There are a plethora of different rumors, facts, and myths surrounding The Beatles’ breakup. Though, amidst all that is one certain fact: All four of The Beatles became intertwined in a lawsuit following their split. However, the lawsuit’s definitive reason is still unclear, given that the public often dramatizes the true narrative.
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However, George Harrison once divulged that the lawsuit came about due to poor management at the hands of Allen Klein. For context, Klein is the manager The Beatles decided on after their beloved Brian Epstein passed away in 1967. Klein was never a beloved manager, and according to Harrison, he is the reason why the lawsuit took place following their breakup.
As a matter of fact, before The Beatles ever settled on Klein, Mick Jagger had warned the Fab Four about him. Specifically, Jagger warned them about his nefarious nature and accused Klein of skimming royalty payments from the Stones when he was their manager in 1965. Evidently, The Beatles did not take this warning into consideration.
Why Allen Klein Should Have Never Managed The Beatles’ Apple Corps
The Beatles’ LLC, Apple Corps, is a conglomerate Brian Epstein created to house all of The Beatles’ businesses. However, when Epstein died, Klein became the manager of the company. That is when The Beatles’ financial situation became a bit precarious and legal action ensued.
“Dreadful,” Harrison recalled, regarding Apple Corps. “I mean, all the money that we ever made from Beatles records and from Beatle films or any source, it all came into this company, Apple, which had been pilfered by all these famous gangsters.”
In a more direct comment, Harrison called out Klein by stating, per Far Out: “It was a mess, and Paul was suing us three because we had this guy managing us, and it was just a mess.”
Per Harrison’s comments, it seems Paul McCartney sued the group solely because of Klein’s corrupt and immoral managing practices. That being so, McCartney took legal action to dissolve his contract with Klein as well as to make himself artistically free. McCartney was successful in his legal pursuit. Still, it’s a shame things couldn’t have ended more amicably between all parties. It seems it wasn’t The Beatles’ fault, but rather their manager Allen Klein’s doing. McCartney’s lawsuit seemingly wasn’t against The Beatles. Rather, it was against Klein and Apple Corps.
Photo by C. Maher/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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