Before Choosing Allen Klein as Their New Manager, Mick Jagger Warned The Beatles About His Antics: “The Biggest Mistake of Your Life”

In 1967, The Beatles lost their biggest advocate and manager, Brian Epstein. Epstein is the one who discovered The Beatles and, ultimately, one of the main reasons they became the biggest band on the planet during the 60s and so on. He was an invaluable piece to their puzzle, and in a sense, he was irreplaceable. However, they needed a replacement.

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Given Epstein’s passing, The Beatles shopped around for a new manager until they stumbled across Allen Klein. Klein was a storied rock ‘n’ roll manager as he’d managed acts and bands such as Sam Cooke, Bobby Darin, Donovan, and The Rolling Stones. Though The Rolling Stones were not the biggest fans of Klein and his practices. Consequently, before The Beatles pulled the trigger on Klein, Mick Jagger warned them extensively about his antics.

Why and How Mick Jagger Warned The Beatles About Allen Klein

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Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones were not fans of Klein for one particular reason: his lack of integrity. For a brief period, Klein managed The Beatles and The Rolling Stones simultaneously. However, in 1970, The Stones parted ways with Klein and later sued him for making false representations and defrauding them. That being said, it seems Jagger and The Stones didn’t like Klein for a while, and as a result, Jagger called John Lennon to warn him, but he didn’t listen.

According to the book Mick Jagger by Phillip Norman, Jagger reportedly called Lennon and told him that signing Allen Klein would be “the biggest mistake of your life.” Lennon, evidently, did not listen to Mick Jagger.

In addition to warning Lennon, Jagger also warned McCartney by letter. Jagger’s assistant, Peter Swales, recalled in Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, “Jagger gave me a note in an envelope to take over to Apple addressed to Paul.” “It was a warning, maybe in solidarity with him. It was to the effect of ‘Don’t go near him, he’s a dog. He’s a crook,” added Swales.

Neither of these warnings hit The Beatles, as they hired Klein and had him as their manager until far after their break-up in 1970. They would come to regret this decision, as Klein sued the group after they did not renew his contract in 1973. Klein sued The Beatles for $19 million, though both parties settled the case outside of court in 1977. Needless to say, The Beatles should have listened to Mick Jagger.

Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images