Video: 'The Beatles break up (various news reports 1970)' (Beatle Ringo Starr departs Apple Corps headquarters building on Apr. 10, 1970, at 18:34)
(Friday, April 10, 1970, shortly after midnight British Summer Time; during the Break-up of The Beatles) — Britain’s national daily tabloid newspaper, the Daily Mirror, began reaching newsstands early this morning with a page one headline “PAUL QUITS THE BEATLES,” reporting that Paul McCartney was leaving the British rock band The Beatles.
Video: 'Why Did The Beatles Break Up?'
Don Short’s story was based on an explosive press release distributed to select British journalists on Apr. 9, 1970, that accompanied advanced copies of McCartney’s debut solo album, McCartney.
The press release took the form of a Q&A in which McCartney discussed his album and, with John Lennon’s exit still being withheld from the public (for business reasons), matters pertaining to the Beatles’ immediate future.
Video: '"Our World" - on the Spring of 1970 - part 3!' (The Beatles break up at 0:03)
Although McCartney did not directly say that The Beatles had split up, his disparaging comments about the group, their management by Allen Klein and his assertion that Lennon-McCartney would not become an active songwriting team effectively cut the ties:
Q: Are you planning a new album or single with the Beatles?
A: No.
Q: Is this album a rest away from the Beatles or the start of a solo career?
A: Time will tell. Being a solo album means it’s “the start of a solo career…” and not being done with the Beatles means it’s just a rest. So it’s both.
Q: Is your break with the Beatles temporary or permanent, due to personal differences or musical ones?
A: Personal differences, business differences, musical differences, but most of all because I have a better time with my family. Temporary or permanent? I don’t really know.
Q: Do you foresee a time when Lennon-McCartney becomes an active songwriting partnership again?
A: No.
Q: What do you feel about John’s peace effort? The Plastic Ono Band? Giving back the MBE? Yoko’s influence? Yoko?
A: I love John, and respect what he does – it doesn’t really give me any pleasure.
McCartney’s actions angered Lennon, who had left the group Sept. 20, 1969, but was persuaded to keep quiet while their final album Let It Be was due for release. McCartney’s band-mates viewed the announcement as a betrayal and felt he had used it to promote his solo album.
McCartney later said that he did not view his comments in the self-interview as an official announcement and was “devastated” at the reaction his words had caused.
“‘The world reaction was like ‘The Beatles Have Broken Up — It’s Official’ — we’d known it for months. So that was that, really. I think it was the press who misunderstood. The record had come with this weird explanation on a questionnaire of what I was doing. It was actually only for them. I think a few people thought it was some weird move of me to get publicity, but it was really to avoid having to do the press.’”
