Dick James resigns from Northern Songs – 14 August 1970

Friday 14 August 1970 | Miscellaneous, The Beatles

On 14 August 1970, Dick James — the music publisher who had co-founded Northern Songs with Beatles manager Brian Epstein — resigned as managing director and board member of the company. His departure followed ATV’s announcement that the contract between Maclen Music and Dick James Inc had been terminated, removing James from any meaningful role in the management of the Lennon-McCartney publishing catalogue.

The history of Northern Songs

Northern Songs Ltd was founded in February 1963 by Dick James and Brian Epstein to publish the compositions of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. James had come to Epstein’s attention after successfully pitching himself as the publisher for ‘Please Please Me’ — a meeting arranged through music industry contact George Martin. The company was named after the northern origins of its principal songwriters.

Northern Songs was floated on the London Stock Exchange in February 1965, with Lennon and McCartney each holding 15% of the shares, James and his business partner Charles Silver holding 37.5%, and Brian Epstein’s NEMS Enterprises holding 7.5%. The flotation made Lennon and McCartney paper millionaires, but it also meant that the majority of their publishing rights were now in the hands of outside shareholders.

The arrangement worked smoothly while The Beatles were at the height of their commercial success, but tensions began to emerge in the late 1960s as the group’s relationship with their management and business structures deteriorated. The situation became critical in March 1969, when Dick James and Charles Silver sold their combined 37.5% stake in Northern Songs to ATV (Associated Television), owned by impresario Lew Grade, without informing Lennon and McCartney in advance. The sale was a profound betrayal in the eyes of the two songwriters, who had trusted James as a long-standing business partner.

Lennon and McCartney attempted to buy back control of Northern Songs, forming a consortium with other shareholders, but their bid ultimately failed. On 19 September 1969, ATV acquired a 54% controlling stake in Northern Songs, ending any realistic prospect of The Beatles regaining ownership of their own compositions. Lennon later described the loss as one of the most painful business experiences of his life.

Maclen Music and the American catalogue

Maclen Music was the company that handled Lennon and McCartney’s Beatles-era compositions for North America and the Philippines. It had previously been controlled by Northern Songs, and its management had been handled by Dick James Inc under a contractual arrangement with ATV.

Following ATV’s takeover of Northern Songs, the company handed the management of Maclen Music to Don Kirshner’s Kirshner Entertainment Corporation. Kirshner — the influential American music publisher and producer who had worked with acts including The Monkees and The Archies — was a significant figure in the American music industry, and his appointment signalled ATV’s intention to maximise the commercial exploitation of the Lennon-McCartney catalogue in North America.

The termination of the contract between Maclen and Dick James Inc was announced by ATV on 14 August 1970, simultaneously with the announcement that ATV would continue the management of Northern Songs in the UK and other territories. With his contractual role in the American catalogue ended and his position at Northern Songs rendered untenable, James resigned on the same day.

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The Beatles: Let It Be Unisex Long Sleeve T-Shirt (Stone Wash Blue) — celebrating the final Beatles album, released in May 1970, the same year as Dick James’s resignation.

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Dick James: a brief biography

Dick James (born Richard Leon Vapnick, 12 December 1920) was a British singer and music publisher who became one of the most important figures in the British pop music industry of the 1960s. Before his career in publishing, he had enjoyed modest success as a singer, most notably recording the theme tune to the television series Robin Hood in 1956.

His relationship with The Beatles began in late 1962, when George Martin introduced him to Brian Epstein. James agreed to publish ‘Please Please Me’ and immediately demonstrated his value by securing the song a performance on the television programme Thank Your Lucky Stars — a booking that helped propel the single to number one. The founding of Northern Songs followed shortly afterwards.

James went on to publish the compositions of Elton John and Bernie Taupin through his DJM Records label from 1967, helping to launch one of the most successful careers in popular music history. He died on 1 February 1986, aged 65.

The Lennon-McCartney catalogue remained in ATV’s hands until 1985, when it was purchased by Michael Jackson for approximately $47.5 million — a transaction that caused lasting bitterness between Jackson and McCartney, who had been close friends. The catalogue subsequently passed to Sony/ATV Music Publishing and is now owned by Sony Music Publishing.

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