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The first part of 1970 saw a lot of action from The Beatles, but not as a group. Lennon released "Instant Karma (We All Shine On)" as a single. Ringo released SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY, an album of pop standards. He and George did session work for Leon Russell, while Harrison would continue to produce and play on albums for Doris Troy, Jackie Lomax, and Billy Preston. Paul was quiet but fans later found out he was at home, in his home recording studio, making an album.
Word came out that the much talked about GET BACK sessions, which had actually been pressed up as test pressings and sent to radio, only to be called back (which lead to people bootlegging it) would be revived and called LET IT BE. There was also a film to accompany the album, but it was not a film of fun and running around the countryside. The film was about a band who looked very tired and at times didn't want to do anything in each other. George gets pissed and leaves the group. Ringo is weary but plays along hoping everyone will get along. Yoko is always near John's side, and Paul is the boss. A lot of conflict going on, but still a lot of good music. The movie showed not so much the downfall of the group, but the downfall of morale, as it represented a time when the group had thought it was over for them. A chance to "get back" meant being able to get in touch with their fans. The documentary ended up being the last movie from the group.
The album was completely remixed by Phil Spector after initial mixes were not satisfactory. The final album is considered a mess compared to the early GET BACK mixes that were more raw and powerful than the lush orchestrations and editing Spector did.
Just as a buzz was being created for LET IT BE, Paul McCartney revealed to the media that he would be leaving The Beatles. His announcement served a dual purpose, for it was a way for people to know that he had his own album coming out. McCARTNEY was released in April (17th in the UK, 20th in the) and he proved that he could play anything and everything. The album was a mix of straightforward songs and nonsense ditties, and while none of the songs were released as singles, radio did push for "Maybe I'm Amazed". McCartney wouldn't release it as a single until a live version came out six years later in promotion of the WINGS OVER AMERICA triple album.
The announcement of Paul's departure was very devastating for fans, because while some had given up hope for the former moptops, they were still a personal favorite of many. His departure also became the official announcement of the Beatles split, which was followed by the LET IT BE movie and album. The album cover, four worn out men laid over a black background, seemed very fitting. LET IT BE as a title was also fitting too, yet The Rolling Stones beat them to the punch with their own LET IT BLEED a year before.
The album was the end of a long and winding road (awwww) for the group, and because of this, the album moved quickly to number one. The album spawned two U.S. singles, "Let It Be" and "The Long & Winding Road". 1970 would result in another album for Ringo, this time an album of country music. George Harrison released an album of music he had been saving up for his own, ALL THINGS MUST PASS, and made people chant a Hare Krishna mantra in "My Sweet Lord", a song that truly shows his transformation from one part of his life to another. John Lennon went through therapy with Yoko, and both recorded albums resulting from that. JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND was a raw album that had him revealing a lot of things about "Love" and loss, but it was in "God" where he talked about how "God is a concept by which we measure our pain", before rattling off a list of other things he doesn't believe in, everything from Buddha to I Ching, Elvis Presley to Bob Dylan ("I don't believe in Zimmerman") before ending his list with the most devastating blow of all:
"I don't believe in Beatles"
After a few seconds of silence, he comes back and says
"I just believe in me Yoko and me And that's reality"
The song makes reference to "Yesterday" and that "I was the walrus, but now I'm John/and so dear friends you just have to carry on/the dream is over". Hey la, hey aloha, indeed.
For those who were in the official Beatles fan club, the group did offer a parting gift.
JOHN BOOK'S MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/crutmusic
THE RUN-OFF GROOVE http://www.musicforamerica.org/node/114473
BOOK'S MUSIC Podcast http://booksmusic.podomatic.com/
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/index.php?vst=45730
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