Even after the passing of decades, Paul McCartney is still insistent that Yoko Ono’s presence in the life of The Beatles was, in his words, “an interference.”
In a recent episode of his new podcast McCartney: A Life in Lyrics, the rocker shared his perspective on Ono’s role during the Beatles’s later studio sessions. McCartney says that while the band was recording The White Album, she was in the room as they worked on most of the set.
McCartney noted that it was Lennon’s insistence that Ono be present in the studio during their recording sessions. While they allowed this, it wasn’t without reservations. McCartney stated, “I don’t think any of us particularly liked it.” The Beatles had a well-established way of working with producer George Martin, and the introduction of Ono disrupted that familiar process.
The Grammy winner went on to explain that he felt that Ono’s presence was “an interference in the workplace.” He commented further, adding, “We had a way we worked. The four of us worked with George Martin. And that was basically it. And we’d always done it like that.”
The singer-songwriter stated that because the band members were trying to avoid being “very confrontational,” they all “bottled it up and just got on with it,” allowing Ono to be present during their sessions.
The renowned musician emphasized that studio time was more than just creative space for the Beatles, it was part of their job, and it was something they took very seriously. “This was our job. This is what we did in life,'” McCartney remarked, explaining, in party, why they felt she was an intrusion.
Ono was famously married to Lennon during the last years of The Beatles until he was shot and killed. Her relationship with Lennon had an impact on the group’s dynamics, and some claim she is responsible for their breakup, though that’s a subject that’s up for debate. During the podcast episode, McCartney mentioned that when Ono was in the studio with the band, they were already “heading toward” a split.
McCartney: A Life in Lyrics is a new podcast from McCartney and poet Paul Muldoon. The first season launched recently, and it sees the former Beatle sharing stories of some of the biggest hits from the band that made him a global superstar. A second season is already in the works.
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