The Beatles dominated the music industry in the 1960s, but their success only lasted for a decade as the band split in 1970. The world was stunned to learn about the band breaking up, but the four members knew The Beatles would end a few months beforehand. Paul McCartney said The Beatles’ downfall began in 1969, but he was told to keep it a secret until it became official.
The Beatles were shocked when John Lennon announced he was leaving the band
There are many rumors and theories that Beatles fans have for why the band broke up. Many believe that tensions between the band had been rising for a while, and they simply stopped being friendly with one another. In an interview with Apple Music with Zane Lowe, Paul McCartney said he and John Lennon never had any significant arguments that would have led to The Beatles disbanding, which is why he was surprised when Lennon announced he was leaving.
“There was no big bust-up. We’d just happen to have a little meeting, a group meeting, one day when John walked in, and he said, ‘I’m leaving the group,’’ McCartney shared. “So, it was that sudden. You didn’t want to say, ‘What do you mean?’ because you knew exactly what he meant…Looking back on it, you can see that he had to just clear the decks. And say, ‘Okay, guys. We’ve done our bit. It was terrific. It was wonderful. But I’m off’…At the time, it was like, ‘Woah, is this final?’ We puttered around for a couple of weeks, thinking, ‘Does he mean it?’”
Paul McCartney was told not to tell anyone about The Beatles breaking up
When Lennon broke the news in 1969, The Beatles were the most popular band in the world. The band’s manager, Allen Klein, had convinced Lennon to keep the news private so it wouldn’t damage contract negotiations with EMI and Apple Corps. McCartney recalled being told to keep the news private, but he wasn’t sure how that would be possible.
“There was all sorts of weirdness going on where record contracts were being negotiated, and our not-so-good manager at the time, this guy called Allen Klein, he was saying , ‘Don’t tell anyone because I’m in the middle of a negotiation.’ I was saying, ‘You’ve gotta tell ‘em.’” McCartney said. “You can’t pretend the group’s still together. We’re gonna get a new record when we all know it’s not gonna happen.
McCartney unintentionally announced the end of The Beatles in 1970
Before the release of his first solo album, McCartney, in 1970, Paul issued a press release answering a series of questions about his new album and his future as an artist. Shared via Beatlesbible.com, the release featured several alarming answers for Beatles fans, including that he would not be working with The Beatles anytime soon and his songwriting partnership with John Lennon was over.
He also made a few disparaging comments about Klein. While he didn’t officially announce the end of The Beatles, many took McCartney’s comments as a sign that the band was done, marking the end of a tremendously successful run.
