{"id":31561,"date":"2014-04-09T00:00:53","date_gmt":"2014-04-09T07:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=31561"},"modified":"2014-04-06T12:33:02","modified_gmt":"2014-04-06T19:33:02","slug":"day-history-april-9th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2014\/04\/day-history-april-9th\/","title":{"rendered":"This Day in History: April 9th"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today in History: April 9, 1970<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"beatles-statue\"<\/a>Paul McCartney\u2019s announcement on April 9, 1970 that he would no longer be recording or performing with the Beatles was disheartening, but hardly surprising. Unable to agree on what direction the band should take, the four musicians had been pouring their creativity into solo projects. There were also arguments over who should manage the group\u2019s business affairs – Allen Klein or Paul\u2019s brand new father-in-law Lee Eastman.<\/p>\n

In March of 1970, the you-know-what really hit the fan. There was a glut of Beatles-related music slated to hit the shelves in April. The Beatles album \u201cLet It Be\u201d was set for release, as was Ringo\u2019s solo album \u201cSentimental Journey.\u201d Paul also hoped to release his first solo effort, \u201cMcCartney,\u201d on April 17th.<\/p>\n

Allen Klein, who was handling the Beatles\u2019 affairs at the time, asked EMI Records, with John, George and Ringo\u2019s permission, to delay the release of \u201cMcCartney\u201d to avoid flooding the market and possibly hurting everyone\u2019s sales. A week later, John and George wrote Paul a letter explaining to him why they wanted EMI to push back the release date of his album, telling him:<\/p>\n

We thought a lot about yours and the Beatles LPs \u2013 and decided it’s stupid for Apple to put out two big albums within seven days of each other. \u2026 We’re sorry it turned out like this \u2013 it’s nothing personal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When Ringo hand-delivered the letter to Paul\u2019s house, Paul freaked out so badly that Ringo convinced John and George to postpone the release of \u201cLet It Be\u201d instead of asking Paul to push his release date back, as it obviously meant so much to him.<\/p>\n

When \u201cMcCartney\u201d was released, the first promotional copies contained a press release that put one of the final nails in the Beatles coffin. Long believed to be a manipulative self-interview to jab at the other Fabs, both Paul and Peter Brown, a long-time friend and personal assistant to the band, claimed the questions were composed by Brown and answered by McCartney. In any case, the interview left no gray area where the future of the Beatles was concerned:<\/p>\n

Q: \u201cIs it true that neither Allen Klein nor ABKCO have been nor will be in any way involved with the production, manufacturing, distribution or promotion of this new album?\u201d<\/p>\n

PAUL: \u201cNot if I can help it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: \u201cDid you miss the other Beatles and George Martin? Was there a moment when you thought, \u2018I wish Ringo were here for this break?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

PAUL: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: \u201cAre you planning a new album or single with the Beatles?\u201d<\/p>\n

PAUL: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: \u201cIs your break with the Beatles temporary or permanent, due to personal differences or musical ones?\u201d<\/p>\n

PAUL: \u201cPersonal 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: \u201cDo you foresee a time when Lennon-McCartney becomes an active songwriting partnership again?\u201d<\/p>\n

PAUL: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ouch.<\/p>\n

John Lennon was furious at Paul\u2019s announcement, as he had already told Allen Klein in September of 1969 he intended to leave the Beatles. Klein persuaded Lennon to keep his plans under wraps because he was negotiating a new deal with EMI. When the band got together in London to sign the contracts, Lennon made his intentions known to McCartney as well. John told Jann Wenner from \u201cRolling Stone\u201d in 1970:<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 It came to a point that I had to say something. So I said, \u2018The group’s over, I\u2019m leaving.\u2019 Allen was there, and he was saying, \u2018Don’t tell.\u2019 He didn’t want me to tell Paul even. But I couldn’t help it, I couldn’t stop it, it came out. And Paul and Allen said they were glad that I wasn’t going to announce it, like I was going to make an event out of it. I don\u2019t know whether Paul said, \u2018Don’t tell anybody,\u2019 but he was damn pleased that I wasn’t. He said, \u2018Oh well, that means nothing really happened if you’re not going to say anything.\u2019 So that’s what happened.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So John was mad that Paul beat him to it, and Paul knew he would be in John\u2019s estimation.<\/p>\n

McCartney seemed a bit taken aback by the public backlash in the days following his announcement. Accustomed to being adored and worshiped, people blamed him for breaking up the Greatest Band of All Time, and he wasn\u2019t prepared for the consequences. He defended his actions by pointing out:<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn’t leave the Beatles,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Beatles have left the Beatles. But no-one wanted to be the one to say the party’s over.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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