Expert: Elizabeth - 8/25/2011

Question
Hi
I want to know how the relationships between the former Beatles were after breaking up?
I know their new friends but...
What is it about Ringo, to become closer to everyone of them in the years after?
What happened with the relationship of "brothers" between Paul and George? It seems George didn't want to be with John or Paul and they never worked together again, except for Anthology. It seems even Paul and John talked from time to time and even met in the 70s. In fact there are videos showing George talking not so good about Paul in the 80's or even John.
How could you describe their personalities in order to explain their relationship?
Their families never become closer?
Is accurate to say that Lennon lost the leadership of the band, as a business unit and musically and it was taken by Paul #in terms of product development# and George #influencing the musical trend#?
Thanks,
JM

Answer
I don't think I can serve as an authority on the personalities of people I never met, but I'll try to base my opinion on facts and interviews.

Ringo has always been the most easy going Beatle, willing to accept whatever the other three were doing.  But even he has his limits.  In fact, he was the first to quit the group over the other three's squabbling - in 1968!  It fairly shocked the other three, and they sent apologetic letters to him and decorated his drum kit in flowers when he returned.  

Ringo ended up writing a song about how he will always get along with the other Beatles, called "Early 1970."  You can read the lyrics here: http://www.lyricsdomain.com/18/ringo_starr/early_1970.html

I disagree with you that John lost the leadership of the band - he was the first one to quit for good.  He quit with the attitude of "I started this band and now I'm ending it."  Paul was just the last to acknowledge it was over.

In the early 70s, John, George and Ringo were kind of at odds with Paul.  Paul was the one who had filed the lawsuit to dissolve the Beatles business partnership.  Also, he had been very against hiring Allen Klein as the Beatles' manager in 1969.  Paul turned out to be right in the end about Allen Klein, but at the time, he was recommending his father-in-law, John Eastman, to be the Beatles' manager, which just pissed the others off more.

You are incorrect that John never worked with George again - George is playing guitar on most of John's "Imagine" album, and George invited John to be part of The Concert for Bangladesh.  John turned him down because he inferred (probably correctly) that George didn't want Yoko to come with him.  George also played on a Ringo track that John wrote and played on ("I'm the Greatest"), which is the closest to a Beatles reunion in the 70s.

John, unfortunately, was not on good terms with George when he died.  He was upset that George recently released autobiography didn't mention him and his influence much.  But even then, John still said this about it: "So I am slightly resentful of George's book. But don't get me wrong. I still love those guys. The Beatles are over, but John, Paul, George and Ringo go on."

Paul's also on the same Ringo album that "I'm the Greatest" is on.  Listen to the solo on "You're Sixteen" on kazoo.  It's Paul.  He and Linda also did the backup vocals for that track.

Paul and John had a very tense relationship in the 70s, but the ice seemed to thaw around 1974, when Paul visited in LA.  They even had a jam session, which was recorded.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ICaQ1Cz8ys

Paul and John were on speaking terms for the rest of the decade, at least.

After John died, George reworked a song he'd been working on to be a tribute to him.  The result, "All Those Years Ago," had Ringo on drums and Paul and Linda on backing vocals.  

Basically, here's what it boils down to: The lawsuits involving the Beatles' partnership dragged on until the late 80s.  No, that's not a typo.  So whatever legal problems the Beatles were having, that's how they got along at the time.  Paul skipped the induction of the Beatles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because of legal squabbles.  I'm not going to link to George, Ringo and Yoko/Julian/Sean's acceptance without him, because Ringo is visibly drunk and it's kind of uncomfortable to watch.

But eventually, everything was sorted out, which cleared the way for the Beatles Anthology to be made in the 90s.  I like that they're now willing to be grownups about it all.  It spoke volumes to me when George was dying and both Ringo and Paul flew out to be at his side together.  And again when Neil Aspinall was dying.  

I'm sorry if my thoughts seem all over the place.  Feel free to ask any followup questions.