Paul McCartney Had to Apologize for The Beatles’ Most Panned Project
In 1967, when The Beatles were at the height of their career, they released a project so widely hated that Paul McCartney felt he should apologize. Their third film, Magical Mystery Tour, was a rare Beatles flop with both critics and audiences. In an interview, McCartney was equal parts defensive and apologetic for the project. There was no need to apologize for making an unsuccessful film, though.
The Beatles released their third film in 1967
After the success of A Hard Day’s Night and Help! The Beatles released their third film, Magical Mystery Tour. The film drew inspiration from their song of the same name and followed the band on a mystery tour. On their trip, they encounter a group of magicians who cause strange happenings. The band directed and starred in the film.
McCartney took the creative lead on the project, but he didn’t bother writing a script — “You don’t need scripts for that sort of film,” he said, per the book Paul McCartney: A Life by Peter Ames Carlin. They cobbled the chaotic footage together to complete the film, which aired on the BBC near Christmas.
Critics detested it. It was widely panned and described as “blatant rubbish” and “tasteless nonsense,” per The Beatle: The Authorized Biography by Hunter Davies. The film was so unsuccessful in England that broadcasters in the United States declined to air it.
Paul McCartney apologized for the widely-scorned project
Shortly after the film aired, McCartney felt compelled to issue a defensive statement to critics and casual viewers, particularly after he’d been labeled as the Beatle most responsible for the film.
“Was the film really all that bad compared to the rest of Christmas TV?” he said in an interview. “You could hardly call the Queen’s speech a gasser. We could put on a moptop show, but we really don’t like that sort of entertainment anymore. We could have sung carols and done a first-class Christmassy show starring The Beatles with lots of phony tinsel like everyone else. It would have been the easiest thing in the world, but we wanted to do something different.”
Still, he offered a half-hearted apology, noting that the band had learned from the failure.
“So maybe we boobed … maybe we didn’t. We don’t say it was a good film,” he said. “It was our first attempt. If we goofed, then we goofed. It was a challenge and it didn’t come off. We’ll know better next time.”
Paul McCartney did not need to apologize for ‘Magical Mystery Tour’
McCartney ended his quasi-apology by saying he was glad the film didn’t land well with critics.
“In a way I’m glad it was badly received,” he said. “It’s like this challenge for us to now do something properly again.”
Though McCartney likely felt compelled to speak about the film because it was the band’s first dose of real criticism, he didn’t need to apologize. Magical Mystery Tour was not a success, but it was a boundary-pushing creative venture, hinting at the expanding scope of their music. It also brought absurdist comedy onto mainstream television, paving the way for other experimental projects. And, ultimately, The Beatles were bound to make a misstep at some point. McCartney didn’t need to apologize for a natural part of the artistic process.
