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With so many conflicting accounts and blame laid for the series of events that led to The Beatles’ split, it’s hard to detect a coherent narrative that, fifty years on, makes any sense as to exactly what went down and how. But Dr. Duncan Driver, in an article published earlier this year in Beatlefan magazine, has laid out a timeline detailing the sequence of events, from which some measure of patterns emerge. You can (and should) read the full-length piece here.
We discuss the direction that things were moving in during the last years of the group (and past that point, too), toward a greater understanding of how events played out, maybe not exactly as we’d been led to believe.
A rarely referenced, posthumous example of Lennon’s insecurity viz. McCartney’s having usurped Lennon as the dominant Beatle was in SKYWRITING BY WORD OF MOUTH, in which he characterizes the breakup as having been merely Lennon’s ending “his” own band. That would have been accurate for the Quarry Men, but not for the 1969/1970 Beatles.
A rarely referenced, posthumous example of Lennon’s insecurity viz. McCartney’s having usurped Lennon as the dominant Beatle was in SKYWRITING BY WORD OF MOUTH, in which he characterizes the breakup as having been merely Lennon’s ending “his” own band. That would have been accurate for the Quarry Men, but not for the 1969/1970 Beatles.
That was an interesting listen. Thank you. I didn’t know about Kreen-Akrore and it’s link to Paul trying to escape being hemmed in by people trying to control him.
We rarely look at it from the viewpoint of Macca being the victim in this scenario. We always view him as being strong.
One thing I think about is that Lennon was so funny when he was in The Beatles and yet after he left I can’t remember one amusing moment from him. The drugs, that Imagine film is so sombre,etc…the people who controlled him drained the humor out of him. I guess after being so drug damaged it was inevitable. Macca had a chance to release John from Yoko’s shackles in 1975..but he chose to help reunite them. Fork in the Road moment.
That was an interesting listen. Thank you. I didn’t know about Kreen-Akrore and it’s link to Paul trying to escape being hemmed in by people trying to control him.
We rarely look at it from the viewpoint of Macca being the victim in this scenario. We always view him as being strong.
One thing I think about is that Lennon was so funny when he was in The Beatles and yet after he left I can’t remember one amusing moment from him. The drugs, that Imagine film is so sombre,etc…the people who controlled him drained the humor out of him. I guess after being so drug damaged it was inevitable. Macca had a chance to release John from Yoko’s shackles in 1975..but he chose to help reunite them. Fork in the Road moment.
Excellent episode (as always). Driver was a great guest (and I’m very glad I did my homework and read his article before listening).
Glad you guys touched on Linda, who’s influence on Paul is often largely ignored. I have also picked up through the years that there was not a lot of love lost between John and Jane, and I agree with your take that John never saw Jane as a threat, whereas he obviously saw Linda as one. Fascinating stuff.
Excellent episode (as always). Driver was a great guest (and I’m very glad I did my homework and read his article before listening).
Glad you guys touched on Linda, who’s influence on Paul is often largely ignored. I have also picked up through the years that there was not a lot of love lost between John and Jane, and I agree with your take that John never saw Jane as a threat, whereas he obviously saw Linda as one. Fascinating stuff.
I don’t think enough focus is ever placed on the absolute treachery of Dick James/Charles Silver and Clive Epsfein (acting for Queenie Epstein) as factors in the break up. Sure, Allen Klein and Eastman père et fils were sharks, as well (Lee and John were just better-dressed and better-mannered sharks than Allen!!), but James/Silver/Epstein well and truly sold The Beatles down the river.
Something else to think about: if Klein was such a rapacious shark, then he met his match in Morris Levy. John/Northern Songs probably would have won a court case if Levy had followed through on his bluff/threat to file a plagiarism suit over John lifting a line or two from “You Can’t Catch Me” for “Come Together” (not enough is taken from one song for the benefit of the other song to give a potential plagiarism suit any real substance or realistic chance of success, methinks). Klein might have been intimidated by Levy (and his ties to The Mob) to want to fight him in court or Klein might have been in cahoots with Levy from the beginning (and made a side deal with Levy to create a win-win situation).
I don’t think enough focus is ever placed on the absolute treachery of Dick James/Charles Silver and Clive Epsfein (acting for Queenie Epstein) as factors in the break up. Sure, Allen Klein and Eastman père et fils were sharks, as well (Lee and John were just better-dressed and better-mannered sharks than Allen!!), but James/Silver/Epstein well and truly sold The Beatles down the river.
Something else to think about: if Klein was such a rapacious shark, then he met his match in Morris Levy. John/Northern Songs probably would have won a court case if Levy had followed through on his bluff/threat to file a plagiarism suit over John lifting a line or two from “You Can’t Catch Me” for “Come Together” (not enough is taken from one song for the benefit of the other song to give a potential plagiarism suit any real substance or realistic chance of success, methinks). Klein might have been intimidated by Levy (and his ties to The Mob) to want to fight him in court or Klein might have been in cahoots with Levy from the beginning (and made a side deal with Levy to create a win-win situation).
It seems to me that again the Beatles were pioneers in bands breaking up.as they were in so many other areas. if it was anything like the modern era or even maybe mid 70’s they may have taken 2 or 3 years off or even longer then come back together..There are so many examples of this happening with huge bands The Who, The Eagles , even the Stones., Seperated for years at a time then reunited . Of course THE BEATLES ARE IN A WAY DIFFERENT league! I enjoyed this episode as I do all of them, thanks!
The 1970 split comes down to Klein and 3 of them vs McCartney legally speaking. Paul ended up being right. It was inevitable on a lot of levels…
It seems to me that again the Beatles were pioneers in bands breaking up.as they were in so many other areas. if it was anything like the modern era or even maybe mid 70’s they may have taken 2 or 3 years off or even longer then come back together..There are so many examples of this happening with huge bands The Who, The Eagles , even the Stones., Seperated for years at a time then reunited . Of course THE BEATLES ARE IN A WAY DIFFERENT league! I enjoyed this episode as I do all of them, thanks!
The 1970 split comes down to Klein and 3 of them vs McCartney legally speaking. Paul ended up being right. It was inevitable on a lot of levels…
What was the name of the podcast your guest mentions that discusses the relationship between John and Paul? You were talking over him when he mentions the name and I couldn’t hear it.
It was the podcast Another Kind of Mind – still in progress.
THANK YOU! I literally came here for this very piece of information.
Love the podcast …
What was the name of the podcast your guest mentions that discusses the relationship between John and Paul? You were talking over him when he mentions the name and I couldn’t hear it.
It was the podcast Another Kind of Mind – still in progress.
THANK YOU! I literally came here for this very piece of information.
Love the podcast …