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1968

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Following a busy 1967, which concluded with the Boxing Day broadcast of “Magical Mystery Tour,” The Beatles began 1968 by launching Apple Corps. The company was designed to serve as a tax-efficient business structure while fostering creative and commercial ventures. Paul McCartney described Apple as “rather like a Western communism.” However, from the start, the enterprise suffered from poor management, with key roles often given to friends and associates lacking expertise. Apple Corps included various subsidiaries, such as Apple Electronics, led by Alexis “Magic Alex” Mardas, and Apple Retailing, which operated the short-lived Apple Boutique in London, but also Apple Records, its music label. Reflecting on the chaos, George Harrison remarked, “John and Paul got carried away with the idea and blew millions, and Ringo and I just had to go along with it.”

In February 1968, The Beatles returned to the studio to record the single “Lady Madonna” / “The Inner Light” before embarking on a planned three-month meditation retreat at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh, India. The retreat proved highly productive, inspiring numerous songs later featured on their next album. However, the experience was not without complications. Ringo Starr left after ten days, citing difficulties with the food, while Paul McCartney departed after six weeks. The retreat ended abruptly for John Lennon and George Harrison when “Magic Alex” accused the Maharishi of inappropriate behavior toward female participants. Paul later reflected, “We made a mistake. We thought there was more to him than there was.”

In May 1968, John and Paul traveled to New York to promote Apple Corps, with Paul returning to Los Angeles in June for further promotional efforts. During these trips, Paul reconnected with Linda Eastman, a photographer he had first met in London in May 1967.

From late May to mid-October, The Beatles recorded their eponymous double LP, commonly known as The White Album due to its minimalist cover. The sessions revealed growing divisions within the band. Ringo temporarily quit, leaving Paul to play drums on “Back in the U.S.S.R.” and “Dear Prudence.” John’s collaboration with Paul diminished significantly, and he derided Paul’s song “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” as “granny music shit.” Adding to the tension, John began bringing his new partner Yoko Ono to the studio, breaking the group’s unwritten rule about excluding partners. Paul later described the sessions as “not pleasant,” and both he and John saw them as the beginning of the band’s breakup. John remarked, “Every track is an individual track; there isn’t any Beatle music on it. [It’s] John and the band, Paul and the band, George and the band.”

The sessions also produced “Hey Jude,” released in August as a single, alongside “Revolution,” this single being one of the first releases under the Apple Records label.

During the recording of The White Album, Paul ended his five-year relationship with Jane Asher and briefly dated Francie Schwartz, an American scriptwriter. By August, Paul resumed contact with Linda Eastman, and by year’s end, the couple decided to marry.

Released in November 1968, The White Album was the Beatles’ first album on Apple Records, though EMI retained ownership of the recordings. It attracted over two million advance orders and sold nearly four million copies in the U.S. within a month. While its eclectic content initially puzzled critics, its significance grew over time, and it is now considered one of their greatest works.

During this period, Paul also ventured into production, working with artists on Apple Records, including Mary Hopkin and the Black Dyke Mills Band.

By late 1968, at Paul’s insistence, the Beatles began exploring the idea of returning to their live performance roots, leading to the “Get Back” sessions in January 1969.

(Photo from Twitter – Photo of Paul in Los Angeles in 1968 by Linda McCartney)

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