Many things contributed to the Beatles’ breakup, and every fan has their own opinion on what moment was the “final straw.” However, according to Paul McCartney, that breaking point had nothing to do with the Beatles’ creative differences, Yoko Ono, or the songwriting cuts. Instead, it was something somewhat out of the band’s control.
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The Person Who Ended the Beatles, According to Paul McCartney
There are many theories as to what exactly happened to the Beatles. Some blame McCartney’s iron grip on the creative process, while others blame the wedge Yoko Ono supposedly built between McCartney and John Lennon. While those things certainly contributed to the band’s downfall, there was one member of their personnel that McCartney credits with being the “final straw.”
Towards the end of the band’s career, the Beatles hired Allen Klein as their interim manager. In addition to the other reasons why the Beatles came to dislike Klein (withheld royalties, stolen publishing rights, etc.), McCartney believed he meddled too much in the band’s creative process.
“We made Let It Be but, because of all the fraught personal relationships, the final straw was Allen Klein coming in,” McCartney once said. “It was his decision that Let It Be wasn’t good enough and that it needed strings, needed tarting up.”
“The Long and Winding Road”
There was one song in particular that McCartney thought Klein egregiously tampered with: “The Long And Winding Road.”
McCartney listened back to the first mix of the song, which featured a plethora of instruments and vocals that he hadn’t initially intended for the ballad to include. They were added at the request of Klein, who extended his reach far beyond his job description.
“A few weeks ago, I was sent a re-mixed version of my song ‘The Long And Winding Road’, with harps, horns, an orchestra and women’s choir added,” McCartney said of his disappointment with this song. “No one had asked me what I thought. I couldn’t believe it. I would never have female voices on a Beatles record. The record came with a note from Allen Klein saying he thought the changes were necessary.”
While McCartney ended up with a pretty fantastic song, Klein’s overbearingness took a toll on the Beatles’ psyche. The band was already nearing its breaking point, and the frustration caused by his managerial style sealed their fate.
(Photo by David Lefranc/Kipa/Sygma via Getty Images)
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