When was the last time the Beatles were happy as a band?

Crappy sleeping accommodations though.

 

There's a clip where a TV news reporter is talking to some young people at the airport when The Beatles arrived for the second time ( I think).
He asks one teen how long he thinks The Beatles will last. His reply is spot on. He says as long as they make good music together.

 

I thought they got mad because they thought the Maharishi was sleeping with Prudence Farrow

 

It sounds like one of the few, well rounded logical responses for that time from a teenager.

 

I recall George saying in the anthology documentary, when commenting on the early beatlemania days "We had so much fun!" On the other hand, when referring to the sgt. Pepper period he felt like "going to work", meaning it had become a slog.

 

I agree with this. I think the effect Brian Epstein's death had on them was gigantic.

For John and Paul, the tragedy was not just Epstein's death per se. It was the fact that it piled onto the early deaths they had to deal with as young people. And for John that also meant Stuart Sutcliffe and Aunt Mimi's husband George, as well as his mother.

I once went through Beatles and Stones lyrics looking for word patterns. I expected to find more morbidity with the Stones, but the word that kept coming up was "mother." With the Beatles, it was variations on the word "dead." So death was definitely in their subconscious.

 

Depends. The first Star Club season, ok, but they were frustrated they had to go back to Hamburg and play the Star Club for a second season after Love Me Do was released, they would have preferred to actually work on starting their career.
But ... had they not gone back there would have been no Star Club tape. And that is among my very favourite Beatles recordings.

 

I think they had happy moments until the very end. It all came gradually and there were many factors involved why they split.

I do think Lennon and Harrison gradually lost interest in the band. For Harrison his late '66 journey to India had a huge impact and I think Lennon was looking for different ways of expressing himself that he didn't think fitted in the format of the Beatles. It there hadn't been such a hype around the band, I think he would have been happier and wouldn't have needed songs like "God" to free himself.

 

Well said. Since more positive light has been shed on the Get Back sessions, I've thought of late that despite everything, they must have been reasonably happy most of the time. As a result, I happen to think - controversially, I'm sure - that they didn't really mean to break up when they did. In a weird way, it's almost as if the break up was something that happened to them. They made all this fantastic music together right the way through. Can a band that's supposedly coming apart at the seams still make music that good? At any rate, they seem to have been most content as a band before Brian died. After that, it must have been more of a struggle.

 

Are you telling me he wasn't?

 

Last time they had a moment of happiness together?

Or last time they were generally pleased with being The Beatles?

Very different things. They definitely had good times together right up until the very end. But the last time being The Beatles was more fun than it was a difficult chore was probably sometime in 1965.

 

Questions Paul and/or Ringo need to answer while still possible

 

Pleased with being the Beatles. Being in a band together as the Beatles. So you're thinking Rubber Soul era?

Edit: someone earlier mentioned the rooftop concert...that might qualify as a moment of happiness. We'll get to see that soon!

 

I don't know. But I looked it up and the allegation was about Mia, not Prudence

 

They seem to talk about recording Come Together as a great band moment that they enjoyed.

4:35 of this video. Ringo Starr Takes The Colbert Questionert - YouTube

I seem to remember Paul speaking similarly about it on the 3, 2, 1 special.

 

Revolver sessions - last time everyone was 100% commited

Sgt Pepper release - band on top of the world again, it eases differences.

While Epstein was alive - he kept them together

Lady Madonna sessions - last recording that wasn't a struggle or had they making an effort to get along

Rooftop concert - John Paul and Ringo had fun, George was ok with it.

 

I vote for right up until the trip to Manila. All downhill after that fiasco.

 

Not to worry. Just trying to be arch for laffs.

 

whenever they checked their bank accounts...: )

 

They always had happy moments until the end. But they also had difficult moments, especially as business problems after Brian Epstein's death created obstacles.

But they look pretty happy here:

 

It must have been tough being the most beloved, popular band in the World...Oh, The pain, the pain... Oh the heartache...they had a goal...to make it to the top...they did...and loved that money...they told us so often...; )

 

Yes. I agree.

Interesting photo (below). I don't recall seeing this one before.
The Pepper period cemented their status as the greatest musical force since Mozart or whoever. I think that they lived off the happy vibes that came with that acclaim for quite awhile.

 

The Hey Jude/Revolution promo films (Sept. 1968) were seemingly very happy for all involved. They were one of the reasons that they all agreed to do the Get Back/Let It Be project, because they thoroughly enjoyed the filming of the promo films with director Michael Lindsay-Hogg.

 

Definitely having fun:

 

This “Get Back” Jackson doc supposedly has all kinds of evidence of happiness and fun in it. Sure maybe it’s all cherry-picked and white washed but seems it will be a good watch.