Michael Jackson's 'dodgy' decision ruined friendship with Paul McCartney
Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's friendship was soured forever after the King of Pop made a shock financial move that left The Beatles icon reeling
A surprising move by Michael Jackson abruptly ended his friendship with Paul McCartney. The two first collaborated in 1978 when McCartney, 83, penned the song 'Girlfriend' for Jackson, which was featured on his 1979 breakthrough album Off the Wall.
Their first official collaboration occurred in 1982 when they dueted on the hit single 'The Girl is Mine' from Jackson's legendary album, Thriller. They teamed up again in 1983, performing Say Say Say on McCartney's album Pipes of Peace. However, it was reportedly during the recording sessions for this song that the groundwork for Jackson's betrayal was laid.
McCartney gave Jackson some financial advice, suggesting he invest his wealth into music publishing - a suggestion he would later regret. After the Beatles icon mentioned the financial benefits of owning publishing rights, Jackson reportedly retorted: "One day, I'll own your songs."
McCartney brushed it off as a joke, not realizing the unthinkable would eventually occur. In 1985, Jackson secured the publishing rights to most of the Beatles back catalogue for $47 million from ATV. This was a significant blow to McCartney, who had not been receiving his share of the earnings from Beatles songs since 1969.
The mismanagement of Northern Songs, the publishing company owned by McCartney and John Lennon, led to a stunning betrayal when Jackson outmaneuvered his friend McCartney by purchasing The Beatles' song catalogue. McCartney expressed his dismay, saying: "I think it's dodgy to do something like that. To be someone's friend, and then buy the rug they're standing on."
George Harrison, another member of The Beatles, was equally taken aback by Jackson's move, telling CNN in 1988: "I thought it was very strange because he was supposed to be Paul's friend. Personally, I only have about 10 or 12 songs that was in that catalog. I'd still like them back, Michael. They don't make him that much money. I want them to give to my boy in my will."
Jackson remained silent on the controversy, but according to Far Out Magazine, he once remarked: "You can't put a price on a Picasso... you can't put a price on these songs, there's no value on them."
Despite this, Jackson showed no intention of returning the songs, leading to a permanent rift with McCartney. On The Howard Stern Show, McCartney revealed his unsuccessful efforts to buy back the catalogue, lamenting: "The trouble is I wrote those songs for nothing and buying them back at these phenomenal sums, I just can't do it."
In an unexpected turn, Jackson faced financial troubles and reportedly sold half of the ATV share to Sony for $95 million. McCartney regained control of The Beatles' catalogue after a settlement agreement with Sony/ATV in 2017. He initially lost possession after Michael Jackson's acquisition.
In a 2009 interview with David Letterman, McCartney explained the situation: "Somebody had to get it, I suppose. What happened actually was then I started to ring him up. I thought, here's the guy historically placed to give Lennon-McCartney a good deal at last, 'cos we got signed when we were 21 or something in a back alley in Liverpool.
"And the deal, it's remained the same, even though we made this company the most famous - hugely successful. So I kept thinking, it was time for a raise ... I did talk to him about it, but he kind of blanked me on it. He kept saying, 'That's just business, Paul.' You know. So, I thought, 'Yeah, it is,' and waited for a reply, but we never kind of got to it ... It was no big bust-up. We kind of drifted apart after that."
McCartney regained the catalogue through the US Copyright Act of 1976 allowing songwriters to reclaim their work after 35 years, with his attorney stating: "The parties have resolved this matter by entering into a confidential settlement agreement."
