The day The Beatles announced their breakup, fans across the globe were left devastated.
The iconic group, featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, didn’t dramatically disband but were caught up in a year of subtle hostility and snarky exchanges.
Their conflict wasn’t marked by explosive confrontations but rather through sarcastic comments, pointed song lyrics, and minor walkouts, culminating in a significant event when George Harrison, the “Quiet Beatle,” abruptly left on January 10th, 1969. Harrison documented this critical juncture in his diary, writing: “Got up, went to Twickenham, rehearsed until lunch time – left the Beatles – went home.”
At 26, Harrison seemed to exit with a stoic demeanor, even noting mundane aspects of his day in his diary entry, such as his evening activities: “… and in the evening did King of Fuh at Trident Studio – had chips later at Klaus and Christines went home.”
Harrison’s approach to announcing his departure to his bandmates was equally composed and detached.
During the Get Back sessions, which involved hastily composing an album for a live performance and filming the entire process, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg had effectively wired the studio for sound.
Hoping to catch some high-drama footage, he managed to record a pivotal moment. Harrison was heard telling John Lennon in a composed tone, “I’m leaving the band now,” and when Lennon asked, “When?” Harrison simply replied, “Now.”
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As he picked up his coat and guitar, sidestepping the intrusive microphones, he reportedly bid his mates adieu with a casual: “See you ’round the clubs.”
Director Michael recounted the scene, saying: “We’d finished the first course when George arrived to stand at the end of the table. We looked at him as he stood silent for a moment. ‘See you ’round the clubs,'” he said.
“That was his goodbye. He left. John, a person who reacted aggressively to provocation, immediately said, ‘Let’s get in Eric. He’s just as good and not such a headache,'” he added.
Michael went on to describe the aftermath: “Paul and Ringo would not be drawn in, and after lunch, we went back to the studio where Paul, John, and Ringo improvised a ferocious riff, half an hour of anger and frustration expressed with guitars and drums. Yoko sat on the edge of the rostrum on the blue cushion, which had been George’s, and howled into his mic.”
Harrison later shared his perspective on the incident during the 1995 Anthology series, revealing: “They were filming us having a row. It never came to blows, but I thought, ‘What’s the point of this? I’m quite capable of being relatively happy on my own, and I’m not able to be happy in this situation. I’m getting out of here.'”