Somebody Else Had Other Ideas

I read an interview of (our) John and Ringo that appeared in the British pop/rock magazine Melody Maker on July 9, 1966.  Journalist Alan Walsh asked them ten questions.  The most interesting question was number 7:

    7. Could The Beatles cut out personal appearances and just make records, with the occasional big TV appearance?
    John:  Not the way the fans keep moaning about not seeing us all the time.
    Ringo:  No.

What's interesting, of course, is that after our Paul and John were replaced in 1966, that is exactly the plan the new, new Beatles followed--they never toured again, they made studio albums, and in the history of the group from 1967 to the break up, they had two big TV appearances:  the first was the live appearance on the international television "spectacular" Our World that was broadcast on June 25, 1967 and featured a live performance by The B/Featles doing All You Need Is Love with a boffo back-up chorus of The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Marianne Faithfull, Keith Moon and Graham Nash--truly a big TV appearance.  The second was their Magical Mystery Tour film first broadcast by the BBC on December 26, 1967.  After 1967, the friction between the artificially assembled members started wearing on them and--except for an occasional promo film for a new song--the only other big appearance they could put together was the rooftop concert of January 30, 1969.

Also interesting was that the Melody Maker journalist was aware that somebody had ulterior plans for The Beatles and it looks as though John and Ringo were not aware of the plans, given their answers.  So it looks as though John and Ringo were interested in keeping The Beatles together as they were and sometime between about June and August, 1966 they were informed that their plans were being changed.  Ringo and George went along with the Brits that be and John and Paul did not.