Neil Aspinall
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| Neil Aspinall | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 October 1942 Prestatyn, North Wales |
| Occupation | Road Manager, Personal assistant, Record producer, Executive |
| Spouse | Suzy Aspinall (née Ornstein) |
| Children | Vincent "Roag" Best (with Mona Best) |
Neil Aspinall (born in Prestatyn, North Wales, October 13, 1942) was the road manager and personal assistant for the Beatles. He was a childhood friend of Paul McCartney and George Harrison at the Liverpool Institute grammar school in Liverpool. Aspinall and McCartney were in the same class, and Harrison was in the year below them.
Aspinall originally joined the Beatles' organisation as their road manager, which included driving his old Commer van (with the Beatles and their equipment) to and from shows, both day and night. After Mal Evans started working for the Beatles, Aspinall graduated to becoming the Beatles' personal assistant, and was later promoted to Apple Corps Executive in 1970.
On behalf of the Beatles, Aspinall has been involved in court cases against Allen Klein, Apple Inc., and EMI over the years. He also supervises the marketing of the Beatles' music, videos, and merchandising, as well being the director of Standby Films Ltd. (with his American wife Suzy) which they run from their home in Twickenham, Middlesex.
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[edit] Early life
Aspinall's parents were both born in Liverpool, but his mother was evacuated to Prestatyn in North Wales (because of the air-raids on Liverpool during World War II) while Aspinall's father was away at sea with the Royal Navy. Aspinall was born in Prestatyn in 1942, but returned to Liverpool that same year with his mother after the bombing had subsided. Aspinall later attended West Derby School, where he passed his 11-plus exams. When he was 12-years-old, Aspinall gained a place at the Liverpool Institute in Mount Street, and was in the same class as Paul McCartney for English and Art lessons.[1] Aspinall later commented about his first meeting with George Harrison (who also attended the Institute):
| “ | My first encounter with George was behind the school’s air-raid shelters. This great mass of shaggy hair loomed up and an out-of-breath voice requested a quick drag of my Woodbine. It was one of the first cigarettes either of us had smoked. We spluttered our way through it bravely but gleefully. After that the three of us did lots of ridiculous things together (Aspinall, McCartney and Harrison). By the time we were ready to take the GCE exams we’d added John Lennon to our 'Mad Lad' gang. He was doing his first term at Liverpool College of Art which overlooks the Liverpool Institute playground and we all got together in a students coffee bar at lunchtime.[2][3] | ” |
Aspinall took nine GCEs at the Institute, and passed eight of them, only failing the French exam. He left school in July 1959, and studied accountancy.[4] Aspinall worked for a Liverpool company for two years, receiving a wage of £2.50 per week as a trainee accountant.[3]
[edit] The Beatles
Aspinall was renting a room in Mona Best's house when The Beatles played at the opening of The Casbah Club on on 29 August 1959, which was in the cellar of Mona's house.[5][6] The Beatles had previously used public transport to get to local gigs, but by February 1961 they were playing two or three concerts per night at different locations and needed someone to drive them. Pete Best asked Aspinall to be the Beatles' part-time road manager, so Aspinall bought an "old, grey and maroon Commer van" for 80 pounds, and charged each of the Beatles five shillings per concert.[7] In July 1962, after The Beatles returned from their second trip to Hamburg, Aspinall left his job to become their permanent road manager, as he was earning more money driving them around than he was earning by being an accountant.[3]
Aspinall drove the Beatles down to London on New Year's Eve in 1961, for the now-famous Decca audition, but lost his way and so the trip took ten hours.[8][9] They arrived at 10 o'clock at night, and John Lennon said that they arrived, "just in time to see the drunks jumping in the Trafalgar Square fountain".[10] In 1963, he was joined by Mal Evans, who also helped set up the Beatles' equipment (and acted as a bodyguard) which freed Aspinall to concentrate on other duties, like arranging appointments or buying things for them, such as suits, boots, meals, or drinks[11][12]
After Pete Best was sacked by Brian Epstein (at the direction of the other three Beatles), Aspinall was waiting downstairs in Brian Epstein's NEMS record shop, and was the first one to talk to the (then) ex-Beatle in The Grapes pub, across from The Cavern.[13] Aspinall was furious and said that he would stop working for The Beatles as well, but Best strongly advised him not to.[1] Aspinall decided to stay with The Beatles, but ended his relationship with Mona Best (and his three-week-old baby, Roag). Aspinall asked McCartney and Lennon at the next concert why they had fired Best and was told, "It’s got nothing to do with you. You’re only the driver." [14] Aspinall worked closely with Brian Epstein, who provided weekly notes for Aspinall to give to the Beatles about their stage act, their concert appearances, and the fees they would receive.[15] British roads in the early 1960s were notoriously pot-holed and slow to navigate, and Aspinall had to drive his old van across the country many times, with the Beatles and their equipment in the back.[16]
[edit] Personal assistant
Aspinall's job as personal assistant to the Beatles consisted of driving them to concerts and meetings, but mostly meant just being there whenever they needed something.[17] When The Beatles first went to America, George Harrison became ill with a fever temperature of 102. He was ordered to stay in bed, and Aspinall replaced him for the Ed Sullivan Show camera rehearsals.[18] Before the cover of Sgt. Pepper could be completed by Peter Blake, Aspinall was sent out to find photographs of all of the people that were to be shown on the front cover.[19]
After recording sessions, Lennon, Harrison, and Starr would be chauffeured back to their houses in the 'stockbroker belt' of southern England, but Aspinall would often drive McCartney and Mal Evans in an Austin Princess limousine to a late-night club to eat.[20] The Bag O'Nails night-club was one of their favourites, at 8 Kingly Street in Soho, London, as it also presented live music. They would eat steak, chips, and mushy peas, but Aspinall would always produce a flashlight from his pocket (in the dimly-lit club) to inspect the portions on each of their plates.[21] This was to make sure that the portions were exactly as they had ordered, which McCartney found amusing.[22]
[edit] Musical contributions
Although not a musician, Aspinall made minor contributions to a handful of the Beatles' recordings. He played a tamboura on "Within You Without You", harmonica on "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", some percussion on "Magical Mystery Tour", and was among the many participants singing on the chorus of "Yellow Submarine".[4]
[edit] Manager
Following the death of Brian Epstein in August 1967, there was a vacuum in the management of the Beatles' affairs. In 1968, the Beatles asked Aspinall to take over the management of Apple Corps, which was founded in April 1968.[23] He is quoted in the Anthology series saying that he only did it after being asked, but did not want to do it full-time and would only do it until "they found somebody else".[24] George Martin (the Beatles' record producer) was against the idea, as he thought that Aspinall did not have the necessary social qualifications to be able to speak to the upper-class executives at EMI.[25] Aspinall accompanied McCartney and Lennon to New York on 11 May 1968 to announce the formation of Apple to the American Media.[26] Apple Corps had five divisions: electronics, film, publishing, records, and retailing. Aspinall later spoke of the Beatles' business arrangements:
| “ | We did not have one single piece of paper. No contracts. The lawyer, the accountants and Brian, whoever, had that. Maybe the Beatles had been given copies of various contracts, I don't know. I didn't know what the [recording] contract was with EMI, or with the film people or the publishers or anything at all. So it was a case of building up a filing system, find out what was going on while we were trying to continue doing something.[27] | ” |
Derek Taylor (Apple's press officer) said that Aspinall hated being stuck in the Apple office at 3 Savile Row all through the recording of The White Album and Let It Be album. Life in the Apple office was improved by having a chef and various assistants at hand; "the liquor bill was £600 per month and the food bill was close to that". This was mostly due to Aspinall's and Peter Brown's enjoying four-course lunches with expensive wines, in the dining room at Apple.[28] After Allen Klein was brought in to be the Beatles' manager Aspinall was dismissed, but later reinstated after the Beatles complained, and because Klein realised that Aspinall was no threat to his control of the company.[29] Klein lost a High Court action in 1971 (started by McCartney) but lawsuits between Klein and Apple kept Aspinall busy until 1977.[30]
[edit] Apple Corps Executive
McCartney (who has known Aspinall longer than any of the other Beatles) has praised him for trademarking the Apple name worldwide, and calls Aspinall "Mr. X" in the Apple Corps organisation.[31]
In 1978, Aspinall instigated the first of three lawsuits on behalf of Apple Corps against Apple Computer, Inc. (now known as Apple, Inc.) for trademark infringement. The first suit settled in 1981 with an amount of £41,000 being paid to The Beatles by Apple Computers. As a condition of the settlement, Apple Computers was allowed to use its logo as long as it did not enter the music business.[32] The second suit arose in 1989, when Apple Corps sued Apple Computer over its Apple IIGS (which included a professional synthesizer chip) claiming violation of the 1981 settlement agreement. In 1991, a settlement of £13.5 million was reached.[31] In September 2003, Apple Computer, Inc. was again sued by Apple Corps, this time for the introduction of the iTunes Music Store and the iPod, which Aspinall and Apple Corps believed was a violation of the previous agreement for Apple Computer to not distribute music. The trial began on 27 March 2006 in the UK, and ended on 8 May 2006 in a victory for Apple Computer; the judge ruled the company's iTunes Music Store did not infringe on the trademark of Apple Corps.[33]
Aspinall has also been involved in several court cases in which Apple Corps has taken action against EMI:[34]
| “ | We have tried to reach a settlement through good faith negotiations and regret that our efforts have been in vain. Despite very clear provisions in our contracts, EMI persist in ignoring their obligations and duty to account fairly and with transparency. Apple and the Beatles are, once again, left with no choice but to sue EMI.[35][36] | ” |
In the early 1990s, Aspinall became the executive producer for The Beatles Anthology. He continues to advise the surviving Beatles, as well as Lennon's and Harrison's estates, and supervises the marketing of the Beatles' music, videos, and merchandising.
[edit] Personal life
During 1961-1962, Aspinall had become good friends with Pete Best and subsequently rented a room in the house where Pete Best lived with his parents. During one of the extended business trips of Pete Best's father, Aspinall became romantically involved with Pete Best's mother Mona Best, who was 20 years his senior. During this period, Aspinall fathered a child by Mona: Vincent "Roag" Best.[6][37] Roag Best was born in late July 1962, and just three weeks later, on August 16, 1962, Pete Best was dismissed from The Beatles.[13][1]
On 30 August 1968, Aspinall married Suzy Ornstein at the Chelsea Register office, London.[38] Suzy Aspinall is the daughter of Bud Ornstein; the chief executive of United Artists Pictures (UK). Aspinall met her during 1964/1965, when her father was the United Artists representative overseeing the production of the first two Beatles films: A Hard Day's Night and Help!.[39] As well as his work for Apple Corps, Aspinall and his wife are the sole directors of their own Standby Films Ltd. company, which is run from their home in Twickenham, Middlesex.[14] In 1999, Standby Films released a video film about Jimi Hendrix, called "Hendrix: Band of Gypsys".[40]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Neil Aspinall Biography - Mersey Beat Retrieved: 11 February 2007
- ^ Spitz 2005. p124
- ^ a b c First meeting with George Harrison - Merseybeat Retrieved: 11 February 2007
- ^ a b Unterberger, R., "Neil Aspinall biography" All Music Guide link Retrieved: 8 October 2006
- ^ Photo of The Casbah Club
- ^ a b Cynthia Lennon – “John” 2006. p44.
- ^ Miles 1998. p73
- ^ Spitz 2005. p285
- ^ Miles 1998. p89
- ^ Cynthia Lennon, “John” 2006. p108.
- ^ Miles 1998. pp92-93
- ^ Photo of Aspinall and Mal Evans Retrieved: 12 February 2007
- ^ a b Spitz 2005. p331
- ^ a b Aspinall, The Beatles and money - Mersey Beat Retrieved: 11 February 2007
- ^ Spitz 2005. p280
- ^ Spitz 2005. pp376-379
- ^ Spitz 2005. p736
- ^ Spitz 2005. p464
- ^ Miles 1998. p336
- ^ Miles 1998. pp166-167
- ^ Location of The Bag o’Nails Retrieved: 11 February 2007
- ^ Miles 1998. p141
- ^ Miles 1998. p440
- ^ Granados 2004. p12
- ^ Spitz 2005. p735
- ^ Spitz 2005. p716
- ^ Granados 2004. p19
- ^ Dilello 2005. p54
- ^ Miles 1998. p546
- ^ The Sunday Times: The Culture: Section 10: 12 November, 1995, pages 4-5
- ^ a b Miles 1998. pp581-582
- ^ History of Apple v Apple: bbc.co.uk 8 May 2006 Retrieved: 3 February 2007
- ^ Beatles lose court case against Apple Inc., bbc.co.uk: 11 May, 2006 Retrieved: 29 January 2007
- ^ Apple V EMI - Times Online August 31, 2006 Retrieved: 11 February 2007
- ^ EMI court case, bbc.co.uk: 31 August 2006 Retrieved: 29 January 2007
- ^ The Beatles and EMI’s court cases: bbc.co.uk 16 December 2005 Retrieved: 3 February 2007
- ^ Review of “Drummed Out” – The sacking of Pete Best Retrieved: 11 February 2007
- ^ “Beatles People” – Photo of Neil Aspinall Retrieved: 12 February 2007
- ^ Andrew Loog Oldham Biography: Guardian Unlimited – 6 April 2001 Retrieved: 12 February 2007
- ^ Neil Aspinall at the Internet Movie Database – Roles as actor/producer. Retrieved: 12 February 2007
[edit] References
- Beatles, The (2000). Anthology. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-304-35605-0.
- Best, Pete, Best, Rory; Best, Roag (2003). The Beatles: The True Beginnings. Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 0312319258.
- DiLello, Richard (2005). The Longest Cocktail Party. Canongate Books Ltd. ISBN 1-84195-602-3.
- Granados, Stefan (2004). Those Were the Days. Cherry Red Books . ISBN 978-1901447125.
- Lennon, Cynthia (2006). John. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-89828-3.
- Miles, Barry (1998). Many Years From Now. Vintage-Random House. ISBN 0-7493-8658-4.
- Spitz, Bob (2005). The Beatles: The Biography. Little, Brown and Company (New York). ISBN 1-84513-160-6.
