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
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more articles by Janelle Coulton at Suite101:
Copyright
2012 - Janelle Coulton
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