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An archive classic from October 2021.
“So it wasn’t the end – because in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make” – with these esoteric words, Ringo Starr indicated that “Abbey Road” was certainly not intended to represent the end point for the Beatles.
In fact, the album was the Fab Four’s official swan song, after which the musicians went their own way. Until the end, it was always assumed that the band went into the studio with the certainty that it would be their last album. But an audio recording, revealed by Beatles expert Mark Lewisohn, proves that the Beatles were discussing a follow-up album.
In a new interview with “BBC 6 Music” Ringo Starr has now confirmed that this was indeed the case and that the band planned to record more music in the 70s. Starr: “We did Abbey Road and we said, ‘Okay, this is pretty good…’ but none of us said, ‘Okay, this is the last time we’re going to play together’. Nobody said that. I never felt that.”
John Lennon wasn’t solely to blame for the end of the Beatles
The Beatles drummer continued: “We had made this record, and then we went out and did whatever we wanted. And then at some point Paul would probably have just called us and said, ‘Hey, do you want to go into the studio, guys?’ And then we would have done something again. So it wasn’t the end – because in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you give.”
Until now, the rumor has always been that John Lennon mainly represented the desire for a permanent separation. According to Beatles expert Lewisohn, this theory is no longer tenable after the tape recording about possible further albums was unearthed.
“Abbey Road” is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. A luxurious box set has also been released – with many unreleased pieces. In the current October issue of ROLLING STONE, the breakup of the Beatles is the cover story.
Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney also recently teamed up on the drummer’s new solo album. On “Whats My Name,” out October 25, McCartney plays bass and sings backup vocals on Starr’s cover of John Lennon’s “Grow Old With Me.” Additionally, the 79-year-old appeared on the final night of McCartney’s US tour in Los Angeles in July. Starr played drums on Beatles classics like “Helter Skelter” and the title track of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”