John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr decide not to appeal High Court order • The Paul McCartney Project

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On this day, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr announced their decision not to appeal the High Court order to appoint a receiver for Apple.

There’s this hysterical idea that Paul put this Receiver in and that it’s all over. The fact is that the Receiver came in and he was something to do with the partnership. The partnership is a moot question, but basically it’s 20 per cent of The Beatles – that’s five per cent each, which looked after lawn mowers, seeing that the house is paid for, that the food is paid for. Eighty per cent is Apple, and Apple the Receiver has nothing to do with. We’re still fully in charge of it. We sign all the cheques; we do everything with it. I don’t know how the problem will be solved. The Receiver is just as much a problem for Paul as it is for us. It’s just a thorn in the side of all of us.”
John Lennon – From “The Beatles: Off The Record 2 – The Dream is Over: Dream Is Over Vol 2” by Keith Badman

The Beatles have stopped playing together. The Beatles will not get together again for financial or any other reasons… The reason should be perfectly plain to everyone… This life and place could do us for the rest of our lives, but there is nothing settled and I am free to choose… I will continue to write music.
Paul McCartney – on April 26, 1971 – From “The Beatles: Off The Record 2 – The Dream is Over: Dream Is Over Vol 2” by Keith Badman

From Aberdeen Evening Express – April 26, 1971

John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison have abandoned their appeal against a High Court order putting the affairs of the Apple Corps company in the hands of a receiver. After a recent 12-day legal battle estimated to have cost over $40,000, it was stated that they were willing to work out a formula outside the courts to allow Paul McCartney to sever his connections with the Beatles and their business empire. The appointment of a receiver had been made pending a full trial of the action brought by McCartney to end the group, but if the out-of-court negotiations, to which McCartney has agreed, are successful, the trial will not come to court. Millions of pounds are involved in the matter which arose from McCartney’s dislike of Allen Klein’s appointment as business manager and the way in which he managed the group and its interests.
From Cashbox Magazine, May 15, 1971

No Beatles appeal — McCartney leaving

BEATLES John Lennon. George Harrison and Ringo Starr have accepted Paul McCartney’s decision to leave the group and will not appeal against the recent court decision to appoint a receiver to look into their affairs.

Mr Morris Finer, QC, representing Apple Corps Ltd, Lennon, Harrison and Starr, reported to the Apple Court on Monday that his clients considered in the circumstances that it was in the best interests to consider means whereby McCartney could disengage himself from the partnership.

His clients felt that prosecution of the Appeal would be hostile to the atmosphere best suited for negotiations – and accordingly asked for their appeal to be dismissed. McCartney’s QC, Mr Jeffrey Hirst, welcomed the suggestion to drop their appeal.

The decision of the other three to allow McCartney to go his own way strengthens the likelihood that Lennon, Harrison and Starr may record together again – possibly with Klaus Voorman playing bass.
From Melody Maker – May 1, 1971

From Lot Detail – John Lennon Annotated Beatles Break-Up Court Document Relating To Paul McCartney 1971 (Caiazzo & REAL) (gottahaverockandroll.com) – A John Lennon annotated document relating to the break-up of The Beatles. Comprises three pages of conference notes entitled ‘P. McCartney.’ Notes of Conference with Mr. H.H. Munroe, Q.C., 13th May 1971’. The conference was called by lawyers acting for John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Apple Corps “to examine the taxation implications arising on Paul McCartney’s withdrawal from the Beatles and the companies associated with them”. The notes from the conference are laid out in this document and outline the various problems and possible solutions to some of the tax difficulties engendered by Paul McCartney’s withdrawal from The Beatles partnership. This was a major source of antagonism between Paul McCartney on the one hand and the other three Beatles on the other. John Lennon made it clear in a letter he wrote to Melody Maker in the early seventies that it wasn’t as simple as just signing a piece of paper to dissolve The Beatles partnership, there were significant potential tax implications. John pointed this out in this document, underlining and bracketing sections which highlighted his points about the potential tax problems he’d identified. John Lennon has handwritten the text ‘Memo from P. McCartney’s council to P. McCartney’ at the top of the first page. John Lennon has also highlighted other places in the document. Each page of the document measures 21.5cm x 35.4cm (8.5inches x 13.9inches).

Last updated on September 13, 2023