Whisper Words of Business Wisdom
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/business/20proto.html
By AMY WALLACE
Published: March 19, 2011
THE Beatles were stymied. During a 1968 recording session, they
couldn't find a suitable introduction to "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," a song
written by Paul McCartney. John Lennon didn't much like the song,
and, after several hours, he stormed out of the studio. When he
returned, he strode to the piano and banged out several chords, then
added petulantly, "Here's your intro!"
"All eyes shifted to Paul, expecting rejection, perhaps an outburst,"
according to a new book, "Come Together: The Business Wisdom of The
Beatles." (Turner Publishing, $24.95). Instead, McCartney defused the
tension with this: "That's quite good, actually." Lennon's chords,
pounded out in a fit of pique, make up the song's now-famous opening.
"The underlying disagreement about whether the song had merit in the
broader scheme of things did not disappear," the book concludes, "but
resolving the conflict informed the work and made it stronger, rather
than destroying it."
That takeaway that disagreement can lead to synthesis is just one
of 100 lessons that the book teases out of the history of the Fab Four.
The book's authors, Richard Courtney and George Cassidy, acknowledge
that it is built around a gimmicky idea: treating the Beatles'
successes and failures as a sort of Rosetta Stone not just for
aspiring rock stars, but also for businesspeople everywhere. Such a
premise is sure to earn some flak from certain Beatles fans who
"don't feel that the Beatles and business are topics that mix
comfortably," Mr. Cassidy says.
"There were some very visible failures, particularly in the late
'60s, centered around the Apple group of companies," he says,
referring to the various enterprises the Beatles started at the time
to enter the film, record and retail businesses. "For a lot of people
that became the whole story as far as the Beatles and business are
concerned. Our approach was to take a look at a longer trend line, a
bigger set of facts, and say by and large this thing has been ticking
upwards for almost 50 years now."
It's an intriguing idea that by studying creative people who are
passionate about what they do, we can enhance our own creativity, and
business savvy, even if we work in a completely different arena.
Of course, it's easier for most people to relate to musicians and
their work than, say, to people who design furniture (and their end
tables). The obvious emotion underlying a great song makes us feel
that we have at least some understanding of the performers and their
motivations. The authors of "Come Together," both Nashville residents
and avid Beatles fans, make the most of that idea: that in the
beginning at least, the Beatles were just like you and me.
For example, when the Beatles were a young band, their only means of
transportation was a van missing its windshield. That meant that in
the dead of winter, traveling across England to a gig was such a
frigid experience that the band members who weren't driving huddled
on top of one another for warmth, the authors write, adding: "Take a
page out of their book. Although frostbite is generally a bad idea,
avoid relying heavily on debt to finance your daily operations or growth."
THE Lennon-McCartney decision to always share credit on songs
provided another lesson, the authors suggest: Don't waste time
arguing over crumbs when that energy could be better used building a
bakery or, in this case, the Beatles songbook.
Another story from the Beatles' early years highlights the importance
of heeding feedback, even when it's not what you want to hear.
Executives at Capitol Records, the American affiliate of EMI, took a
pass on "Love Me Do." Even after the success of "Please, Please Me"
a No. 1 album in Britain Capitol refused to issue the record or any
of its singles.
The Beatles could have kept arguing about the album's merits, or
simply given up on conquering America. Instead, Mr. Courtney and Mr.
Cassidy explain, they kept recording new material and sending it to
Capitol for one solid year. Finally, in 1964, Capitol released "I
Want to Hold Your Hand," which became the Beatles' first No. 1 hit in
the United States.
"The most important lesson here is not simple perseverance, though
that is important," the book says. "The approach was key. They did
not continue to pitch Capitol the same product that they had already
rejected." Instead, the Beatles' producer George Martin got in touch
only "when he had something new and improved."
In the book, Mr. Courtney and Mr. Cassidy tell a story about how one
night Lennon and McCartney taught Mick Jagger and Keith Richards how
to write their own songs by composing "I Wanna Be Your Man" in
front of them. The anecdote raises the question: Is there a book to
be written about the business wisdom of the Rolling Stones?
Mr. Courtney, a Realtor and real estate columnist who has read every
book ever written about the Beatles, said a Stones project would
require much new research. But Mr. Cassidy, a longtime business
journalist and sometimes sound engineer, seemed intrigued.
"The Stones have stayed together as a working band for so long and
weathered so many changes in the music business," he said. "They
weathered the decline of record sales and the increased emphasis on
live performance and touring as a revenue source. They also adopted a
number of strategies very different from the Beatles becoming
expatriates to avoid the crushing British tax burden. It's a very
different story but almost an equally fascinating one."
In other words, if "Come Together" does well, "Gimme (Tax) Shelter"
may not be far behind.
.
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