The Phil Spector "Back to Mono" box set released by ABKCO
Records, Allen Klein's record company.
Allen Klein, whose hard-nosed business style was one of the factors in ongoing disputes between the Beatles in later years, died Saturday after battling Alzheimer's disease, reported Reuters. He was 77.
Klein was hired by John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in 1969 to manage the affairs of the Beatles and Apple Corp., which was in financial disarray. But the move was vehemently opposed by Paul McCartney, who wanted wife Linda's father and brother to get the job. Klein later renegotiated the Beatles' contract and help get the Beatles a much higher royalty rate than they'd had previously. But McCartney later sued to separate the Beatles from Klein.
Klein co-produced the Concert for Bangladesh with George Harrison and in 2004 won a Grammy for the DVD documentary "Sam Cooke - Legend."
Klein also worked with the Rolling Stones and help renegotiate their record deal.
In a 1971 interview with Playboy magazine, he said, "The music business is about 99 percent no-talent losers who can't stand a winner in their midst. I'm a winner and if they want to sour grape my success by calling me names, let them. I don't give a s---."
Charles Tillinghast, a member of the Capitol Records legal department in the '60s and author of "How Capitol Got The Beatles: and Then What Happened," who represented Capitol Records in Beatles contract negotiations with Klein, said about him, " I never found Klein deceptive or other than straightforward."
Other artists represented by Klein included Bobby Darin, Connie Francis and Sam Cooke. His ABKCO record label featured records by Herman's Hermits, the Animals and Marianne Faithful, plus a collection of recordings produced by Phil Spector.
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Comments
NOT a very nice man. He only represented himself and not his clients.
This is no loss. He was a scumbag.
"Don't speak ill of the dead" He was still a human being with pain like everyone else.
Yeah, and he brought a lot more pain to his clients in the long run. How many of his clients ended up poorer because of him? For Christ's sake, the Verve played by the book and did everything right, got the rights for sampling the Oldham version of "The Last Time", turned it into a superhit, and walked away without a dime to show for it.
He embraced it in life, saying "Artists **** groupies. I **** the artists." So pardon me if some don't feel much "Sympathy for the Devil".
I thought he was already dead.
Wow What a week! We are looseing all the great ones
Contrary to popular belief it wasn't Yoko Ono who broke up the Beatle's it was Allen Klein who did the dirty deed.
Two major Beatles business associates that affected McCartney's economics dying in one week..What are the odds? This would all make for a great conspiracy movie.. Now.. does releasing the dvd for "Let It Be" get any easier?
I forgot to mention Phil Spector as another thorn in the side of McCartney getting taken out.. That makes 3 this year.
When I clicked on to the ABKCO website they were playing Sympathy for the Devil - is that appropriate??
Now we no longer have to say "alleged" crook, thief, etc. May he rot in Hell.
Since Klein had Alzheimer's disease,he didn't die a peaceful way,my sympathies to his family.
Since it's a sin to lie,I will simply say ,goodbye.
He certainly didn't represent me.
Can't say I'll lose any sleep over this. I think John summed it up, realizing the mistake he made, with the song "Steel & Glass."
I'm sure Paul isn't wiping tears from his eyes, either.
I always thought the Klein/Eastman business problems was a MAJOR contribution to the break-up of the band. They were growing apart anyway but this certainly intensified any animosity that was there.
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