NORWEGIAN WOULD

I have come across this unique picture of Paul McCartney, mid-August 1968, carrying an accordion, which is probably the one used on Rocky Raccoon. This is probably the only picture of Paul with an accordion. It was taken by a Norwegian fan (Egil Gjerde), and has not been published before now.

It’s printed in the latest edition of Norway’s Tunes magazine, along with other Norway/Beatles connections, including an anecdote from Aina Romø from Kristiansand, very likely the only Norwegian to have been present at the recording session for a Beatles song.

In 1967, Aina was a 19 year old girl, working as a DJ at Raffles in the King’s Road, Chelsea. She was also Mike Pinder’s (The Moody Blues) girlfriend and befriended Paul McCartney at the Bag O’ Nails club. In September 1967, she and her boyfriend attended a Beatles session in Abbey Road for the recording of Blue Jay Way (Magical Mystery Tour EP). The records show that the sessions for this song occurred on the 6th and 7th of September.

What’s interesting is that Aina remembers that Yoko Ono also was present. This must have been around the time when the other Beatles were referring to Yoko as John’s ‘flavour of the month’. Aina recalls that John and Yoko were sitting around, doodling on drawings and lyrics sheets, not paying much attention to what the rest of the Beatles were doing. “Yoko Ono was nice, but I thought she was a bit strange. She had probably been smoking something or other! I was sitting at the same table as her and we were talking, but I don’t recall about what.

“Yoko was dressed in white from top to bottom. John must have seen something valuable in her that no one else could see. What instruments The Beatles were playing on Blue Jay Way, I’m afraid I can’t remember. If I could have lived through it again, I would have paid more attention. In the kitchen I remember Ringo Starr rolled a joint. They thought George Martin didn’t notice, but I think he had some idea about what was going on.

“When the song was finished, around three in the middle of the night, there were lots of fans waiting patiently outside to get a glimpse of their idols. Several asked who the young lady was and Paul explained to them, jokingly: ‘She’s my little sister’. We took a taxi to the Bag O’Nails, where Paul bought drinks for all. John and Yoko had remained in the sudio, tinkering at the grand piano, while the rest of us went partying.

by Nils Gjerstad
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