Summary
- Paul McCartney openly admits that Yoko Ono was an interference and distraction in the recording studio for The Beatles during the making of The White Album in 1968.
- Despite not liking Yoko's presence, Paul and the other band members accepted John Lennon's insistence that she be there, prioritizing their responsibilities as The Beatles.
- Paul clarifies that while Yoko's involvement had an effect on the dynamics of the group, he believes The Beatles were already on their way to disbanding before she became a part of the equation.
Yoko Ono, for the former partner of the late John Lennon, has long been accused by The Beatles fans of hindering the band’s career. Now, Paul McCartney is opening up the subject, only to agree that Yoko was a distraction for him and his bandmates many years ago.
Paul dove into the subject during a recent episode of his iHeartPodcast McCartney: A Life in Lyrics, where he reflected on making the 1968’s The Beatles album, also called The White Album.
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Paul Admits No One Wanted Yoko Ono In The Recording Studio
“[She was] an interference in the workplace,” Paul said candidly. “We had a way we worked. The four of us worked with George Martin, an engineer, and that was basically it. And we’d always done it like that.”
Paul admitted that he wasn’t very “confrontational” alongside his other band mates Ringo Starr and the late George Harrison, whom he says also felt that Yoko was interfering with their music making. However, Paul admits they accepted John’s insistence that Yoko had to be present rather than challenge it.
“The idea [of] that was if John wanted this to happen, then it should happen, and there’s no reason why not,” the legendary musician explained. “We would allow this and not make a fuss. And yet, at the same time, I don’t think any of us particularly liked it.”
Even though Yoko was apparently causing tension among The Beatles in 1968, it didn’t stop her and John from tying the knot the following year. They welcomed a son, Sean, in 1975, though John was ultimately shot and killed in 1980.
However, Paul Doesn’t Blame Yoko For The Beatles Breaking Up
Nevertheless, The Beatles disbanded years earlier in 1974, with many fans to this day placing the blame on Yoko for the rockstars going their own way.
Paul went on to provide more context about why he and his bandmates put up with Yoko, even though they clearly didn’t like her there. The musician said that recording music as The Beatles had become their job, so they learned to put their differences aside to prioritize their responsibilities.
“This was our job. This is what we did in life. We were the Beatles,” he explained. “That meant if we didn’t tour, we recorded. And that meant if we recorded, we wrote.”
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Interestingly, Paul clarified that he doesn’t believe Yoko was the reason The Beatles failed to stay together. Rather, he believes they were already on their way to disbanding before Yoko became a part of the equation, though their romance didn’t help. “It was a period of change because John and Yoko had got together and that was bound to have an effect on the dynamics of the group,” the vocalist went on.
This echoes Paul’s words from a 2012 interview in which he stated that Yoko didn’t break up The Beatles. “[Yoko] certainly didn’t break the group up, the group was breaking up,” he said.
For now, Yoko hasn’t publicly responded to Paul’s latest comments about her impact on The Beatles.
