The Beatles' Final Year

The End
The final blow to the Beatles' partnership came in the spring of 1970, when the group argued over the release date of Paul's first solo album. McCartney had planned for an April 17 launch, but the other band members and their label, Apple, felt it would interfere with the release of the Let It Be album and film, scheduled for April 24. Paul was also frustrated about the way his composition "The Long and Winding Road" had been reimagined by producer Phil Spector, who added a dramatic orchestral arrangement to a song Paul had thought of as a simple ballad. On April 10, he publicly announced his departure from the band. The four musicians would never record together again.

• A Brief History of Abbey Road Studios