Tuesday, December 31, 1968
Northern Songs acquires the Lawrence Wright catalogue
Last updated on April 3, 2025
Tuesday, December 31, 1968
Last updated on April 3, 2025
Article Christmas 1968 • Paul and Linda spend Christmas in Liverpool
Article Dec 31, 1968 • New Year's Eve 1968 in London
Article Dec 31, 1968 • Northern Songs acquires the Lawrence Wright catalogue
Article January 1969 • Apple's business problems become public knowledge
Jun 26, 1962
May 1964
Jan 27, 1965
Northern Songs becomes a public company
Feb 18, 1965
The Beatles resign from The Beatles Ltd
Nov 19, 1966
Apr 19, 1967
The Beatles hire Alexis “Magic Alex” Mardas
Aug 24, 1967
On December 31, 1968, Northern Songs — the Beatles’ publishing company — acquired Lawrence Wright Music Co., a catalogue that included the rights to many popular Tin Pan Alley-style songs.
Lawrence Wright (1888–1964) was a prominent British music publisher and songwriter, best known for his role in popularizing Tin Pan Alley-style music in the UK. Based in London, he founded the Lawrence Wright Music Co., which became a major force in British popular music during the early to mid-20th century. He published numerous hits of the era, often promoting them through live performances, sheet music, and Melody Maker — a weekly music magazine he launched in 1926. Wright also composed under the pseudonym Horatio Nicholls, writing many successful songs. His work helped bridge American and British popular music traditions and left a lasting mark on the evolution of popular music in Britain.
On January 10, 1969, Dick James, the administrator of Northern Songs, visited Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr at Twickenham Studios to discuss the recent acquisition of the Lawrence Wright catalogue.
Paul McCartney: “Lisp Of A Baby’s Prayer”… “Alphabet Song.” What’s that one?
Dick James: Oh, Christ, I don’t know the whole catalog yet. 4,000 songs is a lot to absorb.
Ringo Starr: “Nobody Loves a Fairy When She’s Forty.” [laughs]
Paul McCartney: This is it? This is the lot?
Dick James: This is a very good list. That’s the entire catalog up to ’65.
Paul McCartney: All of these are ours?
Dick James: Yeah. Yeah.
Michael Lindsay-Hogg: Is this the catalog that’s just gone on sale?
Dick James: It’s the one we just bought.
Michael Lindsay-Hogg: You bought it. Oh, great.
Dick James: Yeah, Northern Songs… Which includes Paul and John. And…
Paul McCartney: Just about.
Dick James: What are you talking about, “Just about”?
Paul McCartney: Nothing. Uh, no comment.
Dick James: Very substantially, sir.
Paul McCartney: Yes, right. Okay.
From Peter Jackson’s film “The Beatles: Get Back“, 2021
Great Britain
The valuable Lawrence Wright Music catalog was acquired December 31st by Northern Songs, the Beatles’ publishing company. Northern captured the Wright copyrights in face of heavy European and American competition at the price of £812,500. The catalog was sold by tender by the Trustee Department of the Westminster Bank, and in effect was the last major independent British publishing property not controlled by big international conglomerate organizations, apart Campbell Connelly and Northern itself. Three music publishing companies are involved in the transaction, and Northern have gained perennial money-spinners like “Jealousy”, “Among My Souvenirs”, “Ain’t Misbehavin'”, “Basin Street Blues” and “On The Sunny Side Of The Street” and orchestral standards like “Dream Of Olwen”. A Beatle spokesman was quick to emphasise that the deal was purely a business matter, and the Beatles would not be squaring their image by recording any of the Wright songs themselves. Lawrence Wright, the founder of Britain’s Tin Pan Alley, died in 1964, having contributed several major assets to the catalog like “Among My Souvenirs” under his pen name of Horatio Nicholls. Northern Songs managing director Dick James told Cash Box that the acquisition “brings us a catalog of fantastic standards, and provides us with the basis for expansion and diversification that we want.” Lawrence Wright Music will continue by name within the Northern Orbit, and discussions are taking place concerning its future operation and the disposition of its present staff.
From CashBox Magazine – January 18, 1969
It’s John, Paul and boomps-a-daisy
STILL clashing cheeks in ye ancient English traditionaI party ritual known as “Boomps-a-Daisy”?
You’re not ashamed to admit it? Well, you are now doing it by courtesy of a couple of hip-cats known as Beatles. I’ll wager John Lennon and Paul McCartney will have cause to grin wider and longer to the echo of your buffeting backsides, than you will ever do.Every bump, you see, means a royalty jangle to the two Beatles. For when they and their chums on Northern Songs bought the rights of 4,000 oldies but goldies, “Boomps-a-Daisy” was among them. For me the news that Northern Songs had forked out £812,500 for the catalogue of Tin Pan Alley “daddy,” the late Lawrence Wright, was the mindbender of the week. Who imagined the Beatles at “Boomps-a-Daisy” or digesting songs like “Burlington Bertie” or even George Formby’s “When I’m Cleaning Windows”?… But they are in the catalogue along with sentimental old stuff like “Stardust,” “Among My Souvenirs” and “Happy Days Are Here Again.”
Big stars like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Gracie Fields and Al Jolson have had hits with songs from this old catalogue. But McCartney and Lennon in their own right are the greatest songwriters of our day. Why should they want to acquire 4,000 oldies ? And “Boomps-a-Daisy” of all things ? Paul winked, and said: “Business is business…” and John Lennon remarked: “I’m too overwhelmed.”
But perhaps the real answer came from Dick James, the affable Beatles’s music publisher, who said: “The Lawrence Wright catalogue is one that every publisher drools over. It is full of golden hits and is one of the best collections in the world. For Northern Songs it is a new dimension and gives great strength to the company. Oldies and goldies they really are. They yield a fortune in royalties every year.”
Will the Beatles record any of them ? Said Mr, James: “Now that’s an interesting thought… I doubt it, but it would be a gas if they did !”
“Boomps-a-Daisy ” (composed incidentally by puppeteer Annette Mills in 1939). Tough on bare bottoms though.
From Daily Mirror – January 4, 1969
The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years
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