A collection of papers relating to the breakup of the Beatles demonstrate the panic felt by lawyers dealing with the situation, an auctioneer revealed.
More than 800 pages of legal documentation were abandoned in a cupboard after the four-year court cases ended in 1974.
They include a copy of the band’s 1967 partnership deal, legal writs and the minutes of meetings with lawyers.
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The paperwork was rediscovered when the owner died recently, and the lot has been sent for sale by a family member. Dawsons Auctioneers, which did not release the location of the find, will oversee the sale on Dec. 12, with the papers expected to sell for up to $10,100.
“I just couldn’t put them down until I had read every page,” spokesperson Denise Kelly told the BBC. “As I read the minutes of meetings – notes which included discussions between the legal teams and accountants – I wondered how on earth they were going to sort everything out.
Beatles Legal Papers Tell Whole Breakup Story
“At times I could sense panic in the room as more and more complexities came to light. One of the lawyers even suggested during one meeting when they had gone round and round and round in circles, ‘Would it be easier if the Beatles just retired?’”
She continued: “It has crossed my mind that if I were a scriptwriter, these documents would be all I’d need to tell the real story of what led to one of the best-selling bands in history going their separate ways.”
The documents cover topics including discussion over why there was never a contract drawn up when Ringo Starr joined the band, the legal status of former member Pete Best and the financial management of Allen Klein, whose 1969 appointment as band manager fueled the split between Paul McCartney and his bandmates.
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Included are albums that still feel like time-stamped baubles and others that have only grown in estimation.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso