In 1963, when The Beatles were on their way to becoming a global phenomenon, their manager, Brian Epstein, was on the lookout for a publisher for their songs. His choice was Northern Songs, a partnership that would be a significant aspect of The Beatles’ career. However, internal discontent about the shareholding structure lingered, with George Harrison notably unhappy about his minor stake. Despite this, it took a dramatic turn of events in 1969 regarding the company’s future to set the stage for a major fallout.
The Turning Point: Northern Songs Under Siege
Dick James, the man behind Northern Songs, decided to sell the company to ATV Music. This move would effectively strip The Beatles of any control over their song catalog – an outcome that didn’t sit well with them. “I met with them several days later at, uh, Paul’s place in St. John’s Wood,” James recalled. “Linda [McCartney] made tea and John was belligerent. Paul said that he thought that, uh, I had done what I thought was best.” This quote, lifted from the book All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines, sets the stage for what was to come.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney sought to block the sale, offering a representative of ATV a position on the board of Northern Songs as part of their bid to buy the company themselves. All seemed to be proceeding well until Lennon’s temper flared during a crucial meeting, leading him to declare, “I’m not going to be f***ed around by men in suits sitting on their fat arses in the City.” This outburst, well-documented in The Beatles Diary Volume 1, was a turning point. The investors withdrew, leaving ATV to seal the deal and The Beatles to lose control of their music.
George Harrison’s Dissent and The Beatles’ Interpersonal Dynamics
Harrison’s frustration paralleled Lennon’s. Feeling shortchanged by his small stake, he openly expressed his grievances in the song “Only a Northern Song.” Upon learning of the potential sale to ATV, Harrison, too, confronted Dick James with fiery words. “In fact, before [meeting with Lennon and McCartney], I’d had a meeting down at Apple, at which Neil Aspinall was present with, uh, Ringo and George Harrison, and George and I had some very, very strong words,” James said. “They are never to be repeated.” It was a meeting so heated that Harrison was eventually asked to leave.
Even after The Beatles disbanded, the repercussions of such passionate bouts of anger shadowed Lennon. Known among his peers for having a volatile temperament, Lennon’s aggressive demeanor wasn’t just rumor, but a trait that often landed him in trouble. It wasn’t until after he left the band that he resolved to temper his anger, a decision spurred by promoter Tony King’s straightforward advice on the impact of likability on record sales. “When people like you, John, they want to buy your albums,” King explained. “When they don’t like you or they’re afraid of you or they don’t understand where you’re coming from, they don’t want your records in their homes. It’s as simple as that.” Acknowledging the wisdom in King’s words, Lennon aimed to adopt a more amicable demeanor. “Tony’s right,” he conceded to May Pang, author of Loving John. “Being liked is important. Everybody liked The Beatles, and look what happened.”
Despite the trials and tribulations, the incident serves as a reminder of the complexity of relationships within The Beatles and the impact of individual actions on collective endeavors.