A few weeks ago I heard Paul’s puling on the Howard Stern Show while he was plugging his latest monsterosity. Paul, how could you have so grossly underestimated the cunning King of Pop? Not that it isn’t wholly possible to maintain a perfectly lovely existence without a forty-seven million dollar plus net worth, but all I have to say is this; nice fuckup, boys.
They were your songs and you had every right to do with them what you pleased. It’s so easy for me to kick you while down and rub your face in the shit, and for that I apologize, but let’s just pretend for a moment that the year is 1985 and you just sold the rights(considering I was eight at the time and wasn’t in the position to contemplate the financial transactions of “grown-ups”); you dumbasses.
Thank-you very much.
p.s. If I were MJ I would have a heart and sell them the songs back but at a profit, of course. Dumbass tax.
It reminds me of something that happened a few days back. I went to my friend’s house and he had a chainsaw hanging outside his house. I asked him, Phil, if I could play with it and he told me that it was broken and he couldn’t find anyone who would repair that brand. So I told him that someone would steal it if he just left it hanging outside and I asked him if I could take it home and rip it apart to make a scooter. He said “sure thing” and I proceeded to try to start the chain saw. I opened the choke and gave it 10 or fifteen rips and the thing started right up.
Phil then proceeded to “Indian give” me the chainsaw(sorry about the un-P.C.-ness). It was my chainsaw. I owned it. He gave it to me. But out of the kindness of my heart(tootin’ my own horn TYVM) I gave the damn thing back. He then consoled me by ensuring that I could come over and play with it anytime I wanted. Thanks Phil. You dumbass.
A decent rant. A tad disconnected in some places, and the overall “flow” could be improved. However, the subject itself (despite the whole “hindsight is 20/20” counterargument) is amusing. I give it a 7.8.
By the way, welcome to the Boards… although I would suggest that you spend more time in MPSIMS, IMHO, or Cafe Society. The Pit can be a real downer.
Actually while Michael bought the rights in the 1984, the Beatles lost their rights to their “Northern Songs” in the 1960’s, as a result of some bad deals dating from when they weren’t all that financially savvy (they entrusted some others with a substantial share of their songs).
Paul: I’d fancy a new Bentley…lets sell “She Loves You” and get a gear one.
John: I’m game, we could always write more ya’ know.
Ringo: I don’t like where this is headed…
George: Me neither, I’ve only got “Don’t Bother Me” left.
:rolleyes:
This is the stupidest goddamn rant I have ever seen.
They never owned their own songs, so when they came up for sale in 1984, Paul did try to buy them back. In the 60s when they agreed to let Northern Songs own the rights, and then own stock in the company. They didn’t know Dick James would agree to sell to Lew Grade.
Anyway, when Paul tried to buy them back, Yoko baulked. He offered to let her buy back John’s half, and she dragged her goddamn heels so long that Miko swooped in and grabbed the songs away from them. He then proceded to sell them to Sony, so Miko doesn’t even have them anymore.
Furthermore, Paul has been trying to get them back since 1984. He’s been very, very vocal about it. Every interview I’ve ever seen him do he’s been talking about it. Because afterall their his songs.
I really don’t believe Sony will ever agree to sell, though McCartney certainly has enough money to buy them back. (I’m thinking his net worth is close to a billion or more, especially now that he has Linda’s businesses.)
FWIW, George has most of his songs, because he formed his own publishing company Dark Horse. I’m not sure about Ringo, probably not. Paul does have “Love Me Do” because that song was released before Northern Songs was formed.
jaimest, I honestly attempted to get the date right.
“Michael Jackson bought the ATV catalog of publishing rights, which includes 250 Beatles songs, on September 6, 1985, for a reported US$47 million.” -from this site right here.
That and it has been ranted here before. Personally I find it hard to feel sorry for Sir Paul on this score. He is very well off financially and there are a lot of artists out there who had this done to them who are destitute while their songs make millions.
sirjamesp: I was wondering about you ever since I first saw your handle in another thread. Could you, by the most infinitesimal of chances, be who I think you…
I would imagine that Paul is more bitter about having to hear all of his songs used to hawk Philips and Nike and crap like that.
From what I understand, Michael Jackson totally screwed him-they were working on a couple duets and such, and then when he did this behind Paul’s back, the guy was devastated.
I feel bad about hearing Lennon’s glorious songs used as commercial crap.
I don’t feel bad for Paul over the money aspect. But I feel really, really bad over the loss. I would be devastated if someone else owned the result of years of my hard work.
BTW, since Linda’s death, Paul uh…inherited I guess, all her assets, so he’s worth closer to a billion dollars. She had her own food line, her own cookbooks, and various other projects seperate from Paul’s.
Yeah, but didn’t he have enough cash of his own to swing the deal by himself without waiting on Yoko? If so, then the only one to blame is him. Yes, it sucks, but if he didn’t want to spend the money, then too bad.
Anyway, Paul owns the rights to much of the Buddy Holly catalog himself. Is Buddy Holly’s widow still alive?
OK OK they went up for sale in 1984 and Jacko bought them in 1985. I seem to remember it was the use of “Revolution” for Nike, circa 1987-1988 that set off the real grudge between Paul and Michael. And just the idea that Beatles music could be “sold” like that was a shock to the rest of us.
I’ve heard quite a few John Lennon solo songs in ads…“Love” in various ads, “Instant Karma” for Nike. I even heard “Woman” in a Mexican cigarrette commercial (they can sell ciggies on TV down there). So I don’t think his estate is so concerned with the commercial use of Lennon’s work.
Paul didn’t wait for Yoko because he didn’t have the money. He waited because it was kind of a good will offering. They never got along in the past, and with John being gone, Paul wanted to patch things up, or at least show that he was willing to patch things up. For whatever reason, Yoko agreed, and then took it back at the last minute, giving Jackson time to buy it.
As a composer and performer it is always sad to see others profit exclusively from one’s work. All of this is mitigated by the unbearable drivel that McCartney has troweled on so thickly ever since his Beatle’s days (excluding his first solo album). The treacle he has spewed upon the market at large makes it extremely difficult to feel too sorry for him. As to Jackson buying the Beatles’ catalog, talk about pearls before swine. A shrewd business decision, yes, but Miko should feel like a whore in church for ever having been in possession of such a musical treasure. Especially in light of the absolute drek the maggot has churned out.
Wow. I don’t like much of Michael Jackson’s work but I don’t think that all of it can be classified as absolute drek. Maybe you weren’t referring to Jackson 5 era classics and Thriller. Come on! ABC, Billy Jean, and Annie Are You Ok? (may be the wrong title) just plain kicked ass. I di agree that he has put out a lot of crap but there really has been some great stuff too. I hardly think he is a maggot. A barking mad freak, maybe, but not a maggot.
This is funny but if this conversation were to have taken place in 1984 then you’d have to substitue Yoko for John. Unless someone was channeling him from beyond the grave.
Then get help from Icann or somebody like him to orchestrate a hostile takeover, saying that Sony has made business deals detrimental to the huge customer base and Sony’s bottom line, such as churing out unplayable CD’s (which is entirely truthful).
Win a proxy takeover. Now he owns most of the Beatles catalog, a record company, and and an electronics giant all in one.
