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The Rest Is History
The Rest Is History

The Beatles: The British Invasion, with Conan O’Brien (Part 2)

December 10, 2025 • 55m

Summary

⏱️ 9 min read

Overview

Conan O'Brien joins Tom Holland at Abbey Road Studios for an in-depth exploration of the Beatles' later years, from 1966 to their breakup in 1970. The discussion covers their controversial Jesus comments, revolutionary albums like Revolver and Sgt. Pepper, spiritual journeys with the Maharishi, business troubles with Apple Corps, and their final masterpiece Abbey Road. O'Brien shares his deep Beatles fandom and personal anecdotes, including getting in a bag with Yoko Ono, while analyzing how the band's impeccable timing and creative brilliance cemented their legacy as the defining musical act of the 1960s.

The Jesus Controversy and American Backlash

Following John Lennon's comments that the Beatles were 'more popular than Jesus,' the band faced severe backlash in America's Bible Belt, with record burnings and KKK threats. When they arrived for their 1966 US tour, Lennon appeared traumatized at press conferences and ultimately gave a carefully worded apology. The controversy revealed the widening cultural divide in 1960s America between counterculture values and religious conservatism, foreshadowing the tensions that would define the decade.

  • John Lennon's Jesus comments provoked outrage in the Bible Belt with DJs organizing Beatles record burnings
  • The Ku Klux Klan became involved in protesting the Beatles, creating a menacing environment
  • John broke down crying with the group, saying he would do whatever necessary to fix the situation
  • John gave an apology at a press conference, though it was somewhat of a non-apology
" I'm not saying that we're better or greater or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is. You know, I just said what I said and it was wrong or was taken wrong. and now it's all this. "

The End of Touring and Creative Evolution

The Beatles decided to stop touring after 1966 due to multiple factors: they couldn't hear themselves play over screaming crowds, the technology for large venues was inadequate, and they were creating increasingly complex studio music that couldn't be performed live. This decision, combined with their traumatic experiences in the Philippines with Imelda Marcos and the Jesus controversy, marked a pivotal shift toward becoming pure studio artists focused on recorded innovation.

  • The Beatles couldn't hear themselves play due to inadequate amplification technology and screaming audiences
  • Their new album Revolver featured songs like Eleanor Rigby and Tomorrow Never Knows that would be nearly impossible to perform live
  • The band had a dangerous encounter with Imelda Marcos in the Philippines after declining an invitation they never received
  • After touring ended, the Beatles took individual breaks with John filming How I Won the War and Paul scoring The Family Way
" We just became like lip-syncing, you know, miming. And we almost... Sometimes things would break down and nobody would know. And so it wasn't doing the music any good. "

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