The Beatles meet together to discuss their personal and business problems

On January 10, 1969, George Harrison walked out of the “Get Back” sessions at Twickenham Studios.

It had also recently become increasingly clear to Apple’s management team — and therefore to The Beatles— that the company was bleeding money, making the situation financially unsustainable.

On Sunday, January 12, the four Beatles met at Brookfield, Ringo Starr’s home at the time, to address both their personal and business struggles. They were not alone — Yoko Ono, Linda Eastman (Paul’s soon-to-be wife), and her daughter Heather were also present. Additionally, various accountants and John Eastman (Linda’s brother) attended to discuss the band’s financial issues.

Details of this meeting remain scarce, with most of the known information coming from conversations recorded during the “Get Back” session the following day, January 13.

It was like, no, no, no. Wait a minute, wait a minute. George has left and, you know, we can’t have this, this isn’t good enough! So I’m not sure what happened. I think maybe Neil [Aspinall] or one of the ones who looked after us probably rung George up and said: “They’re real sorry,” or whatever, “it was a real big mistake.”

Paul McCartney – Quoted in Classic Rock, May 2020

Linda Eastman: It’s harder being at a meeting and everybody putting their two cents in, and none of you all saying anything.

Paul McCartney: But that’s the other thing, having the meeting. You came with me, and [Linda’s daughter] Heather came.

Linda Eastman: Yeah, I was going to say I shouldn’t go.

Paul McCartney: It’s such a temptation going out to Ringo’s for the afternoon. It feels like a family outing. [said to laughter] […] It should have been the four of us.

Ringo Starr: Well you (Linda) were out of the way. It nearly was.

Paul McCartney: It’s still that thing.

Linda Eastman: When there’s something serious, a few other people talking about it, and you get off the tracks.

Transcript of dialogue from the “Get Back” session, on January 13, 1969 – From Jan. 12: A family outing (Pt. 1) | They May Be Parted

On personal matters, the meeting did not go well — George Harrison left early without agreeing to rejoin The Beatles.

Mal Evans, in the diary he published in the March 1969 edition of the Beatles Monthly Book, noted that January 12 is the date when “the fellows finally gave up all idea of doing the TV show“.

The four Beatles would meet again three days later at Apple’s headquarters, 3 Savile Row, and George would finally accept rejoin the band.

Mal Evans: How was the meeting?

Ringo Starr: The meeting was fine. A lot of good things, but then, you know, they all sort of fell apart in the end.

From Peter Jackson’s film “The Beatles: Get Back“, 2021

Linda Eastman: ‘Cause I have a feeling that half the stuff Yoko said yesterday isn’t… She was talking for John. And I don’t think he really believed any of that, you know?

Paul McCartney: No, so, it’s… John didn’t talk, so Yoko talked for John.

Michael Lindsay-Hogg: Did George stay?

Paul McCartney: In the middle of all that, actually… George went. He said “I’ll see you…” See, but their point is that they’re trying to be as near together as they can. They wanna stay together, those two. So it’s all right. Let the young lovers stay together. But it’s not that bad, you know. We got a lot out of Beatles, so that if… I think John’s thing now… If it came to a push between Yoko and The Beatles, it’s Yoko.

From Peter Jackson’s film “The Beatles: Get Back“, 2021

Paul McCartney: See, I’m just assuming [George]’s coming back, you know? I’ll tell you, I’m just assuming he’s coming back.

John Lennon: What if he isn’t?

Paul McCartney: If he isn’t, then it’s a new problem.

Transcript of dialogue from the “Get Back” session, on January 13, 1969 – From Jan. 12: A family outing (Pt. 2) | They May Be Parted

Certainly, we wanted sunshine and if we had to do the filming outdoors the British winter weather couldn’t be relied upon. Michael [Lindsay-Hogg] and producer Denis O’Dell knew an old Roman theatre on a shore in Tripoli which sounded just the thing. But that one had to be blown out too. On Monday, January 13, I was due to fly over to Africa to look at the Roman theatre. On Sunday, January 12, the fellows finally gave up all idea of doing the TV show.

Mal Evans – From the Beatles Monthly Book, N°68, March 1969

The details of the business discussions that took place remain unclear.

In 1968, at Paul McCartney’s initiative, The Beatles had begun searching for a new manager for Apple. However, Paul quickly became convinced that Lee Eastman — Linda Eastman’s father and his future father-in-law — should take charge of The Beatles’ financial affairs. Lee Eastman, a New York-based attorney, had relevant experience, particularly in music copyrights.

Paul had been agitating for some time for a new manager for Apple. He was fed up with the way that the company was being run and he asked his future father-in-law, Lee, to recommend someone to put the house in order. Lee, of course, recommended his son, John.

Nat Weiss – Beatles attorney – From “The Beatles: Off the Record” by Keith Badman, 2008

I put the Eastmans up. I thought they would be fair. For one thing, they are lawyers. They don’t take percentages, they take a fee. So, they manage you, and, at the end of the year, they put in a bill. And, if you don’t like them, you don’t pay the bill. Well, you pay the bill, but you sack them for the next year.

Paul McCartney – From “The Beatles: Off the Record” by Keith Badman, 2008

During this period, John Eastman, Linda’s brother, proposed the idea of buying NEMS, the company previously owned by Brian Epstein, The Beatles’ former manager.

I saw Clive Epstein immediately. I told him, ‘Look, you can’t get the money out of the company to pay estate taxes, so why don’t we buy NEMS and you’ll get the money as a capital gain. Forget the twenty-five per cent (NEMS’ entitlement of Beatles’ royalties). What’s the company worth? Eight-hundred-thousand pounds? Nine-hundred-thousand pounds? Forget it, we won’t quibble, we’ll give you a million!

John Eastman – From “The Beatles: Off the Record” by Keith Badman, 2008

The blog “They May Be Parted” speculates that, on this day, The Beatles may have signed a document granting Eastman & Eastman the authority to negotiate contracts on their behalf:

It’s feasible the Sunday meeting is when this document — which is only dated “January 1969” — was signed, giving the Eastman & Eastman law firm rights to negotiate contracts on the Beatles’ behalf. The timing works out — John Eastman was working on a deal for the successor company to NEMS less than a week later.

If only to justify what Ringo described as “a lot of good things” coming of the meeting, the business aspect must have pointed to a positive development.

From Jan. 12: A family outing (Pt. 1) | They May Be Parted

John C. Winn, in his book “That Magic Feeling: 2 (The Beatles’ Recorded Legacy),” also noted that Paul McCartney attended a recording session on this day — likely in the evening — at EMI Studios for The Scaffold’s “L the P” album. However, he did not contribute to the recordings.

Going further

• https://theymaybeparted.com/2021/07/01/jan-12-a-family-outing-pt-1/
• https://theymaybeparted.com/2021/10/05/jan-12-a-family-outing-pt-2/
• https://theymaybeparted.com/2021/10/22/jan-12-the-final-bulletin/

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