George Harrison's diary entry from the 10th of January, 1969 read:

Got up, went to Twickenham
Rehearsed until lunchtime - left the Beatles
went home.

In undramatic prose, Harrison lays out the beginning of the end for the highest selling band of all time.

In Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary, we get to see it in real time. As if watching a more Liverpudlian version of the Kardashians, the simmering tensions and creative frustrations that must have been brewing for some time erupt in low key fashion. Harrison announces he's going home, and doesn't turn up after lunch.

When watching the doc, you can see why.

a) With the exception of Paul McCartney, the Beatles look exhausted and slightly bored by the proceedings. They've been the biggest band in the world for the past several years, constantly writing, touring, and playing together. Furthermore, the show they're currently rehearsing for doesn't have a location and is in two weeks. But the urgency just isn't there.

b) Paul is dominating the creative output of the band, orchestrating rehearsals, ensuring they stay on schedule, and trying to write new songs without John, his usual writing partner, paying much attention. This clearly leaves George, who's own creative ambitions were growing, feeling unlistened to. Much is made in the documentary of "Get Back"'s creation (and rightfully so), but quietly Harrison goes away one night and comes up with one of his most iconic songs, "I Me Mine" while watching the telly. Later that year he would also write the Beatles most played song: "Here Comes The Sun". His voice was being suppressed by louder & more powerful ones in the band, and it reached breaking point.

c) In one mesmerising section, John and Paul have the heart to heart they clearly needed to have years ago. Something I noticed about these exchanges is how calm and measured they are. There are frustrations but no hurtful words or shouting thrown at one another. More it feels like lamentations for the relationships they could have had. It's incredibly sad reading this as a fan, but a fantastic lesson into the types of things we must say to those we work with and care about as quickly as possible. As the Tao Te Ching says "Prevent trouble before it arises. Put things in order before they exist."

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Creative Partnerships Need Hard Conversations

While watching John say to Paul,

I would turn to George and say [mimicking Paul's voice] "I'm Paul McCartney", and a lot of the times you were right, and a Iot of the times you were wrong, same as we all are. I don't think the Beatles revolve around four people,"

I hear echoes of my own creative frustrations. I would fear writing with another person because of the fear of having my ideas stamped on, and being unable to express dissent. I would fear the process of jumping into a team due to having to give up some kind of creative expression, because of the need to make something perfect for one person's sensibilities, rather than the sensibilities of the whole.

Now, after my own work in Non Violent Communication and authentic relating, I know that is isn't just the sitting down and jamming out art that is the hardest part of it. The hardest part is telling somebody you have a need that isn't being met, and addressing it in the moment. But eventually we see that for the long term, that can be the most important part of the process.

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