types of songs’

Advice was issued to legendary musician George Harrison by John Lennon, with the Imagine hitmaker telling his Beatles bandmate to avoid “certain types of songs.”

Words of wisdom came to Lennon for the so-called quiet one of The Beatles, after a comment was asked for regarding Here Comes the Sun. One of the band’s most-streamed songs, which features on their masterpiece Abbey Road, had Lennon likening it to a Buddy Holly song. It was meant as a compliment to Harrison’s abilities as a writer, but Lennon urged his ex-bandmate to be wary of falling into the trap of concentrating on certain genres and styles of music. Harrison was hailed by Lennon for allowing “the floodgates” of songwriting to open, but he urged the Something hitmaker to take care with the songs he pursued, and which he scrapped.

He said: “It reminds me of Buddy Holly in a way. It’s just the way he’s progressing, he’s writing all kinds of songs. Once the floodgates have now opened it becomes an effort to concentrate on writing certain types of songs.

“I’d prefer just writing non-melodic, straight rock but I can’t help writing other things and that applies to all of us, the songs just come out.” Harrison was further praised by Lennon in a separate interview, with the Whatever Gets You Thru the Night songwriter saying Something is the best song on Abbey Road.

Lennon said the song was “red hot” in the United States, with the advanced tapes proving extremely popular when sent across the pond. He explained: “You know how they always get our records before there out over there in America, they must have a spy in England that sends them the tapes and they were playing Something so much because they had an advanced thing of it and they are red hot for it over there.”

Lennon would later say he preferred Harrison, his, and Paul McCartney’s solo works to Abbey Road and Let It Be. Speaking in an interview with the NME, Lennon said: “The fact is, The Beatles have left school… and we have to get a job.

“That’s made us work — really work harder. I think we’re much better than we ever were when we were together. Look at us today. 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.”

Lennon would single out Starr, too, saying his writing has improved massively since he first started songwriting. He added: “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.”