Reflecting on that period of recording, Paul McCartney remarked: “There was a lot of friction during that album. We were just about to break up, and that was tense in itself”. John later added, “The break-up of The Beatles can be heard on that album.”
In September 1969, after the band had recorded most of what became ‘Let it Be’ (the ‘Get Back’ sessions) and ‘Abbey Road’, John told Paul, George Harrison, and Ringo that he wanted a “divorce” from The Beatles. Paul then went off to work on his first solo album ‘McCartney’, believing the group was finished.
However, the band later contacted John again, asking him to help them finish ‘Let it Be’ to match the tracks from the planned ‘Get Back’ film. New mixes were offered, and Paul returned to record ‘I Me Mine’ with Ringo and George (without John, who had left), but they once again rejected the proposed album, reports the Liverpool Echo.
In a desperate attempt to rescue the project, producer Phil Spector (who was later convicted of murder) was brought in to transform the recordings into a complete album, which ultimately became ‘Let it Be’. Amidst this, Paul McCartney was preparing to drop his solo album ‘McCartney’, following John Lennon’s shocking revelation.
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Paul has mentioned that he informed his fellow Beatles about his plan to release ‘McCartney’ along with a press statement declaring his exit from the band in April 1970. The Beatles had already put out ‘Let it Be’ as a single in March 1970, and thus, the forthcoming album was titled after the single, with a May 1970 release date set to coincide with the film’s debut.
However, to prevent a scheduling conflict, and with Paul refusing to communicate with Apple Records due to his disapproval of manager Allen Klein, Ringo Starr was sent to Paul’s residence with a letter from himself, John, and George Harrison, requesting that Paul postpone his album release. A significant argument ensued between Paul and Ringo, resulting in Paul ejecting the drummer from his home.
Regarding this altercation, Chris Ingham noted in ‘The Rough Guide to The Beatles’: “McCartney managed to retrieve his original release date but, when he heard what Spector had done to The Beatles’ music, he hit the roof”.
None of the members attended the film’s premieres, and the release of the album marked The Beatles’ final collective gesture. John had departed the previous year, and with Paul’s launch of his debut solo album in April, it was evident he, too, had moved on.
The official end of the world’s most iconic band came to light when Paul unveiled his first solo work, signaling an era’s conclusion.
The Beatles continued to face internal strife. Paul McCartney had a falling out with the other three members over the appointment of Allen Klein as their business manager in 1969 – he preferred entertainment lawyers Lee and John Eastman.
Following the release of ‘Let it Be’ and ‘McCartney,’ Paul took legal action in December 1970, filing a lawsuit in the High Court to dissolve the band’s contractual agreement. The court ruled in his favor in March 1971, further straining Paul’s relationship with his former bandmates.
Post-breakup, Paul, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon pursued solo projects. A feud brewed between John and Paul, with both penning biting songs about each other.
Due to the Klein issue in the early 1970s, Paul was perceived as adopting an isolationist stance. However, when Ringo was working on his eponymous 1973 album, he asked his ex-bandmates for song contributions, and Paul obliged.
In March 1973, John, George, and Ringo collaborated in Los Angeles on the song ‘I’m The Greatest’. John penned this track in 1970 after learning about Paul’s impending legal action regarding the band’s split.
Ringo Starr, left, and Paul McCartney acknowledge the crowd at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Sunday, April 19, 2015
Ringo Starr, left, and Paul McCartney acknowledge the crowd at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Sunday, April 19, 2015(Image: AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
He used the self-aggrandizing title to sarcastically comment on his past, borrowing Muhammad Ali’s famous catchphrase.
While Paul McCartney didn’t participate in the recording of the album, relations among the Beatles improved during its production as George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon decided to cut ties with their business manager, Allen Klein. In an interview with Melody Maker magazine, Lennon revealed that the Fab Four were “closer now than we have been for a long time”.
He even hinted at a possible reunion, suggesting that McCartney might have joined them on ‘I’m The Greatest’ if he had been in Los Angeles at the time.
Despite missing the unofficial reunion for ‘I’m The Greatest’, McCartney did contribute to the album with his song ‘Six O’Clock’. Reflecting on the band’s dynamics at the time, Starr said: “a lot better now… we’re together as people (if not as a band), and that’s more important really.”
Starr managed to persuade McCartney to participate after Harrison and Lennon had already contributed to the album. He reportedly told McCartney: “You don’t want to be left out, do you?”.
McCartney co-wrote the song ‘Six O’Clock’ with his then-wife, Linda. Speaking about the track, Starr said: “‘Six o’clock in the morning / You’ve just gone to sleep.’ Paul wrote that. See, they knew me so well, they would write songs that they felt I could get away with.”
The soulful track was laid down on April 16 at Apple Studios in London, with Paul and Ringo riding high from the ‘That’ll Be the Day’ premiere they attended just beforehand. Paul lent his voice and musical prowess to the recording, stirring up speculation of a possible Beatles revival after the recent collaboration among John, Ringo, and George.
Intrigue about a Beatles comeback intensified when Paul hinted that he might be more amenable to reuniting with the band post-Klein’s departure from Apple. Yet, he dampened reunion rumors by clarifying his reasons for teaming up with Ringo again, emphasizing it was out of friendship rather than a strategic move.
He said candidly, “I would do it for any friend.”