This seemed like a really interesting idea for a book.

But not this book.

This is all about the ins and outs of the many lawsuits the Beatles faced in their band years, and after, to an extent.

You start with the millions of dollars their manager Brian Epstein left on the table because of naivety, and the attempt to collect it.

The suits when Allen Klein took over the group.

There are the suits that broke up the Beatles.

The suits over the “My Sweet Lord”-“He’s So Fine” controversy.

The suits over the Concert for Bangla Desh.

The suits over “Come Together”-“You Can’t Catch Me.”

If there’s more here, I’ve forgotten.

I thought it would be a romp through the Beatles years and the whirlwind of activity around them. But it turns out to be as exciting as a deposition.

Maybe the genesis for the book was the song title. I wish the author had given it more thought.

For more of my reviews, go to Ralphsbooks. ( )

I received this book as a early review copy from Librarything Early Reviewers. I posted a previous review that got lost, as there seem to be multiple copies of this book (with EarlyReviewers reviews on at least two copies) on Librarything. The book was insightful into the legal trouble and managerial troubles of the beatles. Probably more about Allen Klien, than I would have suspected. This book would be very interesting to those who are lawyers, managers, or accountants, or to someone looking into the troubles that helped to split the beatles.

Baby You're a Rich Man by Stan Soocher is a very interesting read. This volume ties together the various legal and financial battles which surrounded the Beatles as soon as they began to make money. My only issue is something that is difficult to completely avoid when writing about these issues, a certain amount of dryness creeps in periodically. That said, Soocher keeps that to a minimum and never loses sight of the artistic aspect of the group.

Definitely recommended for any Beatles fan as well as those interested in the business side of the music business. This would also serve as a nice cautionary tale for any aspiring artists out there.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing. ( )

Who knew that The Beatles spent so much of their time post the breakup of the band, in court? But that's because although they weren't playing music together they were still all partners in Apple Corps. Who knew that sharks like Allan Klien and Morris Levy attached themselves to the band, trying to make hundreds of thousands of dollars from the naive Beatles, babies in the world of corporate law. Who knew that Brian Epstein was such an innocent that he allowed his US merchandisers to take 90% of merchandising rights? This is an interesting book that points out the traps that people who just want to make music easily fall prey to. And its frequently very funny ( )

As a huge Beatles fan, I already new about some of the seedier stories surrounding the band. But Stan Soocher's Baby, You're a Rich Man goes into all the gritty details surrounding the lawsuits that John, Paul, George, and Ringo were pulled into - I learned something new with each case. This book is meticulously researched with footnotes and references galore, going way beyond the usual gossip or slander that some books on the Beatles rely on. A great read! Recommended for any Beatles or classic rock fan, but also for anyone interested in strange - almost unbelievably - legal battles.