DM's Beatles forums
Beatles forums => News => Topic started by: JimmyMcCullochFan on July 04, 2009, 08:25:09 PM
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Former Beatles, Stones manager Allen Klein dies
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Record label mogul Allen Klein, who handled the affairs of both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, died in New York on Saturday after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, a spokesman said. He was 77.
During a career spanning more than 50 years, the former New Jersey accountant secured a fortune as one of the savviest and most infamous players in the music business.
He played a key role during the bitter demise of the Beatles, coming on board in 1969 at the behest of John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. Paul McCartney was fiercely opposed to Klein, preferring the legal expertise of his high-powered father-in-law Lee Eastman. The feud set the scene for the court battle that led to the group's dissolution.
Klein later reunited with Harrison to organise the all-star Concert for Bangladesh show in 1971 concert. It took a decade for the funds to reach the refugees because of complex tax problems. He also continued to work with Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Klein also managed the Rolling Stones during the 1960s and ended up owning the rights to their recordings and copyrights from that decade -- to the eternal regret of Mick Jagger.
He first made his mark in the music industry by auditing record labels on behalf of clients such as Bobby Darin and Connie Francis. When he invariably found that they were owed royalties, he took a percentage of the difference as a fee. he also managed Sam Cooke, helping the R&B star set up his own label and publishing company.
Klein's family-owned ABKCO Music & Records also handled the recordings of such artists as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, Bobby Womack, Marianne Faithfull, the Kinks, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell and many others.
He is survived by his wife and three adult children. His funeral will take place in New York on Tuesday.
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Tho he wasn't very good for the Beatles after all, still it's sad news. I don't think Paul will attend the funeral.
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Whoa. Well, I'm not a fan of his, but my condolences to his family.
A lot of famous people seem to be dying lately.
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i wonder what statment paul will make... :-\
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I didn't know he had alzheimers. Sad.
A tribute. Sort of.
John Belushi / Ron Decline from The Rutles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdjZSb0S7ZU#lq-hq)
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i wonder what statment paul will make... :-\
Doubt he'll make one. No need to.
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I hate this business of glossing over someone's faults after they've died so...
RIP a**hole. You were one of the main reasons the Beatles broke up, and you treated most of your clients like sh*t. I hope you're happy with the legacy you've left for yourself.
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There's this thing about not speaking ill of the dead and all that most people subscribe to. You know. But yeah, he wasn't that great of a guy.
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yeah, I don't really subscribe to that, for the most part. I don't understand the reasoning behind it.\
Anyway.
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We don't all have to subscribe to what is considered "normal." Honesty is refreshing. The whole sheep mentality isn't working anyway. Just as long as people carry around a certain amount of empathy though, otherwise, it gets pretty scary.
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Oh, totally. I would never badmouth someone's dead parent to them or anything. As with everything, there are limits.
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R.I.P. Allen Klein , always liked a good pantomime villain ;D
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There's this thing about not speaking ill of the dead and all that most people subscribe to. You know. But yeah, he wasn't that great of a guy.
I guess I'm pretty boring and old-fashioned, but I'm uncomfortable with speaking ill of the dead and all that myself...
That said, though, I was never a fan of his. I felt some surprise at his passing, but no other emotions. I would even feel bad if Yoko died, but with Allen, there's no great sense of loss in me.
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Doubt he'll make one. No need to.
Agreed. Paul has no obligation to say anything in this case, since he and Allen were never friends.
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i wonder what statment paul will make... :-\
Once upon a time he at least talked to the man:
(http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/9279/paulringoallenklein.jpg)
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He looks thrilled.
BTW, THAT IS SUCH A GOOD PICTURE OF HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry. He just sort of looks like Ceasar or something. Not a bad look for him! (http://www.clipartof.com/images/thumbnail/2429.gif)
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What George Harrison Thought Of Allen Klein
by Paul Cashmere - July 5 2009
photo by Paul Cashmere
Allen Klein died on the weekend (July 4, 2009). Klein was one of the most notorious music businessmen ever. At one stage he simultaneously managed both The Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Many knew him, few respected him! He was in it for himself and made a fortune along the way.
In my 1993 interview with George Harrison, a man who had nothing bad to say about anyone, even George had nothing nice to say about Allen.
Here is the part of the Harrison interview talking about how Klein, acting at the time as George’s business manager, went behind George’s back during the famous ‘My Sweet Lord/He’s So Fine’ plagiarism case, and bought copyright of the original Chiffons songs so that no matter what happened in the case it would go his way:
Paul Cashmere: How do you feel about "My Sweet Lord" these days. How did the court case surrounding that song affect your songwriting?
George Harrison: It didn't really affect my songwriting. I did record "This Song," which was kind of a comment about the situation.
The thing that really disappoints me is when you have a relationship with one person and they turn out to betray you. Because the whole story of "My Sweet Lord" is based upon this fellow, Allan Klein, who managed the Beatles from about 1968 or '69, through until 1973.
When they issued a complaint about "My Sweet Lord", he was my business manager. He was the one who put out "My Sweet Lord" and collected 20 percent commission on the record. And he was the one who got the lawyers to defend me, and did an interview in Playboy where he talked about how the song was nothing like the other song.
Later, when the judge in court told me to settle with them, because he didn't think I'd consciously stolen their song, they were doing a settlement deal with me when they suddenly stopped the settlement.
Some time elapsed, and I found out that this guy Klein had gone around the back door. In the meantime, we'd fired him. He went round the back door and bought the rights to the one song, "He's So Fine," in order to continue a lawsuit against me.
He, on one hand, was defending me, then he switched sides and continued the lawsuit. And every time the judge said what the result was, he'd appeal. And he kept appealing and appealing until it got to the Supreme Court.
I mean this thing went on for 16 years or something ... 18 years. And finally, it's all over with, and the result of it is I own "My Sweet Lord," and I now own "He's So Fine," and Allan Klein owes me like three or four hundred thousand dollars 'cause he took all the money on both songs. It's really a joke. It's a total joke.
Paul Cashmere: There's a movie plot in there somewhere.
George Harrison: There's definitely a book, because, now with any kind of law pertaining to infringement of copyright, they always quote this case. It's become the precedent in all these law students' books.
Paul Cashmere: So we might be seeing George Harrison make a guest appearance on "LA Law."
Allen Klein died after a battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 77..
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As always, I'm amazed at the twists and turns of the Beatles many-layered, multi-faceted story. Thanks for posting that interview with George.
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You could make a movie for year, or even every month of the Beatles' career, tbh.
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Once upon a time he at least talked to the man:
([url]http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/9279/paulringoallenklein.jpg[/url])
Who's the other guy? Is it Ringo for sure, like the pic says?
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It's Ringo.
Happy Birthday, Ringo!
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It probably is Ringo. Looks like a shoe polish beard on him though ;D
Paul looks like his Bullsh*t meter is hitting 11 ...
"Well, Alan, you may be right, but I think there might be another way to look at it ..."
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Of course it's Ringo! ;D
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I think I'm gonna crop Ringo and Allen out of the pic and make that my new wallpaper. Ha. Sorry Ringo. If only John had been standing there...
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Probably not a lot of tears shed in the music business over Mr Klein.
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Macca must being playing with voodoo dolls or something... Michael Jackson and the Klein dead. Watch out Yoko.