Peter Jackson reveals the secrets of The Beatles' breakup: a new documentary project
2 april 2025 в 00:13
On January 30, 1969, when four men stood on the roof of the Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row in London, England, no one watching suspected that it would be the last time The Beatles — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr — would play together. A year later, the group disbanded, and their final moments seemed to be captured in Michael Lindsay-Hogg's 1970 documentary «Let It Be». Now, over 50 years later, Peter Jackson intends to challenge this version and finally answer the remaining questions: when did The Beatles break up and what really led to the group’s breakup?
«It's like that impossible fan dream», - Peter told The New York Times about the over seven-hour long Get Back project on Disney+. The documentary, divided into three parts, was made after Peter gained access to nearly 60 hours of previously unseen video footage recorded during the Let It Be sessions. «Everyone thinks it’s a whitewash», - said the Lord of the Rings director to The NYT, but insisted that it is not. «It shows everything that Michael Lindsay-Hogg couldn’t show in 1970. It’s a very uncompromising look at what’s going on».
April 10, 1970 holds significant importance in The Beatles legend, as it was on this day that Paul McCartney seemingly announced his departure from the group. Paul released a «self-interview» for the press as part of the preparation for his debut solo album «McCartney», - according to History. «Question: 'Is this album a break from The Beatles or the start of a solo career?' PAUL: 'Time will tell. Being a solo album means it’s the 'start of a solo career… and not finishing with The Beatles means it’s just a rest. So it’s both.'»
Paul also questioned himself whether this separation from The Beatles was temporary or permanent. He answered, «Personal differences, business differences, musical differences, but most of all because I spend more time with my family. Temporary or permanent? I really don’t know». Although it was not a definitive statement of breakup, many in the press perceived it as such.
«[Paul] can’t get his own way, so he creates chaos», - said John Lennon in the May 14, 1970 issue of Rolling Stone. «I put out four albums last year, and I didn’t say a word about leaving». These albums were «Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins», - «Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With The Lions», - «The Wedding Album», - and «Live Peace In Toronto 1969», - all joint works with Yoko Ono.
In May 1970, The Beatles released «Let It Be», - their twelfth and final studio album. It was released alongside the eponymous documentary film, which captured the album recording process and the rooftop performance. Paul McCartney wrote for a new reissue of the «Let It Be» album that the film «Let It Be» was «quite sad as it told the story of the breakup of our group, but the new film shows the camaraderie and love that were between the four of us». (source: The New York Times)
Although the common belief is that The Beatles broke up in 1970, fans and historians argue that the group was on the verge of breaking up much earlier. The rooftop performance took place in 1969, but The Beatles' last paid concert took place three years earlier, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 29, 1966 (source: Newsweek).
«Our film doesn’t show the breakup of The Beatles», - Jackson told The New York Times, «but it shows that one moment in history that can be called the beginning of the end».
This one moment is the appearance of Allen Klein, an American business manager, who arrived a few days before the 1969 rooftop performance to offer his services. Longtime Beatles manager Brian Epstein passed away on August 27, 1967, from an accidental overdose. «I knew we had problems then», - Lennon said in a Rolling Stone interview in December 1970. «I really had no illusions about our ability to do anything other than music, and I was scared. I thought, 'We're screwed.'»
«It's like that impossible fan dream», - Peter told The New York Times about the over seven-hour long Get Back project on Disney+. The documentary, divided into three parts, was made after Peter gained access to nearly 60 hours of previously unseen video footage recorded during the Let It Be sessions. «Everyone thinks it’s a whitewash», - said the Lord of the Rings director to The NYT, but insisted that it is not. «It shows everything that Michael Lindsay-Hogg couldn’t show in 1970. It’s a very uncompromising look at what’s going on».
April 10, 1970 holds significant importance in The Beatles legend, as it was on this day that Paul McCartney seemingly announced his departure from the group. Paul released a «self-interview» for the press as part of the preparation for his debut solo album «McCartney», - according to History. «Question: 'Is this album a break from The Beatles or the start of a solo career?' PAUL: 'Time will tell. Being a solo album means it’s the 'start of a solo career… and not finishing with The Beatles means it’s just a rest. So it’s both.'»
Paul also questioned himself whether this separation from The Beatles was temporary or permanent. He answered, «Personal differences, business differences, musical differences, but most of all because I spend more time with my family. Temporary or permanent? I really don’t know». Although it was not a definitive statement of breakup, many in the press perceived it as such.
«[Paul] can’t get his own way, so he creates chaos», - said John Lennon in the May 14, 1970 issue of Rolling Stone. «I put out four albums last year, and I didn’t say a word about leaving». These albums were «Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins», - «Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With The Lions», - «The Wedding Album», - and «Live Peace In Toronto 1969», - all joint works with Yoko Ono.
In May 1970, The Beatles released «Let It Be», - their twelfth and final studio album. It was released alongside the eponymous documentary film, which captured the album recording process and the rooftop performance. Paul McCartney wrote for a new reissue of the «Let It Be» album that the film «Let It Be» was «quite sad as it told the story of the breakup of our group, but the new film shows the camaraderie and love that were between the four of us». (source: The New York Times)
Although the common belief is that The Beatles broke up in 1970, fans and historians argue that the group was on the verge of breaking up much earlier. The rooftop performance took place in 1969, but The Beatles' last paid concert took place three years earlier, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 29, 1966 (source: Newsweek).
«Our film doesn’t show the breakup of The Beatles», - Jackson told The New York Times, «but it shows that one moment in history that can be called the beginning of the end».
This one moment is the appearance of Allen Klein, an American business manager, who arrived a few days before the 1969 rooftop performance to offer his services. Longtime Beatles manager Brian Epstein passed away on August 27, 1967, from an accidental overdose. «I knew we had problems then», - Lennon said in a Rolling Stone interview in December 1970. «I really had no illusions about our ability to do anything other than music, and I was scared. I thought, 'We're screwed.'»
© Smirnova Olga
