Episode 47 – Beatles ’71 pt1

While the year prior began with uncertainty, 1971 began with a clear message: The Beatles were no longer together. But in the fall of the group that had meant so much to so many, came a spring of new creative energy from its former members, unrivaled in quantity since the heights of Beatlemania. George Harrison was celebrating a #1 LP and #1 single in America with his solo debut, and John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band was the kind of critical success he had hoped for but had yet to achieve with his solo efforts prior. Ringo’s two LPs from 1970 were hardly chart-toppers, but the beginning of 1971 saw Ringo’s star on the rise with the imminent release of his own soon-to-be #1 hit single: It Don’t Come Easy. John, George and Ringo’s success was well-earned, but ultimately overshadowed by the court action of Paul McCartney, who, in an attempt to break free from Allen Klein’s Apple, was forced to sue his fellow former bandmates to dissolve the group legally and unfreeze the mountain of money they had accrued over years. Paul’s action was done with a heavy heart, as he continued to bear the brunt of the blame for the demise of the Beatles. But a new album was on the horizon for McCartney, who was putting his final touches on the “good one” Lennon had predicted Paul would make…