This one has been on the back burner for about 48 hours, and my apologies to my fans and followers. Believe it or not, I have been extremely busy with my job, ripping off music artists from all their royalties, ...oh wait, that's somebody else...
Well, this Allen Klein gentleman is not a very popular man at all. He's almost universally hated as a rat bastard scumbag. So, what is one to do? Do you go for the jugglar like the Telegraph? Do you treat him with kid gloves like the Times? Do you give him the benefit of the doubt?
Well, in keeping with the spirit of the blog, you just give your own take on the man, toss a link or two, and move on.
Just in case you missed it, Allen Klein was the notorious manager of BOTH the Beatles and the Stones, fired by both, and spent the duration of the next twenty years or so in myriad lawsuits with both. He was famously chased by Mick Jagger throughout a NY hotel with Jagger shouting "Where's my F%$#ing money?"
I had a Beatles "Let it Be" poster in my bedroom as a kid, which was really just an expanded version of the album cover. There was no band at all, really. It was just four pictures of four guys, all doing their own thing. Contrast that with the early days, when they all dressed the same and looked the same. Even for Peppers, they were more or less, down with the program. Yes, for me, Allen Klein is right up there with Yoko in terms of Beatle-busters.
As for the Stones, I specifically remember buying "Hot Rocks," at a department store called J.M. Fields which is one of many, many, many Rolling Stones compilations from the sixties. Why so many? Well, the whole catalog is owned by one, Allen Klein, and he just kept pumping them out in different flavors.
I looked long and hard, and I couldn't find many people who had positive things to say about Mr. Klein. All of it was negative. So, let me give the guy a little parting gift. Unlike many dead celebs, Allen Klein has a nice Web site. And I should know. I specialize in both matters. Ok, so it was all about selling whatever Stones, Sam Cooke, and other catalogs he still owned. I sure would hate to be on the other side of the table in negotiating the price on that site, though. I'm sure he got a great deal.
I learned so much about a man I didn't know I should dislike. And from one of your many links, I've come to believe Paul is dead. Conspiracy theories are awesome in the extent people go to prove a far flung thought. Just for the effort, I buy it.
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