What sort of input did the various members of The Beatles have into the A&R process?
PA: I had a meeting once a week, an A&R meeting, and as many as were around would show up. And they all had a degree of input. They were all quite tolerant in a sense, by which I mean they were sympathetic to each other’s projects. So if John really wanted to make his album with Yoko, or Paul really wanted to go and make a record with a brass band… whatever it was, they all kind of went “fine.” Generally it was a live-and-let-live kind of philosophy, though everyone had comments and thoughts. You know, I brought in James Taylor, and Mal Evans brought in The Iveys, and George wanted to make what amounted to a novelty record with “The King Of Fuh,” and Ringo wanted to sign John Tavener, the classical composer, and the label boss Ron Kass wanted the Modern Jazz Quartet. Anything that seemed to have musical value, and that we all thought was a good idea, The Beatles acquiesced. There were some spirited discussions, but I don’t ever remember there being a situation with someone going, “I wa
