Last time Beatles together?
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The last time we can be certain that all four Beatles met together was for the final recording sessions for Abbey Road. This took place between on Wednesday 20 August, when various tracks were finished, including 'Here Comes the Sun' and, fittingly 'The End'.
Two days later they completed their final final official engagement together - a photoshoot which was held at the new Lennon-Ono residence Tittenhurst Park in Ascot - see here.
At the end, they wandered away in different directions.
The Meeting
With recording duties completed, they were pretty much done. Only a final round of business meetings forced them them to meet again.The key one was on September 20. This was when Alan Klein, now representing John, Paul and Ringo presented the new contract he had negotiated with Capitol Records. George was absent.
Despite the smiling publicity shot, the atmosphere was tense. At one point John announced that he was leaving The Beatles.
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| The notorious 'I'm leaving the Beatles' meeting. Alan Klein is to the right of John & Yoko. |
For once McCartney and Klein united to urge Lennon to defer a public announcement. Signing off as they signed new contracts would not be a good look, business wise.
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Later Lennon would declare that he had been 'tricked'. He was particularly aggrieved that it would be McCartney who would first announce the break up the following April. McCartney's defence was that he had waited the agreed six months and had no option but to go to court.
The precise details of this verbal agreement between the two sides is still disputed after half a century.
A pretty standard divorce then.
The Last Picture Show - surreal final Beatles photoshoot - Medium free 5 min read
