New insight into The Beatles break-up.

Conventional understanding/speculation has been that Yoko Ono was the cause of The Beatles' break-up. Her inclusion in their creative process and her unwanted participation was supposed to have led to a rift between John Lennon and the rest of the group.

A newly released Letters of Note seems to show that the rift, at the end of the group's collaboration, was between Paul McCartney and the other band members.

Letters of Note describes them as "two letters that perfectly illustrate the rift that ultimately tore The Beatles apart following the death of manager Brian Epstein and Apple Corps' subsequent failings. First, the draft of an undated letter in Lennon's hand that essentially bars Paul McCartney and his new manager, Lee Eastman, from accessing The Beatles' recordings without authorisation; followed by a 1969 letter to Eastman specifically, signed by Lennon, Harrison and Starr, in which he is reminded in no uncertain terms that, despite his managing of McCartney, he has no control over the affairs of the band."

You can see the actual letters and transcipts here.

Today's Letter of Note from Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling and the idea that it's better to confront ideas by exposing rather than banning them

A Letter of Note brings to mind the abiding principle here at Eye on a Crazy Planet, best expressed by US President Woodrow Wilson:

"I have always been among those who believed that the greatest freedom of speech was the greatest safety, because if a man is a fool, the best thing to do is to encourage him to advertise the fact by speaking."

Early-1966, celebrated journalist Alex Haley bravely entered the headquarters of the American Nazi Party in Virginia and proceeded to interview its founder - retired U.S. Navy Commander, George Lincoln Rockwell - for Playboy Magazine; to further intensify the situation, Rockwell, until then unaware of his interviewer's African roots, sat through the entire meeting within reach of a gun. Unsurprisingly, the resulting interview - available to read here - was published in April of that year to much debate.

One vocal supporter of the magazine's decision to grant Rockwell such an audience was Rod Serling, creator of, most notably, The Twilight Zone. He wrote the following fantastic congratulatory letter to the publication's offices soon after. Its message still rings true.

.."What is desperately needed to combat any "ism" is precisely what PLAYBOY has done -- an interview in depth that shows us the facets of the enemy. Yes, gentlemen, you may be knocked for supposedly lending some kind of credence to a brand of lunacy. But my guess is you should be given a commendation for a public service of infinite value. 

 Sincerely,

(Signed, 'Rod Serling')"

See the entire letter, the transcript and links to Alex Haley's interview with Rockwell here at Letters of Note