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Yoko Ono reveals why the Beatles broke up

D

dmcowen674

No Lifer
12-28-2012

http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-t...atles-resentment-becoming-paul-204042501.html

Yoko Ono Talks About Other Beatles’ Resentment Of Becoming ‘Paul’s Band’




Three members feared the fourth was attempting to make the band "his," she insists


Was the Beatles’ breakup partly due to the fact that the semi-democratic band was on the verge of turning into “Paul McCartney and the Beatles”?
“John, in fact, was not the first one who wanted to leave the Beatles,” says Yoko Ono in a newly released interview.



“Ringo one night with Maureen (Starkey, his first wife) came to John and me and said, well, he wanted to leave. And George was the next, and then John. Paul was the only one who was trying to hold the Beatles together. But then again, the other three felt that Paul was going to hold the Beatles together as his band. They were getting to be like Paul's band, which they didn't like.”

As for the contention that McCartney was ultimately the ringleader in the group’s last days, that’s not terribly in contention. The recent deluxe edition of Magical Mystery Tour on DVD and Blu-Ray makes it clear that McCartney was most headstrong about helping the suddenly rudderless group find a sense of direction after the death of manager Brian Epstein
 
Yoko making her annual "look at me" appearance I see. I'd take anything she says with a grain of salt. Ono plays innocent but she strikes me as a manipulative shrew. She's been making herself out to be the "Fifth Beatle" for years, though she's really only famous for sleeping with one. She's the one everyone blames for breaking them up. Whether or not that's the case, she was definitely putting ideas in John's head. Lennon was argumentative about Paul's "childish" songs when recording Abby Road. Perhaps Ono saw it as a better path to advance her own career if he went solo. Especially since she had no talents of her own. Indeed it was as she got musical exposure in the Plastic Ono Band. Truth is Ono was never pretty or talented enough to make it on her own. The thing about avant-garde is anybody can claim to be an artist without actually being one. She wasn't (still isn't) popular in her native Japan and was a fairly small time artist in London.

Ironically, Lennon probably had the weakest solo career. A sharp contrast to McCartney and Wings who became hugely successful in the 70s. Ringo had more time to establish his solo career but he plays sold out shows with a lot of big celebrities and genuinely loves it. Harrison did a lot of humanitarian work post Beatles as well as formed the Travelling Wiburys. Lennon, well, he released one hit song and stayed in bed all day to protest Vietnam. Perhaps he'd have gone on to do more had he not been murdered. However, I think he needed the Beatles more than they needed him. More than he would have cared to admit.
 
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There are certain issues that will never be placed in proper historical context while a single baby boomer remains breathing. The Vietnam War and the breakup of the Beatles are two of them.
 
mmntech said:
Yoko making her annual "look at me" appearance I see. I'd take anything she says with a grain of salt. Ono plays innocent but she strikes me as a manipulative shrew. She's been making herself out to be the "Fifth Beatle" for years, though she's really only famous for sleeping with one. She's the one everyone blames for breaking them up. Whether or not that's the case, she was definitely putting ideas in John's head. Lennon was argumentative about Paul's "childish" songs when recording Abby Road. Perhaps Ono saw it as a better path to advance her own career if he went solo. Especially since she had no talents of her own. Indeed it was as she got musical exposure in the Plastic Ono Band. Truth is Ono was never pretty or talented enough to make it on her own. The thing about avant-garde is anybody can claim to be an artist without actually being one. She wasn't (still isn't) popular in her native Japan and was a fairly small time artist in London.

Ironically, Lennon probably had the weakest solo career. A sharp contrast to McCartney and Wings who became hugely successful in the 70s. Ringo had more time to establish his solo career but he plays sold out shows with a lot of big celebrities and genuinely loves it. Harrison did a lot of humanitarian work post Beatles as well as formed the Travelling Wiburys. Lennon, well, he released one hit song and stayed in bed all day to protest Vietnam. Perhaps he'd have gone on to do more had he not been murdered. However, I think he needed the Beatles more than they needed him. More than he would have cared to admit.
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Agreed 100% on the Yoko points. Even Julian Lennon (who is extremely close to Paul) has gone on record as saying the same thing. I still chuckle every time I see that video of Lennon and Chuck Berry playing with Yoko going nuts on the mic.

I will say I disagree with you about Lennon's solo legacy. In my opinion, Imagine and Plastic Ono are certified classics and are head and shoulders above anything McCartney did with Wings. Sure McCartney had much greater commercial success but I think his best (Band on the Run) never reached the same heights as Lennon's accomplishments.
 
mmntech said:
Yoko making her annual "look at me" appearance I see. I'd take anything she says with a grain of salt. Ono plays innocent but she strikes me as a manipulative shrew. She's been making herself out to be the "Fifth Beatle" for years, though she's really only famous for sleeping with one. She's the one everyone blames for breaking them up. Whether or not that's the case, she was definitely putting ideas in John's head. Lennon was argumentative about Paul's "childish" songs when recording Abby Road. Perhaps Ono saw it as a better path to advance her own career if he went solo. Especially since she had no talents of her own. Indeed it was as she got musical exposure in the Plastic Ono Band. Truth is Ono was never pretty or talented enough to make it on her own. The thing about avant-garde is anybody can claim to be an artist without actually being one. She wasn't (still isn't) popular in her native Japan and was a fairly small time artist in London.

Ironically, Lennon probably had the weakest solo career. A sharp contrast to McCartney and Wings who became hugely successful in the 70s. Ringo had more time to establish his solo career but he plays sold out shows with a lot of big celebrities and genuinely loves it. Harrison did a lot of humanitarian work post Beatles as well as formed the Travelling Wiburys. Lennon, well, he released one hit song and stayed in bed all day to protest Vietnam. Perhaps he'd have gone on to do more had he not been murdered. However, I think he needed the Beatles more than they needed him. More than he would have cared to admit.
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For some time John was content to just be a father and husband and not worry about music very much. When he did return to the scene with "Double fantasy" it was a great album and a huge success. Really, Yoko's full of crap, the Beatles were drifting in different directions, you could see it in "White album" where they were just basically studio musicians for each others songs for the most part. Thankfully Yoko's music career faded faster than a summer rainbow for to hear her sing was a lesson in self-inflicted pain, what John (or Paul W/Linda) ever though they had any real music talent is a head scratcher..
 
Pr0d1gy said:
Nobody cares anymore. This story MIGHT have been relevant 40 years ago, MIGHT.
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Fine, in 40 years you can argue why Nine inch nails or Radiohead broke up, oh, wait a minute, in 40 years not a single person will remember today's bands because in comparison to the older ones, they suck..
 
BUTCH1 said:
Fine, in 40 years you can argue why Nine inch nails or Radiohead broke up, oh, wait a minute, in 40 years not a single person will remember today's bands because in comparison to the older ones, they suck..
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You realize those bands are from 20 years ago right? And still going. You used bad examples, however it's an age thing. Drug induced music is still drug induced music, it's not better or worse, it's just preference.
 
If you watch the Anthology video, you get a few clues, but what shines through is that they had all pretty much had it with the whole Beatles thing and needed to move on. To blame Yoko is easy, but one notable quote from her to Lennon was "You don't have to be Elvis Beatle anymore." I could care less about her, but the band's music is still an important part of my life.
 
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