Inside the Beatles’ Messy Breakup, 54 years ago

In the history of The Beatles, the first half of 1970 was highly significant for several reasons, among them the fact that the group’s final album (though they recorded Abbey Road after it) and film, Let It Be, was released on May 13th of that year. On top of that, Paul McCartney released his first solo album, McCartney, on April 17 and actually threatened bandmate Ringo Starr when he requested, on behalf of himself, John Lennon and George Harrison, that Paul change his release date.  Oh, and then there was the little detail of him enclosing a printed interview with himself inside the album where he nonchalantly mentions that The Beatles were no more — before the public had seen or heard Let It Be.

Definitely not a happy time.

At this point it’s been well over five decades since the band’s painful end — which seems odd given that they just released a new song in the form of “Now and Then” — but fascination with all things Fab never goes away, especially when it comes to taking a closer look at the inner workings of the group.

Tensions between John, Paul, George, and Ringo started to grow in the aftermath of the death of their manager, Brian Epstein, in 1967. The group became aimless, with Paul attempting to unite and push them forward into different projects. This, of course, made his public withdrawal from the group just a few years later even more shocking to fans.

Fans expected the group to get back

Some have claimed that the other Beatles were shocked by Paul’s announcement in that printed interview, but the truth is they were all aware at that point that the group was over, they’d just elected not to go public with the information so as not to hurt album sales and the release of Let It Be.

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As to what had happened between Paul and Ringo, a letter was written by the threetles asking for the delay in McCartney’s release, and Ringo wanted to deliver it to Paul personally rather than have it arrive through the mail or be hand-delivered by a stranger. Paul went into a rage, undoubtedly burned out by the business and personal disagreements that had developed between them, and wanted nothing to do with any of this. He shouted at Ringo and basically threw him out (though obviously the two of them would make up shortly thereafter).

Paul beat John Lennon to the breakup punch

By that time, John had already left the group, preferring to perform with wife Yoko Ono, and embarking on his solo career. Again, he was convinced that it was best not to say anything to the public out of business concerns. He played the Toronto Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival with his new Plastic Ono Band, while also performing his solo single “Instant Karma” on the British TV show Top of the Pops, which oddly featured Yoko knitting while blindfolded in the background.

Once Paul’s announcement came out, John was furious as he was the one who wanted to go public with The Beatles’ demise first and certainly didn’t expect Paul to do so. “We were all hurt he didn’t tell us what he was going to do,” he told Rolling Stones. “And, Jesus Christ, he gets all the credit for it! I was a fool not to do what Paul did, which was use it to sell a record.”

John had actually told Daily Mail reporter Ray Connolly in December 1969 about The Beatles’ breakup, but asked him to keep it quiet. Yet after Paul’s announcement, he was angered that the reporter hadn’t leaked the news. “Why didn’t you write it when I told you in Canada at Christmas?” he demanded. “You’re the f–king journalist, Connolly, not me!”