side car > George Harrison vs Allen Klein

Reader, if you somehow came upon this first, please go back and start here.  Well, actually this rant stands on its own, content-wise.  So much so, that I felt it pulled energy from the original piece, which is a book review on Allen Klein... the worst man in the history of the music business.  If you want to go back, here is that piece.

I realize I referred this Allen Klein story, but didn’t tell it.  I have likely told it somewhere else,
but it is so gonzo it bears repeating.  Here is how Allen Klein legally assraped George Harrison. 
You may remember the great George Harrison song ‘My Sweet Lord’.  It was far and away his
biggest hit post Beatles.

 and here is a mashup someone wonderfully did comparing the two.

That chorus of that song kinda sounds like ‘He’s so fine’ from the Shirrells Chiffons.  It’s only 3 notes.  It could be said he lifted it from there.  He claimed (like most do)

that if he did lift it, it was not deliberate or even conscious.  However, the courts have since

ruled even an unconscious or accidental ‘theft’ is still theft.

But I want tell the story of the court battle.  It took 20 years, so let’s try it in a few paragraphs.  This is to illustrate thoroughly why Allen Klein is/was the worst person in music business. Shortly after the Beatles’ breakup, Klein is still representing everyone but Paul McCartney.  George gets sued for copyright infringement, and Allen Klein is his lawyer.  Make no mistake here, at this point Klein is legally, financially, and morally obligated to represent and protect George.  George gets sued for 'My Sweet Lord' sounding to close to 'He's so Fine'.  The premise of this is if/since George stole the melody, he should have to pay the original songwriters.  None of this is debated, and that isn't the real story of this lawsuit.  During the early part of the legal proceedings (it’s very early 70s at this point), Klein has a brilliant idea.  I mean that genuinely and without sarcasm.  Klein tells George ‘we got Beatles money, bro-ham.  It would be cheaper and cleaner to just buy the company that owns that song.  We can literally afford to buy the entire company and every song in their catalog rather than fight it." (not a direct quote)  It then not only ends the lawsuit, it will become a new revenue stream for George and Klein.

George likes the idea and says ‘let’s do it’.  Like all trials of this scope, a bunch of time passes in between court dates.  They come back to court, and things have changed drastically.  During the recess, Allen Klein goes out and buys the Chiffon’s catalog HIMSELF.  For HIMSELF.  Not on behalf of his client, but in opposition to his client.  He then continues the suit against Harrison… since it is HIS song now.  In the space of a year or two, Klein goes from defense to offense.  Does that seem fishy?  It gets worse, though.  The original plan was to settle for about 50 grand.  Problem is, Klein has seen the other side, and knows the assets Harrison has.   Allen Klein was George’s business manager, so he knows that Harrison has Beatles’ money.  Now, the request for damages goes from 50 grand to 1 million.

And he got away with it.  The suit went on for decades, and cost Harrison a fortune.
It’s way two that John Lennon breaks up the Beatles.  The first way was bringing Yoko everywhere, including band recording sessions.  That happened… but don’t blame Yoko.  Blame John, as this was clearly a power home on his part.  The second way Lennon breaks up the Beatles is he brings in Allen Klein to manage the Beatles’ affairs.

Know what he did ‘for’ the Stones?  He was their manager, too, see.  Like he did for the Beatles, he gets their percentage doubled on publishing royalties.  Great, right?   No, because of how he did it.  Let’s say the Stone’s cut is 2% of album sales.  He gets their cut upped to 4%.  What we find out later?  He actually had the cut at about 10%.  AND… he was now the owner of the Stones’ catalog… for the next ten years.  Of course, the band doesn't find this out until way later and too late.

*** not so quick sidebar to this sidebar.  Here are a couple of music lawsuits I must mention.  I have sure I have written in depth about them over the years either here (my main writing site, I am Correct.com) or here (my music writing site, Maybe I am Wrong.com)

Neil Young was sued by David Geffen (his record company) for willfully not sounding Neil Young enough.

John Fogerty was sued by his record company for sounding TOO much like John Fogerty.

and a classical music guy wrote a piece of music that was 9 minutes of silence.  Not a single note.  AND... he was able to copyright it.  Some years later, another artist released several minutes of silence - and dared to also call it silence... and got sued for copyright infringement.  Oh Todd Snider, how we this song more than ever.

This is why the terrorists hate us.