Is it possible that the two living members of The Beatles are not getting a dime despite the resurgence of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band? Fans around the world are celebrating the official release date of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by driving it to number one in the music charts in early June 2017. Nevertheless, this might not be a very happy 50th anniversary for the surviving Beatles members: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.Sadly, although the world is currently remembering May 26, 1967, as the day one of the most influential albums ever made was released and the 50 years of history that has come with it, The Beatles who are still alive do not own the full rights to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.This could mean that some of the revenue being generated by fans of The Beatles that are driving Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band back to the number one slot on the U.K. music charts could be lining the pockets of someone else besides Ringo Starr and Sir Paul McCartney.According to Forbes, the re-release of a reissued/remastered version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band caused The Beatles to rise to number one in the U.K. music charts in early June 2017 — just like they did 50 years ago.
Unfortunately, what is not being reported is whether or not The Beatles would get any money from an album sale for the new 50-year anniversary reissue of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It is also not clear if The Beatles still own any rights to streaming their old songs from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Like many bands in the 1950’s and 1960’s, The Beatles were also subject to misunderstanding how contracts and property rights worked with their music — and this is why Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is partly owned in 2017 by Sony.
Regardless, the most immediate previous owner of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was Michael Jackson and/or his estate.
In fact, as previously reported by the Inquisitr, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney of The Beatles were friends until 1985 when MJ bought the rights to a large portion of the music catalog that belongs to The Beatles. This event came right after Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney worked on several songs together, including the popular hit “Say Say Say.”
Just a couple of years later, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson were in a feud over Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. After several years of asking Michael Jackson over and over again to sell him back the rights to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Michael Jackson told Paul McCartney to forget about it because it was “just business.”
After Michael Jackson died, Paul McCartney started his battle to regain the full rights to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 2009.
There were many instances where the media felt that the Michael Jackson estate would agree to sell Paul McCartney the rights to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. This was especially true after it was revealed that Michael Jackson was practically bankrupt when he died in 2009.
Martin A Nethercutt is a writer, singer, producer and loves music.
Creative Director at McCartney Studios
Editor-in-Chief at McCartney Times
Creator-in-Chief at Geist Musik
President (title) at McCartney Multimedia, Inc.
Went to Albert-Schweitzer-Schule Kassel
Lives in Playa del Rey
From Kassel, Germany
Married to Ruth McCartney
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