Breakup of the Beatles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Beatles were one of the most influential rock groups in history.[1] In 1970, their breakup came as a surprise to almost everyone. There were numerous causes for the split, and the break up itself has become almost as much of a legend as the band itself or the music they created while together.[2]
[edit] Brian Epstein's death
Brian Epstein, The Beatles' manager, was arguably the man most influential in launching and promoting the group's worldwide popularity. His management style was to let the group pursue their musical notions and projects, though he would often mediate if there was a conflict of opinion. However, this role began to diminish after the band ceased touring. When he died in 1967, there was a void left in the band. John Lennon had the closest personal relationship with Epstein and ostensibly was the most affected by his death and cast a shadow on the future leadership and management for the group.[3] Paul McCartney likely sensed the precarious situation and sought to initiate projects for the group. While this may be considered to be a noble if not pragmatic move, the rest of the band progressively became perturbed by his growing domination in musical as well as other group ventures.[4] Lennon retrospectively perceived McCartney's efforts as necessary to the survival of the band, but he still believed that McCartney's desire to sustain the viability of the band arose from McCartney's misgivings about pursuing a solo career.[5] McCartney maintained the greatest devotion to the group as an entertainment entity. Thus, his efforts at maintaining the band's cohesiveness may reflect his artistic faith in The Beatles' immense popularity.[6]
The foundation of Apple Corporation/LTD was initiated under the oversight of Brian Epstein as a tax shelter endeavour. His unexpected death left the planning and implementation of Apple Corporation/LTD in a tenuous state. The lack of Epstein's supervision led to an expedited and perhaps chaotic venture that only added to the incipient stresses when the band returned to the studio for the convoluted sessions that would result in The Beatles (aka The White Album).[1] The void of Brian Epstein's role as band manager would never be fulfilled during the remaining years of the group's existence. Ultimately, the discord over managerial leadership would be one the precipitating factors of the band's dissolution.[7]
[edit] George Harrison's emergence as a songwriter
In the early years, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the two primary songwriters, while the other two members, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, took more subservient roles in the band. Lennon and McCartney would often compose one song per album for Starr to sing, and let Harrison either cover an old standard, or record one of his own compositions. As time went on, however, Harrison's compositions started to mature and become more appealing in their quality. Gradually the other band members acknowledged his potential as a song writer.[5] [8] Rubber Soul had two Harrison songs, Revolver contained three, and while Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band only featured one, it was one of the most revolutionary. "Within You Without You" was a stylistically an Indian ballad, containing multiple instruments and defying the pop song format. The White Album contained four, Abbey Road not only had two, but also Harrison's first song on a Beatles A-side, "Something".[9] Though Harrison emerged as a proficient songwriter and producer he nonetheless continued to have his song ideas for the most part relegated, especially when his compositions were offered during the Twickenham rehearsals. Understandably he became frustrated. This lead to estrangement and resentment towards the rest of the group, especially Lennon and McCartney.[10]
[edit] Competitors rather than collaborators
After the band had stopped touring, each of the musicians to one degree or another began to identify and pursue personal interests and autonomy. When the band convened to resume recording in late 1966, there was still a palpable cameraderie and desire to collaborate as musicians. Paul McCartney, perhaps to a greater degree than the others, maintained a deep interest in the pop musical trends and styles emerging both in Britain and the United States. He also had the propensity to maintain the most active and rigorous artistic sense of discipline. Consequently McCartney began to assume the role of the initiator and, to a degree, leader of the artistic projects of The Beatles.[11]
Thus, each band member began to develop individual artistic proclivities and agendas. Eventually this compromised the level of enthusiasm among the musicians. The varying level of cohesive interest in songwriting and production gradually transformed into a lack of patience and at times tolerance of mutual collaboration. This became most evident on the album The Beatles in which artistic self-interests began to dominate the recording sessions, which in turn further undermined band unity. [12]
[edit] Yoko Ono
John Lennon was in a fragile state of mind after returning from the band's sojourn to India in early 1968. He was disillusioned and resentful that the Maharishi did not fulfil his expectations. Coupled with renewed drug use and deterioration in his marriage and family life, his personal identity and his artistic role within the Beatles was a source of discontent. Although Paul McCartney may have been the first to be exposed to the other forms of artistic developments and trends, Lennon began to develop a more intense interest in one artist in particular, Yoko Ono. A Japanese conceptual artist, she met Lennon at one of her exhibitions in 1966. The pair maintained a platonic relationship until the spring of 1968. In May of 1968 they spent time together in his home studio while his wife, Cynthia, was away on holiday. They recorded an avant-garde tape that would eventually be released as Unfinished Music #1: Two Virgins, before consummating their new relationship. From that point on, the two were rarely apart, including when Lennon was working with the rest of the band in the studio. This violated a previous tacit agreement between the members not to let wives or girlfriends into the studio. Yoko Ono was not above criticising the other members' playing during the sessions, which caused them to resent her even more.[13] [5] [3]
[edit] The Beatles double album
The Beatles reconvened at George Harrison's home in Esher in May 1968 to record demos that would ultimately become released in November 1968 as The Beatles. This was released as a double album and both The Beatles and the public ultimately referred to it as The White Album. Contemporaneous reviews and retropsective commentary by The Beatles acknowledged that the album reflected the development of autonomous composers, musicians and artists.[8]
John Lennon and Paul McCartney's artistic venues for The Beatles became more disparate. George Harrison continued to develop as a songwriter, unfortunately he had little support from within the band. His composition "Not Guilty" reflected his state of mind during the recording of The Beatles. Ringo Starr began to develop and pursue cinematic opportunities during this period. He was also distressed by the increasingly dour and tense atmosphere that was characteristic of the recording sessions.[14]
As the sessions progressed there was a growing palpable tension in the band. The disquiet was multifaceted in nature, but it was the artistic and personal discord that was most salient. The strain of the sessions took its toll on Geoff Emerick (recording engineer employed by EMI) and more notably Ringo Starr. Both left during the sessions, which commenced in June and concluded in October.[12] These were the first substantive signs of the group's emerging disunity and antipathy.[9]
Upon completion and release of The Beatles the group did not give collective interviews or recorded appearances. The public relations were carried out individually. The most telling evidence of the group's alienation with each other was the release of the 1968 Christmas fan club recording. The contributions were solely individual and John Lennon made disparaging remarks about his bandmates' apparent disdain for Yoko Ono.[15] [16]
[edit] The Twickenham and Apple studio recording sessions
By the end of 1968, The Beatles' status as a group entity was in limbo. Paul McCartney, who had unofficially assumed the mantle of leadership, suggested a group project involving rehearsing, recording and performing the songs in a live concert. Though the recording sessions for the double album initially involved ensemble playing, the band was ill-prepared to settle comfortably back into this mode. Only eight days after recording sessions commenced, George Harrison's frustration and resentment peaked and he informed his bandmates that he was leaving. The combined patronising by McCartney and estrangement from John Lennon had taken its toll on George Harrison. Thus, the band was on the verge of potential collapse and at an impasse.
Ultimately, complicated and heated negotiations brought Harrison back into the group's activities. The plan for a concert was abandoned and the recording sessions were resumed at Saville Row Apple Studios. The band gave their last public performance on the Saville Row building roof top on 30 January 1969 as a substitute for an audience-based concert.[16] [17] [18]
[edit] Business quagmire: Allen Klein, Lee Eastman and ATV-Northern Songs
Apple Corps/LTD during this period was plagued by business problems. John Lennon and Yoko Ono met with Allen Klein regarding managerial advice. Subsequently, Lennon requested that Klein represent his business interests in the band. George Harrison and Ringo Starr acquiesced, while Paul McCartney had ambiguous feelngs about Klein's managerial potential. McCartney's growing relationship with Linda Eastman opened the opportunity for Lee and John Eastman to become involved in advising the band's financial decision-making. However, the band members' quarrels and disharmony over musical matters soon permeated their business discussions.[19]
Dick James, who held substantial rights to Northern Songs (the Lennon/McCartney song catalogue), became increasingly concerned over the band's dissension and resentment towards him. Without informing The Beatles, he inconspicuously entertained offers to sell his substantial shares in Northern Songs. Allen Klein and the Eastmans were caught off-guard and their attempts to reclaim control of The Beatles (via Maclen Music) failed. It soon became evident that the Eastmans and Klein had developed an adverserial relationship. This further aggravated the underlying antipathy experienced within the band.[20]
[edit] Departures
The Get Back/Let It Be project from the January 1969 recordings and filming was aborted. However, the group continued to sporadically record together during the spring and summer of 1969. These recording sessions ultimately paved the way for The Beatles' last studio recording project, Abbey Road.[18]
Shortly after the completion of Abbey Road, John Lennon, who had a waxing and waning pattern of heroin use, yielded to cessation and acute drug withdrawal. This experience inspired him to record "Cold Turkey". Ostensibly offered to The Beatles for recording as a single, it was met with disinterest and likely precipitated his decision to leave the band. The formation of the Plastic Ono Band was originally conceived as an artistic outlet for John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Their enthusiastic reception as performers in Toronto's Rock and Roll Concert extravaganza crystallised the decision to leave the band. He informed Allen Klein and Paul McCartney of his decison in late September/early October 1969.[21] Ironically, in the autumn of 1969, the band signed a renegotiated contract with a higher royalty rate. This was the group's last demonstration of unity, and the contract bound the members of the band until 1976. This renegotiated contract, however precipitated the final legal actions abrogating the partnership in 1971.[7]
In November of 1969, in an interview conducted by Life magazine, Paul McCartney acknowledged that The Beatles had effectively disbanded.[22] At the beginning of 1970, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr briefly reconvened to complete recordings for the album Let It Be. Each of the band members otherwise focused solely on individual projects.[16] [18] In April of 1970, to coincide with the release of Paul McCartney's solo album, a press release announced his intention to break from the band.[4]
At the beginning of 1971, Paul McCartney sued his bandmates for the dissolution of The Beatles' contractual relationship and subsequently a receiver was appointed.[7] Although there were sporadic collaborative recording efforts among the band members, The Beatles never fully and simultaneously collaborated as a recording or performing group ever again until The Beatles Anthology project in 1994.[11]
[edit] Summary
The break up of The Beatles was one of the most widely scrutinised and publicised events in the media for the past three decades. During this time the term "ex-Beatle" became a household byword when band members where referred to. To this day there are still contradictions and inconsistencies among fans and music scholars. Ultimately, the break up can be described as a series of events of a myriad nature.[15]
The overwhelming impact of Beatlemania took its toll on the band members. After the cessation of touring, the personal growth and changes that each Beatle experienced were not necessarily parallel in a collective sense. The death of their founding manager lead to financial and legal conflicts of interest.[19]
Internal dissension arose from the emergence of egocentricity in individual artistic interests and ventures. Group unity and vision were thus supplanted.[14] The first definitive events in the substantive Beatles' dissolution was the departure of John Lennon followed subsequently by Paul McCartney.[6] [5] Ultimately, personal interests grew stronger than collective interests and animosity made it impossible for both group and individual pursuits to mutually coexist contemporaneously.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Ian MacDonald : Revolution in the Head,PIMLICO ,2005
- ^ David Bennahum: The Beatles After the Break-Up: In Their Own Words ,Omnibus Press, 1991
- ^ a b Ray Coleman: Lennon: The Definitive Biography 3rd edition, Pan Publications, 2000
- ^ a b Barry Miles: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Owl Books, 1998
- ^ a b c d Jan Wenner: Lennon Remembers: The Rolling Stone Interviews, Popular Library, 1971
- ^ a b "Paul and Linda McCartney Interview", Playboy, December 1984
- ^ a b c Peter McCabe: Apple to the Core: The Unmaking of The Beatles, Martin Brian and O'Keeffe Ltd, 1972
- ^ a b c DK Publishing: The Beatles: 10 Years That Shook the World, DK Adult, 2004
- ^ a b Mark Lewisohn: Beatles Recording Sessions, Gardners Books, 2005
- ^ "George Harrison Interview", Crawdaddy magazine, February 1977
- ^ a b Philip Norman: Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation (second edition), Fireside, 2003
- ^ a b Geoff Emerick & Howard Massey: Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles, Gotham, 2006
- ^ "John Lennon and Yoko Ono Interview", Playboy, January 1981
- ^ a b Bob Spitz: The Beatles : The Biography, Little, Brown and Company, 2005
- ^ a b Mark Hertsgaard: A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of The Beatles (Reprint edition), Delta, 1996
- ^ a b c John C. Winn: That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy (volume two) 1966-1970" Multiplus Books, 2003
- ^ Doug Sulpy & Ray Schweighardt: Get Back: The Unauthorised Chronicle of The Beatles' "Let It Be" Disaster, St. Martin's Griffin Pub., 1999
- ^ a b c Peter Doggett: Abbey Road/Let It Be: The Beatles (Classic Rock Albums Series), Schirmer Books, 1998
- ^ a b The Beatles: The Beatles Anthology, Chronicle Books, 2000
- ^ Peter Brown & Steven Gaines: The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of The Beatles (Reprint edition), NAL Trade, 2002
- ^ Anthony Fawcett: John Lennon: One Day at a Time : A Personal Biography of the Seventies (Revised edition), Grove Pr., 1980
- ^ "Paul McCartney: 'I Want to Live in Peace'", Life, November 7 1969
[edit] See also
Categories: English musical groups | Music from Liverpool | Parlophone artists | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees | Grammy Award winners | The Beatles | The Beatles with Tony Sheridan | Apple Corps | Apple Records artists | George Harrison | John Lennon | Paul McCartney | Ringo Starr | 1960 establishments | 1970 disestablishments | Musical groups established in 1960
