John, Paul and George met in their late teens in the late 1950s and performed together for the next ten or so years. They also saw each other nearly every day for ten years straight. "Ringo" Richard Starkey came onto the scene in the early sixties, just as the Beatles were starting to gather a following. Ringo was also the only Beatle that consistently managed to stay on good terms with the three other ex-bandmates, in the post-Beatles era.
Beatlemania officially took over the world in 1964, somewhere in between the infamous "Ed Sullivan Show" appearance and the completion of their first U.S. tour. It was also John, Paul, George and Ringo’s first trip to the U.S. The Beatles were excited and overwhelmed. They no longer had any privacy. But they did have lots and lots of (pre-taxes) money, girls, and drugs. And they had their music.
George and John were the first to publicly complain about Beatlemania. Though Paul may have felt the same, he was also completely infatuated with the Beatles and their success so he kept his mouth shut and his smiles big.
After a year or so of relentless touring and chaos, the Beatles decided to stop touring. In the wake of JFK’s death, safety was also a concern. Their last official live concert was at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, on August 29, 1966.
They had a bit of a break before they returned to the studio. During their break, John flew to Spain to work on the movie How I Won the War. In later interviews, John said that this was when he first started thinking about going solo. It was also during this period that "Strawberry Fields Forever" first began to take shape.
Back in the studio, "Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band
The same month, Paul publicly admits that he has experimented with LSD. Though he was the last to try it, he is the first to admit it. When a reporter asked him about his LSD use, he decided he was sick of lying. He tried to place the blame on the media by saying that it was their choice to broadcast it. If they felt his admonition would promote LSD use, then he told them they shouldn’t use it.
At the urging of George’s wife Patti, the Beatles took up transcendental meditation. Beatles Manager Brian Epstein died of a drug overdose that same month, on August 27, 1967—almost a year to the date of the Beatles last concert. Though his death was deemed accidental, speculation of a suicide still persists. Some people claim that being in the closet was too much for Brian; others say he was depressed because he felt like the Beatles no longer needed him.
In the wake of Brian’s death, the Beatles didn’t quite know what to do with themselves. On August 31st, the Beatles announced that they would be managing themselves from then on. But in Brian the Beatles not only lost a friend, but a peacekeeper and a manager. Almost immediately, Paul took up Brian’s position. In September they filmed the critical and commercial disaster Magical Mystery Tour. John later commented that if nothing else, at least it got them working again.
In late 1967, John and Paul created Apple Records. The company continued on into the mid 1970s due to legal issues, but it really ended in the summer of 1968. None of the Beatles were business men and it showed, though Apple did manage to discover James Taylor and Badfinger.
At the end of December the psychedelic color-friendly Magical Mystery Tour was released on the BBC in black and white. It was time for a break.
In early 1968, the Beatles set out on a meditative journey for India. Ringo couldn’t handle the food and was the first to leave, followed not long after by a disillusioned John and Paul. George and Patti stayed on a bit longer. Nonetheless, 32 new songs returned to England with them, along with a newly spiritual George. Thus, the White Album
Yoko and Linda first came into the picture when the Beatles were working on the White Album. Paul felt threatened by John’s close relationship to Yoko, who had quickly become his muse and creative partner. Meanwhile, Paul was also busy falling in love. He had met Linda at a club called the Bag ‘O Nails in 1967 and went to visit her in mid 1968 on a U.S. business trip. A month later, Jane Asher publicly announced that her engagement to Paul is off. In November the White Album came out, and John is officially granted a divorce from Cynthia.
Tensions in the studio make Ringo walk out of a White Album session. He returns to flowers and apologies. Later on when recording Let It Be, George would also walk out on a session. Both frustrations with Paul’s bossiness and a fight with John have been sited as reasons for the walk-out. A tiff with Paul was recorded in the movie Let It Be, but John can also be heard during the session, angrily commenting on the fact that they will have to get Eric Clapton to fill in for George because George is being difficult.
In early 1969 Paul wants to do another movie, but no one else does. They settle on a documentary that ends up recording the beginnings of the Beatles break-up.
Musically, the Beatles have also grown apart. John, Paul and George often prefer to record their own songs alone. Paul is upset with the way new producer Phil Specter handles his song "Let It Be." George is upset that he still isn’t treated as serious as a song-writer as John and Paul are, especially by John and Paul. In his frustration, he produces some of his most beautiful songs. Ringo also would have liked more of a chance to write his own songs, but was often too insecure to bring it up. With George’s help he writes "Octopus’s Garden." He also wrote the ironically entitled "Don’t Pass Me By"—a song that didn’t make it on to an album until the White Album, though Ringo can be heard asking the other Beatles to mention his song to the press as early as 1964. They also all begin on their own solo projects.
Both Linda and Yoko stop by during the sessions, though Linda does not sleep on a mattress underneath a piano or scream out John’s name at odd times like Yoko does. Yoko’s constant presence makes the other three uncomfortable, though John didn’t notice anything at the time. Later he explains that they just wanted to be together all the time. Once the Beatles are officially over, Paul does the same thing with Linda. Though hard to believe, Yoko actually had musical training, however, unlike Linda.
Paul marries Linda on March 12, and John and Yoko follow in suit eight days later.
Surprisingly, the Beatles decide to record one more album, this time with their original producer, George Martin. The Beatles do their best to put their differences aside and fight as little as possible.
The Beatles also fought over their new business manager Allen Klein. John introduces the Beatles to Allen Klein in early 1969, and George and Ringo take a liking to him. Paul does not. He would prefer that Linda’s lawyer father and brother handle their finances. In May, Paul refuses to sign an official business contract with Allen Klein. The other three sign the contract.
In September, Abbey Rd
In April 1970, Paul’s first solo album "McCartney
The other Beatles did not publicly confirm the break-up until December 31, 1970, when Paul filed a lawsuit against John, George and Ringo in order to dissolve the Beatles. By then the Beatles had not recorded together in more than a year. They continued to go their separate ways.
Three years later, John, George and Ringo split with Allen Klein and sued him.
All four went on to solo careers.
~Rachael Stillman © beatlesnumber9
Lot's of people ask why The Beatles broke up, as if it's not miraculous enough that they ever came together in the first place. Much has been written about how the four met and much has been written about their history. Sort of glossed over is the break up. It's painful to talk about for those involved, I'm sure. And no one, not even the Beatles, could possibly touch on all the dynamics that brought about The End. But a big part of what broke up The Beatles was the tremendous egos and differences of the four, and particularly the two main players Lennon and McCartney. In my humble opinion The Beatles started to die after Paul wrote and released "Yesterday." That was the peek of the roller coaster and it was followed by the extreme rush down the hill to oblivion. (And Yesterday would not have happened without George Martin). But to the world, and especially Lennon, it was a McCartney solo hit.
It's hard to understand why John seemed to be more miserable the bigger The Beatles got. Fame isn't as glorious as it seems to a teenager. It was not a glamorous and fun time for John. But one must try to understand Lennon's wounded psych. He was extremely insecure. That's why he needed a band around him. And as youngsters the ones he picked fed his ego, were generally younger, and basically played yes men to John's dream of how the game should be played. He needed this, and conversely the others needed him. He was the undisputed leader of the band. But don't for one minute, despite his mega fame, think he was not extremely bothered by Paul being "The Cute" one, and that he wasn't hurt when Paul's music did better than his own. This songwriting competition led to the rapid creation of the best songs in song writing history, but by it's very nature was doomed. In the very beginning they really did sit across from each other and write together. Later the extent of their collaboration was trying to out do the other.
It is now well known how much they hated the boy band image, but it was smooth sailing till the band, and mostly John, decided to change their image and writing style. Unfortunately, John made his first major, (though innocent enough at the time), mistake by saying The Beatles were bigger than Jesus. (Read Beatlesnumber9's 
Now here's the twist. The break up was a disaster for all four Beatles. Lennon and McCartney's early solo efforts were still very much collaborations/competitions. Paul was writing for John even on his solo albums (Too Many People, "You took your lucky break and broke it in two...". I wonder, did John break his lucky break?) And John's "How Do You Sleep?" was a direct communication to Paul. Paul hasn't released anything memorable since John died (I will say Chaos and Creation in the Backyard is a long over due decent recording). You know, the sad thing is by most accounts John and Paul were planning to record again. There was a Beatles Anthology on the drawing board, and both had agreed to play on Ringo's new album. Most of this was sabotaged by Yoko, who obviously had her own agenda. And then Dec 8, 1980 happened. We're left with educated guesses and wishful thinking. But one thing is undeniable. The thing that made the Beatles what they were was each one was 25% of the whole. What destroyed them was egoism. And like anything, it could have been mended, I believe it was being mended, and in time they'd have done something again. But that's the one thing we weren't granted. More time...
