A writer and counterculture figure who ran Zapple. He co-founded the Indica Bookshop and International Times, and later wrote McCartney's authorised biography Many Years From Now (1997).

US album release: Electronic Sound by George Harrison – 26 May 1969

Q: What was Zapple Records?

An Apple Records subsidiary for experimental and spoken word recordings, run by Barry Miles. Launched in the US on 26 May 1969, closed by Allen Klein in June 1969 after releasing only two records.

May 26, 2026

US album release: Electronic Sound by George Harrison – 26 May 1969

Monday 26 May 1969 | Release

On 26 May 1969, The Beatles' experimental Apple subsidiary Zapple Records launched in the United States with the simultaneous release of two albums: Electronic Sound by George Harrison and Unfinished Music No 2: Life With The Lions by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The label had been in existence since October 1968, but these were its first — and, as it turned out, only — releases. Zapple was closed by Allen Klein in June 1969, just weeks after its launch.

Zapple Records

Zapple was conceived as an Apple Records subsidiary dedicated to experimental, avant-garde, and spoken word recordings — material that would not have found a home on the main Apple label. The label was run by Barry Miles, a writer and counterculture figure who was a close friend of Paul McCartney and a central figure in the London underground scene of the 1960s. Miles later wrote McCartney's authorised biography, Many Years From Now (1997), one of the most detailed accounts of McCartney's life and work.

The Zapple concept was ambitious. Beyond the Harrison and Lennon/Ono albums, there were plans to release:

A spoken word album by the poet and novelist Richard Brautigan (to have been Zapple 3 — acetate copies were pressed)
Spoken word albums by poets Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Michael McClure
A recording of a UK appearance by comedian Lenny Bruce

None of these came to fruition. Barry Miles later recalled:

“The Zapple label was folded by Klein before the record could be released. The first two Zapple records did come out. We just didn’t have [Brautigan’s record] ready in time before Klein closed it down. None of the Beatles ever heard it.”

— Barry Miles

Electronic Sound

Electronic Sound was issued as Zapple 02. It was George Harrison's second solo release, following Wonderwall Music in November 1968. The album contained just two tracks, one on each side:

Side one: 'Under The Mersey Wall'
Side two: 'No Time Or Space'

Both tracks were recordings of Harrison experimenting with a Moog synthesiser — one of the first Moog instruments to be owned by a rock musician in the UK. The recordings were largely improvised explorations of the instrument's capabilities. Bernie Krause, the American Moog pioneer who had helped Harrison learn the instrument, later claimed that 'Under The Mersey Wall' was largely his own improvisation recorded while demonstrating the Moog to Harrison, and that he had not consented to its commercial release. Harrison disputed this account.

Unfinished Music No 2: Life With The Lions

Unfinished Music No 2: Life With The Lions was the second avant-garde album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, issued as Zapple 01. It documented a concert at Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge in March 1969, and recordings made at Queen Charlotte's Hospital in November 1968 when Yoko Ono was hospitalised following a miscarriage — including the heartbeat of the couple's unborn child.

Allen Klein and the Closure of Zapple

Allen Klein had been appointed as The Beatles' business manager in February 1969 — supported by Lennon, Harrison, and Starr, but opposed by McCartney. Klein closed Zapple in June 1969 on the grounds that it was not commercially viable, just weeks after its US launch. The closure was symptomatic of the broader tensions within Apple Corps in 1969, a year in which the company's finances, management, and creative direction were all in dispute.

Barry Miles

Barry Miles (born 1943) was one of the central figures of the London counterculture in the 1960s. He co-founded the Indica Bookshop and Gallery — where John Lennon first met Yoko Ono in November 1966 — and the underground newspaper International Times. His biography Many Years From Now (1997) remains the most authoritative account of McCartney's Beatles years.

Key Facts: 26 May 1969

Label: Zapple Records (Apple Records subsidiary)
US launch date: 26 May 1969
Albums released: Electronic Sound (Zapple 02) and Unfinished Music No 2: Life With The Lions (Zapple 01)
Label manager: Barry Miles
Label founded: October 1968
Label closed: June 1969 (by Allen Klein)
Total Zapple releases: 2
Electronic Sound tracks: 'Under The Mersey Wall' / 'No Time Or Space'
Unreleased Zapple 3: Richard Brautigan spoken word (acetates pressed; never released)

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Zapple Records?

An Apple Records subsidiary created to release experimental, avant-garde, and spoken word recordings. Run by Barry Miles, it launched in the US on 26 May 1969 and was closed by Allen Klein in June 1969 after releasing only two records.

What is Electronic Sound by George Harrison?

Harrison's second solo album (Zapple 02), containing two Moog synthesiser improvisations: 'Under The Mersey Wall' and 'No Time Or Space'. It followed Wonderwall Music (November 1968).

Why was Zapple closed so quickly?

Allen Klein closed Zapple in June 1969 as part of a broader restructuring of Apple Corps, on the grounds it was not commercially viable.

Who was Barry Miles?

A writer and counterculture figure who ran Zapple. He co-founded the Indica Bookshop (where Lennon met Ono) and International Times, and later wrote McCartney's authorised biography Many Years From Now (1997).

What was the unreleased Zapple 3?

A spoken word album by Richard Brautigan. Acetates were pressed but it was never released — Klein closed Zapple before it could come out. Barry Miles said none of The Beatles ever heard it.