The backstage saga of the Beatles - and the forces that broke up the greatest band of all time
It was a cold day in January 1969, and the Beatles were sitting in a large (and coldest) studio at Twickenham Film Studios in London, accompanied by the worst people you could be: the Beatles. The band had spent days trying to write and rehearse new material for a live show already pre-scheduled - the first since August 1966 - but things were not going well. The one among them to show some sort of sense of urgency was Paul McCartney. "I do not know why any of you got involved in this if there is interest," said the other Beatles. "For what? You can not unless the money. Why are you here? I am because I want to do a show, but I do not see any support. "Paul looked at his bandmates, his longtime friends - John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr - and the looks they got back they had no expression a. "There are two options: do or not do, and I want a decision," he said moments later. "Because I'm not interested in losing my fucking time here, hanging out, while everyone tries to resolve what to do." Paul waited, but had no answer. Again, the same blank stares. And this was hardly the worst moment in which the group would come to pass in that period. In his last moments of life, the Beatles staged one of the most mysterious and complicated stories to 20th-century novel. And the saddest of them. The Beatles did not just music - they influenced his time with the same weight of any political force, with most beneficial results that most of them. Why, then, the Beatles broke up? Many blame the machinations of Yoko Ono, John Lennon's legendary passion, evil and malice of Allen Klein, then the band's manager, darling of Lennon and McCartney disaffection. But it was not so simple."I do not think anyone would be able to shake four strong people like them," Yoko said later, "if I tried. I think something else happened. I'm sure that there was no outside force. " In fact, the real causes were closer. The four were together there was time, as part of a story so full of sorrow and of grandeur.Those recording sessions - for what would become the film and album Let It Be - got inspired, but there was much wrong going on when McCartney finally made its appeal. Since last year, the band's sense of partnership had been wearing. The long friendship with John and Paul, in particular, was undergoing radical changes. Lennon, founder of the band, had somehow given up the leadership of the group, more than that, I began to feel he no longer wanted to be confined within the limits of the Beatles. McCartney in turn, deeply loved the group - was his reason for living. These two men had been the driving force behind the band - was their best partnership in the history of pop music - but, basically, the adventure of the Beatles was forged by temperament and by the needs of Lennon: he had formed a band to reduce anxiety and pain after his mother, Julia, gave custody to her sister, while the father also walked away from his life.
The 16-year John met Paul, 15 in the summer of 1957, while performing with his band, The Quarrymen at a church near Liverpool, and was impressed with the ease of Paul to play the songs of Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. As important as the musical affinity, the two also shared the pain of loss: McCartney's mother, Mary, died of cancer in October 1956, while Lennon collapsed after being hit in July 1958. Working together, John and Paul found a new meaning for their lives. For a long time, the two composed together, and even after they begin to write separately, one still had the other to help improve and complete their songs. Nevertheless, the two had very different approaches to making music. McCartney was organized, meticulous and valued skill; Lennon had few rules, it was less likely to spend much time over a single song, and despite the apparent self-confidence, was less sure about their own work. The contrast become clearer through the years. Paul went on to write more stories about the common man and songs of celebration, John composed from a viewpoint that he felt more authentic, personal and tormented. "Paul said, 'Come and see the show' ('Come see the show')," said Lennon. "I said 'I read the news today, oh boy' ('I read the news today, oh boy)."As Lennon and McCartney composition as well dominating the vocals of the Beatles, they, in practice, led the band - although Lennon has always enjoyed a position of authority implied greater. Still, the Beatles followed the policy of one vote per member, something that played a significant role in 1966, when after years of touring, John, Paul George and Ringo persuaded to accept the idea that they should stop performing live . For three months, each followed a different path. When this happened, John was worried: "I thought, 'Well, actually this should be the end. No more touring. This means that there will be an empty space in the future 'was then that I began to think about the possibility of a life without the Beatles. And from there it was planted the seed of the idea that I somehow had to leave without being expelled by others. But I could never go out alone, because it was too scary. "
Shortly after, the band reunited, this time for his most striking, the disc Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - but it was also around this time that the affairs of the Beatles became strangely complex, even obscure. The concept of the album was McCartney's idea, but Lennon was responsible for the best song of the album, "A Day in the Life." Still, he said later to his contributions as a veiled reflection of despair: "I was very depressed over [the recordings] Pepper, and I know that Paul was not. He was feeling full of confidence. I was down. " In a way, Lennon was so worked - its crises made him descend or climb - but at that moment was passing through a phase of important changes. John believed he was chained to a domestic life boring and without love - indeed, no love from him, since his wife, Cynthia, loved him deeply - and felt very distant from Paul, a man famous and free, living in London, participating in cultural events and having contact with a wide range of avant-garde art. Lennon was not expressed such a life, he certainly lived it inside, taking LSD every day, to the point where some have become concerned with the hypothesis that he might be putting out their own identity. George Harrison later said: "Just as psychiatry, the acid can undo a lot - you could see how powerful it was. But I do not think we realize how much John was screwed. "In August 1967, the Beatles changed the leadership in a more clear when manager Brian Epstein was found dead, victim of an accidental overdose. Epstein went through a nervous breakdown, but still dedicated to the band. Many believed that it was he who kept them focused and protected. "There I knew we were screwed," said Lennon. "I had no illusions about our inability to do anything that was not playing, and I was scared. I thought, 'fucked'. "Paul, on the other hand, had the same opinion. Days after the death of Epstein, he persuaded others to embark on a new project, the fantastic Magical Mystery Tour. The band spent months filming breaths and visual recording tracks that accompany the scenes. Despite being a collaborative effort made by four and spontaneous, it was clear that this was a creation of McCartney. The film was bombarded by critics. They say that John was in some way, glad to see Paul stumble at least once.
In February 1968, the Beatles were studying Transcendental Meditation in the retreat of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh, India. The trip was partly the result of Harrison's efforts to gain more influence in the direction of the band - he was the Beatles first became interested in Indian music and philosophy - though, man, everyone has felt the need to reassess purpose of the success of the band. "I think we were way spiritually exhausted," said Paul. "We were the Beatles, which was wonderful but I think there was that feeling of 'It's great to be famous, it's amazing to be rich - but what's the point?'" However, the discomfort was soon established. When Harrison began to think that Lennon and McCartney could be using the retreat as an inspiration to compose, he became indisposed. "We're not here to talk music," he complained. "We are here to meditate!" Ringo Starr and his wife, Maureen, gave up two weeks after arriving (Starr, who had stomach problems, could not stand the local food) and McCartney, with his girlfriend, actress Jane Asher, left two weeks later. Harrison and Lennon stayed until the second realized that was not getting closer to solving the problems that plagued his heart - the need to reassess both his marriage and his career. After hearing a rumor that Maharishi had made sexual advances on a young man in retirement, John became angry and demanded that he and George leave the place.Something that experience transformed Lennon in a way that nobody could understand at that time, after India, he always seemed angry. The truth is that he was desperate, the only weapon they had to save was his art, and even she was no relief. "I was meditating about eight hours a day, and yet, write the most depressing songs on earth," he said, later.
Back in London, Lennon left Cynthia to dive into a serious relationship with Yoko Ono, whom he had met in November 1966. While Yoko is generally described as an ambitious woman who doggedly pursued John, she also had its share of pain and disappointment during hard times to come, losing contact with her daughter, Kyoko, and leaving aside his promising career because of Lennon . As she said later, "I sacrificed everything for this man." The press and the fans ridiculed him, was called "Jap", "china" and "yellow", and Lennon sometimes needed to protect it from physical attacks. This trial has fueled the anger of Lennon, but it seemed small compared to what happened when he brought Yoko to the "world" by the Beatles. The group rarely allow guests appear in studio, and never tolerated anyone - apart from producer George Martin or perhaps a sound engineer as Geoff Emerick - that opinions about a work still in production (once, Epstein tried to give suggestions for a Lennon recording and humiliated him so intense that the manager came out crying). But Lennon did not take Yoko as a guest, took her as a collaborator. In May 1968, when the Beatles began to produce their first album since Sgt Pepper, she sat with John on the studio floor, conversed with him to the ear and accompanied him every time he left the room. The first time she spoke in the studio, giving advice on the vocals of John, silence reigned. Paul said: "Damn! Someone said something? You say, George? His lips do not budge! "
Lennon was not the kind of person who recoiled. "He wanted me to do part of the group," said Yoko later. "John founded the band, so I thought the others had to accept. I did not care to belong. "Instead, she recorded her own albums with Lennon, like the infamous Two Virgins - an album of experimental electronic music, containing photos of the naked couple. Although some would find the collaborations of Lennon and Yoko indulgent or ridiculous, McCartney Lennon realized that she left more confident. "Actually, she always wanted more," he said. "Do more, do the double dare more, take off your clothes. She always persuaded to try new things, and he liked it. No one had ever done that to him. "But McCartney probably also understand the true meaning of a disk as Two Virgins John Lennon had an irrepressible desire, a force that could save or destroy your life - and the Beatles - if not controlled. When the group realized that John and Yoko were using heroin, none of them knew what to do about it. "It was a great shock to us," said Paul, "because we thought we were advanced for the time guys, but kind of understanding that we would never that far away."The new partnership with Ono Lennon and McCartney meant that he rarely return to compose together. Still, as the band began production of his only double album The Beatles (aka White Album), the composition and vocal styles of the two were stronger and more varied than ever. What was a sporadic and inconsistent production in 1967, now came in full force - the creativity of Lennon seemed revived thanks to his relationship with Yoko (songs like "Dear Prudence", "Julia," "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" and " Revolution "were clearly among his best works). Harrison also had blossomed - until Ringo was composing - but none were willing to let others obscured or direcionassem their efforts. The four had so much material to write - and so much dislike for each other - they came to write in three different studios, up to twelve hours a day. Each treated the other as his backing musicians - which generated spectacular performances and explosive moments: Lennon leaving the studio angry with boredom while writing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," McCartney, Ringo leaving the band for almost two weeks after he criticized Paul's battery "Back in the USSR"; Harrison brought his friend guitarist Eric Clapton to record the guitar of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"; McCartney aggressive in giving an earful producer George Martin in front of the band, and engineer Geoff Emerick resigning because of the offensive behavior and rowdy group. When it was completed, the White Album was considered a masterpiece of unhinged, the sound of a band at the peak of their form, but without hope. Years later, Paul would refer to the album as "Album Tense."
Meanwhile, the Beatles released a record label, Apple. In fact, Apple began as an investment, but gradually became something more: a corporation that had divisions in the branches of the film, electronic items, housing, educational, editorial and music - and, more interestingly, was also a socialist experiment . "We are in the fortunate position of not needing more money," said Paul in May 1968. In practice, the main company's policy was to cultivate new talent. Apple actually discovered or helped musicians of value - including James Taylor, Badfinger, Mary Hopkin, Jackie Lomax, Billy Preston, Doris Troy (the label also almost signed with the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Queen), but since the Beatles were not exactly Apple's artists, the label did not receive the full benefits of what they profited. It was determined that the seal would debut on August 11, 1968, with four singles released that day, including "Those Were the Days" Mary Hopkin, and "Hey Jude" Beatles McCartney had written music as a hymn dedicated to Lennon's son, Julian, on account of separation from their parents, but the song also acquired other meanings. Paul had been separated from his longtime girlfriend, Jane Asher, after she caught him with another, and now he was entering into a serious relationship with photographer Linda Eastman, whom he had known since 1967, to Paul, the song became a hymn of faith in love, about taking risks. Lennon looked "Hey Jude" as a blessing from his partner: "The phrase 'go out and get her' [go there and take it], subconsciously Paul was saying, 'Go ahead, leave me'. On a conscious level, he wanted me to go ahead, "John said in an interview shortly before his death. "The angel inside him was saying, 'God bless you.' But the demon inside him did not like any of it, because the partner did not want to lose. "And then the Beatles played" Hey Jude "Frost on Sunday in the program in September 1968 - the first live performance of them in two years. And as the audience joined the band singing the last part of the song, "Hey Jude" became the expression of something larger than they meant in terms of union to the outside world. Inspired by this moment, the Beatles realized that they were willing to go back to doing shows - Lennon seemed excited about the idea - and scored a series of dates in January, at the Roundhouse in London, scene of several of the most extravagant rock concerts in the summer of alternative 1967. They also decided to film the rehearsals for the event in order to display it on TV. To this end, invited Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who had already made the videos for "Rain" and "Paperback Writer" with the band, to be the director.There was something else in mind: the Beatles saw the occasion as an opportunity to discard the techniques that had reached its peak in Sgt Pepper (from the success of the album, Lennon was looking for a way to disprove the work since I saw him as something futile, devised by McCartney). This new music herald a return to simpler format that had inspired their love for rock. The music performed by The Band, Bob Dylan band accompanying time or another, had great influence on the Beatles wanted to do. Harrison had spent time with Dylan in Woodstock and the group returned and stoned with spontaneity and spirit of community that they had reached the recordings known as The Basement Tapes. In search of that same spirit, Lennon had told George Martin: "I do not want any of that shit their production. We want an honest album no editing, overdubbing. Let's record, and one out, left. " Years later, Lennon still bothered repudiation of Martin. "I thought that all their records had been honest," said the producer of The Beatles - The Biography, Bob Spitz's book. McCartney brought a second producer, Glyn Johns, which was a comfort to Martin, to achieve the kind of performance that the Beatles wanted natural, endless tests were needed so that the songs could be recorded in a single attempt. Martin thought the tests so boring that they rarely attended. On its face, problems plagued the project. As the band wanted to film the tests - which later would be known as' sessions' Get Back ', "the original name of the idea that it would be released as Let It Be - the band had to settle down at Twickenham Film Studios, which meant that had to comply with work schedules determined by the union (from 9h to 17h), which in no way matched the working hours of the Beatles. None of this would have been so bad if they had managed to keep the enthusiasm, but on the morning of January 2, 1969, when testing began, no one but Paul seemed to remember why they were there. Although the sessions have been surprisingly productive - the Beatles played 52 songs new that month, many of which end up going into Abbey Road or getting the best material from the solo albums of the band members - the resentment accumulated would come out. Paul tried to keep others on track, but this was a thankless task. His companions found their offensive efforts and condescending. For them, everything had become just another project of Paul McCartney, with bassist and vocalist telling everyone what notes (and in that time) should play - and coming up to guide the work of the director. "Paul wanted us to work all the time", said Ringo, "because he is a workaholic." George Martin felt that McCartney had no other option. "Paul was bossy, and the other guys hated," he says. "But it was the only way to keep them together was a generalized process of disintegration." There's a famous scene in the film Let It Be in which Paul is concerned with the fact that their guesses are annoying musical George more than they should, and guitarist responds to touch what Paul wanted, even if it meant not to touch anything. "You do not bother me anymore," says Harrison, visibly upset The scene represents the X of the problem in the tests: McCartney was too demanding and insensitive, and Harrison got tired of it all. Of course, complaints and concerns were legitimate George. For some time he had been relegated to the position of supporting by Lennon and McCartney. But he was troubled by other things. The idea of the live shows displeased - and the more the date approached, the greater the intensity of their protests. By then, the date set for the concerts at the Roundhouse had already fallen by the wayside, and when the director Lindsay-Hogg suggested a more exotic or higher for presentations - like an amphitheater of Rome, for example - Harrison exploded " It would be very lucky if we could put half a dozen idiots in there, "he said.
The worst stress, however, occurred between George and John. After being overlooked for years, Harrison thought that Yoko had a voice more than his weight in the decisions of the band. Worse, the couple were practicing what was known as "high awareness" - based on the belief that it was unnecessary verbal communication between people "in tune" with the great truths of the universe. Its practical effect was to stop any practice or significant interaction. When critical issues were raised, John said nothing, agreeing with whatever he found Yoko. McCartney ended up developing certain tranquility about it. There were only two options: to oppose Yoko and make the Beatles to have four members return or accept it. He chose the second because he did not want to lose John. Moreover, as even declared, not felt free to demand that John left Yoko at home. Still, Paul was bothered when Yoko was referring to the Beatles without using the "ones" - as in "Beatles this, Beatles that." Paul tried to correct it - "Actually, it says the Beatles, baby" - but without success.Finally, Harrison reached its limit. On January 10, he and Lennon started a fight that would come to blows, although they deny what happened (as George Martin told the biographer Philip Norman that the discussion came to a physical level, "with everyone settling down after") . The clash was one of the few that Lindsay-Hogg has not captured for posterity. But he shot George seemingly out of the Beatles. "I'm out," he said, holding the guitar. "Put an ad and see if you can call someone. See you there. "Paul and Ringo fi bedded shocked, but John did not get down and began playing a version of" A Quick One, While He's Away "by The Who, taking a cheap anguish of George. That same day, Yoko sat in place of George, took the microphone and began singing a blues unintelligible, while others followed, not knowing what to do with fear that Lennon was annoyed and also leave (interestingly this is a remarkable performance). On the same day, Lennon suggested that recruit to replace Harrison Eric Clapton: "The question is, we want to continue the band without George? I definitely want. "On January 12, the four Beatles met Ringo's house to try to resolve their differences. But when Yoko insisted on talking to John, George was away again. The Beatles came to an agreement, days later, but Harrison has imposed strict limits: no big shows and nothing to return to work at Twickenham Studios. Yoko, however, continue to participate in all tests, along with John. "Yoko just wants to be accepted," said Lennon. "She wants to be one of us." When Ringo replied "It is not a Beatle, John, and never will be," Lennon put his foot down. "Yoko is part of me now. We are John and Yoko, we're together. "
Almost two weeks after the departure of George, the Beatles returned to play, this time in a makeshift studio in the basement of the headquarters of Apple. Harrison then brought the organist Billy Preston, they had met in Hamburg (Germany) in 1962. Preston participated in trials and his skill at improvisation brought the dignity they so needed. Lennon found the presence of revitalizing Preston as he wanted to turn it into fixed member, a fifth Beatle. Paul's answer was categorical: "It's bad enough with four."
The period of the project was ending. Ringo was already committed to the film A Beatle in Paradise, which begin filming in a matter of days, and the end of January was already clear that there was no time to plan a show, wherever he went. Still, the Beatles and director Lindsay-Hogg wanted an end to the film, and January 29, someone - some say it was Ringo, others say it was Paul or even Lindsay-Hogg - suggested that the show was done in the afternoon the next day at the office roof of Apple. At the appointed hour, waiting on the stairs that led to the roof, George and Ringo suddenly were no longer sure if they were to embark, but at the last minute, Lennon said: "Ah, fuck it, let's do" and Beatles, accompanied by Preston, climbed the makeshift stage. It was the first concert of the Beatles since August 1966 - and last. It was also the best, which says a lot about the collective power of musical affinity and charisma that the four cultivated, and that neither their mutual disagreements would be able to erase. While playing (for almost an hour), triumphing thanks to its incomparable instincts, John and Paul exchanging smiles every good moment or slide, the truth about them was clear: the Beatles were a family with a common history, with a particular language none of them would never forget. Those moments, however, not sufficient to prevent what was about to happen - or what had happened two nights before.Officially, the fight before George and John began with a remark that made the second on January 10 for a newspaper, saying that if Apple continues losing money, he - and consequently, the Beatles - would be bankrupt by mid-year . Maybe it was an exaggeration, but it was true that Apple was out of control, and both Harrison and McCartney did not like the idea of spreading the news Lennon. As a result of hiring artists, buying the building in Savile Row and the payment of high salaries for executives and friends, the accounts of Apple extrapolated.Like all Beatles, McCartney was a director of Apple, but it was also the only one to get involved with the daily business during the first (and crucial) years of the project (Harrison always the first to tire of all, some told confidants that he hated Apple and its "rooms full of lunatics and all kinds of profiteers"). In those early months, Paul has tried to control the situation of the company, but ran into resistance from the other Beatles, they did not have any notion of economy, since they are only worried about spending and leave the bills to pay Apple. Paul warned them, but was countered by the view that financial concerns were somewhat outdated. "It was like I had assumed a posture of being a traitor," he said. "It was something totally non-Communist ... and everything I said sounded wrong." Lennon McCartney tried to warn him, in particular, was spending too much. "I said, 'Look, John, I know I'm right.' And he said: 'Of course it is! You're always right, is not it? '"
The matter came to a head when an accountant resigned, leaving only a memorandum straightforward: "Your personal finances are an area." After that, both John and Paul found that Apple needed a steady hand to guide it - maybe it was time to hire a new director. They spoke with several financiers and consultants, and McCartney soon decided what would be the best and closest option: the father of Linda Eastman, Lee and his brother, John, were lawyers in artistic performances. Eastman McCartney thought that Apple could manage and save the fortunes of the band, but others were reluctant. The three thought that Paul had too much influence on the target group and did not want people so close to him overseeing the business. John, in particular, believed that he could not concentrate so much power in partner's hand.
For years, the New York lawyer Allen Klein sought a way to work with the Beatles. Rude and cunning man, Klein was known for having rescued the rights of artists. But it also had a reputation for using unethical tactics and was under investigation by the U.S. tax department. Still, the Beatles wanted more than anything. He had offered to Brian Epstein, saying it could boost the fortunes of the band, but he would not even shake his hand.After reading the reviews of Lennon on the risk of failure of the Beatles, Klein succeeded in persuading a reluctant Peter Brown, a director of Apple, to arrange a meeting with Lennon. On January 28, 1969, two days before the show on the roof, Klein met with John and Yoko in a London hotel, and charmed them. He knew the Beatles' music deeply, and knew how to please Lennon: praising their contributions in several songs (despite his huge ego, John felt insecure, and always needed someone to validate their work) and valuing the artistic ability Yoko. Just as importantly, Klein persuaded Lennon that both shared the same sensibility - weremen of the streets that had won in a world fraught with difficulties. In the end, the couple was gained: an agreement was signed by both parties and informed EMI Lennon and the Beatles: "I give a fuck what you're going to want," Lennon said, "But I chose Klein."This was the trigger for the death of the Beatles. McCartney still trying to put Lee and John Eastman as representatives of the group and arranged a meeting with them. But Klein turned the meeting into a trap, causing Lee Eastman and offending, with the help of Yoko. In the end, Eastman exploded enraged, calling Klein a "mouse", and left the meeting with Paul. The more Klein behaved inappropriately and more Eastman questioned his character, more Lennon and Yoko defended as the savior of the Beatles and then Harrison and Starr agreed. "Because we are all from Liverpool," said George in the mid-'90s, "people who would prefer more people. Lee Eastman was the kind of guy worried about his social class. Since John would stay with Klein, it was much easier to stay with him too. " While Mick Jagger, who no longer trusted Klein, had tried to convince the Beatles - "Avoid this guy," he wrote in a note to Paul - to no avail.
The disagreement came at the worst possible time. Within months, the Beatles would lose the chance to command the ex-management firm Brian Epstein of NEMS (which cost them a fortune), and worse, Lennon and McCartney lost their rights to Northern Songs, a company that distributed the band's music. McCartney married Linda Eastman on March 12, 1969 and Lennon married Yoko in March 20, in Gibraltar. On the wedding day of Paul, George and his wife, Pattie, were arrested for possession of marijuana (Lennon and Ono had suffered the same charge months before). Klein had not solved any of the financial problems of the group, despite their promises, and yet John, George and Ringo were still supporting it.On the afternoon of May 9, 1969, during a recording session at Olympic Sound Studios, Klein waited outside while Lennon, Harrison and Starr, in his name, demanded that McCartney signed an agency agreement for three years with the entrepreneur . Paul did not. He justified himself by saying that the 20% that Klein was asked a lot, but the truth is that he could not face the idea of having him as manager of the Beatles. The other three were furious, but McCartney resisted. "In my view, I had to save the fortunes of the Beatles," he said. "They said 'Fuck you!' And went away angry, dropping me there in the studio."This was a battle between Lennon and McCartney, two men were accustomed to winning their discussions, and both refused to lose. McCartney eventually succumbed, but not without a trick up his sleeve: when the Beatles signed their contracts with Klein, McCartney refused to do the same. Klein and others did not believe that it would make any difference - the three members have already completed the most consistent of the group. But at the time of dissent, Paul came up with the brilliant single maneuver in the unfortunate story of the end of the band: for not having signed the document, he was later able to convince the court that he was no longer contractually obligated to stay with Beatles and had never had any commitment to Klein. At the time, Paul was already disgusted with Apple, the company that had arisen mainly of his vision. In fact, he now hated that place and had stopped attending the offices. When Paul tried to talk to Klein, the Beatles' manager refused to meet.
Despite the ordeal that had been sessions of "Get Back", the Beatles gathered to make a new album. A myth created later said that the quartet knew the band was ending and so wanted to release a final album at the height of his reputation. But the truth is that, despite all its problems, the Beatles still liked the song they did together, even not liking each other more. They had worked intermittently since the recording of January, having produced "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (only with Lennon and McCartney) and "Old Brown Shoe" (Harrison, with the whole band). Paul persuaded George Martin to come back as a producer and also brought back Geoff Emerick, with the promise that the Beatles would behave. Lennon had to postpone its presence in the recordings because of a car accident involving him, Yoko, Julian and Kyoko, on July 1, 1969. When Lennon arrived at Abbey Road studios, asked to be installed a bed so his wife could rest and make guesses. None of the Beatles dared to protest. "The three were a little scared of him," recalled the engineer at EMI, Phil McDonald. "John was a powerful figure, especially with Yoko - the force was doubled."There were still disagreements, such as when Lennon broke into the home of McCartney, who had lost a test, and angrily broke a frame that was given to his friend. On another occasion, John wanted his songs and Paul stay on different sides of vinyl. Even more important: George had finally recognized its importance when his two contributions, "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun" was hailed as the best recorded by the Beatles in 1969. The resulting album, Abbey Road, became not only a sample sweeping the maturity of the band, but also a perspective on their own history, whether its members have had that intention or not. Lennon later renounce Abbey Road, saying that the album was the result of a "mischief" masterminded by McCartney "to preserve the myth," but it was customary for Lennon did not appreciate the depth of anyone but himself. Paul watched the Beatles esfacelarem and felt bad about it. Commenting on the last segments of the suite of the disc with Barry Miles in his book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, he said: "I am cheerful and optimistic, but there are certain times when there are too many things happening and it is impossible to keep me positive. And that was one of those moments. Carry all that weight for so long [citation to the lyrics of "Carry That Weight"]: like, forever! That's what I meant. "
When Abbey Road was released on September 26, the brotherhood of the Beatles was over. On September 13, Lennon and Yoko played the Toronto Rock & Roll Revival, with a group of guests that included Eric Clapton, and the experience convinced John that he could no longer live within the confines of his old band. A week later, during a meeting at Apple - with Klein, the Beatles and Yoko - Paul tried again to convince his colleagues to do a tour. "Let's go back to old times, remember why we're in this," he said. Lennon replied: "I think you're crazy. He would not say anything, but I'm ending the band. And I feel good. It's like a divorce ".People did not know if the room were shocked, or if the affi rmation regarded as a further outbreaks of Lennon. Nobody - including Yoko - knew what happened that day. "We were flabbergasted," says McCartney. For the first time, he and Klein agreed on something: both persuaded Lennon to hold any kind of advertisement for at least several months. Klein had just closed a deal that would substantially increase the percentage of the copyrights of the Beatles, and he did not want to scare the EMI with the idea that the band was breaking up. Furthermore, Klein believed that Lennon and McCartney could still change his mind; swing from one extreme to another was not unusual for John. But Yoko sensed what was happening and was as unhappy as any of them at that time. "We left the car," she would say later Phillip Norman, "and he told me: 'Enough with the Beatles. From now on, are you and me. Ok? 'And I thought,' My God, those three guys kept him entertained for so long. Now I who will have to assume this role. '"Lennon went on to make antagonistic signals in the months that followed. In comments in Rolling Stone and New Musical Express magazine in early 1970, Lennon said the Beatles would re-record or could participate in a summer festival in Canada. George had also spoken of a possible tour of the Beatles. "It would probably be like a rebirth for us," said Lennon. But McCartney was devastated, the band - the life of the party which he had done since 15 years - had been taken from him. "John is in love with Yoko," he told the London Evening Standard, "and apparently is no longer in love with the rest of the band." Paul stayed home with Linda, his eldest daughter, Heather, and the youngest, Mary, and began to drink in the morning and afternoon. Completely stopped composing and started to explode in anger frequently. Buried in a paralyzing depression, until the day he realized that Linda could not stand. "Here I am married to a drunk who does not bathe," said a friend, according to Paul McCartney: A Life of Peter Carlin. "You do not have to endure it," she said to her husband. "You are an adult." At Christmas 1969, McCartney took the advice of his wife and began working on his first solo album. He called Lennon in March 1970 and said it also was leaving the Beatles. "Good," said his longtime partner. "With you, we are two to accept the fact." Any hope of reconciliation was demolished by a series of blunders committed by Lennon, Harrison and Klein in early 1970. The tests and recordings in January 1969 had already been edited, and Klein wanted an album to accompany the film, now called Let It Be, a song title from Paul (emboraAbbey Road has been recorded after Let It Be, the album had been released in September 1969). Glyn Johns had tried to collect material for an album last year, Paul agreed, but John hated everything he heard. Ironically, the result had come very close to the rawness that Lennon had originally insisted on reaching, and in early 1970, Klein wanted something with more commercial appeal. In March, John handed over the tapes in January of 1969 - which he described as "the worst piece of shit ever written" - to the legendary producer Phil Spector, who had worked with Lennon on the single "Instant Karma" in January (Klein Spector and George Martin did not want involved. "I do not think he is at my level," said Spector. "He is an arranger and no more"). The changes brought Spector Let It Be were, at best, disastrous, plastering both the title song as exciting intimate ballad "The Long and Winding Road" with excessive layers of orchestra (the changes that Spector did in "The Long ... "sounded so radical that Ringo, who accompanied the process, the producer dragged by the arm to the outside of the studio to scold him). In the period you worked, Spector McCartney never consulted about the changes he made, which may have been the intention of Klein and Lennon. Once you have access to the new mix, Paul requested some changes, but Klein said it was too late (in 2003, Paul and Ringo would launch a version called Let It Be Naked, free arrangements Spector).
The final indignity came when Klein, Harrison, McCartney and Lennon determined that he could not release his debut album on April 17, 1970, as originally planned, delaying it to June 4 not to disrupt the release of Let It Be, provided for April 24. When John Ringo and George sent as an emissary to the home of Paul, with a letter containing the statement, he responded with an unusually angry, before the discussion ended in brawls, Ringo Paul drove from his home. When the drummer rejoined the other, felt bad for what they had done to Paul - "He is our friend," he said - and asked them to leave that McCartney kept the release date planned. Harrison and Lennon agreed, delaying the release of the album Beatles for May, but were resentfulformer partner. The feeling was mutual. "We are all talking about peace and love," Paul told a newspaper at the time, "but actually we are not feeling anything but peaceful." Neither, however, that McCartney would imagine doing. "I could not let John controlled the situation," he said, later. In April, when he released his first solo album, McCartney, Paul also released a autoentrevista that made some things clear:Q: Do you miss the Beatles?A: No.Q: Planning a new album or single with the Beatles?A: No.Long before John Lennon telling the world that "The dream is over," Paul McCartney had given the news. Lennon looked at the statement of the partner as an act of usurpation unacceptable. "It was what I wanted and should have done," said Lennon. "I was stupid not to have done what Paul did, was to use the fact that to sell records." But the resentment went deeper. The Beatles were originally John's band, and, ultimately, he felt that her future depended on it. "I founded the band, I finished it," he said. Lennon, it seemed, was angry with McCartney because it gave to understand that it was he who had left Lennon, and not vice versa. "I think it was just jealousy," said Paul Barry Miles. At the time, Paul told a newspaper: "Ringo came out first, then George, then John. I was the last to leave! It was not me! "But the end of the Beatles was just entering a strange new phase that would last years. McCartney did not want any more connection with Apple - did not want Allen Klein had involvement with his music or the right to share in the profits - but, when he called Harrison seeking consent to abandon the deal, George said: "You will stay in fucking seal. Hare Krishna. " Paul wrote long letters to John, begging to leave the company the Beatles, but Lennon answered in only one or two lines, without taking sides in the case (Klein would later admit that he had been caught completely off guard). The other three gave the same answer in court: there was no need to close the group - things were not so bad and they could still make music together. The only problem was that Paul had a habit of wanting to control everything.The judge ruled that the request made by dissolving McCartney was valid, keeping the profits of the Beatles in custody until all the details of separation - that Lennon wanted a divorce - could be determined. In 1973, the contract remains with the Beatles ended Klein and was not renewed, they were tired of the entrepreneur. Soon, George, John and Ringo were to sue him (Lennon admit in an interview that perhaps McCartney was right about Klein), and in another case related to Apple Klein was sentenced to two months in prison for fraud. When the problem was solved with Klein, Harrison said he did not care to meet the Beatles. When it came time to join the quartet to sign the document of dissolution of the partnership, Lennon refused to attend - he feared getting less money than others, and someone close to him said the musician was in a panic, because that meant that The Beatles were over. Perhaps his intention was never to end the group, fi m accounts.
Nevertheless, they were angry that their whims and eventually destroy the band. At the same meeting he announced his departure from the Beatles, Lennon also played McCartney in the face of years of insecurity and discontent that kept. He felt that Paul had always been overshadowed, taking more time to understand the sounds he wanted in the studio, winning over the approval of George Martin for making music easy melodies. Moreover, Paul had simply made too much, the assessment of John. At the time of the recordings of Magical Mystery Tour, Lennon said: "You had five or six songs, I thought, 'Fuck it, I can not keep pace.' So I do not care anymore if I was inside or not. I convinced myself that, and for a time, if you do not invite me to be on the disk, if you did not go and say 'Compose more because we like his work,' I would not insist. " But Lennon added: "There was no sense in composing them - I had no strength to write and still try to include them in the record."It was a remarkable confession. John Lennon - up to Abbey Road and Let It Be had written most of the masterpieces of the Beatles and set the depth of the band's work - not bear to share his brilliance with Paul McCartney. The Beatles would be able to survive any tension that could have brought Yoko. Klein survived. But the Beatles could not survive Lennon. His anxiety was too great.And then the Beatles broke up. Lennon, Harrison and Starr played together in various configurations over the years, but have rarely recorded with McCartney, once, when Eric Clapton married his ex-wife of Harrison, Pattie Boyd, Paul, George and Ringo played live for several minutes. Once, John and Paul also played together in 1974, someone in the studio in Los Angeles. And Paul had an important role in the reconciliation of John and Yoko when the two parted.
Lennon and McCartney, the two most important composers in history, renewed his friendship over the years, but remained aloof and cautious and never have returned to write together. Lennon was murdered in 1980. Paul, George and Ringo returned to meet the Beatles in the mid 90 unfinished tracks to play on John, released in the Anthology series. Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001. Paul McCartney, with the help of Lee and John Eastman, became the richest man in show business, and Linda McCartney died of breast cancer in 1998.All this recalls a love story? Love loses all its value when it all ends? Maybe so, but not extinguish end the story, instead, to conclude. The story of the Beatles was always somewhat greater than the Beatles, both the band and the individuals that formed, was the story of an era, a generation seeking new possibilities. It was the story of what happens when you find those opportunities, and what happens when your best hopes go down the drain. Yes, it was a love story - love and is almost never a simple blessing. Because as the Beatles might have loved what they did together, the world around them loved them even more. It was this love that more than anything else, praised the Beatles and chained together for so long. Something that, finally, none of them could withstand. John Lennon in particular, felt he needed to finish the novel, while Paul McCartney in particular hated the idea of seeing it shattered. And, since it was made, was made. All they have created - each one of the wonders - still reverberates, but their hearts also responsible for all that were responsible for its end, and never fully recovered from the experience. "It was so long ago," Harrison said years later. "Sometimes I wonder if I was even there or was it all a dream." They were there and it was all a dream. A dream that we raised, which broke our hearts, which still continues and will probably never be equaled.
From: Kelly Dione
@holdthebeatles
