The Beatles Break-Up - Was Paul McCartney to Blame

After months of speculation by fans; on the 10 April 1970, Paul McCartney went public with the news that he was quitting the Beatles

Paul McCartney made it official by announcing to the world what many fans had suspected over the past six months - that the Beatles had broken up. Paul McCartney went to court in December 1970 and sued his band mates; Lennon, Harrison and Starr in order to officially dissolve their partnership.

Paul McCartney was ultimately blamed for the Beatle’s demise; however it was John Lennon who announced that he wanted to leave the group back in September 1969 and many rumors were leaking that Yoko Ono was pushing John to leave the group as well. There was even talk of George Harrison walking out on a recording session after an argument with the band saying that he was quitting.

 

Lennon Announced He Was Leaving Four Months Earlier

Lennon announced to McCartney and Starr in the middle of a business meeting that he wanted a divorce from the group. George Harrison was not present at the meeting.

Tensions were building within the group dating back to 1968 and about a year later Lennon, Harrison and Starr out-voted McCartney on a decision to hire new manager Alan Klein. This decision could have been the straw that broke the camel`s back. Paul McCartney was in discussions with his wife Linda’s father and brother about managing the Apple Corps company.

Lennon also failed to show up for the Beatles final recording session on the 3 January 1970; four months after telling his band-mates privately that he wanted out. During this session, George Harrison’s song “Ï Me Mine” was recorded for the Let It Be album. Months after John made his private announcement, the Beatles gave interviews, however they never mentioned the split.

Lennon Said; Beatles Might Still Work Together

Lennon inferred that the Beatles might still record together, however it is widely known that all four Beatles were working on their own solo recordings, and that Lennon, along with Yoko Ono was extremely addicted to heroin. Lennon was also very busy with his peace campaign. Harrison was quoted by Britain’s New Musical Express as saying “We all had to find ourselves individually; one day.”

Lennon complained that he, Harrison and Starr were unaware of what McCartney was going to do. When Paul McCartney took legal action to dissolve the partnership, it was a shock to the other three lads. Lennon claims the public court action by McCartney was to focus attention on the release of his first solo album. Lennon was quite miffed that he did not think of it himself.

McCartney Depressed Over Beatles Falling Out

Paul McCartney was extremely depressed by the demise of the group. He tried to hold things together for months. McCartney is normally quite a positive person, however for many months after the split he did very little but mope around the house feeling extremely low. He said, in his book McCartney; Yesterday and Today; that he felt like he had lost his best friends.

Although the December 1970 court proceedings officially dissolved their partnership, the Beatles monies were put into escrow for the next five years, so the formal partnership between Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr was legal until early 1975. It took over twenty years to sort out their business issue.

Beatles Were Ready to Split

Today, the group's company, Apple Corps, is jointly owned by McCartney, Starr and the estates of Lennon and Harrison, and Apple Corps still handles all past and future Beatles business. Some fans went as far as to blame the wives’ of the Beatles, particularly Linda and Yoko. However in 1999 during the recording of the Wingspan DVD, Paul McCartney claimed it did not matter who broke the Beatles up – The Beatles were ready to go their separate ways.

References:

McCartney, P. Yesterday and Today

Therockradio.com accessed 01 June 2011

Read more articles by Janelle Coulton at Suite101: 

The Beatles Break-Up – Is Paul McCartney to Blame?

Copyright 2012 - Janelle Coulton

Beatlemania Decline Produced Beatle’s Masterpieces

On the 29 August 1966 the Beatles performed what would be their last official live concert.

The venue was Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The decision that this concert was to be their final live performance was made because of live concert ticket sales being down. However, it was also around the same time that John made some very controversial comments regarding Jesus, and about the “Beatles being bigger than Jesus.” These comments, whilst ignored in Britain, created controversy and many protests in the United States and when the Beatles arrived in the country they were confronted by an uproar, people burning their records, and protesting loudly mostly across the southern American states.

Beatlefan Magazine’s executive editor; Al Susman was quoted as saying that: “In the summer of 1966, it was clear that ‘Beatlemania’ was declining.” He was also said that there were rumors that the tour might be cancelled as a number of the shows were not sellouts. The Beatles were back in London by 31 August 1966 and went their separate ways for time, eventually returning to the studio to begin recording Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. On the 24 November 1966 they began recording “Strawberry Fields Forever,” which was one of the tracks slated to go on Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was later removed from the project, and released as a single.

Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released on 1 July 1967 and it was a masterpiece, outselling their previous albums and was just the beginning of a string of genius creations by the “Fab Four.” Just four months later the Magical Mystery Tour was released; along with their third movie of the same title in November 1967. In November 1968, the White Album was released which was a double album. Many fans felt that the White Album was a compilation of all four Beatles’ individual creations, and this album signaled the beginning of the end for the Beatles.

After the 'White Album' came the soundtrack for their animated movie of the same name, 'Yellow Submarine.' In September 1969, 'Abbey Road' was meant to be the Beatle’s final album was released. 'Let It Be' was released in 1970, which was also made into a movie and featured the Beatles final public performance on the rooftop of 'Abbey Road' studios. Next to 'Sergeant Pepper’s,' Abbey Road is the Beatle’s highest selling album and arguably their best. Side two of Abbey Road has been described by many as some of the greatest music ever written and performed by any artist.

Officially, many fans believe that Abbey Road was the Beatle’s last album given the tracks recorded, however it was released before Let It Be; which had some great tracks, nevertheless Let It Be was not the masterpiece Abbey Road was. The concert at Candlestick Park may have been their last official tour date, but it was not their final public appearance and it’s also quite possible that the above, masterpiece albums would not exist today if the Beatles had persevered with touring.

Sadly; during this time the Beatles began to fall apart. John was looking to go his own way and was recording music on his own as were George, Paul and Ringo. In 1970 the Beatles officially broke up, and the whole world waited with bated breath for a re-union, which did not come until the 'Anthology' series in 1995, where sadly John was not present, given his death in 1980.

Sources:

Beatles Bible

Beatlefan Magazine





Read More Beatles Articles at Suite101


Copyright 2012 - Janelle Coulton