Editing Brian Epstein (section)

===Management contract===
<!-- Put references into this article from books or web pages or your edit will be deleted -->In an afternoon meeting with the group at NEMS on 3 December 1961, Epstein proposed the idea of managing the Beatles.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=85}} [[John Lennon]], [[George Harrison]], and [[Pete Best]] arrived late for the meeting, as they had been drinking at a local pub. McCartney also did not arrive on time because he had just got up and was "taking a bath", as Harrison explained. Epstein was upset, but Harrison placated him by saying, "He may be late, but he'll be very ''clean''."<ref name="FranklyBrian0645">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/mersey/5184.shtml |title=Frankly Speaking: Brian Epstein (time: 06.45) |publisher=BBC |date=23 March 1964 |access-date=2 July 2011}}</ref> Lennon had invited Wooler to be at the meeting so that he could give his opinion of Epstein, but he introduced Wooler by saying, "This is me dad."{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=272}} Epstein was reticent throughout the short meeting, only asking if they had a manager. After learning that they had not, he said, "It seems to me that with everything going on, someone ought to be looking after you."{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=273}} He had further meetings with the group on 6 and 10 December 1961.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=41}}

McCartney, Harrison, and Best were under 21 and therefore needed the consent of their parents to enter into a contract. Best and his mother—[[Mona Best]], owner of [[the Casbah Coffee Club]]—were impressed with Epstein's professional image as were the other Beatles, because he was a businessman, wore expensive suits, and owned a large car. Best's mother said that Epstein "could be good for them [the Beatles]".{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=273–274}} McCartney's father was sceptical about a Jewish manager and warned his son to be careful about finances.<ref name="Anthology65">The Beatles et al. (2000) p.&nbsp;65</ref> Lennon's aunt and guardian, [[Mimi Smith]], was against the idea, believing that Epstein would lose interest when something else attracted his attention, but Lennon, who had just turned 21, ignored his aunt's advice.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=274}}

The Beatles signed a five-year contract with Epstein on 24 January 1962,{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=88}} giving Epstein 10 to 15 per cent of their income. They signed a new contract in October 1962 which gave Epstein 15, 20, or 25 per cent of revenues, depending on how much he helped the band earn.{{sfn|Blaney|2008|p=36}} The Beatles would then share any income after various expenses had been deducted.{{sfn|Miles|1998|p=41}} Epstein then formed a management company, NEMS Enterprises, telling his parents that managing the group was only a part-time occupation and would not interfere with the family business.<ref name="EpsteinCom"/>

The Beatles signed Epstein's first management contract, but Epstein did not. He later told Taylor, "Well, if they ever want to tear it up, they can hold me but I can't hold them".<ref name="EpsteinCom"/> (English law would have enforced the contract through the doctrine of [[Statute of frauds|part performance]].) The contract stated that Epstein would receive a management commission of 25 per cent of the group's gross income after a certain financial threshold had been reached.{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=144–145}} The Beatles argued for a smaller percentage, but Epstein pointed out that he had been paying their expenses for months without receiving anything in return.{{sfn|Lennon|2005|p=103}} On 1 October 1962, four days before the release of "[[Love Me Do]]", Epstein signed Lennon and McCartney to a three-year NEMS publishing contract.<ref name="Walton RoadNEMS">{{cite web |url=http://www.beatlemoney.com/epsteinactualcontract.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060830031626/http://www.beatlemoney.com/epsteinactualcontract.htm |archive-date=30 August 2006 |title=Actual Contract |publisher=Beatle Money |access-date=18 April 2008 }}</ref>{{sfn|Perry|2009|p=10}}{{sfn|Lewisohn|2006|p=61}}

In 1963, Epstein advised the creation of [[Northern Songs]], a publishing company that would control the copyrights of all [[Lennon–McCartney]] compositions recorded between 1963 and 1973. Music publisher [[Dick James]] and his partner Charles Silver owned 51 per cent of the company, Lennon and McCartney 20 per cent each, and Epstein 9 per cent.{{sfn|Cross|2004|p=87}} By 1969, Lennon and McCartney had lost control of all publishing rights to [[Sony/ATV Music Publishing|ATV Music Publishing]]. Epstein's death in 1967 marked the beginning of the group's dissolution and had a profound effect on each Beatle.{{sfn|Geller|1999|p=49}}