The Beatles' breakup was an emotional affair, with tensions simmering for years before the final split . The late 1960s saw the band grappling with creative differences that strained their relationships. In 1966, they decided to stop touring and instead focused on creating music in the studio .
This new direction began with the 1967 album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which perfectly encapsulated the spirit of that year's summer of love. However, the recording sessions for their next album, known as The White Album, were fraught with tension. Ringo Starr temporarily left the band due to the hostile atmosphere, as disagreements among The Beatles escalated.
Reflecting on this period, Paul McCartney admitted, "There was a lot of friction during that album. We were just about to break up, and that was tense in itself." John Lennon later echoed this sentiment, stating, "The break-up of The Beatles can be heard on that album.
" In September 1969, after most of the recording for Let it Be (the Get Back sessions) and Abbey Road had been completed, John announced to Paul, George Harrison and Ringo that he wanted a "divorce" from The Beatles. Following this, Paul retreated to work on his debut solo album McCartney, convinced that The Beatles were finished. John was later approached once more by the band to assist in completing Let it Be to complement the tracks from the planned Get Back film.
They offered new mixes and Paul even came back to record I Me Mine with Ringo and Georg.
