The Break-Up of The Beatles: James Paul McCartney versus John Ono Lennon, George Harrison, Richard Starkey, and Apple Corps Limited, 1970-1971.

300+ pages of typescript copy documents, a bundle of unbound loose sheets, many with headed titles, 22x 33cm.

Compiled by the advisors and legal representatives at the time of the High Court case, the copy documents recorded events in the courtroom and the numerous factors attributed to the break-up of The Beatles during and following Paul McCartney’s legal case in London High Court’s Chancery Division when McCartney sued his fellow group members and Apple Corp, and sought a declaration to dissolve The Beatles business partnership and remove Allen Klein as manager.

Paul McCartney disagreed very strongly with John, George, and Ringo over the appointment of Allen Klein as a replacement manager for The Beatles following Brian Epstein’s death in 1967, and due to Klein’s lack of financial management, McCartney had employed his own accountants who, with the legal representatives, had begun to uncover a trail of confusion and lack of accountability on the part of the group’s management to date.

Included within the bundle of copy documents are -

A nine-page copy of the original 1967 Deed of Partnership between The Beatles Limited of 23 Albemarle Street, London, with facsimile signatures of the four Beatles to pages 8-9.

Copies of Writs issued to John Ono Lennon of Tittenhurst Park, Ascot, (‘sued as John Winston Lennon’, now at The Regency Hotel, New York, USA), George Harrison of Friar Park, Henley-On Thames, Richard Starkey of Round Hill. Highgate, London, and Apple Corps of 3 Savile Row, London, W1.

Copies of Minutes of Meetings, which recorded the difficulties faced by the lawyers who represented both parties as they unravelled the complex affairs of The Beatles and detailed many questions the legal teams raised during numerous meetings such as, when Pete Best left the group and Ringo Starr joined, why was a written agreement not recorded or filed?, what steps could be made to entangle The Beatles Limited and the individual group member’s past and future tax liabilities, and their royalties for film and music rights?, how to approach Ringo Starr’s disagreements pertaining to ‘The White Album’?, how were they going to manage the growing tensions and disputes between The Beatles over film rights and clips used for ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Revolution’, ‘Magical Mystery Tour’?, Paul McCartney’s dispute related to the film and record release of ‘Let It Be’?, and most worrying of all to the lawyers at the time, ‘the chronic failure of Allen Klein and his company ABKCO Music and Records Inc. to produce accounts going back to 1966, now being demanded by the Inland Revenue’.

Behind-the-scenes comments recorded in the minutes of meetings included, ‘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’ . . . ‘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’ . . . ‘The question is where is the money?’ . . .

Provenance:
By descent to the vendor, whose late brother acquired these documents whilst working in London during the 1970s.