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Paul McCartney, who’s sometimes painted as the villain who separated The Beatles, said he was depressed and turned to alcohol after the 1970 split.

” I was believed to be the man who broke The Beatles up and the b —— who sued his mates. And, think me, I bought into that. That’s the weirdest thing. It was so widespread that for many years I nearly blamed myself,” he stated in an interview with British GQ

The legendary English rock band, formed in 1960, lasted a decade prior to splitting in1970 McCartney wound up suing the band after disputes with supervisor Allen Klein.

” The only method for me to conserve The Beatles and Apple (Records) … was to take legal action against the band,” he told the publication, discussing he wasn’t able to bring a claim versus Klein directly since “he wasn’t party to it.”

The outcome, McCartney states, was “horrendous.” He was damned.

‘ Let It Be’ at 50: Why the Beatles’ last album is a ‘mess,’ however still spawned a masterpiece

” I drank method too much and did excessive of whatever,” he informed GQ. “And it was insane, but I understood that was the only thing to do, since there was no way I was going to wait for me, since there was no chance I was going to work that hard for all my life and see it all disappear in a puff of smoke. I also knew that, if I handled to wait, I would be waiting for them (the rest of The Beatles) too. Since they will provide it away. They loved this man Klein. And I was saying, ‘He’s a f ——- idiot.’ “

McCartney says John Lennon’s “How Do You Sleep?” was a targeted jab at him, with Klein supposedly influencing the lyrics as part of an “atmosphere of ‘Let’s get Paul. Let’s nail him in a song …’ “

More: ‘ I have a great deal of dreams about John’: Paul McCartney thinks back about The Beatles

” And those things were pretty painful,” McCartney stated.

After the split, McCartney states he ended up being depressed and relied on alcohol to cope. He credits his very first wife, Linda McCartney, with helping him out of his fog. When they initially fulfilled, she remained in a rough spot: separated, raising a kid and looking after herself in New York, he recalls.

” She said: ‘ You understand what? I’m not going to have this depression, due to the fact that if I do I’m going to remain in the hands of other people. And I’m not going to allow that to take place.'” Her mindset influenced McCartney to do the exact same.

Today, he remains in a much better location, and whenever he hears a Beatles tune, “it always takes me on a delighted journey down memory lane.”

Follow Gary Dinges on Twitter @gdinges

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