Michael Jackson's in London

MissThing

MissThing

Member
Sep 13, 2006
1,098
20
#1
I read it today's evening paper. Jackson is in town with hids kids and there is speculation that we will talk business with Paul McCartney about the Beatles back catalogue.

I guess he must really need the cash. it's worth about £200m or so isn't it?

Anyhoo, before this turns into a whole debate, I'll state my opinion. Back in the 1980s the catalogue was fair game. It was up for auction and Paul McCartney has been doing the same thing (buying the rights to other band's catalogues). In fact, he taught Jackson that it was a good way to make money. I guess the joke was on him when Jackon played him at his own game.

Oh well, maybe Jacko will get some liquid assets and Macca will get the catalogue. Everyone'll be happy! :wlae:
 
#3
In a nutshell (hopefully someone else can give more detail). Jackson owns the rights to the songs.

So if someone wants to make a cover version of a song or use a sample for another song or an commercial, for example. the owner, i.e. Jackson will grant permission and charge money for it.
 
#4
This is a snip from the internet that explains it better than I could:

Back in 1963, the Beatles gave their publishing rights to Northern Songs, a company created by their manager, Brian Epstein, and a music publisher, Dick James. Northern Songs went public in 1965, and John Lennon and Paul McCartney each had 15% of the company's shares, while Dick James and the company's chairman, Charles Silver, held a controlling 37.5% of shares. In 1969, James and Silver sold Northern Songs and its assets to the Associated Television Corporation (ATV).

In 1985, ATV's music catalog was sold, and Michael Jackson was the high bidder. Jacko paid a reported $47 million for the publishing rights to somewhere between 159-260 Beatles songs. A decade later, Jackson and Sony merged their music publishing businesses. Since 1995, Jackson and Sony/ATV Music Publishing have jointly owned most of the Beatles songs.

While the Jackson-Sony collection includes practically all of the Beatles' greatest hits, they don't have every little thing. Paul McCartney bought the rights to "Love Me Do," "Please, Please Me," "P.S. I Love You," and "Tell Me Why." Northern Songs never owned these early tunes, so they weren't included in the ATV deal.
In the past few years, the media has speculated that Jacko may need to sell the Beatles' rights to pay for his extravagant lifestyle and mounting legal costs. Sony reports that Jackson used his half of the Beatles' catalog as collateral for a loan from the music company. If Jackson defaults on the loan, Sony has the right to buy his share. In 2001, Jackson stated: "The Beatles catalogue is not for sale, has not been for sale and will never be for sale."
 
#5
MissThing said:
....In fact, he taught Jackson that it was a good way to make money. I guess the joke was on him when Jackon played him at his own game.
Click to expand...

Pauls beef with Jackson is that he told Michael in confidence that he wanted to buy back his old catalog and Michael knowing this bought it out from under him.

addendum: John and Paul were pretty much taken advantage of when they made their publishing deal way back when. Paul just wanted what should have been 100% theirs in the first place.
 
#6
Roo said:
Sony reports that Jackson used his half of the Beatles' catalog as collateral for a loan from the music company. If Jackson defaults on the loan, Sony has the right to buy his share. In 2001, Jackson stated: "The Beatles catalogue is not for sale, has not been for sale and will never be for sale."
Click to expand...

OMG I remember reading something like this back in 2001. Aftr the last album's disappinting sales there was speculation that he'd lose the catalogue back then
 
#12
oh dear, hope its just a short visit, I always worry his poor children will bump into everything in site, with those silly blankets over their heads lol!

Mind you, I guess thats the least of their problems ;) :biggrin:
 
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