Beatles ’73 pt7

The fall of 1973 was a busy time for all four former Beatles, with three new albums in development and a flurry of other activities from September through November. With his new band in shambles and his back to the wall, McCartney took his latest batch of songs and his most trusted musical confidants to Lagos, Nigeria during monsoon season to craft what would become his quintessential post-Bealtes masterpiece. But the adverse conditions were not limited to interpersonal conflicts - many in Lagos accused the troupe of attempting to appropriate their music during the recording sessions. Paul & Linda were even mugged on their way back to their residence, which is seen by some as a direct result of their less-than-warm reception by the Nigerian people. Ringo Starr, meanwhile, was poised for the release of his very own solo LP masterpiece, the forerunner of which took the form of the instantly-lovable smash hit single Photograph (a co-write with George Harrison, also in the studio recording new music at this time). Amidst all this, John Lennon faced perhaps biggest life-changing moment of his post-Beatles life: Yoko Ono threw him out. Now a bachelor, John found himself alongside family aide May Pang in Los Angeles for the release of his new LP, Mind Games. This collection of scattershot melody and hooky pop was well received, though Lennon himself stood trembling on the precipice of chaos...