Complex sentence: McCartney said later that The Beatles had tried for years to meet Presley, but "We could never get to him", but then described the band's one encounter with Presley as "One of the great meetings of my life".
Split into simpler sentences: McCartney said later that The Beatles had tried for years to meet Presley, but "We could never get to him". He then described the band's one encounter with Presley as "One of the great meetings of my life".