by Ken McNab
Epilogue
And in the end the only thing left was indeed to let it be. Except, of course, they couldn’t. John Lennon’s ‘divorce’ declaration of September 1969 set in motion an unstoppable chain of events. But, as in many break-ups, the finger-jabbing fallout was rancorous, protracted, costly and occasionally vengeful, leaving self-inflicted wounds that didn’t fully heal. The Beatles never got back together, their time as a band permanently frozen in the Sixties. Perhaps that’s the way it was meant to be.
The tipping point came on 10 April, 1970, when Paul McCartney finally broke ranks with the others and officially announced to the world that The Beatles had split. The disclosure, far from unexpected, came in a DIY press release contained in review copies of his eponymously titled first solo album, guaranteeing it front-page coverage in every corner of the globe.
Millions mourned the death of the band while also weeping for the end of their own innocence. One American commentator bizarrely even likened it to the fall of the British Empire. Lennon screamed betrayal but only because he wished he had done the same thing as McCartney – used the band’s demise to sell an album. History then wrongly pigeonholed McCartney as the man who broke up The Beatles. Of course, it was far from true – the real reasons were byzantine, a Gordian knot that proved impossible to unravel.
As the news broke, Ray Connolly cursed his journalistic ethics, knowing he had blown the biggest exclusive of his career after agreeing to Lennon’s request to keep quiet. ‘Why didn’t you write it?’ asked Lennon after McCartney had pulled the pin on their mutual non-disclosure pact. ‘You told me not to,’ replied Connolly sheepishly. ‘But you’re the bloody journalist,’ fired back Lennon.
Allen Klein retained a pudgy grip on Apple, remaining in charge of affairs for Lennon, Harrison and Starr for another three years before agreeing a costly divorce. McCartney, though, would continue to hold Klein to account. His contempt for the American only intensified when Phil Spector was drafted in to turn the Let It Be tapes into a coherent album. The American producer, famed for his Wall of Sound approach to records, embellished McCartney’s winsome ballad ‘The Long And Winding Road’ with an orchestra and a female choir without his permission. The song’s author sensed sabotage – and pointed the finger of blame squarely at Klein. It was just more petrol tossed on to a raging fire. Within months, he had reached a decision that tore at every fibre of his being: the only way to escape Klein was to end The Beatles’ partnership. And that meant suing the three musicians with whom his career would eternally be linked.
By the end of 1970, he would seek a legal dissolution of The Beatles in everything but name. Barry Miles was a partial spectator and one of many who knew that, accidentally, their passing was perfectly timed.
He told me: ‘They spanned the decade. They began in black and white and ended in colour. Like European architecture, they went from simplicity and raw energy, Romanesque, through a mature middle period, gothic, then a Mannerist phase, [Let It Be] baroque and ended with a return-to-basics, stripped-down early Georgian in Abbey Road. The Beatles were always a four-way relationship, like a love affair. They were the Sixties band.’
In the weeks and months to come, Lennon would find instant karma on his own while telling everyone he ‘didn’t believe in Beatles’. Harrison would go in search of his sweet lord while proving that, ultimately, all things must pass; Starr would dolefully admit it don’t come easy without a little help from his friends; and McCartney would weep, like the whole world, over the loss of his dear friend, his irreplaceable collaborator, in December 1980. Four sides. One square. A gilded era laid to rest. Yet it was really only a new beginning.
Sources and Acknowledgments
Researching a subject like The Beatles requires you to combine the dexterity of a rock ’n’ roll detective with the patience of a jigsaw compiler. It is a layer cake of intrigue, complexities and contradictions – one where stories have become myths, and myths have become legend. And quite frankly, it’s a massive undertaking to piece together the overall picture, even for a fan like myself. Memories, once so easy to recall, inevitably get tangled with every constant recalling. Even The Beatles themselves are not immune to this process.
More words have been written about The Beatles than any other band in the world. But the purpose of this book was to examine month by month the various threads that took on a life of their own from the first day of 1969 until the last and then to form them into a cohesive whole, showing how events from one month seriously affected the circumstances of the next. Context became the key that unlocked other doors, especially when examining the Gordian knot of Apple’s finances, the labyrinthine trails that formed amid the battle for Northern Songs, and the story of four musicians from Liverpool whose music continues to resonate down the decades. Fact-checking was an absolutely vital and often frustrating fundamental.
In this endeavour I am grateful for the work of others whose efforts helped illuminate the path of investigation. Peter McCabe and Robert D. Schonfeld’s 1972 book Apple to the Core: The Unmaking of The Beatles remains a benchmark of excellence for anyone wishing to understand how the band’s finances spiralled out of control in those dark days of 1969. Similarly, Brian Southall’s Northern Songs: The True Story of The Beatles Song Publishing Empire provided further substance, while Peter Doggett’s forensic fiscal examination, You Never Give Me Your Money: The Battle for the Soul of The Beatles, is essential reading for any fan. Other avenues led me to the invaluable biographical works of Philip Norman, Graeme Thomson’s George Harrison: Behind the Locked Door, Barry Miles’s Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Peter Brown and Steven Gaines’ The Love You Make: An Insider’s Story of The Beatles, the late Geoff Emerick’s memoir Here, There And Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles, Fred Goodman’s Allen Klein: The Man Who Bailed Out The Beatles, Made the Stones, and Transformed Rock & Roll, Richie Unterberger’s The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film, Alan Clayson’s The Quiet One: A Life of George Harrison, John C. Winn’s That Magic Feeling: The Beatles’ Recorded Legacy, Anthony Fawcett’s John Lennon: One Day at a Time: A Personal Biography of the Seventies, Lennon Remembers by Jann S. Wenner and Mark Lewisohn’s indispensable tomes The Complete Beatles Chronicle: The Definitive Day-By-Day Guide to The Beatles’ Entire Career and The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962–1970. There is, of course, a massive online resource of information about The Beatles but the sterling work done by Steve Marinucci and The Beatles Bible, in my opinion, raise them above all others.
Writing this book has been the ultimate labour of love infused with a certain sadness. The Beatles were a band to whom the ideals of truth were paramount, so this is a warts-and-all account of their final days. I am extremely grateful to those who cast a judgemental eye over the words, in particular my good friend Russell Leadbetter of the Glasgow Herald, whose comprehensive musical knowledge and sense of good prose helped save me from embarrassment on several occasions. Also to Ian Somerville to whom I turned to add another objective viewpoint. And the roll call of appreciation naturally extends to my publishers Polygon and the support and encouragement I received from managing editor Alison Rae and Neville Moir, who head up the ‘Without Whom’ department.
This has been a long project, one that has seen me stowed away for months in my little Beatles shrine, face bent over a keyboard, peering myopically at thousands of words, hoping – praying – they somehow fit. It would not have been possible without the unstinting support of my family and friends. My beloved wife Susanna and children Jennifer and Christopher have been with me every inch of the way on what really has been a long and winding road. I hope you enjoy it.
Ken McNab
Glasgow, February 2019
Index
A
Abbey Road (album) 50, 61, 89, 109, 110, 145, 155, 183, 195, 200, 207, 211, 224, 229, 234–7, 263, 278, 302
Number One in the charts 241, 242, 249, 256, 271, 292
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Studios) 19, 53, 83, 92, 94, 164, 165, 189–94, 200, 235
Zebra crossing photo 189–94, 235, 247
ABKCO Industries 39, 40, 85, 96, 101, 111, 113
Accept No Substitute (album) 279
‘Across The Universe’ 183, 285
‘All Things Must Pass’ 7, 8, 54, 79, 89
‘All You Need Is Love’ 130
Altamont, murder at 275
Amsterdam
bed-in 72–5, 77, 125
peace protests 71
The Animals 23, 69
‘Another Day’ 48
Ansbacher, Henry & Co. 99, 103
Anthony, Les 71, 151, 262
Apple Boutique 11, 12
Apple Corps 111
as a mausoleum 13
future of 142, 146, 295
launch of 11
losing money 4, 5, 12, 15, 39, 112
mass firings 116–18
needing overhaul 16, 18
trying to buy back Northern Songs 99
Apple Films 4, 140
Apple Records 5, 116, 146
Asher, Jane 109, 146
Asher, Peter 117, 146, 293
Aspinall, Neil 28, 31, 43, 44, 67, 68, 76, 98, 115, 118, 179
Associated Television (ATV) 70, 75, 76
bid for Northern Songs 95, 102, 111, 122, 226–9, 252, 253, 295
Astaire & Co. 100, 122
A6 Murder 275, 276
B
‘Back Seat Of My Car’ 48
Badfinger (band) 251, 267, 285
‘Badge’ (Harrison/Clapton) 7
Bagism 77, 78
Baker, Ginger 203
‘Ballad Of John And Yoko’ 71, 92–4, 131, 243
The Band 5, 7, 8, 133, 279, 280, 288
Barnett, Anthony 57–9
The Basement Tapes (Bob Dylan album) 5
Beatlemania 2, 13, 60, 79, 90, 121, 190, 280
The Beatles album (referred to as the White Album)
The Beatles
Anthology project 10, 21, 149, 175, 269
bid to buy back Northern Songs 99–102
breaking up 234, 241, 249, 301
final album 153–5, 183–5, 189, 200
final group photos 202
linked to Charles Manson 195
losing control of Nems 69, 97
need for new single 89, 90
opposing Vietnam War 71, 288
photoshoots 87–9, 107, 108, 201, 202
producing themselves 94
proposed acquisition of Nemperor 42, 44
proposed buyout of Nems 24, 27, 44, 121
rooftop concert 28–34, 193
royalty agreements 37–40, 109, 119–21, 148, 224, 225, 231
stockholding in Northern Songs 95, 227
under Klein’s control 40, 44, 119
Beatles Monthly 86, 271, 272
‘Because’ 183–6
bed-in, Amsterdam 72–5, 77, 125
bed-in, Montreal 128–33, 135–41, 145, 149
Beggars Banquet (Rolling Stones) 5
Berry, Chuck 173, 174, 215, 216, 235, 236
Best, Pete 14
Biafra, war in 283, 288
Black Dwarf (magazine) 12
Blind Faith 203, 219, 220, 241, 254, 279
Boskamp, Hans 71
Bramlett, Delaney and Bonnie 279–84
Brower, John 215, 216–19, 221
Brown, Peter 23, 28, 38, 65, 66, 68, 72, 85, 118, 166, 178, 179, 251
Bruce, Jack 124
C
Cambridge University gig 57–9, 220
Cambridge University Tape
Recording Society 58
Cameo-Parkway (record label) 96
Candlestick Park, San Francisco 1, 31, 57, 220, 280
Candy (film) 284
Cannon, Geoffrey 45, 235
Capitol Records 37, 69, 109, 119, 123, 131, 135, 148, 224, 225, 229, 231, 295
Capp, Al 135
Carnegie Hall 60
Carr, W.I. 100, 122
‘Carry That Weight’ 157, 159–61, 176, 197, 198
Cavern Club, Liverpool 117, 230
Chapman, Graham 80, 243, 285
Charles, Ray 20, 21
The Chiffons 283
‘Child Of Nature’ (later ‘Jealous Guy’) 6
Clapton, Eric 7, 11, 21, 45, 60, 89, 90, 203, 217–23, 237, 243, 246, 247, 279, 280, 283, 284
Clark, Petula 136, 137
Cleese, John 80, 243, 285
Cocker, Joe 54, 61
‘Cold Turkey’ 213, 222, 237, 243–5, 254, 263, 284, 288
Coleman, Ray 16, 18, 83
‘Come And Get It’ 174, 285
‘Come Together’ 173, 174, 177, 186, 207, 235, 236, 241, 242, 255
Connolly, Ray 145, 233, 291, 292, 301
Cooke, Sam 26, 69
Coolidge, Rita 279, 281, 283
Copleston, Captain Trevor 65
Cox, Tony 14, 22, 127, 243, 297
Cream 7, 124, 142, 219
D
Dali, Salvador 70
Darin, Bobby 26, 69
Davis, Miles 250, 251
‘A Day In The Life’ 245
‘Day Tripper’ 286
Decca Records 96
Dekker, Thomas 161
Delaney and Bonnie 279–84
‘Dig A Pony’ 29, 31, 133
‘Dig It’ 133
Disc and Echo (magazine) 16
Doggett, Peter 37
Donald, Peter 123
Donovan 23, 49, 63, 69
‘Don’t Let Me Down’ 6, 22, 29, 31, 51, 90, 91, 133, 173
‘Don’t Worry Kyoko’ 243, 284
The Doors 215, 221
Doran, Terry 143, 179, 218, 220
Dorchester Hotel meetings 23–7, 41
Dunbar, John 293
Du Noyer, Paul 108, 148
Dylan, Bob 7, 8, 79, 131, 133, 136, 142, 203–8, 212, 246, 280
E
Eastman, Heather 124, 142, 250, 292
Eastman, John 15, 37, 68, 99, 108, 119, 121, 227, 228
Eastman, Lee 15, 24, 38, 39, 41, 68, 97, 98, 101, 102, 108, 227, 228
Eastman, Linda (later McCartney) 14, 19
Eaton, Thor 223
Ebor Unit Trust 100
Electronic Sound (album) 125
Ellis, Geoffrey 85
Emerick, Geoff 53, 92, 111, 160, 175, 185, 189, 198, 199
Emerson, Gloria 277
EMI 26, 27, 90, 108
Beatles royalty agreements 37, 38, 44, 109, 119–23, 148, 224, 225, 229, 231, 295
freezing royalty payments 69, 116, 121
EMI Studios, see Abbey Road Studios
‘The End’ 175, 176, 185, 194, 197– 200
Entertainment Weekly 178
Epstein, Brian 23, 27, 41, 65, 70, 71, 76, 84, 117, 262
death of 12, 18, 69, 119
Epstein, Clive 24, 27, 41–4, 68–70, 75, 76, 121
Epstein, Queenie 43
Essex Music 122
Evans, Mal 1, 29, 115, 118, 171, 179, 193, 204, 220, 233
Everett, Kenny 188, 297
‘Every Night’ 161, 294
‘Everybody’s Got Something To Hide’ 186
F
Faithfull, Marianne 40
Fawcett, Anthony 127, 141, 214, 219, 220
FBI file on John Lennon 132, 261, 287
Feinberg, Abraham 129, 130, 136
Fitzgerald, Ella 255
Fleetwood Mac 5
‘For You Blue’ 22, 45, 133
Foulk, Ray 203–5, 207
Fowley, Kim 215, 216, 218, 221
Free Quebec movement 136
Freeman, Alan 91
Fresco, Monty 201
G
Get Back film project 2, 17, 19, 51–4, 112, 154, 211, 268
in limbo 50, 124
preview of 177
salvage job 60, 61, 90, 94, 103–5, 157
‘Get Back’ 14, 22, 29, 31, 34, 51 114, 140
in limbo 51
ready for release 107,
133, 148
single at Number One 91
Gibb, Russ 245–8
Gibraltar 65, 66, 231
Gill, Jack 227, 228
Ginsberg, Allen 129, 136
‘Give Peace A Chance’ 48, 130–3, 135–8, 149, 166, 167, 222, 243, 259, 260, 273, 277, 297
‘Going Back To Liverpool’ 6
‘Golden Slumbers’ 6, 157, 159–61, 176, 197, 198, 241
‘Good Night’ 183
Goodman, Lord Arnold 14
The Goons (radio show) 49, 80, 87
Gortikov, Bob 225
Grade, Lew 70, 83–5
acquiring Northern Songs 75, 76, 84, 86, 95–7, 100, 121–3, 226–9, 252
Grech, Ric 203, 254
Greene, Joshua 163
Gregory, Dick 129, 136, 296
Guthrie, Arlo 259
H
Hanratty, James 275–7
‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun’ 186
A Hard Day’s Night (film) 284, 286
Hare Krishna movement 129, 162
Harper, Tim 237
Harries, Dave 19
Harrington, Kevin 1, 29, 31, 33, 193
Harrison, George
announcing departure 10, 16, 64
approval of Allen Klein 28, 38
busted for drugs 63, 64, 69, 80, 81
empathy with Bob Dylan 7, 204
financial worries 253
first solo album 125
getting orchestral backing 197, 198
like a holy man 282
and Moog 79, 80, 125, 185, 196, 198
playing with Delaney and Bonnie 280–4
as a producer 267, 268
reluctance to tour 9
search for Krishna 2, 143, 211
striking out alone 45, 53, 54, 79, 124, 202, 254
Hare Krishna 2, 143, 162–4, 211
working on Abbey Road 104, 160– 4, 172–6, 194–200
Harrison, Pattie 62, 63, 143, 279
Harrisongs Ltd 76
Hawkins, Ronnie 288, 289
The Hawks 288
‘Hear Me Lord’ 7
Hells Angels 275
Help! (film) 286
‘Help!’ 286
Hendrix, Jimi 49, 250, 251
‘Her Majesty’ 176
‘Here Comes The Sun’ 89, 90, 159, 172, 185, 186, 197, 241, 242
‘Hey Jude’ 3–5, 45, 49, 89, 198
Hit Parader (magazine) 79
Ho Chi Minh 273
Hoover, J. Edgar 260, 287
