How Capitol Got The Beatles: and Then What Happened [Paperback]

Charles Tillinghast (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 2008

A Capitol Juggling Act

That Turned Out Right

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Outskirts Press (September 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1432729241
• ISBN-13: 978-1432729240
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #601,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book on The Beatles from Record Label Insider, November 13, 2008

By 

Sarah Moore "Sarah" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Capitol Got The Beatles: and Then What Happened (Paperback)

Even though I was born several years after The Beatles disbanded in 1970, I grew up listening to their music. Like many other kids of my generation, my parents were fans of the Fab Four. When I became a teenager, I took it upon myself to learn the entire catalog. I also read all of the books and watched all of the documentaries I could find about this peerless group. I found that nearly every aspect of the Beatles phenomenon has been captured in great detail. From the controversy over who really should be considered the "fifth Beatle" to the members' tragic childhoods to the influence of Eastern philosophy on their later works, you can find perspectives from multiple sources. However, in his new release How Capitol Got the Beatles, attorney and author Charles Tillinghast offers a new lens through which to study these four musicians and the impact they created.

Tillinghast worked for fifteen years as the head of the Law Department with Capitol Records, including most of the period during which The Beatles were associated with the label. In this position, he worked with many of the players whose names were never in lights but who, nonetheless, were pivotal to The Beatles' success. He uses his experience to share with the readers his opinion concerning several topics of controversy. He dissects the stories of three individuals who claim to have been responsible for the signing of The Beatles. With an obvious legal flair, he pokes holes in the evidence for two accounts and provides his support for the third. He details audits of the group and Capitol Records. In doing so, he reveals the possibility that EMI, the British parent company of Capitol, may have been double-dipping when receiving their percentage of earnings and explains the painful process through which every item of merchandise was vetted for its royalty value. In chapters that will be of greatest interest to those who enjoy thinking about the human dynamics at play, Tillinghast discusses his thoughts on the infamous as well as, until now, hidden squabbles both among members of the group and between friends and family who became involved in the business. If you want to get inside the head of a person who has "been there and seen that" concerning this worldwide phenomenon, How Capitol Got the Beatles will be of interest to you.

Although Tillinghast could use the skills he learned during his education at Harvard Law School to write a book thick with legal language that makes a reader's head spin, he keeps his content accessible to all readers. Each chapter is short and covers a very specific topic. He alternates between subjects that are steeped in financial and contractual details with segments that focus on the personalities involved. For example, readers will encounter a chapter about the negotiations that occurred following the death of The Beatles' first manager, Brian Epstein. The vacuum created by the loss of Epstein left confusion over who would speak for The Beatles and how the new representative would expect talks to proceed. Would The Beatles work with EMI, go directly to the people at Capitol, or would an altogether different path now be pursued? The next chapter gets more personal when Paul McCartney decides to break with new management and hire his father-in-law, Lee Eastman. The readers will learn of the distrust and animosity that this move created with the other members of the group. By expertly maintaining this balancing act of providing his first-hand legal insight while also appealing to our desire to learn more about the people behind The Beatles' machine, Tillinghast succeeds in producing an informative and entertaining read.

At only ninety-four pages, How Capitol Got the Beatles is a quick read that is packed with great information. I see this book as being particularly appealing to two groups of people. First, fans of The Beatles and their music will love this unique look at how the band started their recording career and how they chose the confidants who would come along for the ride. This book also is important for those who are currently involved, or hope to have a future, in the music industry. They will learn the legal implications of sending free records to DJs, the reasons that a major record label signs or rejects a group, and the decisions that need to be made concerning contracts. I fit into the "Beatles fan" category and highly recommend Tillinghast's work to anyone who shares this designation with me. You will not be disappointed in this opportunity to learn more about the Fab Four and the evolution of their life in the music business.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Fun Reading, November 25, 2008

By 

Russell Harding (Austin, TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How Capitol Got The Beatles: and Then What Happened (Paperback)

What a great find. While this is a short book (94 pages), it is full of interesting facts, information, events and stories, previously untold, about the early days of the Beatles in the U.S.; how their recording contracts with Capitol came about; and the relationship that developed over the period of the group's great success as recording artists. This is from an insider, Charles Tillinghast, at the time an attorney with Capitol Records, who was actually there and involved in all the negotiations and dealings and other goings on. The author's descriptions of the various characters involved - business executives, lawyers, agents, managers, etc. - was fascinating to me, and worth the price of the book alone. Historical information is provided about Capitol Records and the Beatles themselves, which is helpful in placing it all in context.
Tillinghast also does a great job of explaining the workings and financial aspects of the record business that is easily understood.

The entire story is told with wit and humor, and is a fun read. Should be of interest to any fan or student of the Beatles, or of the record business itself. I highly recommend this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The business/legal side of the Beatles, October 14, 2008

By 

William L. Killian, Sr. "William Killian, Sr." (Tucson) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Capitol Got The Beatles: and Then What Happened (Paperback)

I found How Capitol Got the Beatles and Then What Happened an excellent and creative historical account of the economics, legal and business-side of a phenomena I lived through. I was totally unaware of what was going on behind the scenes. This book recounts the inside story convincingly, so real as to make me wonder whether Tillinghast might ever have heard from persons mentioned raising possible objection to aspects of his account.

The author's wit and style made entertaining even aspects of the story that might otherwise have been presented as just dry history.

Thank you, Mr. Tillinghast!