Good day Sunshine-Macca grows up in California and Brian Wilson in Liverpool....

[Paperback Writer]

Try this thought on for size - Role reversal, Paul grows up in So-Cal and hangs ten, races cars and sings with his brother, cousins and friends!  Would Paul have grown a closer musical bond with brother Mike?  Would he have developed his enormous talent without John as both a competitor and inspiration?  Would Father Jim McCartney been a "driver" like Brian Wilson's dad and pushed Paul - and in retrospect serve the role John had?  Would Paul have been too distracted by the sun, surf and those California Girls?

If Brian grew up in Liverpool, would he have crossed paths with John?  Some of the other musicians in Liverpool?  Would he have gotten depressed sooner without the sun?  Would he have flourished under the English art school system and been discovered by Brian Epstein doing more romantic, social critical songs, rather than sunny beach songs?  Would he have meshed with John Lennon? Clashed? Drove each other crazy?

Both Brian and Paul are melodic song-writers and  left-handed bass players born almost exactly on the same day!  Think about it.

See Dylan-Lennon connection elsewhere on this thread for more.  What do you think?!

[mervap]

I think that Macca would have flourished musically in any locale....he has the kind of talent that won't be denied. He likely would have remained a guitarist, but would certainly have dabbled on other instruments....I've never read anything about Paul's dad being the kind of parent that would "drive" anybody, so any incentive for Paul to succeed would have to come from within.

Brian, however, would likely have been beaten serverely many times on the tough streets of 'Pool....his sensitive nature would have had to be hidden to all but his closest mates.....Lennon would certainly admired his musical acumen, but would probably mocked him mercilessly for being 'soft'.

I think one could have swapped Dylan/Lennon far more easily than McCartney/Wilson.

[chris]

.....Lennon would certainly admired his musical acumen, but would probably mocked him mercilessly for being 'soft'.

i can see that. lennon's tough act often made paul's optimism and love songs look...soft. and john was never above mocking paul. anyone listen to paul's anthology version of teddy boy?