Editing The Beach Boys (section)

==== Selling of the band's publishing ====
{{Further|Sea of Tunes}}
In April 1969, the band revisited its 1967 lawsuit against Capitol after it alleged an audit revealed the band was owed over $2 million for unpaid royalties and production duties.{{sfn|Gaines|1986|p=221}} In May, Brian told the music press that the group's funds were depleted to the point that it was considering filing for bankruptcy at the end of the year, which ''[[Disc & Music Echo]]'' called "stunning news" and a "tremendous shock on the American pop scene". Brian hoped that the success of a forthcoming single, "[[Break Away (The Beach Boys song)|Break Away]]", would mend the financial issues.<!-- <ref name="May69"/> -->{{Citation needed|reason=ref name May69 not defined.|date=December 2018}} The song, written and produced by Brian and Murry, reached number 63 in the US and number 6 in the UK,{{sfn|Badman|2004}} and Brian's remarks to the press ultimately thwarted long-simmering contract negotiations with [[Deutsche Grammophon]].{{sfn|Carlin|2006|p=149}} The group's Capitol contract expired two weeks later with one more album still due. ''[[Live in London (The Beach Boys album)|Live in London]]'', a live album recorded in December 1968, was released in the UK and a few other countries in 1970 to fulfil the contract, although it would not see US release until 1976, under the erroneous re-title ''Beach Boys '69''.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=238}} After the contract was completed Capitol deleted the Beach Boys' catalog from print, effectively cutting off their royalty flow.{{sfn|Gaines|1986|p=221}} The lawsuit was later settled in their favor and they acquired the rights to their post-1965 catalog.{{sfn|Carlin|2006|p=}}

In August, [[Sea of Tunes]], the Beach Boys' catalog, was sold to Irving Almo Music for $700,000 (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|700000|1969|end_year={{Inflation-year|US}}}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}}).{{sfn|Love|2016|p=226}} According to his wife, [[Marilyn Wilson]], Brian was devastated by the sale.{{sfn|Gaines|1986|p=224–225}} Over the years, the catalog generated more than $100 million in publishing royalties, none of which Murry or the band members ever received.{{sfn|Love|2016|p=227}} That same month, Carl, Dennis, Love, and Jardine sought a permanent replacement for Johnston, with Johnston unaware of this search. They approached Carl's brother-in-law [[Billy Hinsche]], who declined the offer to focus on his college studies.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=253}}