John Lennon Dishes Dirt on Beatle's Break Up in an Unearthed Interview

Rolling Stone Publisher Jann Wenner interviewed the upset ex-Beatle John Lennon shortly after their tumultuous break up in 1970. Lennon spoke candidly to Wenner on a number of subjects including the real reasons behind the break up of the most influential band of the 20^th century - a subject that has normally been skirted in interviews with the former Beatles members.

Werner released the interview to acclaimed rock journalist Mikal Gilmore's to use in his essay on the Beatles break up. It will appear in the upcoming edition of Rolling Stone magazine.

Wenner also made the tapes available to Entertainment tonight which aired remarks made by the ex-Fab 4 member on Wednesday (08/19).

In the interview, Lennon tells Wenner, "We sold out... and I felt sick."

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, whose anger towards Paul McCartney during that period can be heard in songs such as How Do You Sleep At Night from his 1971 album Imagine, rails at his former Beatle songwriting partner saying, "We got fed up with being sidemen for Paul."

Lennon, always the most controversial Beatle, suggests the Beatles split had been coming for some time. Lennon believed that the band was its best back in the early Hamburg, Germany days and believed the "music died" when they made it big in the early 60s.

The Grammy Award winner takes aim at his former bandmates, claiming they were disrespectful and insulting towards his wife Yoko Ono.

"They despised her... It seemed I had to be happily married to them or Yoko - and I chose Yoko."

But the most startling revelation is Lennon's suggestion that George Harrison, the one regarded as "the quiet Beatle," was actually the Beatle most responsible for creating a gulf between John and the Beatles due to his treatment of Ono.

"George insulted her right to her face and I didn't hit him, I don't know why. Ringo (Starr) was alright but the other two really gave it to us. I'll never forgive 'em." says Lennon.

Rolling Stone magazine ranks the Beatles as No 1 in its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

The Beatles: Rock Band, the latest edition to MTV Games and Harmonix's successful Rock Band series that lets fans play plastic guitars or drums along with music on TV screens will be released worldwide on Sept. 9. It includes 19 songs by the Beatles including classics such as Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds and A Hard Day's Night.

Gilmore's Why The Beatles Broke Up article will appear in the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Rob Rheubottom