Former Beatles Employee Says The Band Pays Poorly

Imagine The Beatles. For ten years, they were an unstoppable musical force. Their music dominated the airwaves, their faces filled magazines, and their concerts were packed with screaming fans. It’s hard to conceive of a bigger band.

But what about the people who helped them achieve this stratospheric success? One former employee sheds light on a surprising detail – The Beatles, for all their wealth, weren’t exactly known for generous salaries.

In this article, we’ll delve into this claim and explore what it meant for those working behind the scenes of Beatlemania. This revelation raises a fascinating question: were The Beatles tightfisted employers, or was there more to the story?

“The Beatles Never Paid Anyone That Well”

Peter Brown wasn’t just any employee for The Beatles. He started as Brian Epstein’s assistant, the band’s manager, and after Epstein’s death, took over many of his crucial responsibilities. 

Despite the significant role he played in their success, Brown recently revealed to Rolling Stone that his financial compensation during the Beatles era wasn’t what he expected. “I was on a very good salary and had a lot of perks,” Brown said, “but I didn’t make a fortune.” 

“The Beatles never paid anyone that well. I made much more money after leaving them,” Brown continued. He went on to describe their financial philosophy as “old-fashioned” and rooted in a sense of practicality. He chuckled as he recalled their motto: “Let’s be sensible, no sense getting carried away.”

Perks and Pride Beyond the Paycheck

Despite the financial shortcomings, Brown acknowledged the undeniable perks that came with working for The Beatles, even after he moved on.

“I really rather enjoyed it,” he reflected. “It’s funny, because only since I’ve been in the U.S. has it been suggested that this or that happened because I was manager of the Beatles’ company. And always my reaction is, ‘Well, how dare you think that!’ I suppose I certainly was lucky, but I just never thought of it that way.”

Brown emphasized self-reliance and a healthy ego. “My ego has always been sufficient enough to think that I did it,” he said. “I don’t have any affiliation with anyone now, but I still manage to get a decent seat in a good restaurant.”

Financial Confusion At Apple Corps

Part of the reason behind The Beatles’ potentially lower salaries might stem from their own financial confusion. This became especially evident after founding Apple Records. John Lennon, in a quote from Ray Coleman’s biography Lennon: The Definitive Biography, expressed concern about the label’s financial state.

“I think Apple’s a bit messy and needs tightening up,” Lennon said. “We haven’t got half the money people think we have. We have enough to live on, but we can’t let Apple go on like it is.”  He envisioned Apple as a creative hub, but acknowledged their lack of business acumen. “We started off with loads of ideas… But like one or two Beatle things, it didn’t work because we weren’t practical and weren’t quick enough to realize we needed a businessman’s brain.”

While Paul McCartney disagreed with Lennon’s public pronouncements about finances, George Harrison shared Lennon’s worries. They all, to some degree, feared running out of money.

Music First, Comfort Later

The Beatles’ financial anxieties may have impacted working conditions for their employees. During the recording of Let It Be, a situation arose that highlighted this conflict. They switched studios, only to discover a noisy heating system that disrupted recording. Their solution prioritized the album over employee comfort.

“There was a central heating boiler in the office and it was not soundproofed,” press officer Derek Taylor recounted how the said boiler was making a racket in The Beatles Anthology.  “And the Beatles said: ‘We’ll turn it off when we’re in here. We’ll just have quiet fires’.”

Taylor’s depiction implies a disregard for the well-being of other staff. “The rest of the building could go to hell — they were just ordinary people, little people.” While switching to fireplaces seemed like a solution, it caused further issues.