Yoko Ono reveals why the Beatles broke up

**Deb** · 12-29-2012, 07:39 AM

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

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.”

McCartney and Ono (Lester Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images)

If John Lennon’s widow sounds a little less conciliatory and political about this than she has lately, that’s because this is the still slightly bristling Yoko Ono of 1987, who has come to us in a time machine to offer some thoughts less filtered by the passage of time. Her lengthy take on the breakup is a big chunk of a previously unpublished conversation with record industry mogul Joe Smith, which has just been made available as an audio file by the Library of Congress.

At one point in the chat, Smith says that he and a lot of people in the music industry had been rooting in the 1970s against the Beatles getting back together, lest they come back with substandard material and tarnish their brilliant ‘60s legacy.

Ono agrees and, after flatly declaring “I did not break up the Beatles,” adds: “You can’t have it both ways. If you’re going to blame me for breaking the Beatles up, you should be thankful that I made them into myth rather than a crumbling group.”

She also maintains that the resentment Ringo Starr and especially George Harrison may have felt about being second-class citizens in the supposed democracy may have fed into the breakup.

“In the early days Paul and John wrote the songs. Rather, John and Paul,” she said, correcting the order with a chuckle. “George didn’t write much, and Ringo especially didn’t write at all. When George started to write a lot of songs in the end, it was like, who’s gonna get the space? John was really trying to protect George and not ignore him and put (in) as many songs of George’s as possible. But frankly there wasn’t much space for that on one album, and they can’t keep on making double albums. So in a way all three of them were outgrowing the Beatles. I think Ringo was getting interested in film, and George was more interested in playing with Ravi Shankar.

http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-th...204042501.html

**Reveryroadie** · 12-29-2012, 11:16 AM

just admit the truth, it was all Courtney Loves fault LOL

**Deb** · 12-29-2012, 07:05 PM

Back in the day she sure was a hated woman

**Jerry** · 12-29-2012, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deb

Back in the day she sure was a hated woman

Can't say that I'm very fond of her now, even.

**Deb** · 12-29-2012, 08:04 PM

All I can think of is that singing voice kinda like scratching glass.

**rondo** · 12-30-2012, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry

Can't say that I'm very fond of her now, even.

Ditto. Took the words right out of my mouth.

**ragman** · 12-30-2012, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rondo

Ditto. Took the words right out of my mouth.

Agreed.

@ Deb-Her singing voice reminded me of fingernails on a blackboard.

**LMD** · 12-31-2012, 12:49 AM

We all know they broke up because Lennon wanted to toss away his career and do God knows whatever the fuck he wound up doing with her, so why do these stories keep cropping up of her deflecting blame? What's she going to say? "Yeah, I ruined the Beatles. I broke them up. No one else wanted me in the band, so I stole John and made him put the kabosh on the Beatles."

All you need to do is watch a live performance of Lennon, Yoko and ANYONE else and see the reactions that people have when Yoko picks up the mic (My personal favorite being Chuck Berry, who was caught so offguard by it, they wound up turning Yoko's mic off midway through one performance.

). The Beatles broke up because Paul, Ringo and/or George were smart enough to not want that anywhere near their work.

12-29-2012, 07:39 AM	#1
Deb Owner/Maid HOF'er (retired jersey) Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 49,109 Reputation: 1424 My Mood: : $536349	Yoko Ono reveals why the Beatles broke up Yoko Ono Talks About Other Beatles’ Resentment Of Becoming ‘Paul’s Band’ 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.” McCartney and Ono (Lester Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images) If John Lennon’s widow sounds a little less conciliatory and political about this than she has lately, that’s because this is the still slightly bristling Yoko Ono of 1987, who has come to us in a time machine to offer some thoughts less filtered by the passage of time. Her lengthy take on the breakup is a big chunk of a previously unpublished conversation with record industry mogul Joe Smith, which has just been made available as an audio file by the Library of Congress. At one point in the chat, Smith says that he and a lot of people in the music industry had been rooting in the 1970s against the Beatles getting back together, lest they come back with substandard material and tarnish their brilliant ‘60s legacy. Ono agrees and, after flatly declaring “I did not break up the Beatles,” adds: “You can’t have it both ways. If you’re going to blame me for breaking the Beatles up, you should be thankful that I made them into myth rather than a crumbling group.” She also maintains that the resentment Ringo Starr and especially George Harrison may have felt about being second-class citizens in the supposed democracy may have fed into the breakup. “In the early days Paul and John wrote the songs. Rather, John and Paul,” she said, correcting the order with a chuckle. “George didn’t write much, and Ringo especially didn’t write at all. When George started to write a lot of songs in the end, it was like, who’s gonna get the space? John was really trying to protect George and not ignore him and put (in) as many songs of George’s as possible. But frankly there wasn’t much space for that on one album, and they can’t keep on making double albums. So in a way all three of them were outgrowing the Beatles. I think Ringo was getting interested in film, and George was more interested in playing with Ravi Shankar. http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-th...204042501.html __________________ "And in the depths of winter, I found in me am invincible summer."

12-29-2012, 11:16 AM	#2
Reveryroadie Roadie/NFL Swami/Co-Owner All Pro Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: virginia Beach, VA Posts: 9,535 Reputation: 1744 My Mood: : $84244	just admit the truth, it was all Courtney Loves fault LOL __________________

12-29-2012, 07:05 PM	#3
Deb Owner/Maid HOF'er (retired jersey) Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 49,109 Reputation: 1424 My Mood: : $536349	Back in the day she sure was a hated woman __________________ "And in the depths of winter, I found in me am invincible summer."

12-29-2012, 08:04 PM	#5
Deb Owner/Maid HOF'er (retired jersey) Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 49,109 Reputation: 1424 My Mood: : $536349	All I can think of is that singing voice kinda like scratching glass. __________________ "And in the depths of winter, I found in me am invincible summer."

12-31-2012, 12:49 AM	#8
LMD All Beauty Fades Lottery Pick Slingo Delux Champion! Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 3,699 Reputation: 1810 : $35364	We all know they broke up because Lennon wanted to toss away his career and do God knows whatever the fuck he wound up doing with her, so why do these stories keep cropping up of her deflecting blame? What's she going to say? "Yeah, I ruined the Beatles. I broke them up. No one else wanted me in the band, so I stole John and made him put the kabosh on the Beatles." All you need to do is watch a live performance of Lennon, Yoko and ANYONE else and see the reactions that people have when Yoko picks up the mic (My personal favorite being Chuck Berry, who was caught so offguard by it, they wound up turning Yoko's mic off midway through one performance. ). The Beatles broke up because Paul, Ringo and/or George were smart enough to not want that anywhere near their work. __________________ Credit to MattyP.

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