Before Allen Klein became a significant issue for Paul McCartney, the Beatles star took a step that unintentionally strained his relationship with the band’s manager, Brian Epstein. At that time, Klein was managing The Rolling Stones, and McCartney, intrigued by the favorable deals Klein seemed to procure, brought up this topic with Epstein under less-than-ideal circumstances.
The Elevator Conversation That Strained a Bond
McCartney described a particular moment he shared with Epstein that marked a turning point in their relationship. It occurred in a lift at Hilly House when McCartney brought up Klein’s dealings.
“We just heard that The Rolling Stones were getting sixpence royalty per record or something like that, and we knew that we got four,” McCartney disclosed in the book All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words by Steven Gaines and Peter Brown. “We were bigger than them, and we didn’t realize that they can give you a very artificially high royalty but take [everything else off you], which they probably did to the Stones. We didn’t realize that.”
This conversation did not sit well with Epstein, who had dedicated much of his career to managing The Beatles since 1961 until his untimely death in 1967. McCartney’s query about procuring a better deal through Klein might have implied doubt about Epstein’s managerial skills. Reflecting on that interaction, McCartney said,
“That was one of the times that my ambitions sort of got the better of me. I was only trying to get us a better deal. But it ruined it a little bit there, I mean I’m sure not greatly, but he didn’t like me too much after that for a week or two, you know, ‘Bastard. After all I’ve done for him, asking for twopence more, and implying I’m not as good as Klein, so you know, it was like you can have them.’”
Shifting Perspectives and Inner Turmoil: McCartney’s Evolving Relationship with Managers
In McCartney’s admission, he recognized himself as possibly the most demanding of Epstein among the Beatles. “I always was,” he admitted, acknowledging he was both “inquisitive and ambitious.” This characteristic of being ever-curious and forward-thinking sometimes placed him at odds with Epstein, who otherwise shared a close bond with the band.
Interestingly, McCartney’s perspective on Klein evolved significantly with the passing years, especially following Epstein’s death. Initially convinced that Klein might secure better deals for The Beatles, McCartney found his opinion shifting by the end of the decade. After Epstein’s demise, John Lennon wanted to bring Klein aboard as the new manager. McCartney, however, opposed this, favoring his soon-to-be father-in-law, Lee Eastman, instead.
This pivot in McCartney’s opinion of Klein marked a critical juncture. When he realized that his bandmates were not in favor of Eastman, Klein’s image began to torment McCartney. Describing the depth of his emotions, McCartney noted, “To me, he was like a sort of demon that would always haunt my dreams,” and likened his anxiety about Klein to a nefarious figure plaguing his thoughts as intensely as “I’d been dreaming of him as a dentist.”