Across the Universe by Ajoy Bose

Author:Ajoy Bose [Bose, Ajoy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789387625549
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Published: 2018-03-08T00:00:00+00:00

Four days after they were orphaned by the death of their mentor, the Beatles assembled in Paul’s house at St John’s Wood on the first day of September to discuss life after Brian. This was an initiative of Paul’s who had swiftly assumed charge of the band now that their manager was gone. Always the most dynamic of the four and far more committed to the continuance of the Beatles than John and George, both of whom had individual fixations, Paul had gone out of his way to keep the band involved in fresh musical ventures ever since they stopped touring.

‘No one could possibly replace Brian,’ was what Paul kept saying, remembered Brown, sarcastically adding, except perhaps Paul himself. He said that after the manager’s death, Paul took the reins and ‘set us off at a wild gallop’. He told Brown to arrange a meeting with all the Beatles at his house in St John’s Wood to discuss their next project. Paul’s idea was to go right on with the Magical Mystery Tour that he had dreamed up on the plane coming home from America. He had decided it would be an hour-long special for TV. He had already written part of the title song and, with the addition of six or so new songs, they would make a film to go with it, a kind of Sgt. Pepper’s with pictures. ‘The project was to be recorded, produced, scripted, directed and edited by the Beatles—namely Paul himself.’12

When George, who was not at all interested in Paul’s project, suggested that they immediately leave for the Maharishi’s ashram to continue with their meditation course, he found himself isolated.13 Ringo was still a bit unsure about meditation and had a wife, son and newborn baby whom he certainly did not want to leave behind for the distant shores of India. He jumped at Paul’s television fantasy idea, even though it seemed quite far-fetched.14

Significantly, George got no support from John for his idea to drop everything and take sanctuary in the Maharishi’s ashram. The older Beatle was feeling far too shattered after Epstein’s death to exercise much authority in the band at that point. John, like George, had showed little enthusiasm for Paul’s new pet project when it had first come up some months ago. But he now felt somebody had to be in charge in their manager’s absence, even if he felt resentful about the new clout wielded by his younger mate in the band.15

John felt that as silly and inconsequential as Magical Mystery Tour might be, it was still something they needed to do at the moment. ‘Then George and I were sort of grumbling, you know, “fuckin’ movie, oh well, we better do it,” we felt we owed it to the public that we should do these things.’16 The film’s surreal plot also gave him an opportunity to escape into a world of fantasy far away from the grim reality of life without Epstein.

Brown revealed that a formal script was never prepared for the project.

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