Death Threats and Abstract Paintings: The tour of Japan that brought The Beatles closer together
By the time they all went their separate ways in 1970, The Beatles were seemingly all at odds with one another and continually embroiled in inter-band drama. It made sense for the foursome to break things off before things turned considerably more sour, and while they were making their final two albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be, it certainly seemed like the band were already holding themselves together by a thread. All good things must come to an end, and after an incredible decade in the spotlight, each Beatle chose to move onto new pastures.
Despite the acrimonious way in which things reached a head, the band didn’t always hate each other, and it’s evident from the unmatched musical chemistry that they possessed that their interpersonal bonds had to have been strong in some regard, otherwise, it would’ve been nigh on impossible for them to achieve what they did. Was there anything that helped bind the band together outside of their musical alliance, or was it purely a professional relationship that propelled them forward?
Considering the amount of time John, Paul, George and Ringo spent together, you’d imagine that there were other activities that they enjoyed participating in as a group, and while there must have been times when jamming together didn’t always feel like they were at work, the band must have shared some hobbies and pastimes when looking for something to relax themselves amongst their rigorous schedules.
I’m not suggesting that the Fab Four were attending knitting circles between tour dates, and I’m certain that it would have been a struggle to get everyone interested in enrolling on cookery courses, but there’s more than enough evidence to suggest that art and painting brought the band together on one occasion in particular. During a tour of the Far East in 1966, the band spent around a week holed up in the Tokyo Hilton in Japan, and while they took up residence at the hotel, they indulged in a different creative side.
The band hadn’t intended to stay in their hotel the entire time they were in Japan but had been instructed to remain indoors other than for their five scheduled performances and press conference after they received a written death threat while in Hamburg at the end of their European tour earlier that summer. Tats Nagashima, the man responsible for promoting the band’s tour in Japan, brought art supplies to their hotel along with a 30×40 inch canvas for them to paint on, and a five-day collaborative effort to produce a work of art commenced.
It might not have been the most ideal circumstances that led the band to staying indoors, but it was certainly a productive week for the group. Setting a lamp in the centre of the canvas, each member was designated a corner to paint on, and the resulting work, entitled Images of a Woman, shows off each of the Fab Four’s talents with a brush, and shows off the boundless creativity they displayed in their music through a different medium.
Leaving their signatures in the blank space left in the middle by the lamp, this is perhaps the most collaborative work that The Beatles ever made together, and their tour photographer, Robert Whitaker, claimed that he “never saw them calmer and more contented than at this time.” If only they’d chosen to work out their artistic and personal differences through another group painting session, then the band might not have met their demise in 1970.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.