Friday 11 September 1964 | George Harrison, Music Publishing, Miscellaneous
| Date | Friday 11 September 1964 |
| Event | George Harrison purchases shelf company Mornyork Ltd |
| Later renamed | Harrisongs Ltd (7 December 1964) |
| Harrison's stake | 80% |
| Harrison's location | On tour in the United States |
| Transaction handled by | NEMS Enterprises (on Harrison's behalf) |
On Friday 11 September 1964, George Harrison purchased a shelf company called Mornyork Ltd, with the intention of turning it into his own music publishing company. The Beatles were in the middle of their North American tour at the time β Harrison was thousands of miles from home β and so the transaction was most likely handled on his behalf by NEMS Enterprises, the management company run by Brian Epstein.
Mornyork was a shelf company in the truest sense: it existed for no purpose other than to be purchased and repurposed. Harrison duly did that. On 7 December 1964, the company was renamed Harrisongs Ltd β the vehicle through which he would eventually publish his own compositions.
What is a shelf company?
A shelf company β sometimes called a ready-made company β is a legal entity that has been incorporated but has no activity, assets, or liabilities. It simply sits on a shelf, waiting to be bought. The appeal for buyers is speed and simplicity: purchasing a shelf company is far less administratively complex than incorporating a new one from scratch. In 1964, when Harrison needed a publishing vehicle, buying Mornyork was the most efficient route available to him.
The Northern Songs problem
Having a publishing company on paper, however, did not mean Harrison could immediately use it. He had already entered into a three-year publishing deal with Northern Songs, effective from 25 March 1965, which gave that company the publishing rights to all of his compositions. As a result, Harrisongs Ltd sat dormant until Harrison's Northern Songs contract expired in March 1968. None of his compositions were published through his own company until that point.
Northern Songs had been formed in February 1963 by Dick James and Brian Epstein, on behalf of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, to publish the LennonβMcCartney songwriting catalogue. Both Ringo Starr and George Harrison were also contracted to the company β but on terms that gave them a fraction of what Lennon and McCartney received.
The royalty divide
The financial structure of Northern Songs was heavily weighted against Harrison and Starr. Royalties on published songs were divided among the principal shareholders. At the outset, the breakdown was approximately as follows:
- John Lennon β 19%
- Paul McCartney β 20%
- NEMS Enterprises Ltd β 10%
- Dick James Music (DJM) β 49%
- George Harrison β nothing
- Ringo Starr β nothing
When Northern Songs went public in 1965, the company was restructured and shareholders reduced their holdings. By that point Lennon and McCartney each owned approximately 15%, DJM held 7%, Dick James's family held 15%, DJM co-director Emmanuel Charles Silver held 15%, and NEMS Enterprises owned 7%. Harrison and Starr together held just 1.6% β a token stake that reflected their marginal status within the company's financial architecture.
The practical consequence was stark: for any composition Harrison or Starr had published through Northern Songs, they received far less in royalties than Lennon and McCartney. The disparity was not lost on Harrison. Learn more about the key figures involved in the People in Beatles History guide.
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Only A Northern Song
Harrison and Starr grew increasingly dissatisfied with their position. In 1967, Harrison channelled that frustration directly into his songwriting. 'Only A Northern Song' β recorded during the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band sessions but ultimately released on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack album in 1969 β was his sardonic commentary on the entire situation. The song's title was a direct reference to Northern Songs, and its lyrics played knowingly on the fact that the company's financial arrangements made his own compositions feel like they belonged to someone else.
The song's tone β wry, detached, almost indifferent β captures something of how Harrison had come to regard the publishing business he was trapped in. He was writing songs that would be published by a company in which he had almost no stake, generating royalties that would flow primarily to others. For more background on the business dealings that shaped The Beatles' career, visit the Beatles Knowledge Hub.
George Harrison β All Things Must Pass
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Harrisongs finally active
When Harrison's Northern Songs contract expired in March 1968, Harrisongs Ltd came to life. From that point on, his compositions were published through his own company β the company he had prepared four years earlier with the quiet purchase of a shelf company in September 1964, while the tour bus rolled on across America.
Ringo Starr followed a parallel path: he established his own publishing company, Startling Music, in 1968 β the same year Harrison finally activated Harrisongs. The management and business infrastructure that surrounded all of these deals was overseen during the 1960s by Brian Epstein and NEMS Enterprises β read the full story of Epstein's life and role in People in Beatles History.
Key Facts
| Shelf company purchased | Mornyork Ltd |
| Date of purchase | 11 September 1964 |
| Renamed to | Harrisongs Ltd |
| Renamed on | 7 December 1964 |
| Harrison's ownership stake | 80% |
| Northern Songs publishing deal | From 25 March 1965 (three-year term) |
| Harrisongs activated | March 1968 (Northern Songs contract expired) |
| Related song | 'Only A Northern Song' (1967, released 1969) |
| Ringo Starr's equivalent | Startling Music (1968) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Mornyork Ltd?
Mornyork Ltd was a shelf company β a legal entity incorporated with no activity or assets β purchased by George Harrison on 11 September 1964. Shelf companies are bought and repurposed by those who want to set up a new company quickly. Harrison purchased Mornyork to create his own music publishing company, which he later renamed Harrisongs Ltd on 7 December 1964.
What was Harrisongs Ltd?
Harrisongs Ltd was George Harrison's music publishing company, formed from the shelf company Mornyork Ltd in December 1964. Because Harrison was under contract to Northern Songs from March 1965, Harrisongs remained dormant until that contract expired in March 1968. Harrison owned 80% of the company.
Why did George Harrison write 'Only A Northern Song'?
Harrison wrote 'Only A Northern Song' in 1967 as a sardonic response to his situation with Northern Songs, the publishing company in which he and Ringo Starr held barely any stake. The song's title directly references Northern Songs, and its lyrics reflect Harrison's frustration at receiving far lower royalties than Lennon and McCartney for his own compositions.
What was Northern Songs?
Northern Songs was a music publishing company formed in February 1963 by Dick James and Brian Epstein on behalf of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. It published the LennonβMcCartney songwriting catalogue, as well as compositions by Harrison and Starr under separate contracts. The company went public in 1965 and was later acquired by ATV Music in 1969.
Did Ringo Starr also have his own publishing company?
Yes. Ringo Starr set up Startling Music in 1968, the same year George Harrison's Harrisongs Ltd became active following the expiry of his Northern Songs contract. Both Harrison and Starr had been dissatisfied with their royalty arrangements under Northern Songs.
Who handled the purchase of Mornyork Ltd on George Harrison's behalf?
George Harrison was on tour in the United States when Mornyork Ltd was purchased on 11 September 1964. The transaction was most likely handled on his behalf by NEMS Enterprises, the management company run by Brian Epstein that handled business affairs for The Beatles at the time.
Who was Brian Epstein?
Brian Epstein was the manager of The Beatles and founder of NEMS Enterprises. He played a central role in The Beatles' early business affairs, including co-founding Northern Songs with Dick James in February 1963. He died on 27 August 1967 at the age of 32.
George Harrison β Dark Horse
George Harrison Unisex Pullover Hoodie: Dark Horse (Blue) β named after the label Harrison founded in 1974, another assertion of his creative and commercial independence.
β Brian Epstein dies β 27 August 1967
β People in Beatles History
β The Beatles Knowledge Hub
β On This Day in Beatles History
β The Beatles collection
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