Michael Stanley writes:
 Christian Kerr errs in attributing The Moody
Blues’ “Go Now” composing credit to Paul McCartney (yesterday Item 8). In fact the composers
were/are Larry Banks and Milton Bennett. The error is mitigated somewhat by the
fact that Denny Laine, a member of The Moody Blues, became a founding member of
Paul McCartney and Wings. Costello probably prefers, “Do That To Me One More
Time” by the Captain and Tennille while the PM, as a known Bob Dylan fan, would
prefer, “If you gotta go, go now, or else you’ll have to stay all night.” (A
night is a long time in politics!).

Pete Luetjens writes: ‘If you gotta go, you better go now’ written
by Paul McCartney ?! Even I know that Go Now was written by the Moody
Blues, and I was born 16 years after it was released!

Mark Colvin writes: Forgive me, but I think “Go Now” was the Moody Blues, not McCartney.

David Chambers writes: What a twat Christian Kerr really is…I
remember his comments about John Lennon being a sad hippie now
Mr.Groovy guru thinks Paul McCartney wrote a song sung by Denny Laine..
So Mr. Kerr derides the most successful songwriters of all time and
sounds like the judge who famously had never heard of The Rolling
Stones during their 60`s drug trial. How old is Kerr ? 64 x 2 ? Or just
a dork of immense proportions who likes to tap his ignorant foot, out
of time, to Perry Como…what a dill!

Fiona Robertson writes: Hopefully I am one of several thousand that write to you about this one.
Paul McCartney wrote Go Now???

Well I guess Denny Laine sang it when he was heading up the
Moody Blues but that was long before he went on to be the third wheel
in Wings with Paul McC and the first Mrs McC. So close Mr Kerr,
and yet … oh so very very far! Larry Banks wrote it. In a
completely unrelated piece of trivia, according to www.allmusic.com, he also wrote a song called
“I’m Not The One”.


Squatter Jardine writes: Christian Kerr’s baiting of all and sundry knows
no bounds. Finally conclusive proof I say that he argues less from conviction
than to provoke reaction. Any reaction will do. And let me prophesy bulging
inboxes from offended pedants all over the place. To whit, it is inconceivable
anybody could make the mistake of attributing the Kinks song ‘ Go now’ circa
1967 to Paul McCartney. Now CK could just be getting lazy but I’m hypothesizing
that, as like the serial killer leaving bigger and bolder clues, CK too just
wishes to be caught and put out of his misery.

Jim Parker writes: I’m all for pop music, as
opposed to cricket metaphors, in reporting politics. But your political
correspondent Christian Kerr has slipped up with his reference to ‘Go Now’ as a
Paul McCartney song. It was, in fact, the first hit single by The Moody Blues
(Banks/Bennett) in 1965. McCartney covered it on his Wings Across America
tour.

Jeremy English writes: The publishing credit for this great song is (Banks/Bennett) not McCartney.
Whist It’s possible that Banks Bennet was a pseudonym, as this was common for
Sir Paul and others in that era, it seems unlikely as the Moody Blues history
notes award credit to an obscure recording from a black female blues artist from
the US. However, if the McCartney credit is correct it’s a gem of a trivia item
and needs verification immediately. Anyone got the answer?

Peter Larter writes: The song was performed by Denny and Paul many times during
Wings’ concerts in the 70s, but was actually a Moody Blues’ hit in 1965 during
the Beatles’ heyday. Perhaps, instead, Howard could decide to either
“Open the door and let ’em in”, or kindly admonish Peter that he can “dress me
up as a robber, (but) we’ll go on forever, I may never make a change”. Clearly
we’re beyond “When I’m 64”.


Paul Andrews writes: I think Christian might be getting confused
by the fact that the singer of the Moody Blues’ version was Denny Laine who
later joined Paul McCartney in Wings. Sorry to be a
pedant, but I couldn’t help myself.


John Peak writes: If JH does go (or
even if he doesn’t), another one for the soundtrack: “How could you believe me
When I said I loved you When you know I’ve been a liar all my life?” In fact, there’s a
certain Freudian appropriateness to the whole duet from Royal Wedding (even that
title has resonance), with John doing Fred Astaire, and Peter doing Jane
Powell. Maybe someone would like to adapt the
lyrics?

Christian Kerr writes: OK, OK, OK. So I got misled by the
Wings cover version and forgot to check the composer credits – but,
yes, I did know Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine
played with Paul McCartney. That’s handy for quiz nights.