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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Aaron Curran

The Beatles split: True story and timeline of the Fab Four's break up

Despite being perhaps the biggest name in music history, much of the Beatles' split is shrouded in mystery.

As the 1960s drew to a close, individual artistic differences and personality clashes began to cause a divide within the band, which became evident during work on the White Album. The death of manager Brian Epstein in 1967, as well as John Lennon's heroin use and relationship with Yoko Ono also caused further tensions within the group.

In 1969, Lennon informed the rest of the band that he would be leaving The Beatles in September. The final time that the four members recorded together collectively was the session for Abbey Road's final track "The End" on August 18 1969.

READ MORE: Paul McCartney's brother says he could have had a very different job

In an interview with Howard Stern, when asked about the break-up, Paul McCartney said: "I know who broke up The Beatles. John did, there was a meeting when John came in and said, ‘hey guys, I’m leaving the group'".

Lennon however, said that the band was growing apart on their own for a number of years, and that it wasn't him- or Yoko- that was the ultimate reason behind the split. The band would call an end to touring in 1966 after years of sleepless nights and a particularly terrifying tour in The Philippines.

On April 10 1970, Paul McCartney issued a press release stating that he would no longer be working with the Beatles, which further worsened relationships within the band. The other members had reportedly felt McCartney had been a domineering presence in the band, leading to resentment.

The band would officially call it a day in December 1974, when the dissolution was officially finalised. Rumours of a reunion persisted throughout the 1970s, as the members occasionally reunited for collaboration, but never with all four.

Following John Lennon's murder, the remaining members reunited for the Anthology project in 1994. This featured demos from Lennon.

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