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New tape suggests The Beatles planned more albums before split

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The discovery of a rare tape has flipped the known-history of The Beatles, suggesting the band planned to continue recording albums after Abbey Road.

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Although 1970’s Let It Be was the group’s last album John, Paul, George and Ringo released, the last they recorded together was 1969’s Abbey Road.

Rock historian Mark Lewisohn has unearthed a tape of a meeting held shortly before the Abbey Road’s release, recorded by John Lennon at the band’s Apple headquarters in London’s Savile Row, which he played to The Guardian.

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The Imagine star, who taped the chat for the benefit of Ringo Starr – who was in hospital and could not attend, can be heard suggesting a new album featuring four songs each from him, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, with two written by Ringo, “if he wants them.”

He also states they should each offer songs as candidates for a single. However, Paul takes issue with the plan claiming George’s songs up until Abbey Road “weren’t that good.”

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George defends himself, stating, “That’s a matter of taste. All down the line, people have liked my songs.” John also rides to his defence by pointing out nobody “dug” Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, Paul’s song from Abbey Road.

Lewisohn says, “It’s (tape) a revelation. The books have always told us that they knew Abbey Road was their last album and they wanted to go out on an artistic high. But no – they’re discussing the next album. And you think that John is the one who wanted to break them up but, when you hear this, he isn’t. Doesn’t that rewrite pretty much everything we thought we knew?”

Mark, who has written several histories of the Fab Four’s career, has now penned a play, Hornsey Road, based on the group’s final days before they officially split in 1970. It will debut at the Royal & Derngate theatre in Northampton, England, on Sept. 18.

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