as an artistic outlet for Lennon and Ono, but the enthusiastic reception afforded their performance at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival on 13 September 1969 ostensibly crystallised Lennon's decision to leave the Beatles, which he made on the flight back to London. During a band meeting at Apple on 20 September, he informed McCartney, Starr and Klein of his decision (Harrison was not present at the meeting), telling them he wanted a "divorce". That same day, the band signed a renegotiated recording contract with Capitol Records, guaranteeing them a higher royalty rate. The sensitivity of the negotiations with Capitol led to Klein and McCartney urging Lennon to keep his announcement private, which Lennon agreed to do. On 25 November, Lennon's comments from a recent radio interview were reported in an NME article titled "The Beatles on the Brink of Splitting". Among his remarks, Lennon said that the running of Apple had superseded the band's music-making and he went "off and on" the idea of the group recording together again. McCartney later recalled that in the three or four months after Lennon's announcement, he, Harrison and Starr would phone each other asking, "Well, is this it, then?" McCartney said that they suspected that it might be "one of John's little flings" and that Lennon might change his mind, since he "did kind of leave the door open". In early January 1970, while visiting Denmark with Ono, Lennon told a journalist that "we’re not breaking up the band, but we’re breaking its image" and added that none of the Beatles were millionaires, which is why before long they would record a new album. Announcement Release of McCartney and Let It Be Having long attempted to maintain cohesiveness within the Beatles, McCartney secluded himself with his new family at his Scottish farm, distraught at Lennon's departure. After being tracked down by reporters from Life magazine in late October 1969 to quell rumors that he had died, McCartney said that "the Beatle thing is over", although the full meaning of this remark was ignored. Effectively estranged from his bandmates and deeply depressed, McCartney had begun making a series of home recordings in London during December. Operating under strict secrecy, he privately agreed on a release date for this proposed solo album, titled McCartney, with Apple Records executive Neil Aspinall. On 3 and 4 January 1970, McCartney, Harrison and Starr reconvened at EMI Studios