Additional Coverage:
- Paul McCartney’s brutal opinions about ‘paranoid times’ during The Beatles’ final months (irishstar.com)
The Beatles: Get Back Documentary Reveals Yoko Ono Wasn’t the Reason for the Band’s Breakup
For decades, the story persisted: Yoko Ono broke up the Beatles. Peter Jackson’s revealing documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, challenges this long-held belief, offering a more nuanced look at the band’s final months. The documentary utilizes previously unseen footage and audio to expose the tensions simmering within the group, revealing a complex interplay of factors that contributed to their eventual split.
While Yoko Ono’s constant presence in the studio undoubtedly added to the strain, band members, especially Paul McCartney, later acknowledged that their initial discomfort stemmed from a “guys-only” mentality. McCartney admitted to Howard Stern that the band wasn’t accustomed to having wives or girlfriends present during recording sessions. He confessed to initial resentment, even over seemingly trivial matters like Yoko Ono using an amp or stool.
However, McCartney also revealed a shift in perspective, both during the Get Back sessions and in later years. He eventually recognized John Lennon’s right to have Ono by his side and even praised her as Lennon’s muse and a driving force in his solo career.
The documentary also sheds light on other tensions, including disagreements over the band’s musical direction, the lack of a manager, and financial difficulties. George Harrison’s temporary departure from the band further underscores the internal struggles they faced.
Even Peter Jackson, the director of Get Back, asserts that Ono’s presence was “benign,” observing that she rarely offered opinions on the music and primarily occupied herself with other activities.
While the documentary doesn’t completely absolve Ono from playing any role in the band’s dynamic, it certainly suggests that her influence was far less significant than popular narratives have claimed. Instead, Get Back paints a picture of a band grappling with a multitude of internal and external pressures, ultimately leading to their inevitable, if heartbreaking, demise.