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Why did the Beatles break up?


Vincent Vega

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Same question as the title.

Also, when did the disintegration of the band begin? Was there ever any point where there was a "last chance" for the band not to break up--where it was reconsidered, like say during the Abbey Road sessions?

Also, who was the principal factor in the breakup? And what do you guys think a next Beatles album would've sounded like had they stayed together past 1970?

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I think they had to become more independent when their manager died. They drifted apart over time. Honestly I don't like all the two-part harmonies they had on songs and the later Beatles work just before their break up was their best. I really couldn't imagine the later work as Beatles songs. Lennon moved away to New York and became a kind of family man and turned away McCartney who came down with his guitar in hand. If they lived on I think they would have reunited a few times.

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I think they had to become more independent when their manager died. They drifted apart over time. Honestly I don't like all the two-part harmonies they had on songs and the later Beatles work just before their break up was their best. I really couldn't imagine the later work as Beatles songs. Lennon moved away to New York and became a kind of family man and turned away McCartney who came down with his guitar in hand. If they lived on I think they would have reunited a few times.

yeah they would have

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Do Beatles online fan communities have the same atmosphere that GNR ones do?

Probably not because:

1) The Beatles broke up after releasing three or four albums which are considered classics. Slash era GN'R ended after only 3 full original albums, 1 mini album and one cover album as their last release. There is a sense that the Beatles ended when they were "supposed" to, whereas GN'R ended too soon.

2) The Beatles broke up 42 years ago, as such any anger over it is long since subsided because, it's more a matter of history than current debate. all traces of the AFD-UYI GN'R ceased to exist in 1997, only 13 years ago--recent in comparison. And the Beatles' fans are likely older than GN'R fans, and so likely more mature. If there was a Beatles discussion board in say 1975, it'd probably have the same atmosphere as now.

3) Much of the contention in the GN'R community stems from a desire to see a reunion, and people's anger and disappointment that it won't happen despite all AFD and UYI members being alive and well. Whereas 2 out of 4 Beatles are dead--There is thus no hope for a reunion. The Beatles had a partial reunion in the '90s where George, Paul and Ringo recorded instrumental tracks to demos of Lennon singing songs he didn't end up releasing.

4) The ex-Beatles all gave the world pretty great music on their own after the breakup. The ex-GN'R members...Well, it's up to one's own taste really what you think of each member's post GN'R work.

5) Neither John nor Paul ever tried to continue on as The Beatles while not having any of the other Beatles on board.

Edited by Clark Gable
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I think Yoko was part of it, but not the sole reason.

Another part was the fact that Paul (IIRC) was promoting and releasing his solo debut while The Beatles were still technically together.

Did you know John actually left Yoko for a while in 1974 (again, IIRC) and reunited with Paul? They even jammed together. Search for John's "lost weekend".

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When Paul heard John died he said "What a drag."

is that true or just rumor?

I've read all the wrong books on The Beatles. I read Nowhere Man last and that was written by his limo driver.

To be fair to Paul he was probs shocked and the last thing you'd want is to be hounded by cameras, did they expect a grand sermon from him or something?

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When Paul heard John died he said "What a drag."

is that true or just rumor?

I've read all the wrong books on The Beatles. I read Nowhere Man last and that was written by his limo driver.

I don't think he meant it, really. Like the video posted above me shows, he was surrounded by press and it was probably the first he'd heard of it.

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It's all Paul's fault and it had become Paul's band by the end as opposed to the band's band or John's band as it used to be, at they very least. It was Paul's songs, Paul's medley at the end of Abbey Road, George had to play his shit the way Paul wanted it, Paul's songs getting primacy, Maxwell's Silverturd Hammer having a fuck ton of money wasted on it, Paul not wanting Phil Spector on his shit (fair call), Paul wanting Linda's dad in charge, Paul taking over post Epstein, Paul not liking Yoko etc ad infinitum.

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It's all Paul's fault and it had become Paul's band by the end as opposed to the band's band or John's band as it used to be, at they very least. It was Paul's songs, Paul's medley at the end of Abbey Road, George had to play his shit the way Paul wanted it, Paul's songs getting primacy, Maxwell's Silverturd Hammer having a fuck ton of money wasted on it, Paul not wanting Phil Spector on his shit (fair call), Paul wanting Linda's dad in charge, Paul taking over post Epstein, Paul not liking Yoko etc ad infinitum.

"Sun King", "Mean Mr. Mustard" and "Polythene Pam", all Lennon.

All Paul's songs? That's why John and Yoko got to do the nine minute piece of shit "Revolution 9"?

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When Paul heard John died he said "What a drag."

is that true or just rumor?

I've read all the wrong books on The Beatles. I read Nowhere Man last and that was written by his limo driver.

To be fair to Paul he was probs shocked and the last thing you'd want is to be hounded by cameras, did they expect a grand sermon from him or something?

He was being polite, he handled George Harrison's passing better, prob. because he was more prepared for it. He could have told them to fuck off, but to me he just looked tired, drained, and out of it. I'm sure they were going "why" a lot, it made absolutely no sense that here was this guy who had been off the grid for 5 years, was coming out with new music, and then - gunned down. In a nice neighborhood. It would have been quiet enough to startle residents a few blocks on the West side of Central Park.

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