Magical Mystery Tour: Failures From The Beatles’ Self-Managed Era and Lessons for Today’s DIY Musicians

David Philp
William Paterson University

Abstract

Managing a band can be a full-time job. If it’s the biggest band in the world, the job is even harder. So what happens when the members of the biggest band in the world decide to manage themselves? This paper looks into the 21-month period in which the Beatles oversaw their own business affairs and explains their mistakes and broken philosophies. From the creation of Apple Corps as a means of shielding the group from individual tax burdens to the ultimate selection, by three members, of Allen Klein as their new manager, today’s DIY (do-it-yourself) artists are exposed to valuable lessons.    

Keywords: Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Richard Starkey, Magical Mystery Tour, Allen Klein, managing the Beatles, Beatles managers, music business management, business lessons from the Beatles

Philp, David. “Magical Mystery Tour: Failures From The Beatles’ Self-Managed Era and Lessons for Today’s DIY Musicians.” Journal of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association 15, no. 1 (2015): 37-64. https://doi.org/10.25101/15.2