New Beatles Song: You Won't Get Me That Way

BDJ's Cellar Full of Remixes

It doesn't happen every day that you get to hear a new Beatles song; but today is that day! We proudly present the premiere (as a complete song) of 'You Won't Get Me That Way', as recorded by the Beatles on 27 January 1969 in Apple Studios, Savile Row.
You Won't Get Me That Way is a swinging blues, in classic McCartney rocker style. Soulful vocals by McCartney, in excellent voice that day. Some neat drum playing by Ringo, and bluesy guitars by George and John. With a bit more work, this could have turned into a track on 'Let It Be' (compare with 'For You Blue'!), were it not that the Beatles had run out of time to rehearse new songs; Ringo was scheduled to take off at the beginning of February to appear in The Magic Christian with Peter Sellers, so they had to finish the sessions soon. They had not come to a conclusion about the finale for the sessions yet, but they realized there would have to be some kind of live performance, and that an album should be assembled from what had been recorded. Later of course, this would culminate in the live performance on the rooftop of Apple studios on 30 January.
Anyway, on 27 January it was high time to put the finishing touches on the songs that had been rehearsed since January 2nd.
We can only conclude that the Beatles were in a good mood that day, perhaps they were happy that the rehearsal sessions were coming to an end? This Monday was the 16th day of the Get Back/Let It Be sessions. The Beatles recorded a total of 32 takes of Get Back in a single day, experimenting with different tempos and styles – including mock Japanese and German versions and alternative lyrics. One new song to be introduced on this day was George Harrison’s Old Brown Shoe, which would become the B-side to The Ballad Of John And Yoko later in 1969.
Towards the end of the day, they were in the middle of rehearsing I've got a Feeling, when Billy Preston (on keyboards) played a classic blues intro. All 4 Beatles picked up on it, Paul improvised the vocals and the lyrics, and You Won't Get Me That Way was born. They then played a little of Jimmy McCracklin's song "The Walk" before returning to I've Got a Feeling. A pretty disciplined rehearsal session, for Beatles standards in those days.....
Still, the lyrics may betray some of what was on Paul's mind in these final days of January. The lyrics mainly consist of 'no, you won't get me that way, you're gonna have to go it on your own', with some additional lyrics at the very end: "you won't get what I can give you. No why should I give you what I gotta give, the way you treat me like you do.'
The easiest explanation would be to label the lyrics as some pretty nonsense, produced on the spot. However, when improvising on the spot - as Paul was doing here - some inner thoughts might pop up that otherwise might have remained suppressed. Is it a coincidence that these lyrics emerge in the middle of rehearsing 'I've Got a Feeling, a feeling deep inside'? Let's find out what these lyrics could relate to!
The first thing that comes to the attention, is the negative form of the lyrics; it is mostly 'No you won't'. This is unusual for McCartney, whose lyrics are usually upbeat. One of the few McCartney songs with lyrics in the negative form is 'You Never Give Me Your Money'. This song was written 2 months later, in March 1969. Could these 2 songs be related?
'You Won't Get Me That way' seems to be a reply to a request to give something to somebody. Paul will not do that, because of the way 'you treat me like you do'. In fist instance, we may imagine that this would be about some 'love' relationship of Paul's, but that doesn't agree with his actual situation. He had met with Linda (Eastman), was deeply in love, and would marry her soon afterwards (March 1969). It is highly unlikely that he would be singing about refusing Linda what she would ask of Paul.
Therefore, the refusal could relate to business, or money matters. And that fits nicely with the lyrics of You Never Give Me Your Money; McCartney has said that this song was written with Allen Klein in mind, saying "it's basically a song about no faith in the person'. A notoriously brash character and tough negotiator, Klein invented the role of business manager, taking a stance as the outsider siding with the artists, the enemy of the record companies.
And this Allen Klein would have very much been on McCartney's mind already in January 1969. Klein had been trying to become the Beatles financial manager since 1964. Epstein and Klein had met face-to-face, in London, Klein offering to help with handling the Beatles’ finances. Brian Epstein was royally offended at the suggestion that someone else should do his job for him, and he had Klein shown to the door.
After Epstein's death in 1967, Klein renewed his efforts. He had spoken with Lennon during the recording of on 11 December 1968 of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, where Lennon performed Yer Blues. A December 1968 article in Disc and Music Echo in which Lennon worried that the Beatles were nearly broke (Apple losing around 20000 pound each week) lent an air of urgency to Klein’s appeal for Lennon to meet with him to talk Beatles business, and Klein continued his contact with Lennon from the US.
He managed to set up a meeting with John & Yoko on January 26, in the Harlequin suite of the Dorchester Hotel, London, where Klein was staying. Klein served them “a carefully researched and prepared vegetarian meal—exactly the macrobiotic dishes John and Yoko preferred.” Klein had studied the music and lyrics of Lennon and spoke sensibly about the meaning of Lennon’s songs. John & Yoko were very impressed with him, and John decided on the spot to make him his personal adviser. There and then he wrote to Sir Joseph Lockwood, the chairman of EMI: "Dear Sir Joe: From now on Allen Klein handles all my stuff." Lennon wrote a similar letter to Dick James, who ran Northern Songs to publish the Beatles songs.
After meeting with John & Yoko, Klein set up a meeting with all four Beatles on 27- or 28 January. Paul McCartney preferred to be represented by Lee and John Eastman, the father and brother respectively of his fiancée, Linda. In fact, the Beatles had appointed Lee Eastman as their financial advisor earlier in January. But now, George and Ringo sided with John & Yoko, and Paul walked out of the meeting.
Although we have no direct evidence, it seems likely that Paul was aware of Klein's presence and intentions on January 27th, when they recorded 'You Won't Get Me That Way'. Klein would have had to invite Paul to his meeting sometime during January 27, and they recorded You Won't Get Me' towards the end of the recording session.
It was clear that the Beatles could not continue this way; John Eastman came over but could not convince the other 3 Beatles. Eastman felt he could not represent the Beatles if they did not have confidence in him. On 3 February the Beatles met again. Allen Klein was charged with examining their finances and finding a way to stop NEMS from bleeding them of a quarter of their income. As a compromise to Paul, Linda's father and brother were appointed as Apple's General Council, to keep an eye on Allen Klein's activities.
However, Klein’s assignment would turn out badly for the Beatles: Dick James, their music publisher, owned a controlling 37.5% of Northern Songs. Lennon and McCartney owned 15% each. After Epstein's death on 27 August 1967, Lennon and McCartney sought to renegotiate their publishing deal with James. In 1968 they invited James for a meeting at Apple Records and it became clear to Dick James that Lennon and McCartney would not renew their contract with Northern Songs. With no new songs being published, Dick James expected that the value of Northern Songs would plummet, and he would lose millions as the major shareholder. In January, Dick James noticed the arrival of Klein through Lennon’s letter. James knew that Klein was a hardball player not averse to questionable business deals; he had a string of lawsuits behind him pending in the States. James feared that Klein would pull some scam that would suddenly leave James out in the cold with nothing.
Dick James could no longer offer to sell his shares to Lennon and McCartney, because he expected that they would not pay the full price - threatening to write no more songs when their contract ran out. Therefore, Dick James sold his share of Northern Songs without informing Lennon and McCartney (or Klein), so they had no time to announce their intentions in public. Klein was unsuccessful in buying back NEMS or blocking the sale of Northern Songs, despite his intense efforts. Allen Klein's strategy became to sell Lennon and McCartney’s shares quickly and make some cash before news of the Beatles' breakup leaked - after which the shares would tumble in value. This is why, in the meeting at Apple in October of 1969, where John officially told Paul the Beatles were over, Allen Klein pressured everyone to keep quiet about the situation for at least the next few months.
Thus Klein was a factor in Lennon and McCartney losing control of their songs, and they would only regain it decades later; thanks to a revision of copyright laws in the US, the copyright returns to the composer after 56 years, so only now do the first songs return to McCartney and Lennon's estate (Yoko Ono).
Klein was successful in other business: sorting out the financial mess of their ill-fated Apple Corps venture. He put an end to the Apple Boutique and got rid of the charlatans and hangers-on.
The Beatles’ existing deal with EMI and Capitol gave them 17.5% of the US wholesale price – a considerable amount already. Klein was able to increase to 25%. He argued that, should the label object, The Beatles would cease to record for them.
Klein also gained Apple Corps the right to manufacture and sell The Beatles records in the US. EMI would retain the recordings, but Capitol would manufacture the releases on Apple’s behalf. Apple would then profit from the difference between manufacturing and retail costs. The new terms gave The Beatles the right, for the first time, to determine the ways in which their music was manufactured and sold. By 1971 the group’s entire back catalogue was made available on Apple Records.
Klein also made sure Let It Be was released as a motion picture rather than a TV film, therefore fulfilling the group's contractual obligations with United Artists.
So, the positive contribution of Klein was that The Beatles’ personal incomes were greatly improved, and Apple was guaranteed a regular income until at least 1976.
Still, it was downhill from there for Allan Klein and the Beatles. Klein held on to the proceeds from the Concert for Bangladesh, the charity event he organized with Harrison at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1971, delaying the release of the funds to UNICEF for years, and was investigated by the US authorities. After Klein’s contract with Lennon, Harrison and Starr expired in March 1973, they opted not to renew it. The group eventually paid Klein an estimated $4m when all litigation was finally settled in January 1977.
Klein was the subject of veiled references in the Harrison song "Beware Of Darkness" – from 1971's All Things Must Pass – and the Lennon composition "Steel And Glass" – on 1974's Walls And Bridges album.
In 1979, Klein was sentenced to two months in jail for tax evasion after helping himself to the proceeds from the sale of promotional copies of the Concert For Bangladesh triple album. Klein died 4 July 2009.
Of course, McCartney did not know all of this on 27 January 1969, but he must have seen troubles coming his way in the form of Allan Klein. And his sub-conscious pushed the lyrics to his lips: "You won't get what I can give you. No why should I give you what I gotta give, the way you treat me like you do."