Paul McCartney Remembers the Beatles’ Split… and Blames… John?
In a recent, unfiltered chat on BBC Radio 4’s This Cultural Life, the legendary bassist‑singer‑songwriter told the whole truth about the day the Beatles disbanded. At 79, McCartney still feels the sting of that split like it happened yesterday—and he’s doing a good job convincing everyone that It wasn’t him who pulled the trigger.
What did he say?
“I didn’t instigate the split. That was our Johnny,” he bragged, waving off the idea that he had time‑traveled back to 1970 to jam into a broken dream.
He kept the story brief and then tossed the microphone back with the half‑sincere grin that might just be his daily meme. In a true masterclass of honesty
- McCartney insists the whole thing was “the most difficult period of my life.”
- He calls the Beatles “the band” and “my job”, as if a group was a job title.
- The only real drama? John “walked into a room one day and said I’m leaving the Beatles.”
- He described it as “a divorce” – even though the Beatles were a rock band… not a matrimonial union.
Just in case you’re feeling like a Beatles fan‑turned‑singer‑in‑search‑of‑a‑life–story…
MPC (Paul McCartney’s present player) also noted that the group would well have kept rocking if John had stayed. He says:
“I thought we were doing some pretty good stuff – Abbey Road, Let It Be, not bad.”
The “We’re Pretending” Episode
The best part: the rumors that the Beatles had been told not to disclose a breakup took on peculiar importance.
“For a few months we had to pretend,” McCartney joked. “It was weird because we all knew it was the end of the Beatles but we couldn’t just walk away.”
- Allen Klein was the manager dictating secret-keeping shampoo — “Keep the impending disbandment a secret while I tied up some loose ends.”
- “We had to do offline impersonations modes.”
- We’re basically saying that the drama was finished when we were given extra time to rewrite the world’s most famous pop results.
In Sum…
McCartney is basically saying John’s exit was a big, quiet thunder‑clap for the whole group. If we’re to believe his highly melodious recount, the Beatles would have played on like a never‑ending rock opera if not for the tsunami of “Bye‑Bye” that John launched.
Check out the full interview next week on Saturday, Oct 23; it’s guaranteed to be a one‑hour long “retrospective” journey, with all the hush‑hush vibes. No claims attach music‑related tips, no major lawsuits denied. John fell into a spotlight‑shined bubble, and it’s amazing that the rest of the band can still keep it in the dark.
Remember! The Beatles Hollywoodsingers live on in the minds of rock enthusiasts, just as the legendary voice behind them can keep a story alive for a good 70-year.
