Quite apart from the various film, TV and music ventures, there were a number of events that had a major impact on The Beatles and their lives in the interval betweenSgt. Pepper andThe Beatles.
The Mansions
As their success grew to staggering proportions, the money started trickling into their bank accounts. They suddenly found themselves very wealthy and began to splurge on cars and huge houses. The impact of purchasing huge mansions and estates was far-reaching.
With guidance from Brian Epstein’s accountant, they settled on estates in the stockbroker belt. First, John and Cynthia bought Kenwood – a luxurious house with extensive grounds – in St George’s Hill (where the infamous Diggers were massacred) in July 1964, then George followed in the same month by purchasing a grand mansion called Kinfauns not far away in Esher. Not to be outdone, in July 1965, Ringo and Maureen moved into a mansion called Sunny Heights on South Road in St George’s Hill. Only Paul – who was staying at the Asher house with his long-term girlfriend Jane – remained in the heart of London.
The band had been together for years, feeding off each other, supporting each other, knowing each other inside out. They’d grown up together. Now, they were suddenly apart and isolated. They were developing greatly different interests and started growing apart. By 1968, this isolation was another factor to slot into the picture.
The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi And Transcendental Meditation LSD had opened up the minds of The Beatles to mystical possibility. But the drug seemed transitory – they were looking for something more permanent. Maybe this Eastern meditation would open up a more fulfilling lifestyle. Perhaps the Maharishi could give meaning to their lives and fill the void that had opened up inside them.
They attended a lecture on transcendental meditation given by the yogi Maharishi at the Hilton Hotel on 24 August. They were so taken with the experience that they accepted an invite to travel down to Bangor, Wales, the next day for a five-day seminar led by the Maharishi. They even did a press conference in which they announced they were renouncing hallucinogenic drugs in favour of transcendental meditation. Accompanied by Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithful, Cilla Black, Pattie Harrison and her sister Jennie Boyd, they set off by train amid a clamour of media attention. Dramatically, Cynthia Lennon failed to get to the train when she was held back by a police officer who mistook her for a fan. She had to join the others later after being driven down to Bangor by Neil Aspinall, their trusted roadie and later the head of Apple.
Unfortunately, the seminar was abruptly curtailed halfway through by the totally unexpected death of Brian Epstein. The stunned Beatles rushed back to London. Devastated by Brian’s untimely death but undeterred from their commitment to transcendental meditation, the boys were keen to join the Maharishi in India. This trip was put on hold for six months due to other commitments.
Finally, in February 1968, the four Beatles flew out separately to India and reconvened at the Maharishi’s ashram in Rishikesh. Th
