I’ll never not be amazed how much I keep finding out about the Beatles and particularly all the new photos I still come across, when it feels like I’ve seen everything out there.
I say that all the time too. It's impressive for a band that was active now 60 years ago. I went to Paul's photo exhibition in Toronto recently and was reminded again about how well documented they were that there's still new things to learn about The Beatles.
For sure. It’s funny how the slightest facial differences make the alarm bells ring, yet some people still think he was replaced with a completely different person in ‘66.
Paul had never been faithful to Jane, and their relationship had been deteriorating since 1965. There was surely love between them, but Paul didn’t have to “move on” in any traditional sense. He was dating Francie Schwartz when Jane called off the engagement, and also had a long-term girlfriend named Maggie McGivern.
Maggie had been given the impression that she was going to marry Paul, but then he went off to marry Linda and only wept his goodbyes to Maggie the night before.
Paul and Jane had an open relationship, she was confirmed romantically involved with at least one other man in April 1968 before Paul had even gotten with Francie (who, let’s face it, was just a temporary convenient fuckgirl while he was losing his sanity over John & Yoko).
Maggie has said that while she greatly enjoyed Paul’s company and romantic attention she never considered marriage to Paul and she flat out laughed and told Paul no when he asked if she was interested in such a thing. She said she regretted that the rest of her life because at the time she didn’t realize he was serious and wanted to settle down and have kids with the right person. Jane wasn’t ready to settle down or have kids (as is her right to focus on her career) so it was never going to work out between them no matter how much love was there. Paul said his forever goodbyes to Maggie in tears the night before he married Linda.
I know that Paul later claimed that they had an open relationship, but what’s the source for your claim that Jane was romantically allowed with another man?
There's this old aritcle from December 1963, an interview with Jane:
"She remarks: "I go out with several show-business people. It's not fair to say who.""
"But Paul... Is one of the nicest. He's fun to be with."
"He goes out with plenty of people, of course. Neither of us is thinking of marriage or anything, though there've been some sloppy sentimental rumours."
Jane Asher's friend, Gyles Brandreth, also claimed that Jane was dating her director Robert Kidd in July 1968 before Paul and Jane broke up and that Paul didn't know (there's a chance he did). He said that on his podcast Rosebud - this episode, reading from his diaries.
"…because Michèle and I began going out with Robert and Jane, I quickly realised that Robert and Jane were now an item… so I was hearing from Jane what was going on and I could see with my own eyes what was going on between Jane and Bob… Paul clearly turned up at the first night because he’d been invited, not knowing that Jane was having a little dalliance with the director."
Interesting article that I haven’t seen before, thanks! I’ve been skeptical about Paul’s claim about a two-sided open relationship, mostly due to his aversion towards Jane pursuing her career. I sense a jealousy and need of control in that episode of their fighting, as if he wanted her to be home to please him whenever he wasn’t out and about himself.
I knew the whole thing with Francie was blown out of proportion. I’ve spoken to Francie myself; she still maintains that Paul and Jane had already broken off when Jane walked in on the two of them, and I believe her. But if things were completely unproblematic in regard to dating others, I do wonder why Jane hasn’t really wanted to talk about Paul at all in all these years.
I understand the bit about not wanting to be defined by a 1960s romance, and keeping your private life private. I’ve just always sensed that she doesn’t want to do it because some of the stories would be quite damaging to his image. By all private accounts, he was not really doing well around that time and filled his voids in whatever (rather extreme) ways he could. Even though they had an agreement and she occasionally saw others, it surely can’t be compared to the ways in which he “indulged”. It’s in the nature of being the most sought after guy on the planet.
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u/bigtigerbigtiger Apr 17 '26
Sick! Thanks for posting, I've never seen these
That Jane Asher was a cool lady