The documents will go to auction this month
Court documents that reveal never-before seen insights into the split of The Beatles will go to auction this month. The documents were discovered in a cupboard, where they had been stored since the 1970s.
They include copies of The Beatles‘ advisor’s minutes of meetings, legal writs, a copy of the band’s 1967 Original Deed of Partnership, and bundles of documents relating to the High Court legal case that Sir Paul McCartney pursued in 1970.
John and Paul decided to leave the band in 1969 and 1970 respectively, but the split was not formalised until 1974. 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.
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Following the death of manager Brian Esptein, the band realised that some of their money had not been accounted for and they owed taxes. They decided to form their own company called Apple Corps, which they hoped would ensure their business interests were going to be protected going forward, but it was decided that they needed a new business manager to get them back on track.
John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison wanted to appoint Allen Klein but Paul McCartney doubted Klein’s business acumen and wanted to engage the respected entertainment lawyer, his father-in-law, Lee Eastman. Paul was outvoted and Klein joined as the band’s manager.
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. 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”.
Also within them are the comments: “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” and “The question is where is the money?”
The documents will be offered in Dawsons’ upcoming entertainment & memorabilia auction on December 12. They carry an estimate of £5,000-£8,000.
Denise Kelly, head of Dawsons’ entertainment and popular culture department, said: “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?’
“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.”
