The Beatles’ final press release

In answer to speculation resulting from Paul McCartney’s questionnaire in which he effectively announced that The Beatles were no more, Apple issued a final press statement about the group.

April 10 1970

Spring is here and Leeds play Chelsea tomorrow and Ringo and John and George and Paul are alive and well and full of hope.

The world is still spinning and so are we and so are you.

When the spinning stops – that’ll be the time to worry. Not before.

Until then, The Beatles are alive and well and the Beat goes on, the Beat goes on.

The statement was written by Apple’s press officer Derek Taylor, and was typed by his assistant Mavis Smith.

Reaction to Paul’s statement was worldwide. Hot news. I’m a bit vague as to whether there was an actual announcement: ‘The Beatles have broken up’ at that time. I did put out a statement, one of those very circular statements that actually says nothing: ‘John, Paul, George and Ringo are still John, Paul, George and Ringo, the world keeps spinning and when that stops that will be the time to worry. See you again.’ Something like that. But there was worldwide reaction, and genuine dismay.

I absolutely did believe – as millions of others did – that the friendship The Beatles had for each other was a lifesaver for all of us. I believed that if these people were happy with each other and could get together and could be seen about the place, no matter what else was going on, life was worth living. But we expected too much of them.