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Article Jul 26, 2026 • Paul McCartney attends Jay-Z's concert in New York
Article Jul 29, 2026 • "Rubber Soul" reissue announced
Article Jul 29, 2026 • The Beatles fall out with Allan Williams
Album Oct 02, 2026 • "Rubber Soul (Super Deluxe - 2026)" by The Beatles released globally
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After The Beatles returned to Hamburg, they stopped paying you commission, didn’t they?
When they tried to get back into Germany, they couldn’t. I had to sign a fidelity bond, as did Peter Eckhorn, to be responsible for any damage made by them or if they stole something. If they had have done anything wrong, the visa would have been cancelled again and they would have had to come home. They therefore went over legitimately. I then received this letter from Stuart saying John was refusing to pay commission. Well, I hit the roof and sent them a letter. […] Basically, I told them The Blue Angel was singing, so I said you’ll never ever f***ing work here again.
At that time, you could have sued them for breach of contract but you let them go. Why didn’t you pursue them?
I had the Top Ten disaster and then I was opening the Blue Angel, so I was busy, which is why I had to let The Beatles go. I had the Blue Angel half-built when I ran out of money, so I was trying to get some money and had to go to the bank for a loan. In the end, Cain’s Brewery backed me and I opened it: a club that could sell alcohol. I’d spent enough money on them and they threw it in my face, so I thought, fine, go and do your own thing because I have my own business to build here.
The Blue Angel was a great success, wasn’t it, and you eventually made up with The Beatles?
Yes, we eventually made it up as I cut off their social life because the Blue Angel had become the place to be, instead of The Cavern and the Jac. We had a licensed club and cabaret, plus alcohol. All the stars of stage and screen that played at the Empire came to the Angel, like Judy Garland and the Rolling Stones. It was the show business club; we didn’t have many ‘normal’ clients. I barred The Beatles from the Angel and Epstein came begging and asked if they could come back. So I said, ‘Come back tomorrow night’ and he said, ‘They’re outside’. In they came like drowned rats and threw their arms around me. All was forgotten because life’s too short.
From Allan Williams – The Man Who Gave The Beatles Away? – Beatles Liverpool by David Bedford, July 10, 2020
