After The Beatles Split, George Harrison Said John Lennon and Paul McCartney Were Only a Little ‘B*****’ With Each Other
After The Beatles split, George Harrison said his bandmates, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, were only a little “b*****” to one another. He thought he and the band would get over their problems and one day get back together.
George Harrison was sick of John Lennon and Paul McCartney before The Beatles split
George had problems with John and Paul before The Beatles split.
In 1963, George wrote his first song, “Don’t Bother Me.” However, John and Paul decided they were the only songwriters. They only allowed George a couple of songs on an album.
Eventually, George grew tired of having to push. In 1970, after The Beatles split, he told WABC-FM New York’s Howard Smith (per Beatles Interviews), “It was the way the Beatles took off with Paul and John’s songs, and it made it very difficult for me get in. And also, I suppose at that time I didn’t have as much confidence when it came down to pushing my own material as I have now. So it took a while.
“It was whoever would be the heaviest would get the most songs done. So consequently, I couldn’t be bothered pushing, like, that much. You know, even on ‘Abbey Road’ for instance, we’d record about eight tracks before I got ’round to doing one of mine.
“Because you say, ‘Well, I’ve got a song,’ and then with Paul — ‘Well I’ve got a song as well and mine goes like this — diddle-diddle-diddle-duh,’ and away you go! It was just difficult to get in there, and I wasn’t gonna push and shout.”
After The Beatles split, George claimed John and Paul were only a little ‘b*****’ with each other
Before The Beatles split, the cracks between the band members were growing. George and John desperately wanted to break free. They were also sick of Paul’s domineering, and none of them agreed with his choice of manager. They wanted Allen Klein. Paul wanted his father-in-law, Lee Eastman.
Then, finally, John told the band he wanted out, and they all went their separate ways. However, George claimed there wasn’t as much animosity between the bandmates as the press wrote.
“It’s no more gloomy than it’s been for the last 10 years,” George told Smith. “It really isn’t any worse. It’s just that over the last year, what with John and stuff and lately with Paul, everything that they’ve thought or said has come out to the public; it’s being printed; it’s been for everyone to read and to comment about or to join in on.
“We’ve had slight problems, but it’s only been recently, because we didn’t work together for such a long time, and the Yoko and John situation, and then Paul and Linda. But it’s not as bad as it seems.
“But it’s more of a personal thing that’s down to the management situation with Apple. Because Paul, really it was his idea to do Apple…. Then it got really chaotic and we had to do something about it. When we started doing something about it, obviously Paul didn’t have as much say in the matter … because he
wanted Lee Eastman, his in-laws, to run it and we didn’t.
“We’ve got these companies which we all own 25 percent of each, and if there’s a decision to be made, then like in any other business or group, you have a vote. And he’s outvoted three to one and if he doesn’t like it, it’s really the pity. Because we’re tryin’ to do what’s best for the Beatles as a group or best for Apple as a company. We’re not tryin’ to do what’s best for Paul and his in-laws.
“But the main thing is, like in anybody’s life, we have slight problems and it’s just that our problems are always blown up and shown to everybody. But it’s not really a problem; it’s only a problem if you think about it.”
George also claimed John and Paul’s relationship wasn’t as horrible as people thought. He said, “I think there may be what you’d term a little b****iness, but that’s all it is. Just being b***** to each other, childish.”
George thought the band would get back together after they got over their problems
Even though John and Paul treated George poorly in The Beatles, he was surprisingly optimistic that the band would get back together after their “b*****” period.
“But I get on well with Ringo and John and I try my best to get on well with Paul,” he continued. “It’s just a matter of time, for everybody to work out their own problems, and once they’ve done that, I’m sure we’ll get back round the cycle again.
“But if not, it’s still all right. Whatever happens, it’s gonna be OK. In fact, it’s never looked better from my point of view. The companies are in great shape—Apple Films, Apple Records, my song company…. We got
back a lotta money that a lotta people had that was ours, a lotta percents that different people had….”
Unfortunately, The Beatles didn’t get back together as George thought. However, he was right; it wasn’t the end of the world. Fans got four new acts. If The Beatles hadn’t split, we would’ve never got all their solo work.
