CLUB SANDWICH 72

            What are your memories of Rory Storm?
            from Steve Wilson, Reading, England

            Rory was a very nice, likeable guy. He stuttered but he was still a good rock and roll singer who, unfortunately, didn't quite have what it took to make it big. But he was a great guy. His mum used to allow us around her house late at night when no other parents would, and I also remember Rory's sister, Iris, who I used to go out with.

            Why is it that you never use your first name, James?
            from James Zerilli, Aberdeen, NJ, USA

            Quite simply, my parents didn't use it because my Dad's name was James and they thought that it would lead to confusion.

            Are you a fan of Laurel and Hardy? You mention "Ollie Hardy" in your song "Junior's Farm'. If so, what is your favourite Laurel and Hardy film?
            from Steffi Schwartz, Vienna, Austria

            I love them, and I love all their films. I don't have an out-and-out favourite but I particularly like The Music Box, "when Laurel and Hardy have to carry a piano up a long flight of steps. I prefer their short films, and I love to see Stan "cry".

            You've occasionally referred to some of your early post-Beatles music as "unfinished". If you were to re-make any of those songs which would they be?
            from Jeremy & Lizzy, Auckland, New Zealand

            'Waterfalls' comes immediately to mind because that's a song which could take a little more of a finished treatment, whereas the McCartney II recording had a very thin treatment, even though a lot of people like it for that. So although I don't have any regrets about the way I did it that's the one I'd jump at first.
            Going back to earlier songs, 'Every Night' could stand up to being remade. Other people have made good recordings of it, and I remember that when I played the McCartney album to Ringo he said that he preferred my original solo version, when I had first sung it to him.
            Generally, though, as I say, I don't have any regrets about the way I've recorded songs.

            What did you, George and Ringo do to the demo of John's Tree As A Bird' which Yoko Ono gave you?
            from Mike O'Brien, Newton, NJ, USA

            We fixed it up. We took the attitude that John had gone on holiday saying "I finished all the tracks on my album except this one. I'm sorry that I can't make the last session but I leave it to you guys to finish it off. Do what you'd normally do. Don't get fussy, just do your normal thing. I trust you."
            And once we agreed to take that attitude it gave us a lot of freedom, because it meant that we didn't have any sacred view of John as a martyr, it was John the Beatle, John the crazy guy we remember. So we could laugh and say "Wouldn't you just know it? It's completely out of time!". So we fixed the timing and then added some bits. John hadn't filled in the middle-eight section of the demo so we wrote a new section for that, which, in fact, was one of the reasons for choosing the song: it allowed us some input.
            This question will be answered in more depth when we release it, though. I don't want to appear coy about the subject but we are having to sit on a great track for the first time in our lives and it's not easy.