Music writer Simon Sweetman looks at feuds such as those between The Beatles and Yoko Ono, Simon and Garfunkel and more recently the feudin' Gallagher brothers.
John and Yoko - Bed in for peace 1969 Photo: Wikipedia commons
The Beatles vs Yoko Ono
For many Beatles fans Yoko Ono was the reason the Fabs split at the end of the 1960s. Sweetman thinks otherwise.
"There is this weird and persistent myth around Yoko Ono, her presence in the studio at the end of the lifespan of the band is sometimes seen as part of to blame as to why they broke up.
"I actually think this is borderline racist and sexist, but it is a convenient trope that John and Yoko were this inseparable couple and it put the rest of the group on edge," Sweetman says.
He says the real "elephant in the room" was Lennon's battle with heroin.
"He was struggling with an inability to write and contribute on the level that he had previously."
But ultimately The Beatles had run their course, he says
"They were tired and they ran out of steam."
Simon and Garfunkel Photo: Wikicommons
Simon vs Garfunkel
The folk superstars met met at school in the 1950s and became one of the most popular, successful and artistically respected duos of modern pop music - so where did it all go wrong?
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were an unlikely duo. But the genius songwriter and the singer with the heavenly voice, one short and hangdog, the other tall, fair with hair like a sprung mattress, made some heavenly music.
By the end of the 1960 they had released a string of classic albums and pretty much invented folk rock but it was starting to unravel.
"Basically they are jealous of one another," Sweetman says.
"They both get cast in Mike Nichol's movie Catch 22 and for whatever reason, I suspect because of lack of star power, Paul Simon is cut before the film starts getting made."
So Garfunkel goes off to Mexico and Simon stays in the US finishing off their final album.
"As time goes on the movie blows out and Paul gets grumpy about it; they're putting together their last album, Bridge Over Troubled Water and all of a sudden they can't agree on anything."
Fast forward to 1975 and they appear together for the first time in five years on the second ever episode of Saturday Night Live - a big coup for the new programme.
"The interaction between them is amazing, the tension is just profound. Paul Simon actually says; 'So you've come crawling back?' in front of this live studio audience. Art replies: 'it's very nice of you to invite me onto your show', very pointedly."
The tensions continued over the coming decades as the pair reunited and split again.
Things were no better when they were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Garfunkel offered an olive branch in his speech saying Simon had enriched his life.
"Paul Simon stands up for his speech and says 'Artie and I don't agree on anything, but I can agree with him that I have enriched his life'."
Marvin Gaye Photo: Wikicommons
Marvin Gaye vs Anna Gaye
Marvin Gaye was a superstar by the mid-1970s and married to Anna Gordy, sister of Motown mogul and Gaye's record label boss, Berry Gordy. But the marriage was on the rocks and Gaye's finances were a mess.
They had an acrimonious break up which resulted in Gaye's infamous divorce album, Here My Dear, from which Marvin Gaye agreed as part of the divorce settlement that half the advance and royalties would go to Anna.
The resulting album was a strange affair: a stoned, rambling journey into the marriage break up.
"He sits down and does these long rambling monologues that eventually turn into songs: some of the titles include 'Anger', 'Is That Enough?' 'When Did You Stop Loving Me?' and 'You Can Leave But It's Going to Cost You'," Sweetman says.
It was a massive commercial flop - so no big cheques for the former Mrs Gaye were forthcoming.
But it has since been re-evaluated as one of the great albums of his career and a huge influence on hip hop.
"It's the classic example of something very, very, ugly informing something that's quite profound and beautiful. It's a true artistic statement", Sweetman says.
Liam and Noel Gallagher on stage in Munich, 2009. Photo: AFP / FILE
Gallagher vs Gallagher
The brothers Gallagher. Noel was the writer and Liam the frontman - brothers and fighters - but did they actually punch each others lights out?
"Noel summed up Liam recently saying he's like a man with a fork in world of soup," says Sweetman.
Liam just refers to Noel as "a potato".
"Noel is the talented one, the songwriter, but Liam is the guy with the swagger.
"In rock 'n' roll you need to have a bit of arrogance … and Liam is a fantastic rock 'n' roll singer"
This feud 'works' he says because they really mean it and they have used it to generate copious publicity over the years.
Prince vs Warner Music
Photo: AFP / FILE
In 1993 Prince changed his name to a symbol, and famously referred to himself as 'the artist formerly known as Prince'.
This was all to do with a bust up with his record company at the time.
"News of him being in a feud with Warner Bros really made headlines in the 90s."
Prince was frustrated because he couldn't release more than one album a year.
"He was a control freak who was both courageous and petulant.
"His heroes were people like Sly Stone and George Clinton, Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis; they were all people pretty much in full control of what they released."
Prince was ahead of his time, Sweetman says, with artists now commonly putting out a mixture of four-track EPs and triple albums.
Music played:
Ballad of John and Yoko - The Beatles
America - Simon and Garfunkel
You Can Leave But It's Going to Cost You - Marvin Gaye
Supersonic - Oasis
When Doves Cry - Prince
