How Metallica helped sell Paul McCartney on The Beatles: Rock Band
by Justin McElroy 
{ Sep 7th 2009 at 9:00AM } 
There were "a couple of grown-ups standing looking very foolish with these little plastic guitars playing to a screen", McCartney says. "And we're going, 'Yeah, all right... It just looks like a really bad band.' They said: 'We really can do a great one with the Beatles, and we'll show you.' So Ringo and I got a bit intrigued."
So, when McCartney says they looked like a really bad band ... is he talking about the people playing or the guys on the screen? Because, yes.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tehman @ Sep 7th 2009 9:07AM
Paul doesn't seem like the kind of guy to get into heavy metal......
Victor @ Sep 7th 2009 10:22AM
Whaaat? Paul McCartney helped create heavy metal!
TheCrystalQueen @ Sep 7th 2009 10:43AM
I know who my money would be on, here's what Clive Kelly says about Ringo.
I booked a group called Rory Storm & the Hurricanes regularly on all of my clubs. They opened the Witches Cauldron Club in Wallasey, the Ponderosa Club in Bolton and the Blue Note in Wigan…..and I’m glad I did, particularly at the Ponderosa. This was where Ringo Starr, the drummer with the Hurricanes, saved me from a beating or even death. A gang fight had broken out while Ringo was doing his drum solo. I was desperately trying to stop the gangs of yobs from pummelling each other into oblivion when they turned on me. One of them fired a gun. When Ringo heard the sound of the shot he stopped playing, ripped the leg off a stage table and bludgeoned the gun-toting gang leader before turning on some others. This put me and my bouncers at an advantage and Ringo helped us to clear out the wounded rabble.
G-man @ Sep 7th 2009 12:25PM
@The Crystal Queen. Whoa, is that true? If it's so you've got me TOTALLY amazed...
Deuce-MRP- @ Sep 7th 2009 12:52PM
pretty sure he was talking about how the characters in the game looked.
doc j @ Sep 7th 2009 1:14PM
@g-man
http://www.merseybeat.co.uk/articles-details.php?cat=Mersey+Beatles&id=584
Link to the story from which Crystal is quoting.
crazypenguin @ Sep 7th 2009 9:08AM
i'm so confused
Jesse @ Sep 7th 2009 9:15AM
That makes all of us. If Joystiq wanted to make a confusing post... mission accomplished.
I think it boils down to this:
Beatles just called out Metallica. Fight behind the bus shed after school!!!!!
Frivolous @ Sep 7th 2009 9:47AM
@Jess Beatles could win the fight, even with two deceased band members... not to mention if Yoko comes along... she fights dirty
Jake @ Sep 7th 2009 10:23AM
she knows KUNG FOO!!!
Jake @ Sep 7th 2009 10:23AM
my bad i meant KUNG FU!!! ;p
David @ Sep 7th 2009 11:23AM
those hats with perfume and a floating plum in them are pretty deadly.
NUMBER 8 *belch*
NUMBER 8 *belch*
NUMBER 8 *belch*
Bagels: Almost certainly not as stupid as you think. Also, Memes. @ Sep 7th 2009 2:18PM
@Justin: Beginning, Middle, End, makey-sensey stuff inbetween.
smak @ Sep 8th 2009 2:16PM
Worst. Post. Ever.
iHavepants {SteamPSN: Arkanti} @ Sep 7th 2009 9:09AM
I agree entirely, either way, a complete yes.
Although the background 'cinematics' for Beatles Rock Band do look spectacular, and it is the first time I have really WANTED a game of the Rock Band/Guitar Hero mould, at the same time its soul lies in the fact that it's a party game and the majority of people who could possibly play with me are not fans of The Beatles due to being terrible people.
Fuck everyone else's opinions, mine is superior due to intoxication.
David @ Sep 7th 2009 11:24AM
if you're opinion is based on intoxication, then how do you NOT own any of these rhythm games? that's their best application, IMO. we've thrown plenty of parties at my house and, even if we pledge not too, we ALWAYS end up bringing out the rock band.*
* limit 1 "living on a prayer" and "don't stop believing"
brytdavis @ Sep 7th 2009 9:16AM
James Hetfield is the walrus ...
Barkley610 @ Sep 7th 2009 9:26AM
Hey Sandman..... er was it EnterJude? I'm just glad multiple fan bases are covered
KeenCommander @ Sep 7th 2009 12:28PM
It's actually just Sandman - Taxman + Enter Sandman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUWoiwWk66g
charlie b. @ Sep 7th 2009 6:38PM
Guitar Hero: Beatallica
CONFIRMED
squallgengar @ Sep 7th 2009 9:31AM
Mmhm. Ah, yes. I see your point there. Insightful to the last, eh, chaoxiong9?
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 7th 2009 9:33AM
so ummmm yea I take it he meant the people with the plastic guitars...lol
Plankfan @ Sep 7th 2009 9:52AM
Well, this just made my morning more confusinnger!
Rock Fistpump @ Sep 7th 2009 10:27AM
You know it was a joke, right? RIGHT!?!?
Jose @ Sep 7th 2009 2:44PM
Metallica? Yeah, they're a joke. I'm not sure what he meant with his comment.
darkwater124 @ Sep 7th 2009 9:52AM
Paul McCartney is Paul McCartney. He can say whatever the fuck he wants.
Ethan @ Sep 7th 2009 10:16AM
And he does.
Martin @ Sep 7th 2009 12:39PM
'Cause no one else can do that.
B3astofthe3ast @ Sep 7th 2009 9:53AM
It's ironic because Metallica has their own competing band game.
Iwa @ Sep 7th 2009 10:11AM
"(presumably one of the band's songs running in an earlier Guitar Hero title)"
No, it would have had to have been an early build of Rock Band. There were no Metallica songs in Guitar Hero until 3.
captain underpants and the bringdown gang @ Sep 7th 2009 10:44AM
how exactly is that ironic?
Hall @ Sep 7th 2009 10:04AM
Metallica.....the Beatles??????
BEATALLICA motherfu**ers
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=4663460
Radeus @ Sep 7th 2009 10:54AM
Meatles imo.
David @ Sep 7th 2009 11:25AM
the meatles for the win
Jrinswand @ Sep 7th 2009 10:24AM
I'm not thanking Metallica for anything and you can't convince me to do otherwise.
tmacairjordan87 @ Sep 7th 2009 10:37AM
Well, if you like any metal band that was created around the mid 80s until now you need to thank Metallica for that.
David @ Sep 7th 2009 11:27AM
yeah I'll be sure to thank James Hetfield for slipknot, linkin park, korn, disturbed....
...sorry i have to stop, i think i'm gonna throw up.
and for the record, metal is far more indebted to black sabbath than they are to metallica.
Jrinswand @ Sep 7th 2009 12:52PM
@Tmac - Not really. The only bands Metallica really influenced were the Gothenburg melodic death metal bands and American metalcore.
I love tons of metal bands from the mid-80's until today that had nothing to do with Metallica or the Bay Area thrash scene, particularly black, death, and doom metal bands.
End User @ Sep 7th 2009 6:21PM
But what about dark metal, darker metal, blacker metal, deadlier metal, decay metal, crunch metal, grunt metal, slam metal, stone metal, spike metal, blade metal, maggot metal, puke metal, hell metal, volcano metal, torture metal...
...and last, but certainly not least, metallic iron metal metal! (my personal favorite)
Kizzle @ Sep 8th 2009 9:10AM
LOL at people downplaying Metallica's influence just because they apparently aren't as cool as they used to be. That doesn't change the past, dumbasses.
tmacairjordan87 @ Sep 7th 2009 10:32AM
I'm going to refrain from calling out Mccartney for now as I'm not really sure what's going on. As it has been stated earlier, this is a really confusing post and I'm not going to call him out when I'm not even really sure what he said or meant.
Mouthsmasher @ Sep 7th 2009 10:37AM
He was most very clearly and certainly talking about Metallica. ...in my opinion.
The Baron @ Sep 7th 2009 10:44AM
"couple of grown ups playing to a screen"
Yeah, Harmonix flew in Metallica to try and convince the Beatles.
Mouthsmasher @ Sep 7th 2009 10:49AM
No, just brought a game with one of their songs on it when they flew themselves in.
Bagels: Almost certainly not as stupid as you think. Also, Memes. @ Sep 7th 2009 2:23PM
@Baron I find that slightly more believable than you do...
Al @ Sep 7th 2009 10:46AM
Where did this information come from? I read somewhere that the son of George Harrison was the one responsible for the idea and bringing it to Apple Corps top shareholders, McCartney, Ringo, and Yoko.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_33/b4143026811218.htm?campaign_id=rss_null
Iwa @ Sep 7th 2009 11:03AM
If you read the linked Guardian article that this blog references, you'll find the same thing.
xtremeholymuffin @ Sep 7th 2009 11:19AM
I'm pretty positive he meant the graphical representation of the band members, guys. Hence, "we can do a really great one with the Beatles, and we'll show you".
David @ Sep 7th 2009 11:28AM
Hahaha, that's the best business pitch ever.
"OK, here's the competition's product."
"This!? This is absolute bollocks."
"You're absolutely right. Our business strategy is to make GOOD products."
"Tell me more...."
Markers1713 @ Sep 7th 2009 1:46PM
That's beyond perfect.