Culture
Newly discovered legal documents of The Beatles to be sold
Let it Be… sold…
Dawsons is to offer for auction 300+ pages of typescript copy documents compiled by the advisors and legal representatives of The Beatles, that reveal never before seen insights into the split of the one of the most famous British bands.
“It has crossed my mind that if I were a script writer, these documents would be all I’d need to tell the real story of what led to one of the best-selling bands in history splitting up and going their separate ways. The characters, dialogue and time of events are all there and ready to reference.” – Denise Kelly, Head of Dawsons Entertainment and Popular Culture department
The documents were discovered in a cupboard, where they had been stored since the 1970s, and included, copies of The Beatles advisor’s minutes of meetings, legal writs, a copy of the Beatles 1967 Original Deed of Partnership, and bundles of documents relating to the High Court legal case that Sir Paul McCartney was forced to pursue, in order to dissolve management restrictions imposed on the band, back in 1970. While many elements to the split have been assumed, these documents reveal a behind-the-scenes insight of events and discussions that led to the split-up of the Beatles and the court case.
In 1967, when The Beatles‘ manager of five years, Brian Epstein (1934-1967), died suddenly, the true extent of The Beatles financial position and their mismanagement was exposed.
Epstein had made dubious business decisions and the discovered court documents reveal that money was unaccounted for and that the band’s taxes had not been paid for years, which meant that HMRC were chasing them, all unbeknown to the group. The band decided to form their own company called Apple Corps, which they hoped would ensure their business interests were going to be protected going forward and it was decided that they needed a new business manager to get them back on track.
Denise Kelly, Head of Dawsons Entertainment and Popular Culture department:
“These unique and detailed documents are fascinating and once I began to read them, I just couldn’t put them down until I had read every page. Even though John, Paul, George, and Ringo had grown tired of being The Beatles and wanted to record and perform as individual artists, this must have been a difficult time for each of them, especially having had such a close friendship and successful partnership.
“As I read the minutes of meetings notes which included discussions between the legal teams and accountants, I wondered how on earth they were going to sort everything out, and at times I could sense panic in the room as more and more complexities came to light. One of the lawyers even suggested during one meeting when they had gone round and round and round in circles: ‘would it be easier if The Beatles just retired?'”
The Beatles at the ATV Elstree Studios. Image: ATV Elstree PR
While John Lennon, Ringo Star and George Harrison wanted to go with Allen Klein (1931-2009), Paul McCartney doubted Klein’s business acumen and wanted to engage the respected entertainment lawyer, his father-in-law, Lee Eastman (1910-1991).
As he was outvoted, Klein joined as the band’s manager, but it soon became evident that Klein’s goal was purely financial gain. Paul felt that this was threatening the band’s artistic integrity and creative freedom and was not convinced Klein had their best interests at heart, so brought in his own accountant who flagged anomalies. It was then that he felt forced to sue the band to get out of the management deal, which these legal documents pertain to.
The copies of court documents show the difficulties faced by the lawyers who represented both parties, as they unravelled the complex affairs of The Beatles and detail many questions the legal teams raised during numerous meetings such as, when Pete Best left the group and Ringo Starr joined, why was a written agreement not recorded or filed?
What steps could be made to entangle The Beatles Limited and the individual group member’s past and future tax liabilities, royalties for film and music rights? How to approach Ringo Starr’s disagreements pertaining to ‘The White Album’?,
Also, how were they going to manage the growing tensions and disputes between The Beatles over film rights and clips used for ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Revolution’ and ‘Magical Mystery Tour’?, Paul McCartney’s dispute related to the film and record release of ‘Let It Be’? and most worrying of all to the lawyers at the time, ‘the chronic failure of Allen Klein and his company ABKO Music and Records Inc. to produce accounts going back to 1966, now being demanded by the Inland Revenue’.
Behind-the-scenes comments recorded in the minutes of meetings include, ‘It would be almost impossible to exaggerate the actual complexity of the various legal arrangements which have been entered into by Messrs. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starkey’ . . . ‘Even if the four Beatles were not again to perform as a group, it is not accurate to state that the whole purpose of the partnership has disappeared’ . . . ‘The question is where is the money?’ . . .
The documents will offered in Dawsons upcoming Entertainment & Memorabilia auction on Thursday 12th December, 2024 and carry an estimate of £5,000-£8,000.
