Barrett Strong's version of Money caught the lads' ears back in the day rummaging through the record bins at North End Music Stores on Great Charlotte Street in Liverpool, and the rest as they always say is history. Except, more than a half-century on, when we speak of The Beatles more often than not when we do, we're talking, really talking, about money.
Sir Paul McCartney is making very sure that the songs we all grew up listening to and forever associated with The Fab Four will also forever be making money for the composers (and/or estates) as opposed to continuing to enrich the publishers who bought the rights from those who bought the rights from the folks who originally held the rights as partners with Lennon and McCartney until the going got a little rough and they bailed. Cowardice and avarice should be their own rewards. Talk about the original Long and Winding Road.
I know the US Supreme Court upset many people, myself included, by ruling that corporations are people (too?), but reading the quote in their press release, Sony does sound like they have hurt feelings. A kind of a 'Gee, Willikers! We were gonna give those songs back. Honest! Sir Paul didn't have to go and tell his mom (lawyer actually) and everything! Jeepers!'
Of course, Sir Macca has some experience with barristers and greenmail having had a ringside seat during The Greatest Show on Earth (sort of) and the break-up of The Beatles. It sounds to me like he's not interested in an encore.
-bill kenny
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