The Beatles Boxed Set (22 page)

His death was a blow to the Beatles, particularly John. He
recalled, “We collapsed. I knew that we were in trouble then. I didn’t really
have any misconceptions about our ability to do anything other than play music,
and I was scared. I thought, We’ve had it now.”

But things had to go on, though it meant going about their
business without a manager. But for the meantime, Paul directed the band to
whatever they needed to do.

The Beatles plowed on, recording albums and filming between
Epstein’s death and 1970. The years were characterized by successes and
failures, and adventures in India that would inspire a number of originals that
the Beatles would include in their subsequent albums.

George Harrison, now becoming more interested in the Indian
religion and music, invited his mates and their respective wives and
girlfriends to spend three months in Rishikesh, India, to continue their
Transcendental Meditation course. John and Cynthia came along, the latter
hoping that the trip would help salvage their deteriorating marriage. However,
the trip came to an end for the Lennons after John became disenchanted with the
Maharishi. One of the people who accompanied them to India told John that the
Maharishi was trying to manipulate them and claimed that the Maharishi had made
a pass at several women attendees.

The Beatles, minus George, in Rishikesh,
India, during which John and Paul wrote songs that would be included on their
next album

John was so disgusted that he left after two months,
bringing George and the rest of the entourage with him. He had written a song
titled
Maharishi
, but renamed it
Sexy Saddie
to avoid legal
issues.

It
was during the recording sessions for their album
The Beatles
, also
known as the
White Album
for its featureless cover, that tensions
between the group members surfaced. The recording for this album marked the end
for the Beatles.

            The
Beatles would find themselves bickering at the studio that Ringo quit after two
weeks. During the recording of
Back in the USSR
and
Dear Prudence,
Paul was behind the drum kit. For John, he had lost interest in collaborating
with Paul. He even thought that Paul’s
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
was nothing
but “granny music shit.” Tensions were further aggravated by John’s preoccupation
with avant-garde artist Yoko Ono (see next Chapter), whom John liked to bring
with him to the studio, ignoring his pact with his mates that none of their
wives or girlfriends were to be in the studio with them. John, and Paul as
well, thought that it was during the album’s sessions that the foundation of
the Beatles began to break.

            The
White Album
, which contained songs the majority of which were written in
Rishikesh, India, was a chart topper in the UK and the US. The album sold 30
million copies worldwide and made its way to number 10 on
Rolling Stone
’s
500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

John, with Yoko Ono, at a recording
session for the While Album

            The
Beatles once again returned to the studios to record their next album,
Let
It Be
. The project was Paul’s baby, who suggested that they “record an
album of new material and rehearse it, then perform it before a live audience
for the very first time – on record and on film.”

            The
recording sessions for this album were, in George Martin’s words, “not at all a
happy recording experience. It was a time when relations between the Beatles
were at their lowest.” For John, the sessions were simply “hell… the most
miserable… on Earth.” George had walked out after five days as John and Paul
refused to listen to his songs or even considering including them in the album.

            When
George returned, he threatened to leave the band for good if they did not “abandon
all talk of live performance.” He also demanded that they finish recording at
the Apple Studios, to which other members agreed.

            The
sessions for
Let It Be
began on a sour note but ended amicably, thanks
to keyboardist Billy Preston who participated in the last nine days of the
sessions. But near the end of their rehearsals, the Beatles could not agree
where they should film a concert. Suggestions included a boat at sea and the
Colosseum. Finally, they agreed to conduct their final live performance on the
rooftop of the Apple Corps building at 3 Savile Row, London, on January 30,
1969.

The Beatles’ final public performance on
the rooftop of the Apple Corps building

            New
tensions surfaced when it was time to hire a new manager. John, George and
Ringo wanted to hire Allen Klein, who had managed The Rolling Stones, but Paul
preferred his in-laws, the Eastmans. As they couldn’t reach an agreement, both
managers were temporarily appointed. Klein eventually became the group’s sole
manager in May.

            As
the material for the
Let It Be
album was largely unfinished, the Beatles
began recording sessions for another album,
Abbey Road.
It was to be the
last album to be recorded, though it was released ahead of
Let It Be
. John
rejected George Martin’s idea of a “continuously moving piece of music” and
demanded that his and Pau’s songs occupy separate sides of the album.

            The
mood was brighter when the Beatles recorded
Abbey Road
. George Martin
was around during the sessions, and the group was recording at Abbey Road
studios. However, the last session that all Beatles would attend together was
the August 20 session when they recorded
I Want You (She’s So Heavy).

            A
month later, on September 20, John announced his departure from the group.

           
Abbey
Road
was released in late September and sold four million copies within
three months. It topped the UK charts and remained in that position for 17
weeks.

            For
the unfinished
Let It Be
album, Paul, George and Ringo recorded George’s
I Me Mine
. John was in Denmark and didn’t participate in the recording.
When it was finished, Allen Klein gave the session tapes to American producer
Phil Spector who made some changes in the recordings. When it was done, Paul
was shocked at the lavish orchestration for his song
The Long and Winding
Road
, which he didn’t like. He asked to revert the alterations to the song
but was ignored. He publicly announced his departure from the group on April
10, 1970.

           
Let
It Be
was released in May, with the documentary film bearing the same title
released the next month and would win the 1970 Academy Award for Best Original
Song Score.

While
John’s preoccupation with avant-garde artist Yoko Ono was seen as a
contributing factor that led to the band’s breakup, John was too enamored with
her to change his mind.

            The
Beatles were recording a few songs before they went to India when John took
Yoko Ono to the studio for the first time. George recalled that John “had just
started his relationship with Yoko before we went out to India.” John had
originally planned to take her with him to India, but lost the nerve because he
wanted to take his then-wife, Cynthia, as well.

            By
then, the Lennons’ marriage was on rocky ground, further exacerbated by John’s
numerous affairs and, recently, his obsession with Yoko. John had promised
Cynthia that he’d be a better husband and father and reform his bad ways. But
he had difficulty sticking to his promises.

            When
Cynthia found out about Yoko, she wasn’t quite surprised. She had suspicious
about it, and John would always brush them off. Unknown to her, Yoko was
sending John postcards with slogans on the back, and the petite Japanese woman
would continue doing so even when John and Cynthia were in India.

John and Yoko, pictured here shortly
after the Beatles disbanded

            After
two weeks in Rishikesh, John asked for private quarters, saying that he could
meditate better when alone. Cynthia would later learn that John was going to
the local post office each morning to get Yoko’s postcards. Once again, she brought
the subject up with John, who denied having any relationship with Yoko. He told
her, “She’s crackers, just a weirdo artist who wants me to sponsor her. Another
nutter wanting money for all that avant-garde bullshit. It’s not important.”

            But
Cynthia couldn’t bring herself to believe him.

            When
they returned in London, John failed to revive his deteriorating family life.
Cynthia recalled that they were in the kitchen when he suddenly said, “There
have been other women, you know, Cyn.” He then confessed to her, “You’re the
only one I’ve ever loved, Cyn. I still love you and I always will.”

            If
John meant to say that to assuage his guilt, he wasn’t successful. He suggested
that Cynthia take a holiday in Greece as he had to finish recording the
White
Album
.

            Cynthia
returned to the Lennons’ Kenwood home from Greece earlier than expected. She
had taken with her Jenny Boyd, sister-in-law of George Harrison, and one of
John’s cronies, Magic Alex. When they arrived from the airport, Cynthia quickly
noticed the unlatched front gates, the porch lights still on, and the front
door open.