Why George Harrison Shut Down a Potential Beatles Reunion Pitched by John Lennon in the 1970s
After the Fab Four called it quits for good in 1970, fans around the world were anxiously waiting for the announcement of a proper reunion. Before the sad passing of John Lennon in 1980 and George Harrison in 2001, fans were hoping that at least some semblance of a reunion would happen. It never really did.
However, in the 1970s, a Beatles reunion was apparently on the table. And we can thank George Harrison (not exclusively, but partially) for it not actually taking off. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing, I’ll leave up to the diehard fans. Still, it’s an interesting story if nothing else.
Shortly after The Beatles broke up in the early 1970s, the possibility of a reunion was not even considered. The Fab Four were beefing with each other, there were lawsuits being thrown around, and Paul McCartney and John Lennon had taken to writing a few beef tracks about each other. It was a mess.
Eventually, things died down, and each member of the former band went on to produce excellent solo works. As things settled further, rumors of a potential reunion began to circulate. However, they would never come to fruition. And guitarist George Harrison was pretty dead set on a reunion never happening.
Lennon, however, was open to the idea and pitched it pretty publicly. “If we record, we record,” said Lennon a few years after The Beatles disbanded. “I don’t know. As long as we make music.”
Similarly, McCartney would say that “anything could happen.”
Source: americansongwriter.com/Em Casalena
