EXCLUSIVE: John, Paul and George's Secret Final Meeting Revealed - The Night They Said Goodbye

Latest Beatles news roundup: From chart success to festival announcements

• Beatles' "Blackbird" finally hits UK Top 40 after 55 years

• Secret meeting of John, Paul and George at Club Hippopotamus uncovered

• Beatles on the Beach festival announces 2025 lineup featuring Night Ranger

As a Beatles aficionado who's followed the band since their Hamburg days, there's something rather poetic about "Blackbird" finally soaring into the UK Top 40 charts this week. Paul McCartney's delicate meditation on the American civil rights movement has taken a remarkable 55 years to achieve this feat, spurred on by Beyoncé's country-tinged cover version. The track has flown to number 31 on the Official Singles Downloads chart and number 35 on the Singles Sales ranking - not bad for a deep cut from the White Album that was never released as a single.

One can't help but wonder what the 1968 Paul McCartney would make of this unexpected chart success. Here was a song written in response to the Little Rock Nine, performing rather modestly on its initial release as part of the sprawling White Album, now finding new life thanks to Queen Bey's interpretation during her Super Bowl Netflix special. It's worth noting that "Blackbird" marks the seventh top 40 hit on both charts for The Beatles - a surprisingly modest tally until you remember that most of their biggest hits predated these particular chart compilations.

Speaking of things taking flight, the most fascinating revelation this week comes via May Pang, who has finally confirmed one of the great missing pieces of Beatles lore - the last time John, Paul and George were together in the same room. Following George Harrison's Madison Square Garden show on December 20, 1974, the three former Beatles shared what would be their final group embrace at Club Hippopotamus in New York. It's a bittersweet coda to their story, occurring just days before the final dissolution papers were signed.

The context here is deliciously complex and deserves deeper exploration. The day had begun with high drama at the Plaza Hotel - the very same establishment where the band had first stayed during their triumphant 1964 American invasion. Now, a decade later, the scene couldn't have been more different. Harrison and McCartney were there to sign the dissolution papers, but Lennon was conspicuous by his absence, represented only by a promotional balloon from his "Walls and Bridges" album bearing the rather cryptic message "listen to this balloon."

The resulting row between Harrison and Lennon led to the cancellation of what would have been a historic onstage reunion at the Garden that night. "I started this tour without you, and I'll finish it without you!" Harrison had reportedly bellowed down the phone to his former bandmate. It's worth remembering that Harrison was already having a tough time on his Dark Horse tour, battling laryngitis and facing criticism for his extensive inclusion of Indian music in the setlist. The last thing he needed was more drama.

Yet somehow, by the end of that evening, the three former Beatles found themselves in the same nightclub. Paul and Linda McCartney had attended Harrison's concert in disguise - and when I say disguise, we're talking comedy-level subterfuge that wouldn't have looked out of place in "Help!" The photos that exist of their incognito appearance, recently verified by photographer Bob Gruen, show Paul looking more like a member of Monty Python than a former Beatle.

The reconciliation at Club Hippopotamus speaks volumes about the complex dynamics between these three men. Despite the business disputes, the legal wrangling, and the personal grievances, there remained an unbreakable bond forged in the furnace of unprecedented fame and artistic achievement. This wasn't just three former business partners meeting - it was three working-class lads from Liverpool who had changed the world together, sharing one final moment before officially ending their business partnership.

Meanwhile, as these historical revelations emerge, the Beatles' legacy continues to evolve in unexpected ways. The announcement of the Beatles on the Beach festival lineup for March 2025 offers a fascinating glimpse into how their music lives on. In what can only be described as an intriguing booking decision that would have Maxwell's Silver Hammer dropping in surprise, they've secured Night Ranger as headliners. Yes, you read that correctly - the "Sister Christian" merchants will be leading a bill that includes various Beatles tribute acts from around the globe.

The festival's eclectic lineup perfectly demonstrates the global reach of Beatles fandom. Finnish band Beatline and Portugal's the Peakles will be offering their European interpretations of the Fab Four's catalogue, while Nashville's all-female group Penny Lane will perform a theatrical recreation of "A Hard Day's Night". It's particularly interesting to see how the Beatles' music transcends not just geographical boundaries but gender ones too - something that would have seemed revolutionary in the male-dominated rock scene of the 1960s.

The festival's additional activities read like a Magical Mystery Tour of Beatles-themed entertainment - from Beatles Yoga (one assumes "Dear Prudence" features heavily) to a Beatles Bar Crawl (hopefully not ending up like Lennon's infamous Lost Weekend). There's even an Abbey Road Replica and Car Show, though one hopes they've accounted for Florida's notably different climate from the original's North London setting.

This week's news has also brought fresh insights into the Beatles' children's perspectives on growing up in the shadow of such enormous fame. Julian Lennon's recent interview with The Guardian offers a poignant glimpse into life as John's firstborn, admitting he and his mother "had nothing to do with the Beatles" after John left. It's a stark contrast to the experience of his half-brother Sean, with whom he now shares a close relationship. "We're best buddies," Julian reveals, adding that Sean keeps him informed about Beatles-related developments, though things remain "pretty secret on the Beatles front."

The varying experiences of the Beatles' offspring make for fascinating reading. While some, like Stella McCartney, have achieved enormous success in their own right, others have had more complex relationships with their fathers' legacies. Dhani Harrison's recollection of discovering his father's fame is particularly charming - he apparently thought George was a gardener until schoolmates chased him home singing "Yellow Submarine."

This brings us full circle to that December night in 1974. Nine days after the Club Hippopotamus meeting, John Lennon would provide the final signature on the dissolution papers - rather fittingly, at Disney World's Polynesian Hotel. The Beatles' business partnership was officially over, though their music would continue to evolve and find new audiences decades later, as evidenced by "Blackbird's" current chart success.

The timing of these latest revelations feels significant. As we approach the 50th anniversary of that final meeting, it's remarkable how the Beatles continue to surprise us. May Pang's confirmation of the Club Hippopotamus encounter fills in one of the last remaining gaps in the Beatles' story, while "Blackbird's" belated chart success proves their music remains as relevant as ever.

What's particularly striking about these latest developments is how they embody the different aspects of the Beatles' enduring appeal. We have the historical significance of their final meeting, the continuing commercial success of their music, and the way their influence spreads across generations and cultures through events like Beatles on the Beach. It's a reminder that the Beatles weren't just a band - they were, and remain, a cultural phenomenon whose ripples continue to spread outward.

As George Harrison sang in that final rooftop concert, "All things must pass." But while the Beatles' business partnership may have ended in that winter of 1974, their influence shows no signs of fading. From chart success to tribute festivals, from historical revelations to their children's ongoing stories, the Beatles remain as relevant in 2025 as they were when they first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show 61 years ago.

That final embrace at Club Hippopotamus wasn't really an ending at all - it was just another chapter in a story that continues to unfold. As John Lennon once sang, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Sometimes those plans involve Finnish tribute bands and Night Ranger playing Beatles festivals in Florida. And somehow, that seems entirely appropriate.